Proverbs
Chapter 9
Banquet of Wisdom
Wisdom has built her house set upon seven pillars;
she has slaughtered her beasts, prepared her wine and laid her table.
Next, she sent her servants to call from the central square of the city,
“Pass by here, you who are fools.” To the senseless she says,
“Come, eat and drink of the bread and wine I have prepared.
Give up your foolishness and you will live; take the straight path of discernment.”
Addressees
He who corrects a mocker gains insults; and he who reprimands an evildoer receives abuse.
Do not rebuke the mocker lest he hate you, but counsel the wise who will be grateful.
Give to the wise man and he will become wiser each day; teach an upright person and he will increase his wisdom.
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowing the Holy One brings discernment.
Then I will extend your days and add to your years of life.
If you are wise, your wisdom will benefit you, but if you mock, only you will suffer.
The Banquet of Folly
Lady Foolishness is impetuous, a simpleton who knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house, on a throne in the center of the city,
to invite all passersby, “Come here, whoever is ignorant.”
To the foolish she says:
“Stolen waters are sweet and pilfered bread is the tastiest.”
But he does not see the Shadow world lying there; nor does he realize that its guests are heading toward the abyss of death.
Commentaries
First Collection.
These initial nine chapters serve as an introduction to the entire book, attributed to the final editor of the work.
Banquet of Wisdom.
Wisdom delights in freely offering itself to those who lack it. The description of the house of wisdom and the banquet it hosts appears to reference the Temple and the ritual banquets or sacred meals that are part of the Jewish religion’s daily practices. In any case, the purpose of these verses is to demonstrate the gratuitous nature with which wisdom is given to everyone.
Addressees.
These verses highlight the types of people the wise man often encounters: the proud and the wicked. Sensibility or prudence gladly accepts correction, but those who do not walk the path of wisdom respond violently to correction. One might think that those on the wrong path are beyond help and not worth correcting; however, we know that human beings are not predestined to be good or evil. Clearly, we were created for good, but it is up to us to choose which path to follow. This means we must always stay open to correcting our course and recognize that we will continually need help and guidance in exercising our freedom.
The Banquet of Folly.
The opposite of wisdom, in this case, foolishness or folly, also manifests as a living force that presents itself to people as an alternative or way of life, but it is a caricature of wisdom. It uses similar words and scenarios to “seduce” humans, but while true wisdom offers life, foolishness or stupidity can only lead to death.