Session 2 · Proverbs 6–10

Seven abominations, two women, and Solomon's sayings.

Read to Me

The reading, recorded ahead of time. The chapters play one after another.

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Thoughts before reading

Answer these two questions before the chapters are read.

Question A · Before the reading

Chapter 8 will speak of wisdom present at creation. What do you already assume that chapter must be: a poem about a virtue, a proof about Christ, or something you have not yet let the lines say?

Your answer

Question B · Before the reading

Two banquets will be offered in the same city. Which invitation do you find easier to dress up as freedom?

Your answer

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Theological summary

Chapter 6 is a cluster of warnings that refuse respectable folly. Putting up security for a neighbor's debt can trap a man in words he cannot pay. The sluggard learns from the ant or he learns poverty. A worthless man plots evil with a crooked mouth, and the LORD hates seven things: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart devising schemes, feet running to evil, a false witness, and one who sows discord. The list is not a curiosity. It is the character of folly when it grows up. The chapter then returns to adultery, because hidden desire is not a smaller sin than a public lie.

Chapter 7 slows the warning into a story told from a window. A young man at twilight passes near her corner. She seizes him and kisses him. The house is ready, the husband is gone, and the bed is spread. He follows like an ox to the slaughter, and her house is the way to Sheol. Chapter 8 answers with Wisdom's own voice at the gates. She speaks noble things, and she was daily the LORD's delight when He marked out the foundations. Chapter 9 puts both women at table. Wisdom offers bread and wine and the fear of the LORD. Folly offers stolen water and does not say that the dead are there. Chapter 10 turns to short sayings.

Main point

The main point is that wisdom and folly are not moods. They are two calls, two tables, and two ends. The LORD hates the habits that destroy a community, and He is not flattered by a clever man who lies. The seduction scene is deliberately slow so the son can see the steps before he is in them. Wisdom's speech in chapter 8 claims life's public good and a share in the Creator's joy. The simple are then asked to choose a house. Neutrality is not on the menu.

Chapter 10 begins the sentence-proverbs, and the reader must learn their genre. A righteous life and a wicked life really do tend toward different harvests. Those lines are not contracts that cancel Job, nor are they decorations. They train perception. A wise son makes a father glad. Hatred stirs conflict. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life. Read them as the grain of God's moral world, and do not turn each couplet into a prophecy about next Tuesday.

Minor points

The ant in chapter 6 is not a children's decoration. She prepares in season without a foreman. The sluggard is waiting to be managed. Proverbs treats laziness as a moral failure, not as a charming personality.

Seven abominations put discord-sowing next to bloodshed. The LORD's hatred is ethical and specific. A church that winks at hidden factions while denouncing only spectacular crimes has not memorized the list.

Chapter 10's contrasts assume that words, work, and memory have moral weight. A fool's mouth brings ruin near. The blessing of the LORD makes rich without the sorrow toil adds when it is greedy. Each line wants obedience, not a system built from one verse.

Symbolism for Christian reading

Chapter 8 has been loved by the church as a witness to the eternal Word, and it has been abused as if Wisdom were a creature the Father made. The poem, in its own place, personifies God's wisdom instructing a son, present with the LORD in the work of creation and delighting in mankind. Arius heard a beginning and concluded the Son was made. The church, reading John and the apostles, confessed the Son eternally begotten, not created, the wisdom of God in person. Hold both cares. Do not flatten the chapter into a slogan, and do not hand it to a heresy that makes Christ less than God. The father's lecture remains a lecture. The Word made flesh is the one in whom its best hopes stand.

The two banquets of chapter 9 are the clearest picture in this session, and Christian reading should keep the bread and wine on Wisdom's table without stealing the scene. She really does invite the simple to a meal that begins with the fear of the LORD. The Lord's Supper is not hidden in the verse as a cipher, yet the church knows another table where crucified Wisdom feeds His people. Folly's stolen water is still a warning about secret sin, not a symbol that may replace the woman in the window. Come to Christ's table, and do not follow the ox's path on the way home.

The reading · Proverbs 6–10

World English Bible

Proverbs 6

The father warns against cosigning a neighbor's debt, against the sluggard, and against seven things the LORD hates, including a lying tongue and feet that run to evil.

1My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor,if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,2you are trapped by the words of your mouth;you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.3Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself,since you have come into the hand of your neighbor.Go, humble yourself.Press your plea with your neighbor.4Give no sleep to your eyes,nor slumber to your eyelids.5Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

6Go to the ant, you sluggard.Consider her ways, and be wise;7which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,8provides her bread in the summer,and gathers her food in the harvest.9How long will you sleep, sluggard?When will you arise out of your sleep?10A little sleep, a little slumber,a little folding of the hands to sleep—11so your poverty will come as a robber,and your scarcity as an armed man.

