Proverbs 1:23

Pro 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Ver. 23. Turn you at my reproof.] He that reproves, and then directs not how to do better, is as he that snuffs a lamp, but pours not in oil to maintain it.

Behold, I will pour out my Spirit.] Now, if men make their hearts as an adamant, lest they should hear, &c., and wilfully withstand the Spirit, let them read their neck-verse in the following words, and in that parallel text. {Zec 7:11-13} Resisting the Spirit is a step to the unpardonable sin.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:23 Wisdom invites all three groups (1:22) to come so she can make them wise. An intimate relationship with Wisdom means entering an intimate relationship with God, the foundation of true knowledge (1:7; see Job 28).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

reproof--implying conviction deserving it (compare Joh 16:8, Margin).

pour out--abundantly impart.

my spirit--whether of wisdom personified, or of Christ, a divine agent.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 23. Turn you at my reproof] לתוכחתי lethochachti, at my convincing mode of arguing; attend to my demonstrations. This is properly the meaning of the original word.

I will pour out my spirit unto you] "I wil expresse my mynde unto you;" COVERDALE. Loo I shall bryngen to you my Spirit; Old MS. Bible. If you will hear, ye shall have ample instruction.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(23) I will pour out my spirit unto you.—Comp. the prophecy of Joe_2:28, promised by our Lord (Joh_7:38-39), and fulfilled at Pentecost (Act_2:17).

I will make known my words unto you.—For a similar promise that God’s will shall be revealed to those who fear and follow Him, comp. Psa_25:14 : “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him;” and Christ’s promise: “If any man will do God’s will, he shall know of the doctrine,” &c. (Joh_7:17).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. We have here the germ both of later prophecies (Isa_44:3; Joe_2:28 [Heb_3:1]), and of their fulfilment in Christ (Joh_7:37-39; Act_2:33; Joh_7:17).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Turn ye at my reproof,.... Or rather "to my reproof", for the words are not an exhortation to the conversion of the heart, or to him repentance; but to an attendance to the external ministry of the word preached, which reproves of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and does not design the turning of the heart to it, which is God's work, but the turning of the face and ears to hear it; and so the Targum,

"turn your face to my reproof,''

and not your backs, as they did, showing a dislike of it; or, as Aben Ezra,

"turn ye to hear my reproof;''

turn your ears and listen to it, and do not pull away the shoulder, or stop your ears that you may not hear it;

behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you; not "upon you", but "unto you": for the Holy Spirit of God is not here designed, and the effusion of his gifts, ordinary and extraordinary, or of his special grace; but the mind of Wisdom, or Christ, as the word is used in Pro 29:11. Some interpret it, "here, my will" (d); the external revelation of his will made in the ministry of the word, by whom "grace and truth", the doctrines of grace and truth, "came" in their full extent, Joh 1:17; for as the doctrines of "grace were poured into his lips", Psa 45:2, so they were poured out by them again, out of his heart, as out of a fountain or well, as the word (e) here used signifies; which denotes the large and abundant revelation of the Gospel by Christ, and is mentioned as an encouragement to men to attend unto it; which sense is confirmed by what follows;

I will make known my words unto you; the doctrines of the Gospel, words of grace and wisdom, and such as never man spake as Christ did, his enemies being witnesses; the words of peace and reconciliation, of life and righteousness, and of eternal salvation, which were made known in a ministerial way by Christ and his apostles; but the Jews were such fools as to hate and despise the knowledge of these things; wherefore it follows:

(d) So some in Ben Melech. (e) "fluere, vel scaturire faciam", Baynus; "scatebrae instar effundam", Cocceius, Michaelis; "scaturiam", Gussetius; "ebulliam", Schultens; so Ben Melech.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The teaching of Divine Wisdom is essentially the same as that of the Divine Word Joh 7:38-39. “Turning,” repentance and conversion, this is what she calls the simple to. The promise of the Spirit is also like His Joh 14:26. And with the spirit there are to be also the “words” of Wisdom. Not the “spirit” alone, nor “words” alone, but both together, each doing its appointed work - this is the divine instrumentality for the education of such as will receive it.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Turn ye from your evil courses unto me.

At my reproof; upon this admonition here given to you. I will pour out; if you will do so, I will freely and abundantly impart unto you.

My spirit; either my mind, as spirit is taken, Psa 77:6; Pro 29:11; or the gifts and graces of my Spirit, which he hath promised to such persons, Luk 11:13; Joh 4:14; 7:39.

I will make known my words unto you; by my Spirit I will cause you truly and savingly to understand my word, which is hid from others, 2Co 4:3

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. Turn — Or, Would ye turn? a wish expressed interrogatively. You are going the wrong way, turn — the New Testament idea — be converted, turned about.

Reproof — Admonition, argument, or correction.

Pour out — Would cause my spirit to well up to you or within you, that is, the spirit or disposition of wisdom. “I will communicate my whole mind to you, and explain things in the clearest manner.” — Orton. The Speaker’s Com. thinks this anticipates Joe_2:28, and our Lord’s promise, Joh_14:26; Joh_15:26. The teacher seems to represent Wisdom as here pausing and waiting for the effect of her appeal. But, on the supposition that no response is given, no effect produced, then come the terrible denunciations of the following verses.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Turn you at my reproof. A call is here made to repentance. The meaning seems to be "return to my reproof," i.e. place yourselves under my reproof (as Gejerus, Delitzsch), the l Being represented by ad, as in the Vulgate: convertimini ad correptionem meam. It is susceptible, however, of a different reading, i.e. "in consequence of, or because of (propter), my reproof," the prefix l being found in Num_16:34, "They fled at the cry," i.e. because of the cry. Reproof (tjkwOt, thochakhath); i.e. rebuke, or correction, by words. The LXX elegcov conveys the argumentative conviction which will be present in the reproof.

The word occurs again in vers. 23, 25, and 30 of this chapter, and also in Pro_3:11 Pro_5:12 Pro_6:23 Pro_27:5 Pro_29:15. Behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you. The promise consequent upon, and the encouragement to, repentance. The promise is conditioned if those addressed will heed the reproof of Wisdom, then she will pour forth her Spirit upon them, and cause them to know her words The verb hibbia (yBihi), "to stream forth, or gush out," is here used figuratively. The outflow of the Spirit of Wisdom will be like the abundant and continuous gushing forth of water from the spring or fountain. The verb unites in it the figures of abundant fulness and refreshing invigoration (Umbreit, Elster); comp. Pro_15:2, 28 Psa_59:7 Psa_119:171 Ecc_10:1. We have here striking anticipation of the prophecy of Joel. (Joe_2:28) The Spirit is that of Wisdom "and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and godly strength, the Spirit of knowledge and true godliness" (see Confirmation Office). The explanation of Beda, that it signifies her anger, is clearly inadmissible. I will make known my words unto you; i.e. as the LXX, "I will teach you my word" (didaxw ), or as the Vulgate "show" (ostendam), "expound, or make clear." My words (dvari); i.e. precepts, or doctrine, or secrets. An intimate relation subsists between the "Spirit" of Wisdom and her "words," with which it is parallel. The former is the illuminating, invigorating principle which infuses life and power into the "words" of Wisdom, which she has already given, and which are already in our possession. Wisdom stands in the same relation to her words as the Divine Logos does to his utterances, into which he infuses himself. "It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life". (Joh_6:63. See Delitzsch,wardlaw, in loc. )

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My words - By my spirit I will cause you to understand my word.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

To the call to thoughtfulness which lies in the complaint "How long?" there follows the entreaty:

Turn ye at my reproof!

Behold! I would pour out my Spirit upon you,

I would make you to know my words.

23a is not a clause expressive of a wish, which with the particle expressive of a wish, which is wanting, would be תּשׁוּבוּ־נא, or according to Pro 23:1 and Pro 27:23 would be שׁוב תּשׁוּבוּ. The הנּה, introducing the principal clause, stamps 23a as the conditional clause; the relation of the expressions is as Isa 26:10; Job 20:24. תּשׁוּבוּ

(Note: In the Hagiographa everywhere written plene, with exception of Job 17:10.)

is not equivalent to si convertamini, which would require תּפנוּ, but to si revertamini; but לתוכהתּי

(Note: The Metheg belongs to the ת, under which it should be placed (and not to the ל), as the commencing sound of the second syllable before the tone-syllable; cf. Pro 1:25.)

does not therefore mean at my reproof, i.e., in consequence of it (Hitzig, after Num 16:34), but it is a constructio praegnans: turning and placing yourselves under my reproof. With תוכחת there is supposed an ἔλεγχος (lxx, Symm.): bringing proof, conviction, punishment. If they, leaving their hitherto accustomed way, permit themselves to be warned against their wickedness, then would Wisdom cause her words to flow forth to them, i.e., would without reserve disclose and communicate to them her spirit, cause them to know (namely by experience) her words. הבּיע (from נבע, R. נב; vid., Genesis, p. 635) is a common figurative word, expressive of the free pouring forth of thoughts and words, for the mouth is conceived of as a fountain (cf. Pro 18:4 with Mat 12:34), and the ῥῆσις (vid., lxx) as ῥεῦσις; only here it has the Spirit as object, but parallel with דּברי, thus the Spirit as the active power of the words, which, if the Spirit expresses Himself in them, are πνεῦμα καὶ ζωή, Joh 6:63. The addresses of Wisdom in the Book of Proverbs touch closely upon the discourses of the Lord in the Logos-Gospel. Wisdom appears here as the fountain of the words of salvation for men; and these words of salvation are related to her, just as the λόγοι to the divine λόγος expressing Himself therein.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

General Information:

Wisdom continues to speak. (See: Personification)

Pay attention

"Listen carefully"

I will pour out my thoughts to you

Wisdom telling the people everything she thinks about them is spoken of as if her thoughts were a liquid that she would pour out. (See: Metaphor)

I will make my words known to you

"I will tell you what I think"

I reached out with my hand

This phrase is an idiom that means to beckon someone or to invite a person to come. AT: "I invited you to come to me" (See: Idiom)

translationWords

rebuke

word

know

call

instruct

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.