Amsal 1:20-21

Warning Against Disregarding Wisdom

1:20 Wisdom ¹  calls out ²  in the street,

she shouts loudly ³  in the plazas; ⁴ 

1:21 at the head of the noisy ⁵  streets she calls,

in the entrances of the gates in the city ⁶  she utters her words: ⁷ 

Amsal 8:2-3

8:2 At the top ⁸  of the elevated places along the way,

at the intersection ⁹  of the paths she takes her stand;

8:3 beside the gates opening into ¹⁰  the city,

at the entrance of the doorways she cries out: ¹¹ 

Amsal 8:34

8:34 Blessed is the one ¹²  who listens to me,

watching ¹³  at my doors day by day,

waiting ¹⁴  beside my doorway. ¹⁵ 

Lukas 14:21-23

14:21 So ¹⁶  the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious ¹⁷  and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly ¹⁸  to the streets and alleys of the city, ¹⁹  and bring in the poor, ²⁰  the crippled, ²¹  the blind, and the lame.’ 14:22 Then ²²  the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ ²³  14:23 So ²⁴  the master said to his ²⁵  slave, ‘Go out to the highways ²⁶  and country roads ²⁷  and urge ²⁸  people ²⁹  to come in, so that my house will be filled. ³⁰ 

[1:20]  ¹ tn The noun חָכְמָה (khokhmah, “wisdom”) is the abstract feminine plural form. It probably functions as a plural of intensity, stressing the all-embracing, elevated wisdom (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 272). As in 8:1-9:11, Wisdom is personified as a righteous woman in 1:20-33.

[1:20]  ² sn The verb רָנַן (ranan, “to cry out, give a ringing cry”) always expresses excitement, whether of joyful praise or lamentable sorrow (BDB 943 s.v.). Here it is an excited summons.

[1:20]  ³ tn Heb “she gives her voice.” The expression means to shout loudly (BDB 679 s.v. נָתַן Qal.x).

[1:20]  ⁴ sn The word רְחֹבוֹת (rÿkhovot, “plazas”) refers to the wide plazas or broad open spaces near the gate where all the people assembled. The personification of wisdom as a woman crying out in this place would be a vivid picture of the public appeal to all who pass by.

[1:21]  ⁵ tc MT reads הֹמִיּוֹת (homyyot, “noisy streets”; Qal participle feminine plural from הָמָה [hamah], “to murmur; to roar”), referring to the busy, bustling place where the street branches off from the gate complex. The LXX reads τειχέων (teicewn) which reflects חֹמוֹת (khomot), “walls” (feminine plural noun from חוֹמָה [khomah], “wall”): “She proclaims on the summits of the walls.” MT is preferred because it is the more difficult form. The LXX textual error was caused by simple omission of yod (י). In addition, the LXX expands the verse to read, “she sits at the gates of the princes, at the gates of the city she boldly says.” The shorter MT reading is preferred.

[1:21]  ⁶ sn The phrase “in the city” further defines the area of the entrance just inside the gate complex, the business area. In an ancient Near Eastern city, business dealings and judicial proceedings would both take place in this area.

[1:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “she speaks her words.”

[8:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “head.” The word רֹאשׁ (ro’sh, “head”) refers to the highest area or most important place in the elevated area. The contrast with chapter 7 is striking. There the wayward woman lurked at the corners in the street at night; here wisdom is at the highest point in the open places in view of all.

[8:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “at the house of the paths.” The “house” is not literal here, but refers to where the paths meet (cf. ASV, NIV), that is, the “crossroads” (so NAB, NRSV, NLT).

[8:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “at the mouth of.”

[8:3]  ¹¹ tn The cry is a very loud ringing cry that could not be missed. The term רָנַן (ranan) means “to give a ringing cry.” It is often only a shrill sound that might come with a victory in battle, but its use in the psalms for praise shows that it also can have clear verbal content, as it does here. For wisdom to stand in the street and give such a ringing cry would mean that it could be heard by all. It was a proclamation.

[8:34]  ¹² tn Heb “the man.”

[8:34]  ¹³ tn The form לִשְׁקֹד (lishqod) is the infinitive construct serving epexegetically in the sentence. It explains how the person will listen to wisdom.

[8:34]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “keeping” or “guarding.”

[8:34]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “at the posts of my doors” (so KJV, ASV).

[14:21]  ¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the preceding responses.

[14:21]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “being furious, said.” The participle ὀργισθείς (orgisqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[14:21]  ¹⁸ sn It was necessary to go out quickly because the banquet was already prepared. All the food would spoil if not eaten immediately.

[14:21]  ¹⁹ tn Or “town.”

[14:21]  ²⁰ sn The poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. Note how the list matches v. 13, illustrating that point. Note also how the party goes on; it is not postponed until a later date. Instead new guests are invited.

[14:21]  ²¹ tn Grk “and the crippled.” Normally crippled as a result of being maimed or mutilated (L&N 23.177). Καί (kai) has not been translated here and before the following category (Grk “and the blind and the lame”) since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[14:22]  ²² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the order of events within the parable.

[14:22]  ²³ sn And still there is room. This comment suggests the celebration was quite a big one, picturing the openness of God’s grace.

[14:23]  ²⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the master’s response to the slave’s report.

[14:23]  ²⁵ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[14:23]  ²⁶ sn Go out to the highways and country roads. This suggests the inclusion of people outside the town, even beyond the needy (poor, crippled, blind, and lame) in the town, and so is an allusion to the inclusion of the Gentiles.

[14:23]  ²⁷ tn The Greek word φραγμός (fragmo") refers to a fence, wall, or hedge surrounding a vineyard (BDAG 1064 s.v. 1). “Highways” and “country roads” probably refer not to separate places, but to the situation outside the town where the rural roads run right alongside the hedges or fences surrounding the fields (cf. J. A. Fitzmyer, Luke [AB], 1057).

[14:23]  ²⁸ tn Traditionally “force” or “compel,” but according to BDAG 60 s.v. ἀναγκάζω 2 this is a weakened nuance: “strongly urge/invite.” The meaning in this context is more like “persuade.”

[14:23]  ²⁹ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[14:23]  ³⁰ sn So that my house will be filled. God will bless many people.