Proverbs 9:3
in Proverbs 9She has sent out her maidservants; she calls out from the heights of the city.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
She hath sent forth her maidens; She crieth upon the highest places of the city:
KJV
She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,
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This verse in Proverbs 9
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Wisdom and the “foolish woman” Pro 9:13 speak from the same places and to the same class - the simple, undecided, wavering, standing at the diverging point of the two paths that lead to life or death.
This site's exposition
Wisdom has built her house
on Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom “has built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars,” and seven is the book's figure of completeness. The words “Leave your folly behind, and you will live” name the cost before the gift, an exchange the guest must make to sit down.
This site's exposition
She has sent out her maidservants
Barnes notes Wisdom and Folly call from the same heights of the city to the same people, the simple standing where the two paths part. Wisdom sends maidservants out, and Folly in verse 14 sits at her own door. The simple hear both.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"Wisdom has prepared her table, she has slain her victims, she has mingled her wine in the bowl and cries with a loud voice, Turn in to me and eat the bread which I have prepared for you, and drink the wine which I have mingled for you."
And again, "She bath sent forth her servants: "Wisdom, that is to say, has done so-Christ, to wit-summoning them with lofty announcement.
The Medieval Church1 voice
She has also sent out her maidens, etc. She chose weak and despised preachers, who would gather the faithful people to the heavenly edifices of the supernal homeland.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Our Lord Jesus was himself the publisher of his own gospel; when he had sent forth his disciples he followed them to confirm what they said; nay, it began to be spoken by the Lord, Heb. ii. He stood, and cried, Come unto me. We see who invited; now let us observe, (1.) To whom the invitation is given: Whoso is simple and wants understanding,
She hath sent forth her maidens,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
She hath sent forth her maidens - The wisdom of God has made use of the most proper means to communicate Divine knowledge to the inhabitants of the earth; as a good and gracious Creator wills to teach them whence they came, how they are supported, whither they are going, and for what end they were formed. It is a custom to the present day, in Asiatic countries, to send their invitations to guests by a company of females, preceded by eunuchs: they go to the doors of the invited, and deliver their message.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
She has prepared her meat, she has mingled her wine She has mixed it with water, like strong wine, that is unfit to drink unmixed.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שָֽׁלְחָ֣ה | shalechah | she has sent out | H7971 → | 845 times |
| נַעֲרֹתֶ֣יהָ | naaroteiha | female servants her | H5291 → | 63 times |
| תִקְרָ֑א | tikra' | she calls out | H7121 → | 733 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| גַּ֝פֵּ֗י | gapei | [the] elevations of | H1610 → | |
| מְרֹ֣מֵי | meromei | [the] heights of | H4791 → | 54 times |
| קָֽרֶת׃ | karet | [the] town | H7176 → | 5 times |
שָֽׁלְחָ֣הshe has sent out
shalechahH7971 →845 times
נַעֲרֹתֶ֣יהָfemale servants her
naaroteihaH5291 →63 times
תִקְרָ֑אshe calls out
tikra'H7121 →733 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
גַּ֝פֵּ֗י[the] elevations of
gapeiH1610 →
מְרֹ֣מֵי[the] heights of
meromeiH4791 →54 times
קָֽרֶת׃[the] town
karetH7176 →5 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
6 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 68:11The Lord gives the command; a great company of women proclaim it:
it leads to
- Exodus 15:20
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.
- Psalms 40:3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
- Psalms 68:25
The singers lead the way, the musicians follow after, among the maidens playing tambourines.
- Exodus 17:9–16
So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with the staff of God in my hand.”
- Judges 4:6
She summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “Surely the LORD, the God of Israel, is commanding you: ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, taking with you ten…
- Exodus 15:20
Through
Proverbs 9:14She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the heights of the city,
it leads to
- Proverbs 7:10–12
Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
- Proverbs 7:10–12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
On this chapter
About Proverbs
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Proverbs of Solomon; Hippolytus of Rome, Hippolytus Exegetical Fragments; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 2:11.