Putting out the appeal

Isn’t it curious that wisdom should have to advertise? Imagine a village a thousand years ago. People lived in homes without glass windows. Noises of the village were always intruding into the home. Now we have Wisdom crying aloud. She is putting forth her voice. To be best heard she stands in the top of high places and goes along the paths of the village.

The appeal is directed

Wisdom calls unto the men and to the sons of men. She calls to the simple, the inexperienced. She wants them to understand wisdom.  She calls to the fools that they may be of an understanding heart. She offers to speak of excellent things and right things. Her mouth will speak truth. Wickedness is an abomination to her lips. All the words of her mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing froward (twisted as a rope) or perverse (distorted or false) coming from her mouth. Her words are plain to him that understands. They are right to them that find knowledge.

Wisdom’s appeal is better than great treasure

Wisdom’s instruction is better than silver, knowledge than choice gold. Wisdom is better than rubies. All things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

Wisdom’s companions

One is  prudence. Prudence implies caution in deliberating and consulting on the most suitable means to accomplish valuable purposes. It is the exercise of sagacity in discerning and selecting these purposes.

The other is knowledge of witty inventions. This has to do with the making of plans. Things are not done with haphazard foolishness. This suggests  sagacity. Sagacity has to do with quickness and acuteness of discernment, a readiness of apprehension. It is a faculty of readily discerning and distinguishing ideas and of separating truth from falsehood. It also finds out the intermediate ideas to discover what connection there is in each link of the chain.

Proverbs 8:1-12