Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
Parallel translations
- WEB Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?
- BSB Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice?
- NKJV Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?
- NASB Does not wisdom call, And understanding raise her voice?
- NLT Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Wisdom openly calls out and raises her voice. Wisdom is freely offered to all who will listen.
Overview
In sharp contrast to the secretive seductress of chapter 7, wisdom is personified as a woman crying aloud in the open. Her public appeal shows that the way of life is not hidden but freely proclaimed. This personification of wisdom points forward to Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Prov 1:20–21Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
- Matt 3:3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
- John 7:37In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
- Acts 1:8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
- Prov 9:1–3Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:
- Isa 55:1–3Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
- Rom 15:18–21For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,
- Luke 24:47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
- Isa 49:1–6Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
- Mark 13:10And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
- Matt 28:19–20Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
- Mark 16:15–16And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
- Matt 4:17From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
- Acts 22:21And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 8:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.