She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths.
On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth;
At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,
On the top of high places by the way, at the cross-paths she taketh her stand.
Proverbs — Gnomic wisdom — sayings, instructions, and the binary of wisdom vs. folly. Fear of the LORD as the integrative theme; the virtuous woman of Prov 31 as the book's closing portrait of wisdom embodied.
Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread — the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.
Voices5
On the heights and lofty places above the way, etc. He taught the disciples together with the crowds on the mountain, but also often preached to those who met him on the ways, and healed those who needed to be cured. Also, at the very …
Bede· Commentary on Proverbs, 735patristic
She standeth in the top of high places,....
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)reformed
In the places of the paths - בית נתיבת נצבה beith nethiboth nitstsabah, The constituted house of the paths. Does not this mean the house of public worship? the tabernacle or temple, which stands a center to the surrounding villages, the paths from all the parts leading to and terminating at it? In such a place, where the holy word of God is read or preached, there in a particular manner does wisdom cry, and understanding lift up her voice.
Adam Clarke· Commentary on the Bible, 1832evangelical
High place - Where she may be best seen and heard. Paths - Where many paths meet, where there is a great concourse, and where travelers may need direction.
John Wesley· Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament, 1765evangelical
The redeemer is the eternal Word and wisdom, the Logos. He is the Wisdom that speaks to the children of men in the former part of the chapter. All divine revelation passes through his hand, and centres in him; but of him as the personal Wisdom, the second person in the Godhead, in the judgment of many of the ancients, Solomon here speaks,
Matthew Henry· Commentary on the Whole Bible, 1710puritan
The verses this one reaches5
She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the heights of the city,
“Stand in the gate of the house of the LORD and proclaim this message: Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who enter through these gates to worship the LORD.
She has sent out her maidservants; she calls out from the heights of the city.
I will arise now and go about the city, through the streets and squares. I will seek the one I love. So I sought him but did not find him.
The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
The walk7
Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first — the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.
Through
Proverbs 9:3She has sent out her maidservants; she calls out from the heights of the city.
leads to
She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the heights of the city,
Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice?
He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.
The Lord gives the command; a great company of women proclaim it:
Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
Through
Proverbs 9:14She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the heights of the city,
leads to
She has sent out her maidservants; she calls out from the heights of the city.
Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
The whole web at once: see the Arc.
