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About this book

Proverbs

About this book
Chapter 9

1 Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out its seven pillars. 2 She has prepared her meat, she has mixed her wine; she also has arranged her table. 3 She has sent out her female servants; she calls out on the highest places of the city. 4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here.” To those who lack understanding, she has said, 5 “Come, eat some of my food, and drink some of the wine I have mixed.⁠ 6 Abandon your foolish ways so that you may live, and proceed in the way of understanding.” 7 Whoever corrects a mocker is asking for insult; whoever reproves a wicked person receives abuse.⁠ 8 Do not reprove a mocker, or he will hate you; reprove a wise person, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise person, and he will become wiser still; teach a righteous person, and he will add to his learning. 10 The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and acknowledging the Holy One is understanding. 11 For because of me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. 12 If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage, but if you have mocked, you alone must bear it. 13 The woman called Folly is brash; she is naive and does not know anything. 14 And she has sat down at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, 15 calling out to those who are passing by her in the way, who go straight on their way. 16 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here, ”To those who lack understanding she has said, 17 “Stolen waters are sweet, and food obtained in secret is pleasant!” 18 But they do not realize that the Rephaim50 are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Proverbs 9:7 and Matthew 7:6

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

In Matthew, Jesus teaches to not give what is valuable to those who will reject it, echoing Proverbs, which discourages correcting those who mock wisdom. Both teach that wisdom includes knowing when to stay silent.

Passages

Proverbs 9:7

Hebrew Bible
4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here.” To those who lack understanding, she has said, 5 “Come, eat some of my food, and drink some of the wine I have mixed. 6 Abandon your foolish ways so that you may live, and proceed in the way of understanding.” 7 Whoever corrects a mocker is asking for insult; whoever reproves a wicked person receives abuse. 8 Do not reprove a mocker, or he will hate you; reprove a wise person, and he will love you.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Proverbs

Matthew 7:6

New Testament
3 Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? 5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces.
70–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Matthew

References

"... Qohelet knows that 'there is a time to be silent and a time to speak' (Ecclesiastes 3:7). Proverbs repeatedly speaks of or implies silence as sign of wisdom (Proverbs 11:13; 15:23; 20:19; 23:9; 30:32-33). Similarly, Ben Sira links silence and wisdom: 'There is one who by keeping silent is thought to be wise (Sirach 20:5). In his teaching on silence (Sirach 20:1-8) Ben Sira condemns not only waste of words in talkativeness, but emphasizes on a more positive note two motives for silence: silence for want of knowledge and silence in wait for the proper time to speak in order to be effective. Motives for silence are (1) prudence, lest somebody pass on wrong information because he speaks without sufficient insight (5:12), (2) staying loyal to one's friends (19:5-12), (3) perplexity or embarrassment in not knowing the proper answer one needs to give (20:5), and, most importantly, (4) waiting for the propitious time to speak with maximum effectiveness (20:6-7) ..."
Bruce Chilton and Craig A. Evans, eds., Authenticating the Words of Jesus, NTTS 28.1 (Leiden: Brill, 2002), 247.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Proverbs 9:7 and Matthew 7:6

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