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Proverbs 9:1-6
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Proverbs 9:1-6
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 9
The Two Women Invite Passersby to Their Banquets[a]
Woman Wisdom Issues Her Invitation
1 Wisdom has built her house,[b]
she has set up her seven columns;
2 She has prepared her meat, mixed her wine,
yes, she has spread her table.
3 She has sent out her maidservants; she calls[c]
from the heights out over the city:(A)
4 “Let whoever is naive turn in here;
to any who lack sense I say,
5 Come, eat of my food,
and drink of the wine I have mixed!
6 Forsake foolishness that you may live;[d]
advance in the way of understanding.”
Footnotes
- 9:1–6, 13–18
Wisdom and folly are represented as women, each inviting people to her banquet. Wisdom’s banquet symbolizes joy and closeness to God. Unstable and senseless Folly furnishes stolen bread and water of deceit and vice that bring death to her guests. The opposition between wisdom and folly was stated at the beginning of chaps. 1–9 (folly in 1:8–19 and wisdom in 1:20–33) and is maintained throughout, down to this last chapter.
In comparable literature, gods might celebrate their sovereign by building a palace and inviting the other gods to come to a banquet and celebrate with them. Presumably, Woman Wisdom is celebrating her grandeur (just described in chap. 8); her grand house is a symbol of her status as the Lord’s friend. In order to enter the sacred building and take part in the banquet (“eat of my food”), guests must leave aside their old ways (“forsake foolishness”).
Verses 7–12 are unrelated to the two invitations to the banquet. They appear to be based on chap. 1, especially on 1:1–7, 22. The Greek version has added a number of verses after v. 12 and v. 18. In the confusion, 9:11 seems to have been displaced from its original position after 9:6. It has been restored to its original place in the text.
- 9:1
House: house has a symbolic meaning. Woman Wisdom encourages marital fidelity (2:16–19; 5; 6:20–35; 7), which builds up a household (cf. chap. 5). Some scholars propose that an actual seven-pillared house is referred to, but so far none have been unearthed by archaeologists. Seven may simply connote completeness—a great house.
Some scholars see a connection between the woman’s house here and the woman’s house in the final poem (31:10–31). In chap. 9, she invites the young man to enter her house and feast, i.e., to marry her. Chapter 31 shows what happens to the man who marries her; he has a house and enjoys “life” understood as consisting of a suitable wife, children, wealth, and honor.
- 9:3 She calls: i.e., invites; this is done indirectly through her maidservants, but the text could also mean that Wisdom herself publicly proclaims her invitation.
- 9:6 That you may live: life in Proverbs is this-worldly, consisting in fearing God or doing one’s duty toward God, enjoying health and long life, possessing wealth, good reputation, and a family. Such a life cannot be attained without God’s help. Hence Wisdom speaks not of life simply but of life with her; the guest is to live in Wisdom’s house.
Proverbs 9:1-6
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Proverbs 9:1-6
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Wisdom’s Feast
9 Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,
4 “You that are simple, turn in here!”
To those without sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Lay aside immaturity,[a] and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:6 Or simpleness
Proverbs 9:1-6
Good News Translation
Proverbs 9:1-6
Good News Translation
Wisdom and Stupidity
9 Wisdom has built her house and made seven columns for it. 2 She has had an animal killed for a feast, mixed spices in the wine, and set the table. 3 She has sent her servant women to call out from the highest place in town: 4 “Come in, ignorant people!” And to the foolish she says, 5 “Come, eat my food and drink the wine that I have mixed. 6 Leave the company of ignorant people, and live. Follow the way of knowledge.”
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Proverbs 9:1-6
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 9:1-6
New American Standard Bible
Wisdom’s Invitation
9 Wisdom has (A)built her house,
She has carved out her seven pillars;
2 She has [a](B)prepared her food, she has (C)mixed her wine;
She has also (D)set her table;
3 She has (E)sent out her attendants, she (F)calls out
From the (G)tops of the heights of the city:
4 “(H)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who (I)lacks [b]understanding she says,
5 “Come, (J)eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 [c]Abandon your foolishness and (K)live,
And (L)proceed in the way of understanding.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:2 Lit slaughtered her slaughter
- Proverbs 9:4 Lit heart
- Proverbs 9:6 Or Abandon the naive
Proverbs 9:1-6
New International Version
Proverbs 9:1-6
New International Version
Invitations of Wisdom and Folly
9 Wisdom has built(A) her house;
she has set up[a] its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;(B)
she has also set her table.(C)
3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls(D)
from the highest point of the city,(E)
4 “Let all who are simple(F) come to my house!”
To those who have no sense(G) she says,
5 “Come,(H) eat my food
and drink the wine I have mixed.(I)
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live;(J)
walk in the way of insight.”(K)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 9:1 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew has hewn out
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
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Good News Translation (GNT) 
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New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.