1 Wisdom hath built herself a house, she hath hewn her out seven pillars. 2 She hath slain her victims, mingled her wine, and set forth her table. 3 She hath sent her maids to invite to the tower, and to the walls of the city: 4 Whosoever is a little one, let him come to me. And to the unwise she said: 5 Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine which I have mingled for you. 6 Forsake childishness, and live, and walk by the ways of prudence. 7 He that teacheth a scorner, doth an injury to himself: and he that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth himself a blot. 8 Rebuke not a scorner lest he hate thee. Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. 9 Give an occasion to a wise man, and wisdom shall be added to him. Teach a just man, and he shall make haste to receive it. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is prudence. 11 For by me shall thy days be multiplied, and years of life shall be added to thee. 12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be so to thyself: and if a scorner, thou alone shalt bear the evil. 13 A foolish woman and clamorous, and full of allurements, and knowing nothing at all, 14 Sat at the door of her house, upon a seat, in a high place of the city, 15 To call them that pass by the way, and go on their journey: 16 He that is a little one, let him turn to me. And to the fool she said: 17 Stolen waters are sweeter, and hid den bread is more pleasant. 18 And he did not know that giants are there, and that her guests are in the depths of hell.
Proverbs · Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Proverbs 9 Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (18)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Matthew 16:18; Revelation 3:12; Galatians 2:9; 1 Peter 2:5–6; Ephesians 2:20–22
- 2 Matthew 22:3–14; Isaiah 25:6; Luke 14:16–17; Proverbs 9:5; Proverbs 23:30
- 3 Proverbs 9:14; Proverbs 8:1–3; Matthew 22:3–4; Psalm 68:11; Proverbs 1:20–23
- 4 Proverbs 6:32; Matthew 11:25; Proverbs 8:5; Proverbs 9:16; Revelation 22:17
- 5 John 6:27; Song of Songs 5:1; Proverbs 9:17; Jeremiah 31:12–14; Matthew 26:26–28
- 6 Proverbs 13:20; Proverbs 4:11; Luke 13:24; 2 Corinthians 6:17; Proverbs 4:14–15
- 7 Proverbs 15:12; Proverbs 23:9; 2 Chronicles 36:16; 2 Chronicles 25:15–16; 2 Chronicles 24:20–22
- 8 Proverbs 13:18; Psalm 141:5; Proverbs 23:9; Proverbs 15:12; Proverbs 29:1
- 9 Proverbs 1:5; 1 John 5:13; Matthew 13:11–12; Proverbs 25:12; 1 John 2:20–21
- 10 Psalm 111:10; Job 28:28; Proverbs 1:7; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Proverbs 2:5
- 11 Proverbs 10:27; Proverbs 3:2; Proverbs 3:16; Deuteronomy 6:2
- 12 Job 22:2–3; Ezekiel 18:20; 2 Peter 3:3–4; Job 22:21; Proverbs 16:26
- 13 Proverbs 7:11; Proverbs 5:6; Proverbs 21:19; 1 Timothy 6:4; Proverbs 21:9
- 14 Proverbs 9:3; Proverbs 7:10–12
- 15 Proverbs 7:25–27; Proverbs 23:27–28; Proverbs 7:13–15
- 16 Proverbs 9:4
- 17 Proverbs 20:17; Proverbs 23:31–32; Proverbs 30:20; James 1:14–15; Genesis 3:6
- 18 Proverbs 7:27; Proverbs 2:18–19; Proverbs 5:5; Psalm 82:5; Proverbs 1:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Now, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;" the sense of sin leads to repentance, and God bestows His compassion upon those who are penitent.
Woe, woe, by what steps was I dragged down "to the depths of hell!" --toiling and turmoiling through want of Truth, when I sought after Thee, my God,--to Thee I confess it, who hadst mercy on me when I had not yet confessed,--sought after Thee not according to the understanding of the mind, in which Thou desiredst that I should …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
With respect to the star, we have said these things, and yet more perhaps may be said by you; for, it is said, "Give occasion to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser:" but we must now come to the beginning of what hath been read.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Again, we call "beginning" the essential and first part from which a thing proceeds, such as the foundation of a house, the keel of a vessel; it is in this sense that it is said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," that is to say that piety is, as it were, the groundwork and foundation of …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
I came upon that bold woman, who "is simple, and knoweth nothing," the enigma of Solomon, sitting "at the door of the house on a seat," and saying, "Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant." This woman seduced me, because she found my soul beyond its portals, dwelling in the eye of my flesh, and thinking …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)