Proverbs 1:21
New International Version
on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech:

New Living Translation
She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate:

English Standard Version
at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

Berean Standard Bible
in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:

King James Bible
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

New King James Version
She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words:

New American Standard Bible
At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:

NASB 1995
At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:

NASB 1977
At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city, she utters her sayings:

Legacy Standard Bible
At the head of the noisy streets she calls out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:

Amplified Bible
She calls out at the head of the noisy streets [where large crowds gather]; At the entrance of the city gates she speaks her words:

Christian Standard Bible
She cries out above the commotion; she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:

Holman Christian Standard Bible
She cries out above the commotion; she speaks at the entrance of the city gates:”

American Standard Version
She crieth in the chief place of concourse; At the entrance of the gates, In the city, she uttereth her words:

Contemporary English Version
She shouts in the marketplaces and near the city gates as she says to the people,

English Revised Version
She crieth in the chief place of concourse; at the entering in of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
At the corners of noisy streets she calls out. At the entrances to the city she speaks her words,

Good News Translation
calling loudly at the city gates and wherever people come together:

International Standard Version
She calls out at the busiest part of the noisy streets, and at the entrance to the gates of the city she utters her words:

Majority Standard Bible
in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:

NET Bible
at the head of the noisy streets she calls, in the entrances of the gates in the city she utters her words:

New Heart English Bible
She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

Webster's Bible Translation
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

World English Bible
She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
She calls at the head of the multitudes, "" In the openings of the gates, "" In the city she says her sayings:

Young's Literal Translation
At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:

Smith's Literal Translation
She will call in the head of sound, in the entrances of the gates: in the city she will say her words:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
At the head of multitudes she crieth out, in the entrance of the gates of the city she uttereth her words, saying:

Catholic Public Domain Version
She cries out at the head of crowds; at the entrance of the gates of the city, she offers her words, saying:

New American Bible
Down the crowded ways she calls out, at the city gates she utters her words:

New Revised Standard Version
At the busiest corner she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
She preaches in the chief places of the concourse; in the openings of the gates of the city, she utters her words, saying,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
She preaches in the chief streets and she speaks her words in the entrances of the city gates.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
She calleth at the head of the noisy streets, At the entrances of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And she makes proclamation on the top of the walls, and sits by the gates of princes; and at the gates of the city boldly says,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wisdom Calls Aloud
20Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square; 21in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech: 22“How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?…

Cross References
Proverbs 8:1-3
Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice? / On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand. / Beside the gates to the city, at the entrances she cries out:

Matthew 22:9
Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.’

Luke 14:21
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.’

Isaiah 55:1
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!

John 7:37
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

Isaiah 42:2
He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets.

Matthew 11:28
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Luke 11:49
Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’

Jeremiah 7:13
And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and because I have spoken to you again and again but you would not listen, and I have called to you but you would not answer,

Acts 17:17
So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace with those he met each day.

Isaiah 65:1
“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’

Romans 10:21
But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

Ezekiel 33:31
So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain.

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Luke 13:34
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!


Treasury of Scripture

She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words, saying,

Proverbs 9:3
She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

Matthew 10:27
What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

Matthew 13:2
And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

Jump to Previous
Calls Chief City Concourse Cries Crieth Doorways Entrance Entrances Gates Gateways Head Makes Meeting-Places Multitudes Noisy Openings Places Sayings Sounding Speaks Speech Streets Top Uttereth Utters Walls Words
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Calls Chief City Concourse Cries Crieth Doorways Entrance Entrances Gates Gateways Head Makes Meeting-Places Multitudes Noisy Openings Places Sayings Sounding Speaks Speech Streets Top Uttereth Utters Walls Words
Proverbs 1
1. The use of the proverbs
7. An exhortation to fear God, and believe his word
10. to avoid the enticing of sinners
20. Wisdom complains of her contempt
24. She threatens her contemners














in the main concourse
The phrase "in the main concourse" refers to a place of bustling activity and public gathering. In ancient cities, the main concourse would be akin to a marketplace or a central square where people from all walks of life would gather. The Hebrew word used here can be associated with a place of public assembly, emphasizing the accessibility and openness of wisdom's call. Wisdom is not hidden or reserved for the elite; it is available to all who pass by, symbolizing God's desire for everyone to seek and embrace His truth.

she cries aloud
The action "she cries aloud" signifies urgency and earnestness. The Hebrew root for "cries" conveys a sense of shouting or proclaiming with a loud voice. This is not a whisper or a gentle nudge; it is a bold and clear call that demands attention. Wisdom, personified as a woman, is actively seeking to be heard above the noise of daily life. This reflects the biblical theme that God’s wisdom is not passive but actively reaching out to humanity, urging them to listen and respond.

