Heavenly Father, thank you for all you have planned for me this day. Prepare me to do your will; work in me and through me in ways that show others the wonder of who you are.
Read PROVERBS 8
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Wisdom’s Call
8 Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 At the highest point along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gate leading into the city,
at the entrance, she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O people, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.[a]
6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have insight, I have power.
15 By me kings reign
and rulers issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern,
and nobles—all who rule on earth.[b]
17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.
22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[c][d]
before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the world or its fields
or any of the dust of the earth.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was constantly[e] at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
32 “Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
34 Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the Lord.
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 8:5 Septuagint; Hebrew foolish, instruct your minds
- Proverbs 8:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; other Hebrew manuscripts all righteous rulers
- Proverbs 8:22 Or way; or dominion
- Proverbs 8:22 Or The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work; or The Lord brought me forth at the beginning of his work
- Proverbs 8:30 Or was the artisan; or was a little child
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.’1
Christians see Jesus in Proverbs 8. They have done so ever since the earliest days of the church. Existing with God before the creation of the world and personified in Proverbs 8, Wisdom begins to sound like the eternal Word made flesh proclaimed in the gospel of John. Paul may have had this passage in mind when he proclaimed Christ as ‘the power of God and the wisdom of God’.2 This foreshadowing of incarnation is truly wonderful. Yet, I wonder whether the seriousness with which we approach this chapter keeps us from noticing another important aspect: the theme of playfulness!
In verse 30 there is doubt about the best way to understand the Hebrew word sometimes translated ‘craftsman’ or ‘artisan’. At least one early Greek translation understood it to mean ‘child’. This is reflected in the NIV footnote and in various translations such as the Revised English Bible: ‘Then I was at his side each day, his darling and delight, playing in his presence continually’. Here wisdom is a little child playing by her father’s side at the creation of the world. She dances with joy, playing, delighting, rejoicing in all that God is doing.
While the book of Proverbs promotes a strong work ethic and disapproves of laziness, its picture of playful wisdom here confirms what many are learning today: it is wise to play. Play is important, even for adults. It fosters creativity, empathy, and well-being, and it aids the learning process. If the wisdom of God incorporates a quality of playfulness, it must follow that those who receive God’s wisdom receive an enhanced capacity for play.
Apply
If you have children, go and play with them, or play football or tennis, or go for a run or a walk, or play a board game. Just play!
Closing prayer
Thank you, Father, for providing everything I need and for the many things you give me to simply enjoy. As I experience them, help me to remember always that they all come from your hand.
Last Updated on January 11, 2025 by kingstar
