Commentary on Proverbs 1:20-33

These days—when progress for civil rights seems to be backsliding, and mis- and disinformation is rampant; when respect, collaboration, and cooperation in public realms seem to have gone out the window—Woman Wisdom’s exasperation in 1:22 is felt all the more deeply. The Common English Bible translation reads, “How long will you clueless people love your naiveté, mockers hold their mocking dear, and fools hate knowledge?”

This is not merely the loving advice of a mother to her child (see also 1:8b–9) or the picture of a collaborative partner for a prosperous life (see also 3:16–18); this is a woman with something to say—her words reveal an urgency and a seriousness (even frustration or aggravation) that is often overlooked when it comes to wisdom literature in the Bible. Her voice is prophetic and her speech carries an imperativeness that should be hard to ignore. In her words, we can’t wait for wisdom any longer; we can’t wait any longer.

The book of Proverbs reached its final form as an anthology of smaller collections of instructional material in the postexilic period, likely the 6th–5th centuries BCE. The middle sections included in chapters 10–30 are likely older and derive from various dates and settings, whereas chapters 1–9 and 31 were composed as frames for the whole book during the postexilic period. At this time, the community’s foundations of kingship and temple had been destroyed; questions of identity and how to rebuild or reclaim that community were prominent.

There were divisions regarding the religious practices and theological convictions of God’s people. Some held tightly to the idea of rebuilding the temple and focused on exclusivity as a means of preserving the community. Others clung to the idea of kingship and developed the hope for a new king who would rescue the people from their imperial subjugation. Still others sought to frame community around sets of instructions that were dependent on morality and obedience—this is the primary goal of wisdom literature.

Much of wisdom literature is practical advice for living in community and is meant to cultivate respect, compassion, and mutual support. It can be expressed in a variety of ways and through various rhetorical strategies—both positive and negative. Inherent in wisdom is a focus on human experience and reflection. Wisdom literature was common in the ancient world, often framed as instructions from and for kings and noble officials, or as parental advice. We see these examples at play in the book of Proverbs and in other biblical wisdom material.

One notable aspect of biblical wisdom literature is the figure of Woman Wisdom. The personification of Wisdom is one of the ways in which writers sought to legitimize and promote wisdom as sacred, as a response to the questions of identity during the time (see above), and as a means for faithful living as the people of God.

Chapters 3 and 8 of Proverbs give us more of the origins of Woman Wisdom, as a partner with God and present at creation. Importantly, though, she is not a goddess. She is human, a mediator between the human and divine, and she enhances the theological value of the human experience and of human wisdom.¹ Here in chapter 1, she bursts on the scene, disrupting expectations of women’s behaviors in the ancient world. This woman does not fit the picture we see elsewhere in the biblical material of women who are reticent in public, yet assertive in private.

Woman Wisdom speaks assertively in the most public of spaces; her speech is sprinkled with theological notes that emphasize her authority. Moreover, her connections to divine speech and action further legitimize the theological value of wisdom. Considering the questions of identity and divine presence that were common during the postexilic period, Woman Wisdom’s speech in the middle of the streets makes an important implicit claim. Where is God? The answer: “God is [at] the heart of human activity.”²

The rest of this commentary will examine some of the literary features of the present pericope:

Audience: The speech is a rhetorical apostrophe to an audience not present. The reader overhears Woman Wisdom’s condemnation of other groups, so as to consider their own life choices (and hopefully not to be among those condemned).

1:20–21: The stage is set, and Woman Wisdom places herself in the busiest parts of the city, places generally qualified as “male spaces.” Her “voice” (Hebrew qol) and her “speech” (Hebrew amareha) are emphasized by the Hebrew text, which places those terms at the end of each verse.

1:22: Introduces three kinds of fool:

1. “Simple,” “naive,” “clueless” (Hebrew petayim): educable in principle, but these particular ones have already refused wisdom and have chosen to remain ignorant.
2. “Mockers” or “scoffers” (Hebrew letsim): impudent; chronically arrogant and cynical.
3. “Fools” (Hebrew kesilim): those who refuse to act with prudence.

1:23: The use of the Hebrew term shub hints at God’s calls for repentance and return, though here it is used to call for attention. The term “reproof” (Hebrew tokakhat) and phrases such as “I will pour out my thoughts [or, spirit; Hebrew ruach] to you” have theological significance, further legitimating and underscoring the divine features of Woman Wisdom’s speech.

1:24–25, 28–31: Repetitive phrases and terms such as are used here to describe the actions and consequences of folly. God’s judiciousness is hinted at with terms like “counsel” (Hebrew ets) and “reproof” (Hebrew tokakhat). And yet, divine malice is not in mind here; Woman Wisdom merely draws attention to the consequences faced when one chooses to ignore her (or the divine’s) calls (verses 20–23). Wisdom must be sought and practiced from the start; if it is not, one cannot easily find it. Such an attitude is consistent in the book of Proverbs. In verses 28–30, Woman Wisdom turns her attention from the imagined audience of fools in order to address the reader in an explanatory justification of her response (see below).

1:26–27: Though it seems harsh, laughing and mocking at derision is also something God does (Psalm 2:4). This dose of schadenfreude highlights the severity of foolishness and provides another means by which Woman Wisdom discourages the reader from acting like those who are being addressed here.

1:32–33: A summary of the arguments made in her speech, and a final positive instruction. The notion of “security” (Hebrew betach) would be particularly appealing for the first audience, whose world had been upturned by captivity, exile, and empire.

Notes

1. For specific notes about Woman Wisdom’s significance as a female figure, see the Working Preacher commentary for Proverbs 31:10–31 by this author.
2. See Elizabeth Stuart, “Proverbs,” in The Queer Bible Commentary, 2nd ed., Mona West and Robert E. Shore-Goss, eds. (London: SCM, 2022).