Proverbs (Part 084) - Pro 8:2-4

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2. Pro 8:2 - "She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths." A. She standeth in the top of high places, i. Wisdom stands as she cries. a. Wisdom stands while she calls out to the sons of men. b. Standing is a far more advantageous position for a speaker to get the attention of his audience (Act 2:14; Act 24:21; Rev 19:17). c. Wisdom stands while calling men to repentance while the foolish woman sits on a seat while calling sinners to sin (Pro 9:13-17). ii. Wisdom wants to be heard, so she goes to high places to cry (Pro 8:1). a. High adj. - 21. high place, in Scripture, a place of worship or sacrifice (usually idolatrous) on a hill or high ground; the altar and other appointments for such worship; also, in pl., the upper echelon of any organization (i) As the definition shows, high places are often places of worship and can also refer to the upper echelons of organizations. (ii) Every time that the word of God is preached in churches wisdom is crying from the high places. (iii) Any time common sense is uttered in a corporate boardroom wisdom is crying from the high places. b. Not only does wisdom go to high places, she goes to the highest places of the city to cry (Pro 9:3). c. She goes to the top of high places to get to the highest places. d. Top n. - II. The highest or uppermost part. 3. a. The highest point or part of anything; perh. originally a pointed or peaked summit, an apex or peak; but now applied to the uppermost part, whatever its nature or shape; the highest place or limit of something. Also pl., mountain tops, high moorland, etc. e. Crying atop of high places gives one's voice maximum projection in order to be able to be heard from far away. iii. The fact that wisdom stands in the top of high places demonstrates how much effort God has exerted throughout time to call men to repentance and wisdom. B. by the way in the places of the paths. i. Wisdom not only cries from the high places where her voice will carry the farthest, she also goes where men are in order to reach them where they are. ii. She preaches in both the crowded streets and the less traveled paths. a. Way n. - I. Road, path. 1. a. gen. A track prepared or available for travelling along; a road, street, lane, or path. b. In figurative context, with reference to a metaphorical walking or travelling. c. A main road connecting different parts of a country. b. Path n. - 1. a. A way beaten or trodden by the feet of men or beasts; a track formed incidentally by passage between places, rather than expressly planned and constructed to accomodate traffic; a narrow unmade and (usually) unenclosed way across the open country, through woods or fields, over a mountain, etc.; a footway or footpath, as opposed to a road for vehicles; hence applied also to a walk made for foot-passengers, in a garden, park, wood, or the like. Sometimes said more vaguely of any way or road: cf. sense 3. iii. The fact that wisdom stands by the way in the places of the paths demonstrates that God takes great pains to ensure that His word is preached wherever men are. iv. This is why preachers preach both publicly in church and from house to house (Act 20:20). 3. Pro 8:3 - She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. A. She crieth at the gates, i. Wisdom cries in places where men congregate. ii. Cry v. - 1. trans. To entreat, beg, beseech, implore, in a loud and emoved or excited voice. iii. Gate n. - 1. An opening in a wall, made for the purpose of entrance and exit, and capable of being closed by a movable barrier, the existence of which is usually implied; said with reference to a city or other enclosure, or the enclosure-wall of a large building, formerly also to the bulding itself, where door or doors is now commonly employed. 2. In Biblical phraseology, after Hebrew; ellipt. for gate(s) of the city as a place of judicial assembly. iv. "The gateways of walled cities, as well as the open spaces near them, were popular places to resort, being vaulted and cool, and convenient for the meeting of friends, or for a view of strangers, since all who went in or out must pass that way. They often resembled large stone halls, and had sufficient area to accommodate large assemblages. There the people assembled at the close of the day to tell the news, and to discuss various topics of interest." (James M. Freeman, Manners and Customs of the Bible, p. 20) v. Crying at the gates would have given wisdom access to the most amount of people at one time. vi. This implies that God wants wisdom disseminated to all men everywhere (Act 17:30). B. at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. i. The gate was a crowded place where people assembled as they entered a city (Pro 1:21). ii. Concourse n. - 1. a. The running or flocking together of people; the condition or state of being so gathered together. iii. The gate of the city was one of the most important places for wisdom to cry due to the activities which took place there such as the following. a. The law was often read at the gates (Neh 8:1-3). b. Prophets prophesied at the gates (Jer 17:19-20; Jer 26:10-11). c. Court was held at the gates (Deut 16:18; Rut 4:9-11; 2Sa 15:2). d. Reproof was given in the gate (Isa 29:21; Amo 5:10). e. Gossip was shared (Psa 69:12). f. The word of God either facilitates or regulates all of these things. iv. Men in Israel would have had no excuse for not hearing the wisdom of God because she cried from the mouths of men where they congregated. v. Today wisdom cries in churches, on the radio, the TV, and the internet where all men have opportunity to hear her if they desire to. 4. Pro 8:4 - "Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man." A. Unto you, O men, I call; i. Wisdom issues her call to men. a. Men n. - plural of man b. Man n. - 1. A human being (irrespective of sex or age); = L. homo. In OE. the prevailing sense. a. In many OE. instances, and in a few of later date, used explicitly as a designation equally applicable to either sex. 2. a. In abstract or generic sense, without article: The human creature regarded abstractly, and personified as an individual; human beings collectively; the human race or species; mankind. c. Call v. - I. To shout, utter loudly, cry out, summon. 1. To utter one's voice loudly, forcibly, and distinctly, so as to be heard at a distance; to shout, cry: often emphasized by out, to cry out. ii. Wisdom's call is universal to men in general (Act 17:30). iii. She utters it loudly to ensure that her voice will be heard. B. and my voice is to the sons of man. i. The sons of man are people in general (Psa 33:13-14). ii. Wisdom's voice is to men, not angels, animals, or inanimate objects. iii. Her delights are with the sons of men (Pro 8:31). iv. Man was made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27; Gen 9:6; Jam 3:9), and therefore He takes particular interest in him.