Proverbs 8:4
Context
4“To you, O men, I call,
         And my voice is to the sons of men.

5“O naive ones, understand prudence;
         And, O fools, understand wisdom.

6“Listen, for I will speak noble things;
         And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.

7“For my mouth will utter truth;
         And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8“All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness;
         There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.

9“They are all straightforward to him who understands,
         And right to those who find knowledge.

10“Take my instruction and not silver,
         And knowledge rather than choicest gold.

11“For wisdom is better than jewels;
         And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

12“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
         And I find knowledge and discretion.

13“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
         Pride and arrogance and the evil way
         And the perverted mouth, I hate.

14“Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;
         I am understanding, power is mine.

15“By me kings reign,
         And rulers decree justice.

16“By me princes rule, and nobles,
         All who judge rightly.

17“I love those who love me;
         And those who diligently seek me will find me.

18“Riches and honor are with me,
         Enduring wealth and righteousness.

19“My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
         And my yield better than choicest silver.

20“I walk in the way of righteousness,
         In the midst of the paths of justice,

21To endow those who love me with wealth,
         That I may fill their treasuries.

22“The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way,
         Before His works of old.

23“From everlasting I was established,
         From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.

24“When there were no depths I was brought forth,
         When there were no springs abounding with water.

25“Before the mountains were settled,
         Before the hills I was brought forth;

26While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,
         Nor the first dust of the world.

27“When He established the heavens, I was there,
         When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

28When He made firm the skies above,
         When the springs of the deep became fixed,

29When He set for the sea its boundary
         So that the water would not transgress His command,
         When He marked out the foundations of the earth;

30Then I was beside Him, as a master workman;
         And I was daily His delight,
         Rejoicing always before Him,

31Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
         And having my delight in the sons of men.

32“Now therefore, O sons, listen to me,
         For blessed are they who keep my ways.

33“Heed instruction and be wise,
         And do not neglect it.

34“Blessed is the man who listens to me,
         Watching daily at my gates,
         Waiting at my doorposts.

35“For he who finds me finds life
         And obtains favor from the LORD.

36“But he who sins against me injures himself;
         All those who hate me love death.”



NASB ©1995

Parallel Verses
American Standard Version
Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men.

Douay-Rheims Bible
O ye men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.

Darby Bible Translation
Unto you, men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man:

English Revised Version
Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of men.

Webster's Bible Translation
To you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.

World English Bible
"To you men, I call! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.

Young's Literal Translation
Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice is unto the sons of men.
Library
Wisdom's Gift
'That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance.'--PROVERBS viii. 21. The word here rendered 'substance' is peculiar. Indeed, it is used in a unique construction in this passage. It means 'being' or 'existence,' and seems to have been laid hold of by the Hebrew thinkers, from whom the books commonly called 'the Wisdom Books' come, as one of their almost technical expressions. 'Substance' may be used in our translation in its philosophical meaning as the supposed reality underlying appearances,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Wisdom and Christ
'Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; 31. Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.'--PROVERBS viii. 30, 31. There is a singular difference between the two portions of this Book of Proverbs. The bulk of it, beginning with chapter x., contains a collection of isolated maxims which may be described as the product of sanctified common sense. They are shrewd and homely, but not remarkably
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

"But Whereunto Shall I Liken this Generation?"
Matth. xi. 16.--"But whereunto shall I liken this generation?" When our Lord Jesus, who had the tongue of the learned, and spoke as never man spake, did now and then find a difficulty to express the matter herein contained. "What shall we do?" The matter indeed is of great importance, a soul matter, and therefore of great moment, a mystery, and therefore not easily expressed. No doubt he knows how to paint out this to the life, that we might rather behold it with our eyes, than hear it with our
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Fragrant Spices from the Mountains of Myrrh. "Thou Art all Fair, My Love; There is no Spot in Thee. " --Song of Solomon iv. 7.
FRAGRANT SPICES FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF MYRRH. HOW marvellous are these words! "Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in thee." The glorious Bridegroom is charmed with His spouse, and sings soft canticles of admiration. When the bride extols her Lord there is no wonder, for He deserves it well, and in Him there is room for praise without possibility of flattery. But does He who is wiser than Solomon condescend to praise this sunburnt Shulamite? Tis even so, for these are His own words, and were
Charles Hadden Spurgeon—Till He Come

Wisdom. Pr 8:22-31

John Newton—Olney Hymns

The Invitation of Wisdom. --Prov. viii.
The invitation of Wisdom.--Prov. viii. To us the voice of Wisdom cries, Hearken, ye children, and be wise; Better than gold the fruit I bear, Rubies to me may not compare, Happy the man who daily waits To hear me, watching at my gates; Wretched is he who scorns my voice, Death and destruction are his choice. To them that love me I am kind; And those who seek me early find; My Son, give me thine heart,--and learn Wisdom from folly to discern. The Lord possess'd me, ere of old, His hand the firmament
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

Having Said This, when they had Kissed Him...
92. Having said this, when they had kissed him, he lifted up his feet, and as though he saw friends coming to him and was glad because of them--for as he lay his countenance appeared joyful--he died and was gathered to the fathers. And they afterward, according to his commandment, wrapped him up and buried him, hiding his body underground. And no one knows to this day where it was buried, save those two only. But each of those who received the sheepskin of the blessed Antony and the garment worn
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Introduction to Proverbs viii. 22 Continued. Absurdity of Supposing a Son or Word Created in Order to the Creation of Other Creatures; as to the Creation
Chapter XVII.--Introduction to Proverbs viii. 22 continued. Absurdity of supposing a Son or Word created in order to the creation of other creatures; as to the creation being unable to bear God's immediate hand, God condescends to the lowest. Moreover, if the Son a creature, He too could not bear God's hand, and an infinite series of media will be necessary. Objected, that, as Moses who led out the Israelites was a man, so our Lord; but Moses was not the Agent in creation:--again, that unity is found
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Introduction to Proverbs viii. 22 Continued. Contrast Between the Father's Operations Immediately and Naturally in the Son...
Chapter XVIII.--Introduction to Proverbs viii. 22 continued. Contrast between the Father's operations immediately and naturally in the Son, instrumentally by the creatures; Scripture terms illustrative of this. Explanation of these illustrations; which should be interpreted by the doctrine of the Church; perverse sense put on them by the Arians, refuted. Mystery of Divine Generation. Contrast between God's Word and man's word drawn out at length. Asterius betrayed into holding two Unoriginates; his
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Texts Explained; Sixthly...
Chapter XIX.--Texts explained; Sixthly, Proverbs viii. 22. Proverbs are of a figurative nature, and must be interpreted as such. We must interpret them, and in particular this passage, by the Regula Fidei. He created me' not equivalent to I am a creature.' Wisdom a creature so far forth as Its human body. Again, if He is a creature, it is as a beginning of ways,' an office which, though not an attribute, is a consequence, of a higher and divine nature. And it is for the works,' which implied the
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Texts Explained; Sixthly...
Chapter XXI.--Texts Explained; Sixthly, Proverbs viii. 22, Continued. Our Lord not said in Scripture to be created,' or the works to be begotten.' In the beginning' means in the case of the works from the beginning.' Scripture passages explained. We are made by God first, begotten next; creatures by nature, sons by grace. Christ begotten first, made or created afterwards. Sense of First-born of the dead;' of First-born among many brethren;' of First-born of all creation,' contrasted with Only-begotten.'
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

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