Wisdom's Speech

WISDOM'S SPEECH: 

"I, Wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discrertion. 

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behaviour and perverse speech. Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.

By me Kings reign and rulers make laws that are just; by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth. 

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honour, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. 

I walk in the way of righteouness, along the paths of justice, bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full. 

The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. 

When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water; before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world. 

I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea its boundary so that the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. 

Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

Now then, my sons. listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction andbe wise; do not ignore it. 

Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favour from the LORD. 

But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death." 

Man and a woman, studying the bible

Commentary:  

Wisdom's speech is in the Christians' Holy Bible, the Book of Proverbs, chapter 8, from verses 12 to 36. The entire chapter 8 of Proverbs talks about WISDOM, where in the piece of writing above (from verse 12-36) WISDOM is personified, describing who he is and his abstract qualities. 

Wisdom, according to the American standard dictionary, is the discretionary use of knowledge for the greatest good. It is the ability to apply relevant knowledge in an insightful way, especially to different situations from that in which the knowledge was gained. 

It is an important human virtue, and one who has it is referred to as a wise person. Wisdom is defined in many ways per an individual's understanding and how they make ake judgments. To some people, it is the ability to apply knowledge; others see it as a way of life, dealing with issues according to expected protocols, while others say, "Wisdom is knowing when to say something, as knowledge is knowing what to say.". 

In the piece of writing above, wisdom is being described according to the Bible point of view. The writer puts the statements in a manner as if Wisdom is delivering a speech. 

The opening statements (Verse 12) show the dwelling place of wisdom (prudence) and his possessions (knowledge and discretion). Prudence is another word for wisdom, which means one who has wisdom is prudent in his ways and circumspect in action. Such a person has knowledge and discretion. 

Wisdom defined his ability in the speech, expressing that kings reign by him, rulers make law through him, and nobles govern through him (verses 15 and 16). 

He also expressed his emotions—what he loves and what he hates (verses 13 and 17). These words of wisdom help us to know whether one has him or not. You can tell if one is wise based on his desire and hatred.

 

From the speech, Wisdom showed his true origin and acknowledged his creator. He said in verse 22, "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works." That means true wisdom is from God, as the scripture reckons that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10). 

From verses 23 to 31 of the speech, Wisdom elaborated on how vital he was to God during creation. He mentioned being in existence before other things such as oceans, mountains, horizons on the face of the deep, and fountians of the deep were made. 

Creation is a practical expression of wisdom, and one who has it has the ability to create. 

Wisdom also made some profound statements; an example is how to fear God in verse 13. He said, "To fear the LORD is to hate evil." That means your ability to avoid evil and sin is the fear of God. 

Wisdom mentioned the benefits of having him as well. He regarded his fruits as better than fine gold, and with him are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. Bestowing wealth on those who love him and making their treasuries full (verses 18, 19, and 21). 

Getting to the conclusion, he called upon his audience, as sons, to listen to him. He told them that blessed are those who keep his ways. He asked them to listen to his instructions and be wise (verses 32 and 33). 

"Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway," Wisdom said in verse 34. 

Wisdom concluded by saying, "For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death" (verses 35 and 36).

The end of the speech is an indication of how important it is for you to have wisdom. When you find wisdom, you find life and attract favor from God. And without wisdom, you can ruin your life. If you hate wisdom, then you're heading towards destruction. 

Reading Wisdom's speech in the Bible is a search for wisdom. It will give you understanding about wisdom, help you know the fear of God, and show you the practical way of life. Read the book of Proverbs in the Holy Bible and stay blessed! 

Article source/ Reference: 

Proverbs 8: 12-36, Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV)