Question 1

What is the meaning of wisdom building her house with seven pillars?

Accepted Answer

Wisdom building her house with seven pillars gives a picture of a large, solid, well‑supported house. It points to how God, through his wisdom, prepares a safe and complete place for his people. Many readers see this house as pointing to God’s people gathered together, or to the whole way of life shaped by God’s wisdom. The “seven pillars” hint at fullness and strength, showing that nothing is missing from what God provides. It is not a shaky hut, but a stable home where those who answer wisdom’s call can live and be fed.

Question 2

What does it mean that wisdom has killed her beasts and mingled her wine?

Accepted Answer

The language of killing beasts and mingling wine describes a rich feast being prepared. It pictures how God, through his wisdom, provides full spiritual food, not scraps. The killed animals suggest a costly provision, linked with sacrifice. The mingled wine hints at well‑prepared, generous drink, not something thin or cheap. Together they show that those who come to wisdom are invited to share in God’s grace, peace, and joy. It is an open table, ready for guests, not a private meal kept back from those who are needy and humble.

Question 3

Who are the “simple” and those who lack understanding in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The “simple” are not people who are stupid, but those who are easily led and know they lack wisdom. They are open and unformed. This passage speaks kindly to them, not harshly. Wisdom calls such people to turn in, admit their need, and be fed with truth. The foolish woman also calls the simple, trying to draw them to her instead. So the simple are those standing at a crossroad. They can either answer wisdom, leave foolish paths, and live, or follow loud, empty promises that seem pleasant but end in harm.

Question 4

What does “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” teach here?

Accepted Answer

This line shows the foundation of all true wisdom. “Fear of the Lord” is not terror that drives a person away, but deep respect, honor, and awareness that God is holy and in charge. It means taking God and his word seriously, not treating him lightly. From this right view of God flows wise choices, right worship, and a changed life. The passage links this fear of the Lord with “knowledge of the holy,” meaning knowing who God is and what he wants. Without this, a person may be clever, but not truly wise.

Question 5

Why does the passage warn against reproving a scorner?

Accepted Answer

The passage says that correcting a scorner brings shame and a blot on the one who tries. A scorner is someone hardened, who mocks truth and has no desire to change. When such a person is reproved, he often only hates the one who speaks and may attack or slander them. The point is not that the wicked should never be warned, but that there is little fruit in pressing correction on those who stubbornly reject it. In contrast, a wise person welcomes reproof, loves the one who gives it, and grows even wiser.

Question 6

How does this passage contrast wisdom’s feast with the foolish woman’s offer?

Accepted Answer

Wisdom offers open, prepared bread and wine in broad daylight, calling people to leave foolishness and live. Her invitation leads to understanding, a longer life, and a walk with God. The foolish woman is loud and empty. She sits at her door, calling those who are going straight on their way, and promises “stolen waters” and secret bread. Her pleasures are hidden, wrong, and attractive to the flesh. But the passage pulls back the curtain and shows the end: those who go in to her do not see that the dead are there and her guests are in the depths of death.

Question 7

What does “stolen waters are sweet” mean in this passage?

Accepted Answer

“Stolen waters are sweet” is the foolish woman’s lie about sin. She claims that what is taken in secret, outside God’s ways, tastes better. The idea is that forbidden pleasures feel more exciting. The bread eaten in secret matches this, picturing hidden, sneaky acts. The passage answers this by showing the unseen truth: those who believe this voice are walking into a house of death. What seems sweet for a moment leads to ruin. It warns that secret sin, even if it feels pleasant, is deadly, and that God’s open, honest gifts are the ones that truly give life.

Question 8

How can I respond to wisdom’s invitation in my own life today?

Accepted Answer

This passage calls you to see yourself as one of the simple who need help, not as someone who has it all together. To respond, you turn away from people and habits that pull you toward secret sin and empty talk. You listen to God’s words as the bread and wine that feed your soul. You welcome correction instead of fighting it, and you ask God to plant in you a real fear of him and a desire to know him. Step by step, you choose the way of understanding, trusting that God’s wisdom leads to real life.

Proverbs 9:1

Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

The Way of Wisdom

The Way of Folly

The Way of Wisdom

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Proverbs 9:1

Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

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The Way of Wisdom

The Way of Folly

The Way of Wisdom

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