in the main concourse she cries aloudThe "main concourse" refers to the bustling, central areas of a city where people gather, conduct business, and engage in daily activities. In ancient Israel, these areas were often marketplaces or public squares, serving as the heart of civic life. Wisdom's presence here signifies her accessibility and the importance of her message to all people, regardless of their social status. This imagery emphasizes that wisdom is not hidden or reserved for the elite but is available to everyone who seeks it. The act of crying aloud suggests urgency and the need for immediate attention, highlighting the importance of heeding wisdom's call. This public proclamation can be compared to the prophetic voices in the Old Testament, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah, who also called out to the people in public spaces, urging them to return to God.
at the city gates she makes her speech
The city gates were significant in ancient times as places of legal transactions, judgment, and community gatherings. They were the entry and exit points of a city, symbolizing both protection and openness. By making her speech at the city gates, wisdom positions herself at a place of decision-making and authority. This setting underscores the idea that wisdom is foundational to justice and governance. The city gates were where elders and leaders would sit to resolve disputes and make important decisions, as seen in the story of Boaz in the Book of Ruth. Wisdom's presence here suggests that true justice and righteous leadership are grounded in divine wisdom. This can also be seen as a type of Christ, who is described as the "gate" inJohn 10:9, offering both protection and the way to salvation. Wisdom's speech at the gates invites all who enter and leave to consider her teachings as they make choices in their lives.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Wisdom (Personified)In Proverbs, wisdom is often personified as a woman calling out to people, urging them to heed her counsel. This personification emphasizes the active and vocal nature of wisdom, seeking to guide and instruct.
2.
Main ConcourseThis refers to the bustling, central areas of the city where people gather. It symbolizes the public and accessible nature of wisdom's call, indicating that wisdom is available to all who are willing to listen.
3.
City GatesIn ancient times, city gates were places of commerce, judgment, and public discourse. Wisdom's presence at the gates signifies her role in guiding societal and personal decisions.
Teaching Points
The Accessibility of WisdomWisdom is not hidden or exclusive; it is available to everyone who seeks it. We must be attentive and responsive to its call in our daily lives.
The Public Nature of WisdomWisdom's call in public places suggests that it should influence all areas of life, including personal decisions, community interactions, and societal norms.
The Urgency of Heeding WisdomJust as wisdom cries out in the streets, there is an urgency to respond. Ignoring wisdom can lead to folly and consequences that affect both individuals and communities.
The Role of Wisdom in Decision-MakingWisdom should be a guiding principle in our decision-making processes, helping us discern right from wrong and make choices that honor God.
Seeking Wisdom from GodAs believers, we are encouraged to seek wisdom from God, who provides it generously. This requires humility and a willingness to learn and grow.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Proverbs 1:21?
2.How can we recognize wisdom's call in our daily lives today?
3.What does Proverbs 1:21 teach about the public nature of wisdom's call?
4.How does Proverbs 1:21 connect with James 1:5 about seeking wisdom?
5.In what ways can we respond to wisdom's call in Proverbs 1:21?
6.How can we apply the message of Proverbs 1:21 in our communities?
7.What does Proverbs 1:21 mean by "at the head of the noisy streets"?
8.How does Proverbs 1:21 reflect the importance of wisdom in public life?
9.Why is wisdom personified as calling out in Proverbs 1:21?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Proverbs 1?
11.What are the pearly gates?
12.2 Chronicles 1:10 - Is there historical or archeological proof that Solomon's wisdom and wealth matched the biblical account?
13.How can one person realistically fulfill all the ideal qualities described in Proverbs 31:10-31 without ever falling short?
14.If wisdom is portrayed as calling out in public (Proverbs 1:20-21), what historical or archaeological evidence supports such personification in ancient Israel?What Does Proverbs 1:21 Mean
In the main concourse“in the main concourse” pictures Wisdom standing where the streets meet and people bustle about.
• Scripture consistently places God’s call where life happens, not in hidden corners (Proverbs 1:20; 8:2;Jeremiah 5:1).
• The literal setting underlines that every passer-by is meant to hear; no one can claim ignorance (Romans 1:20;Acts 17:17).
• As in the Gospels, Jesus preached on hillsides and in synagogues because truth belongs in public view (Matthew 5:1-2;John 18:20).
The phrase reminds us that divine wisdom confronts us in our daily routines, inviting immediate, practical response.
she cries aloudWisdom is not whispering; she is “crying aloud”.
• The urgency echoesIsaiah 58:1, “Cry aloud, do not hold back,” andJohn 7:37 where Jesus “cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me.’”
• Loud proclamation stresses compassion: God desires none to perish (2 Peter 3:9).
• It also stresses accountability: a loud call leaves no excuse (Hebrews 3:7-8).
We hear a loving, urgent plea that demands decision rather than casual curiosity.
at the city gatesThe city gate in biblical times was the hub of commerce, justice, and counsel (Ruth 4:1;Deuteronomy 17:5;Proverbs 8:3).
• Placing Wisdom here shows her relevance to legal, economic, and civic life, not just private piety.
• The gate was where elders judged disputes; thus, Wisdom claims authority over right and wrong (Amos 5:15).
• Jesus likewise entered Jerusalem’s gate riding a colt, openly declaring His kingship (Luke 19:37-40).
The literal venue declares that all public life must be measured by God’s standard.
she makes her speechThe phrase signals a deliberate, reasoned address: “she makes her speech”.
• God presents a clear case, much like Moses inDeuteronomy 30:15-19—life or death set before the people.
•James 1:5 assures us that God “gives generously to all,” echoing Wisdom’s public offer of insight.
•Hebrews 4:7 ties the moment to responsibility: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
The speech offers instruction and promise, but also warning to those who refuse to listen (Proverbs 1:24-33).
summaryProverbs 1:21 paints a literal scene of Wisdom standing in the busiest places, raising her voice where decisions are made and lives intersect. God’s truth is accessible, urgent, authoritative, and rational—leaving every heart without excuse and every listener invited to choose the path of life.
(21)
Crieth.--She cannot bear to see sinners rushing madly on their doom. (Comp. Christ's weeping over Jerusalem,
Luke 19:41; and
Romans 9:2,
sqq;
Philippians 3:18,
sqq.)
Verse 21. -
She crieth in the chief place of concourse. The
chief place is literally the
head (
רלֺאשׁ,
rosh); here used figuratively for the place where streets or roads branch off in different directions, as in
Ezekiel 16:25, "the beginning of streets," or "the head of the way;" comp.
Genesis 2:10, where it is used of the point at which the four streams branched off; and the corresponding expression in
Proverbs 8:2, "She staudeth in the top (
rosh)
of high places."
Of concourse;
הֹמִיּות (
homiyyoth) is the plural of the adjective,
הומִי (
homi): literally, "those who are making a noise," or "the tumultuous;" here, as in
Isaiah 22:2 and
1 Kings 1:41, used substantively for "boisterous, noisy places" (compare the Vulgate,
in capite turbaram). The variation in the LXX., "on high walls," or "on the tops of the walls" (
ἐπ᾿ἄκρων δὲ τειχέων,
super summos muros), which is adopted also in the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic Versions, arises from reading
חומות (
khomoth), "walls," for the Masoretic
homiyyoth. In the openings of the gates. The
opening (
פֶתַחpethakh) is the opening of the gate, or the entrance by the gate (
שַׁעַר,
shaar)
, i.e. of the city, the
introitus portae of the Chaldee and Syriac Versions. The openings of the gates would be thronged, as courts of justice were held at the gates (
Deuteronomy 16:18;
2 Samuel 15:2); business was carried on there, as the selling and redemption of land (
Genesis 23:10-16;
Ruth 4:1); markets were also held there (
2 Kings 7:1-18); and the same localities were used for the councils of the state and conferences (
Genesis 34:20;
2 Samuel 3:27;
2 Chronicles 18:9;
Jeremiah 17:19; comp.
Proverbs 31:33, "Her husband is known in the
gates"). In place of the expression, "in the openings of the gates," the LXX. reads,
Ἐπὶ δὲ πύλαις δυναστῶνπαρεδρεύει, "And at the gates of the mighty she sits" - an interpolation which only partially represents the sense of the original, and which is adopted in the Arabic. In the next clause, for "in the city" is substituted
ἐπὶδὲ πύλαις πόλεως, "at the gates of the city." The Vulgate combines the separate clauses of the original in one - in
foribus portarum urbis, "in the entrances and openings of the gates of the city."
In the city (
בָעִיר,
bair);
i.e. in the city itself (so Aben Ezra, ap. Gejerus), as opposed to the entrance by the gates, and so used antithetically (as Umbreit, Bertheau, Hitzig). The publicity of the teaching of Wisdom, observable in the places she selects for that purpose, also marked the public ministry of our Lord and his disciples, and finds an illustration in his command, "What ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops" (
Matthew 10:27);
i.e. give it all the publicity possible. The spirit of Wisdom, like that of Christianity, is aggressive (see Wardlaw, 'Lectures on
Proverbs 4,' vol. 1. pp. 40, 41).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
in the mainבְּרֹ֥אשׁ(bə·rōš)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7218:The headconcourseהֹמִיּ֗וֹת(hō·mî·yō·wṯ)Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 1993:To make a, loud sound, commotion, tumult, to rage, war, moan, clamorshe cries aloud,תִּ֫קְרָ֥א(tiq·rā)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7121:To call, proclaim, readat the cityבָּעִ֗יר(bā·‘îr)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892:Excitementgatesשְׁעָרִ֥ים(šə·‘ā·rîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8179:An opening, door, gateshe makesתֹאמֵֽר׃(ṯō·mêr)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 559:To utter, sayher speech:אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ(’ă·mā·re·hā)Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 561:Something said
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OT Poetry: Proverbs 1:21 She calls at the head of noisy (Prov. Pro Pr) 
