Wisdom calls out in the streetThis phrase personifies wisdom as a woman, a common literary device in Hebrew poetry. The streets represent public places where people gather, symbolizing that wisdom is accessible to all. In ancient Israel, city streets were bustling with activity, making them ideal for public announcements. This imagery suggests that wisdom is not hidden or exclusive but available to everyone who seeks it. The call of wisdom in public spaces echoes the prophetic tradition, where prophets often delivered messages in public to ensure they reached a wide audience. This aligns with the biblical theme that God desires all people to know and follow His ways.
She lifts her voice in the square
The square, or marketplace, was the center of social and economic life in ancient cities. It was a place of commerce, legal proceedings, and social interaction. By lifting her voice in the square, wisdom is portrayed as actively seeking to engage with people in their daily lives. This setting emphasizes the practical nature of wisdom, as it applies to everyday decisions and interactions. The public proclamation of wisdom in the square can be seen as a type of Christ, who also taught in public places and called people to follow Him. This connection highlights the continuity of God's revelation through wisdom and the teachings of Jesus.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
WisdomPersonified as a woman, Wisdom is depicted as actively seeking to impart knowledge and understanding to those who will listen. In the Hebrew text, the word for wisdom is (chokmot), which is in the plural form, suggesting a fullness or completeness of wisdom.
2.
The StreetRepresents the public sphere where daily life occurs. It is a place accessible to all, symbolizing that wisdom is available to everyone who seeks it.
3.
The SquareA central place in ancient cities where people gathered for social, commercial, and legal activities. It signifies a place of influence and decision-making.
Teaching Points
The Accessibility of WisdomWisdom is not hidden or exclusive; it is available to all who are willing to listen and learn. We must be attentive to the voice of wisdom in our daily lives.
The Public Nature of WisdomWisdom is not just for private contemplation but is meant to be lived out in the public sphere. Our actions and decisions should reflect the wisdom we receive from God.
The Urgency of Responding to WisdomWisdom calls out urgently, indicating the importance of responding promptly. Delaying our response to wisdom can lead to missed opportunities and consequences.
The Role of Community in WisdomThe setting of the street and square suggests that wisdom is often found and applied within community. Engaging with others can help us grow in understanding and discernment.
The Source of True WisdomTrue wisdom comes from God and aligns with His Word. We should seek wisdom through prayer, scripture, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Proverbs 1:20?
2.How can we recognize wisdom's call in our daily lives today?
3.What does Proverbs 1:20 teach about the public nature of wisdom?
4.How does Proverbs 1:20 connect with James 1:5 on seeking wisdom?
5.In what ways can we heed wisdom's call in our communities?
6.How can we apply wisdom's public call to our decision-making processes?
7.What does Proverbs 1:20 mean by "Wisdom calls out in the street"?
8.How does Proverbs 1:20 relate to the concept of divine wisdom?
9.Why is wisdom personified as a woman in Proverbs 1:20?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Proverbs 1?
11.If wisdom is portrayed as calling out in public (Proverbs 1:20–21), what historical or archaeological evidence supports such personification in ancient Israel?
12.Why is Wisdom personified as "she" in Proverbs?
13.Does the insistence on divine wisdom in Proverbs 1 undermine the value and validity of secular ethics or knowledge sources?
14.What wisdom and guidance does Proverbs offer for life?What Does Proverbs 1:20 Mean
Wisdom calls out“Wisdom calls out” (Proverbs 1:20a)
• This is not a whisper but a deliberate, public summons.
• Personified Wisdom actively initiates the conversation, showing that God graciously speaks first (Proverbs 8:1–3;Revelation 3:20).
• The tone is urgent—similar to God’s own calls throughout Scripture: “Seek the LORD while He may be found” (Isaiah 55:6) and “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).
• We are reminded that lack of wisdom is never due to God’s silence but our inattentiveness (James 1:5).
in the street“…in the street” (Proverbs 1:20a)
• The street is where ordinary life happens—commerce, travel, conversation. Wisdom meets people where they live, not in a hidden corner (Jeremiah 5:1;Luke 14:21).
• No social class, age, or background is excluded; Wisdom’s offer is democratic and universal (Proverbs 8:4–5).
• Public space also implies accountability. When truth is proclaimed openly, rejection cannot be blamed on ignorance (John 15:22).
she lifts her voice“…she lifts her voice” (Proverbs 1:20b)
• Raising the voice heightens intensity. Wisdom refuses to be drowned out by competing noises (Isaiah 58:1).
• The imagery matches prophetic urgency—much like Jesus who “cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink’” (John 7:37).
• God’s wisdom is passionate, not detached; it longs for a response (2 Peter 3:9).
in the square“…in the square” (Proverbs 1:20b)
• The city square is the hub of civic life—legal judgments, markets, and community gatherings (Ruth 4:1–11;Acts 17:17).
• By placing Wisdom there, the text affirms that godly insight belongs at the center of cultural, economic, and judicial decisions, not just private devotion.
• It also highlights that Wisdom withstands public scrutiny; truth is bold enough for open debate (Psalm 119:46).
summaryProverbs 1:20 paints Wisdom as an assertive, compassionate herald who steps into the busiest places of life to invite everyone to God’s way. The call is clear, public, urgent, and accessible. Rejecting it is therefore a choice, not a necessity; embracing it brings the blessings promised throughout Proverbs.
(b)
Second Discourse:--
Wisdom Addresses her Despisers(
Proverbs 1:20-33).
(20)Wisdom.--The form of the Hebrew term (chokhmoth) has been taken for an abstract singular noun, but probably it is the plural ofchokhmah(Proverbs 1:2), signifying the multiform excellences of wisdom. It is possible that Solomon may have originally meant in this passage only to describe, in highly poetic language, the influence and work in their generation of those in whom "the fear of the Lord" dwells. So, too, many of the Psalms (Psalms 45, for example), in the first instance it would seem, are intended to describe the excellence of some earthly saint or king, yet they are completely fulfilled only in the Son of man, the ideal of all that is noblest and best in man. And thus the description of Wisdom in her manifold activity, as represented in Proverbs 1, 8, 9, so closely corresponds to the work of our Lord, as depicted in the New Testament, that from the earliest times of Christianity these passages have been held to be a prophecy of Him; and there is good reason for such a view. For a comparison ofLuke 11:49 ("Therefore also said the wisdom of God, Behold, I send," &c.) withMatthew 23:34 (where He says, "Behold, I send") would seem to show that He applied the title to Himself. St. Paul in like manner speaks of Him as the "Wisdom of God" (1Corinthians 1:24); says He has been "made unto us wisdom" (1Corinthians 1:30); and that in Him "are hid all the treasures of wisdom" (Colossians 2:3). For passages from the Fathers embodying this view, see references in Bishop Wordsworth on this chapter. . . .
Verses 20-33. - 2.
Second admonitory discourse. Address of Wisdom personified, exhibing the folly of those who wilfully reject, and the security of those who hearken to, her counsels. The sacred writer, in this section, as also in ch. 8, uses the rhetorical figure of prosopopceia, or impersonation. Wisdom is represented as speaking and as addressing the simple, scorners, and fools. The address itself is one of the noblest specimens of sacred eloquence, expressing in rapid succession the strongest phases of feeling - pathetic solicitude with abundant promise, indignant scorn at the rejection of her appeal, the judicial severity of offended majesty upon offenders, and lastly the judicial complacency which delights in mercy towards the obedient. The imagery in part is taken from the forces of nature in their irresistible and overwhelming violence and destructive potency.
Verse 20. -
Wisdom crieth without.Wisdom. The Hebrew word (
khochmoth) here used to designate Wisdom seems to be an abstract derivation from the ordinary
khochmah. The form is peculiar to the Proverbs and Psalms, in the former occurring four times (
Proverbs 1:22;
Proverbs 9:1;
Proverbs 14:1;
Proverbs 24:7), and in the latter twice only (viz.
Psalm 49:4;
Psalm 78:15). As in
Proverbs 9:1 and Proverbs 24:7, it is a
pluralis excellentiae of the feminine gender, a variety of the
pluralis extensivus, as Bottcher prefers to denominate it. The feminine form may he determined by the general law which associates purity and serenity with womanhood (Plumptre). The idea of plurality, however, is not that of extension, but of comprehension,
i.e. it is not so much all kinds of wisdom which is presented to us, as all the varieties under which wisdom
par excellence may be regarded and is comprehended. The plural form of the word denotes the highest character or excellence in which wisdom can be conceived; or, as the marginal reading expresses it, wisdoms,
i.e. excellent wisdom. Other instances of the
pluralis excellentiae are met with in Holy Writ,
e.g. Elohim, God,
i.e. "God of Gods," either from the polytheistic view, or from the monotheistic view as expressive of God's might in manifestation,
passim;
k'doshim, "the Holy (God),"
Proverbs 9:10;
Proverbs 30:3;
adonim, for
adon "lord" (Gesenius, 'Gram.,' § 108. 2
b). In the conception of Wisdom here presented to us in the text we have the germ of an idea which, on the principles of expansion, developed subsequently in the consciousness of the Christian Church into a definite identification of Wisdom with the Second Person of the blessed Trinity. There is a striking parallel to this passage in
Luke 11:49, where Christ speaks of himself as
ἡ Σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ, "the Wisdom of God," that shall send prophets and apostles into the world, and thereby identifies himself with Wisdom (cf. this with vers. 20, 21; ch. 7.). Again, a striking similarity is observable between the teaching of Divine Wisdom and that of the Incarnate Word, as much in their promises as in their threats and warnings. But it is difficult to determine with accuracy to what extent the Messianic import of the personification was present to the
consciousness of the sacred writers, and whether Wisdom as here presented to us is simply a poetic and abstract personification or a distinct by-postatizing of the Word. Dorner ('Pers. of Christ,' Introd., p. 16), with reference to ch. 8:22, etc., says that though Wisdom is introduced speaking as a personality distinct from God, still the passage does not lead clearly to an hypostatizing of the Khochmah. Dollinger ('Heidenthum und Judenthum,' bk. 10. pt. 3. sec. 2
a, and
Proverbs 8:22, etc.) maintains that Wisdom is "the personified idea of the mind of God in creation," rather than the presence of "a distinct hypostasis." Lucke (see references in Liddon, 'Bampton Lects.') holds that in Proverbs Wisdom is merely a personification It is clear that whatever is predicated of Wisdom in ch. 8. must be also predicated of her in the passage before us, in reference either to the hypostatic or opposite view. On the other hand, a large number of expositors, dating from the earliest periods of the Christian Church down to the present time, see in Wisdom a distinct hypostasis, or person - the Lord Jesus Christ. A fuller investigation of this subject will be seen in our remarks on ch. 8. For the present we observe that Wisdom is essentially Divine. Her authority, her utterances, whether of promise, threat, scorn, or vengeance, are the authority, the utterances, of God.
Crieth; rather,
crieth loudly, or
aloud. The Hebrew verb
ranan (
רָנַן) is "to vibrate the voice," and conveys the idea of the clear loud ringing tones with which proclamations were made; cf. the Vulgate
praedicare, and the Arabic
clamitate, "to cry with a loud voice." Fleischer remarks that the Arabic
rannan, which is allied to the Hebrew verb, is used of a speaker who has a clear piercing voice. In such a way does Wisdom cry without when making her address. She elevates her voice that all may hear. The verb in the original is
tazonnah, the feminine singular of
ranan, and predicate to "Wisdom," according to the rule that verbs in the singular are construed with plural nouns having a singular signification, especially the
pluralis excellentiae (see Gesenius, 'Gram.,' § 146. 2).
Without.בַּהוּצ (
bakhuts) is here used adverbially, as in
Genesis 9:22, and signifies "in the open places,"
i.e. abroad, without, as opposed to the space within the walls. The writer here begins his enumeration of the five places wherein Wisdom preaches, viz.
(1) without,
(2) in the streets,
(3) in chief places of concourse, . . .
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Wisdomחָ֭כְמוֹת(ḥā·ḵə·mō·wṯ)Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 2454:Wisdom, every wise womancalls outתָּרֹ֑נָּה(tā·rōn·nāh)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural
Strong's 7442:To give a ringing cryin the street,בַּח֣וּץ(ba·ḥūṣ)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2351:Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoorsshe liftsתִּתֵּ֥ן(tit·tên)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5414:To give, put, sether voiceקוֹלָֽהּ׃(qō·w·lāh)Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6963:A voice, soundin the square,בָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹת(bā·rə·ḥō·ḇō·wṯ)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7339:A broad open place, plaza
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OT Poetry: Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom calls aloud in the street (Prov. Pro Pr) 