at the city gates
"At the city gates" holds significant historical and cultural importance. In ancient times, the city gates were more than just entry points; they were places of judgment, commerce, and public discourse. Leaders and elders would gather at the gates to make decisions and settle disputes. By positioning wisdom at the city gates, the verse underscores its foundational role in guiding societal and personal decisions. It is a reminder that wisdom should be integral to the governance and moral fabric of a community.

she makes her speech
The phrase "she makes her speech" indicates a deliberate and articulate communication. The Hebrew term for "speech" suggests a formal declaration or proclamation. Wisdom is not merely offering casual advice; it is delivering a message of profound importance. This aligns with the biblical understanding that God’s wisdom is authoritative and transformative, meant to instruct and guide those who are willing to listen. The speech is an invitation to embrace a life aligned with divine principles, promising blessings to those who heed its call.

(21) Crieth.--She cannot bear to see sinners rushing madly on their doom. (Comp. Christ's weeping over Jerusalem, Luke 19:41; and Romans 9:2, sqq; Philippians 3:18, sqq.)

Verse 21. - She crieth in the chief place of concourse. The chief place is literally the head (רלֺאשׁ, rosh); here used figuratively for the place where streets or roads branch off in different directions, as in Ezekiel 16:25, "the beginning of streets," or "the head of the way;" comp. Genesis 2:10, where it is used of the point at which the four streams branched off; and the corresponding expression in Proverbs 8:2, "She staudeth in the top (rosh) of high places." Of concourse; הֹמִיּות (homiyyoth) is the plural of the adjective, הומִי (homi): literally, "those who are making a noise," or "the tumultuous;" here, as in Isaiah 22:2 and 1 Kings 1:41, used substantively for "boisterous, noisy places" (compare the Vulgate, in capite turbaram). The variation in the LXX., "on high walls," or "on the tops of the walls" (ἐπ᾿ ἄκρων δὲ τειχέων, super summos muros), which is adopted also in the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic Versions, arises from reading חומות (khomoth), "walls," for the Masoretic homiyyoth. In the openings of the gates. The opening (פֶתַח pethakh) is the opening of the gate, or the entrance by the gate (שַׁעַר, shaar), i.e. of the city, the introitus portae of the Chaldee and Syriac Versions. The openings of the gates would be thronged, as courts of justice were held at the gates (Deuteronomy 16:18; 2 Samuel 15:2); business was carried on there, as the selling and redemption of land (Genesis 23:10-16; Ruth 4:1); markets were also held there (2 Kings 7:1-18); and the same localities were used for the councils of the state and conferences (Genesis 34:20; 2 Samuel 3:27; 2 Chronicles 18:9; Jeremiah 17:19; comp. Proverbs 31:33, "Her husband is known in the gates"). In place of the expression, "in the openings of the gates," the LXX. reads, Ἐπὶ δὲ πύλαις δυναστῶν παρεδρεύει, "And at the gates of the mighty she sits" - an interpolation which only partially represents the sense of the original, and which is adopted in the Arabic. In the next clause, for "in the city" is substituted ἐπὶ δὲ πύλαις πόλεως, "at the gates of the city." The Vulgate combines the separate clauses of the original in one - in foribus portarum urbis, "in the entrances and openings of the gates of the city." In the city (בָעִיר, bair); i.e. in the city itself (so Aben Ezra, ap. Gejerus), as opposed to the entrance by the gates, and so used antithetically (as Umbreit, Bertheau, Hitzig). The publicity of the teaching of Wisdom, observable in the places she selects for that purpose, also marked the public ministry of our Lord and his disciples, and finds an illustration in his command, "What ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops" (Matthew 10:27); i.e. give it all the publicity possible. The spirit of Wisdom, like that of Christianity, is aggressive (see Wardlaw, 'Lectures on Proverbs 4,' vol. 1. pp. 40, 41).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
in the main
בְּרֹ֥אשׁ (bə·rōš)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

concourse
הֹמִיּ֗וֹת (hō·mî·yō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 1993: To make a, loud sound, commotion, tumult, to rage, war, moan, clamor

she cries aloud,
תִּ֫קְרָ֥א (tiq·rā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

at the city
בָּעִ֗יר (bā·‘îr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

gates
שְׁעָרִ֥ים (šə·‘ā·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8179: An opening, door, gate

she makes
תֹאמֵֽר׃ (ṯō·mêr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

her speech:
אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ (’ă·mā·re·hā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 561: Something said


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 1:21 She calls at the head of noisy (Prov. Pro Pr)
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