Proverbs 9 · Verse 1

Proverbs 9:1

Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:
Proverbs 9:1, King James Version

Proverbs 9:1 in other translations

BSBWisdom has built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars.
WEBWisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars.
ASVWisdom hath builded her house; She hath hewn out her seven pillars:
YLTWisdom hath builded her house, She hath hewn out her pillars--seven.
DARBYWisdom hath built her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars;
BBEWisdom has made her house, putting up her seven pillars.
WebsterWisdom hath built her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

What does Proverbs 9:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Pr 9:1-18. The commendation of wisdom is continued, under the figure of a liberal host, and its provisions under that of a feast (compare Lu 14:16-24). The character of those who are invited is followed by a contrasted description of the rejectors of good counsel; and with the invitations of wisdom are contrasted the allurement of the wicked woman.

1. house--(compare Pr 8:34). her--or, "its" (the house). seven pillars--the number seven for many, or a sufficiency (Pr 6:31).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Wisdom builds her house, makes her provision for a great feast, calls her guests, and exhorts them to partake of her entertainment, Pro 9:1-6. Different admonitions relative to the acquisition of wisdom, Pro 9:7-12. The character and conduct of a bad woman, Pro 9:13-18. The same Wisdom speaks here who spoke in the preceding chapter. There she represented herself as manifest in all the works of God in the natural world; all being constructed according to counsels proceeding from an infinite understanding. Here, she represents herself as the great potentate, who was to rule all that she had constructed, and having an immense family to provide for, had made an abundant provision, and calls all to partake of it. This, says Calmet, is the continuation of the parable begun in the preceding chapter, where wisdom is represented as a venerable lady, whose real beauties and solid promises are opposed to the false allurements of Pleasure, who was represented in the seventh chapter under the idea of a debauched and impudent woman. This one, to draw young people into her snares, describes the perfumes, the bed, and the festival which she has prepared. Wisdom acts in the same way: but, instead of the debauchery, the false pleasures, and the criminal connections which pleasure had promised, offers her guests a strong, well-built, magnificent palace, chaste and solid pleasures, salutary instructions, and a life crowned with blessedness. This is the sum and the substance of the parable; but as in the preceding part, so in this, men have produced strange creatures of their own brain by way of explanation. One specimen of this mode of interpretation may suffice. The house built by wisdom is the holy humanity of Jesus Christ; the seven pillars are the seven sacraments, or the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, or the whole of the apostles, preachers, and ministers of the Church; the slain beasts are the sacrifice of Christ's body upon the cross; and the bread and mingled wine are the bread and wine in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper! - Fathers and Doctors. If we have recourse to any other particulars than those given above in the summary of the chapter, let us follow the first part of the parable, where wisdom is represented as laying the plan of the creation; and then perhaps we may say with safety, that wisdom, having produced the grand ichnopraph or ground plot of the whole, with all the requisite elevations and specifications of materials, comes to show us, in this part, that the whole has been constructed on this plan; and specifies the end for which this august building has been raised. Verse 1 Wisdom hath builded her house - The eternal counsel of God has framed the universe. She hath hewn out her seven pillars - Every thing has been so constructed as to exhibit a scene of grandeur, stability, and durableness.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Proverbs 9:1-12
Christ has prepared ordinances to which his people are admitted, and by which nourishment is given here to those that believe in him, as well as mansions in heaven hereafter. The ministers of the gospel go forth to invite the guests. The call is general, and shuts out none that do not shut out themselves. Our Saviour came, not to call the righteous, but sinners; not the wise in their own eyes, who say they see. We must keep from the company and foolish pleasures of the ungodly, or we never can enjoy the pleasures of a holy life. It is vain to seek the company of wicked men in the hope of doing them good; we are far more likely to be corrupted by them. It is not enough to forsake the foolish, we must join those that walk in wisdom. There is no true wisdom but in the way of religion, no true life but in the end of that way. Here is the happiness of those that embrace it. A man cannot be profitable to God; it is for our own good. Observe the shame and ruin of those who slight it. God is not the Author of sin: and Satan can only tempt, he cannot force. Thou shalt bear the loss of that which thou scornest: it will add to thy condemnation.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 9:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

חָ֭כְמוֹתCha.khe.motwisdom<s>H2451
בָּנְתָ֣הba.ne.Tahshe has builtH1129
בֵיתָ֑הּvei.Tahhouse herH1004
חָצְבָ֖הcha.tze.Vahshe has hewnH2672
עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ'a.mu.Dei.hapillars herH5982
שִׁבְעָֽה\׃shiv.'AhsevenH7651

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 9:1

  • Matthew 16:18

    And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

  • Revelation 3:12

    Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

  • Galatians 2:9

    And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

  • 1 Peter 2:5-6

    Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

  • Ephesians 2:20-22

    And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

  • 1 Corinthians 3:9-15

    For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; …

  • 1 Kings 7:2-3

    He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars. And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.

  • 1 Kings 7:21

    And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.

  • Hebrews 3:3-6

    For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

  • 1 Kings 7:6

    And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.

  • 1 Timothy 3:15

    But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 The discipline,
4 and doctrine of wisdom.
13 The custom,
16 and error of folly.

Wisdom.The infinite and eternal Wisdom of God, which has so framed the universe as to exhibit a scene of grandeur and stability, and made ample provision for the innumerable beings by which it is inhabited.
builded.
Mt 16:18; 1Co 3:9-15; Eph 2:20-22; 1Ti 3:15; Heb 3:3-6; 1Pe 2:5,6
pillars.
1Ki 7:2,3,6,21; Ga 2:9; Re 3:12

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 9:1

    Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

  • Proverbs 9:2

    She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

Read all of Proverbs 9

Proverbs 9:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		LA sabiduría edificó su casa, labró sus siete columnas;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		La sagesse a bâti sa maison, elle a taillé ses sept colonnes;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Die Weisheit hat ihr Haus gebaut, hat ihre sieben Säulen ausgehauen;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sapientia ædificavit sibi domum: excidit columnas septem.