12A worthless person, a man of iniquity,is he who walks with a perverse mouth,13who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,who motions with his fingers,14in whose heart is perverseness,who devises evil continually,who always sows discord.15Therefore his calamity will come suddenly.He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

16There are six things which Yahweh hates;yes, seven which are an abomination to him:17arrogant eyes, a lying tongue,hands that shed innocent blood,18a heart that devises wicked schemes,feet that are swift in running to mischief,19a false witness who utters lies,and he who sows discord among brothers.

20My son, keep your father’s commandment,and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.21Bind them continually on your heart.Tie them around your neck.22When you walk, it will lead you.When you sleep, it will watch over you.When you awake, it will talk with you.23For the commandment is a lamp,and the law is light.Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,24to keep you from the immoral woman,from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.25Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart,neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.26For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread.The adulteress hunts for your precious life.27Can a man scoop fire into his lap,and his clothes not be burned?28Or can one walk on hot coals,and his feet not be scorched?29So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife.Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.30Men don’t despise a thiefif he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,31but if he is found, he shall restore seven times.He shall give all the wealth of his house.32He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding.He who does it destroys his own soul.33He will get wounds and dishonor.His reproach will not be wiped away.34For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband.He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.35He won’t regard any ransom,neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.

Proverbs 7

He watches from a window as a young man meets a woman dressed for the night, and the youth follows her like an ox going to the slaughter.

1My son, keep my words.Lay up my commandments within you.2Keep my commandments and live!Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.3Bind them on your fingers.Write them on the tablet of your heart.4Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.”Call understanding your relative,5that they may keep you from the strange woman,from the foreigner who flatters with her words.6For at the window of my house,I looked out through my lattice.7I saw among the simple ones.I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,8passing through the street near her corner,he went the way to her house,9in the twilight, in the evening of the day,in the middle of the night and in the darkness.10Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute,and with crafty intent.11She is loud and defiant.Her feet don’t stay in her house.12Now she is in the streets, now in the squares,and lurking at every corner.13So she caught him, and kissed him.With an impudent face she said to him:14“Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me.Today I have paid my vows.15Therefore I came out to meet you,to diligently seek your face,and I have found you.16I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry,with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.18Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning.Let’s solace ourselves with loving.19For my husband isn’t at home.He has gone on a long journey.20He has taken a bag of money with him.He will come home at the full moon.”21With persuasive words, she led him astray.With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.22He followed her immediately,as an ox goes to the slaughter,as a fool stepping into a noose.23Until an arrow strikes through his liver,as a bird hurries to the snare,and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.

24Now therefore, sons, listen to me.Pay attention to the words of my mouth.25Don’t let your heart turn to her ways.Don’t go astray in her paths,26for she has thrown down many wounded.Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.27Her house is the way to Sheol,going down to the rooms of death.

Proverbs 8

Wisdom lifts her voice again, claims a dwelling with prudence, and says she was beside the LORD as a master workman when the world was established.

1Doesn’t wisdom cry out?Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?2On the top of high places by the way,where the paths meet, she stands.3Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,at the entry doors, she cries aloud:4“I call to you men!I send my voice to the sons of mankind.5You simple, understand prudence!You fools, be of an understanding heart!6Hear, for I will speak excellent things.The opening of my lips is for right things.7For my mouth speaks truth.Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.8All the words of my mouth are in righteousness.There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.9They are all plain to him who understands,right to those who find knowledge.10Receive my instruction rather than silver,knowledge rather than choice gold.11For wisdom is better than rubies.All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.

12“I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling.Find out knowledge and discretion.13The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil.I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.14Counsel and sound knowledge are mine.I have understanding and power.15By me kings reign,and princes decree justice.16By me princes rule,nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.17I love those who love me.Those who seek me diligently will find me.18With me are riches, honor,enduring wealth, and prosperity.19My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,my yield than choice silver.20I walk in the way of righteousness,in the middle of the paths of justice,21that I may give wealth to those who love me.I fill their treasuries.

22“Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work,before his deeds of old.23I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,before the earth existed.24When there were no depths, I was born,when there were no springs abounding with water.25Before the mountains were settled in place,before the hills, I was born;26while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields,nor the beginning of the dust of the world.27When he established the heavens, I was there.When he set a circle on the surface of the deep,28when he established the clouds above,when the springs of the deep became strong,29when he gave to the sea its boundary,that the waters should not violate his commandment,when he marked out the foundations of the earth,30then I was the craftsman by his side.I was a delight day by day,always rejoicing before him,31rejoicing in his whole world.My delight was with the sons of men.

32“Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,for blessed are those who keep my ways.33Hear instruction, and be wise.Don’t refuse it.34Blessed is the man who hears me,watching daily at my gates,waiting at my door posts.35For whoever finds me finds life,and will obtain favor from Yahweh.36But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul.All those who hate me love death.”

Proverbs 9

Wisdom builds her house and sets a table, while Folly sits at her own door and offers stolen water that leads down to the dead.

1Wisdom has built her house.She has carved out her seven pillars.2She has prepared her meat.She has mixed her wine.She has also set her table.3She has sent out her maidens.She cries from the highest places of the city:4“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,5“Come, eat some of my bread,Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!6Leave your simple ways, and live.Walk in the way of understanding.”

7One who corrects a mocker invites insult.One who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.8Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you.Reprove a wise person, and he will love you.9Instruct a wise person, and he will be still wiser.Teach a righteous person, and he will increase in learning.10The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom.The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.11For by me your days will be multiplied.The years of your life will be increased.12If you are wise, you are wise for yourself.If you mock, you alone will bear it.

13The foolish woman is loud,undisciplined, and knows nothing.14She sits at the door of her house,on a seat in the high places of the city,15to call to those who pass by,who go straight on their ways,16“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.”As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,17“Stolen water is sweet.Food eaten in secret is pleasant.”18But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there,that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

Proverbs 10

The collected sayings of Solomon begin, setting the wise son against the foolish and the blessing of the righteous against the name of the wicked.

¹The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes a glad father;but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.2Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,but righteousness delivers from death.3Yahweh will not allow the soul of the righteous to go hungry,but he thrusts away the desire of the wicked.4He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand,but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.5He who gathers in summer is a wise son,but he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame.6Blessings are on the head of the righteous,but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.7The memory of the righteous is blessed,but the name of the wicked will rot.8The wise in heart accept commandments,but a chattering fool will fall.9He who walks blamelessly walks surely,but he who perverts his ways will be found out.10One who winks with the eye causes sorrow,but a chattering fool will fall.11The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life,but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.12Hatred stirs up strife,but love covers all wrongs.13Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has discernment,but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.14Wise men lay up knowledge,but the mouth of the foolish is near ruin.15The rich man’s wealth is his strong city.The destruction of the poor is their poverty.16The labor of the righteous leads to life.The increase of the wicked leads to sin.17He is in the way of life who heeds correction,but he who forsakes reproof leads others astray.18He who hides hatred has lying lips.He who utters a slander is a fool.19In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience,but he who restrains his lips does wisely.20The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver.The heart of the wicked is of little worth.21The lips of the righteous feed many,but the foolish die for lack of understanding.22Yahweh’s blessing brings wealth,and he adds no trouble to it.23It is a fool’s pleasure to do wickedness,but wisdom is a man of understanding’s pleasure.24What the wicked fear will overtake them,but the desire of the righteous will be granted.25When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more;but the righteous stand firm forever.26As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes,so is the sluggard to those who send him.27The fear of Yahweh prolongs days,but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.28The prospect of the righteous is joy,but the hope of the wicked will perish.29The way of Yahweh is a stronghold to the upright,but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.30The righteous will never be removed,but the wicked will not dwell in the land.31The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom,but the perverse tongue will be cut off.32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.

Questions after Proverbs 6–10

Question 1 · Theological depth

Wisdom says whoever finds her finds life, and Folly's guests are in the depths of Sheol. Why does Proverbs treat the choice of a path as a choice about life with God, not merely about practical success?

Your answer

Question 2 · Theological depth

How can chapter 8 be read as a personification of God's wisdom and also, in the light of the whole Scripture, be heard in harmony with the eternal Son, without making Wisdom a created being?

Your answer

Question 3 · Text and history

In Proverbs 7 the young man is seen from the window before he enters the house. What steps does the narrative mark, and where could he still have turned?

Your answer

Question 4 · Text and history

Chapter 6 lists seven things the LORD hates. Which of them are sins of speech and social damage, and why are they not treated as lesser than sins of violence?

Your answer

Question 5 · Walk and practice

Name three practical steps you will take to answer Wisdom's invitation rather than Folly's in a specific temptation you already know. Then name two behaviors to change: one lazy or dishonest habit, and one way you entertain desire that belongs to someone else's covenant.

Your answer

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