Discourse 15: The Ultimate Encounter: Wisdom or Folly? (9:1–18)

Seven pillars (9:1). Many theories have been put forward to explain the significance of the seven pillars of Wisdom’s house. Perhaps the most notorious suggests that the previous chapters can be divided into seven speeches, but the text does not naturally divide into the desired units to make this theory work.47 Some interpret the significance of the number seven as indicating the seven planets known at the time; others take it as a reference to the seven creation days. However, the simplest and best explanation is to take the number seven in its typical symbolic sense as indicating completeness. We are to picture a beautiful, large house.

Highest point of the city (9:3). The location of Wisdom’s house at the highest point of the city is extremely significant to understanding whom she represents. In the ancient Near East, the only building allowed to occupy the acropolis is the temple. In this way, the poet associates Woman Wisdom with Yahweh. She stands primarily for Yahweh’s wisdom and ultimately for Yahweh himself.

One of the temples at Luxor with two sets of seven pillars

Frederick J. Mabie

Do not rebuke a mocker (9:8). A similar insight concerning dealing with mockers is provided by the Egyptian instruction of Ankhsheshonqy (7, 4–5):

Do not instruct a fool, lest he hate you.

Do not instruct him who will not listen to you.48

Highest point of the city (9:14). See comment on 9:3. Surprisingly Woman Folly’s house is also described as located at the highest point of the city, the location occupied by a temple in the ancient Near East. Thus Folly, like Wisdom, represents deity. In this case, she represents all the false gods and goddesses that attracted Israelites away from the true God. Thus, the choice between Wisdom and Folly is a choice between true and false religion.

Stolen water … food eaten in secret (9:17). Woman Folly also issues an invitation to the young men to join her in an intimate relationship. However, her food is fraudulent and the result of eating it is death. This contrasts with the story of Adapa,49 who is offered the food of life but is tricked by his own personal god, Ea, to not eat it.

Dead (9:18). “The dead” here and in 21:16 is not the typical word but translates the Hebrew repā ʾîm. In 2:18, the same Hebrew word is rendered “the spirits of the dead.” Though the word is much discussed, there is little agreement about its meaning. One recent article lists the following different understandings of the term: “dead kings and heroes, divinized ancestors, healers, saviors, shades, a guild of (deceased) warriors, and devotees of the god rpu.”50 In 2:18, since repā ʾîm stands in parallel to death (māwet), there is no doubt that the repā ʾîm are deceased.

In biblical poetic literature outside of Proverbs, the term occurs in Job 26:5; Psalm 88:10[88:11]; and Isaiah 14:9; 26:14, 19. The usual understanding of the Rephaim as shades who dwell in the underworld seems correct, particularly in light of the Isaiah passages.51 In the final analysis, Johnston believes that the Hebrew and Ugaritic uses of the term repā ʾîm are different, concluding that the former believe the repā ʾîm are “lifeless and need rousing, they tremble before God, they are not limited to heroes or kings, they are never individually named, they do not travel, participate at banquets or play any role vis-à-vis the living as protectors or patrons.”52