Proverbs 1:20
Proverbs 1:20 in Multiple Translations
Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
¶ Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places;
Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places;
Wisdom calls out in the streets; she shouts aloud in the squares.
Wisdome cryeth without: she vttereth her voyce in the streetes.
Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
Wisdom preacheth abroad, she uttereth her voice in the streets:
Wisdom [PRS] shouts to people in the streets, and calls out to people in the ◄plazas/town squares►.
Berean Amplified Bible — Proverbs 1:20
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Proverbs 1:20 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
חָ֭כְמוֹת
בַּ/ח֣וּץ
תָּרֹ֑נָּה
בָּ֝/רְחֹב֗וֹת
תִּתֵּ֥ן
קוֹלָֽ/הּ
חָ֭כְמוֹת
chokmôwth
H2454
wisdom
N-fp
בַּ/ח֣וּץ
chûwts
H2351
outside
Prep | N-ms
תָּרֹ֑נָּה
rânan
H7442
to overcome
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs
בָּ֝/רְחֹב֗וֹת
rᵉchôb
H7339
street/plaza
Prep | N-fp
תִּתֵּ֥ן
nâthan
H5414
to give
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs
קוֹלָֽ/הּ
qôwl
H6963
voice
N-ms | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Proverbs 1:20
חָ֭כְמוֹת
chokmôwth
H2454
"wisdom"
N-fp
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means wisdom, like the kind Solomon asked for in 1 Kings 3:5-14. It refers to good judgment and insight, often from God. This concept is key in Proverbs.
Definition: wisdom Another spelling of chokh.mah (חׇכְמָה "wisdom" H2451)
Usage: Occurs in 5 OT verses. KJV: wisdom, every wise (woman). See also: Psalms 49:4; Proverbs 9:1; Proverbs 1:20.
בַּ/ח֣וּץ
chûwts
H2351
"outside"
Prep | N-ms
This word means outside or outdoors, referring to something beyond a wall or boundary. It can also mean a street or highway, as seen in various KJV translations, including abroad, field, and without.
Definition: outside, outward, street, the outside
Usage: Occurs in 158 OT verses. KJV: abroad, field, forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without. See also: Genesis 6:14; 2 Chronicles 24:8; Psalms 18:43.
תָּרֹ֑נָּה
rânan
H7442
"to overcome"
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs
This Hebrew verb means to sing or shout for joy, often used to express praise or triumph, as seen in Psalm 98:4 where believers are called to shout for joy to the Lord. It can also mean to cry aloud in distress or to summon others. This word is used to describe a loud, vocal expression of emotion.
Definition: 1) to overcome 1a) (Hithpolel) to be overcome
Usage: Occurs in 53 OT verses. KJV: aloud for joy, cry out, be joyful (greatly, make to) rejoice, (cause to) shout (for joy), (cause to) sing (aloud, for joy, out), triumph. See also: Leviticus 9:24; Psalms 132:9; Psalms 5:12.
בָּ֝/רְחֹב֗וֹת
rᵉchôb
H7339
"street/plaza"
Prep | N-fp
A street or plaza, referring to a public area or open space, like a marketplace or a thoroughfare. This word is used to describe urban settings and community gathering places, often in stories about city life and trade. It appears in books like Nehemiah and Jeremiah.
Definition: broad or open place or plaza
Usage: Occurs in 41 OT verses. KJV: broad place (way), street. See also H1050 (בֵּית רְחוֹב). See also: Genesis 19:2; Proverbs 7:12; Psalms 55:12.
תִּתֵּ֥ן
nâthan
H5414
"to give"
V-Qal-Imperf-3fs
This word means to give, put, or set something, with a wide range of applications. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, describing God's actions and human interactions. The word is used to convey giving, selling, or exchanging something.
Definition: : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up 1c2) to be put upon
Usage: Occurs in 1816 OT verses. KJV: add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield. See also: Genesis 1:17; Genesis 40:21; Exodus 30:12.
קוֹלָֽ/הּ
qôwl
H6963
"voice"
N-ms | Suff
A voice or sound, it can refer to the sound of a person speaking, an animal, or a musical instrument. In the Bible, it is often used to describe God's voice or the sound of praise and worship.
Definition: : sound/noise 1) voice, sound, noise 1a) voice 1b) sound (of instrument)
Usage: Occurs in 436 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] aloud, bleating, crackling, cry ([phrase] out), fame, lightness, lowing, noise, [phrase] hold peace, (pro-) claim, proclamation, [phrase] sing, sound, [phrase] spark, thunder(-ing), voice, [phrase] yell. See also: Genesis 3:8; Judges 5:11; Job 4:10.
Study Notes — Proverbs 1:20
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Proverbs 1:20 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Proverbs 1:20
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 1:20
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Proverbs 1:20
- Trapp's Commentary on Proverbs 1:20
- Ellicott's Commentary on Proverbs 1:20
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Proverbs 1:20
- Cambridge Bible on Proverbs 1:20
- Barnes' Notes on Proverbs 1:20
- Whedon's Commentary on Proverbs 1:20
- Sermons on Proverbs 1:20
Context — Wisdom Calls Aloud
18But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
19Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
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
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 9:3 | She has sent out her maidservants; she calls out from the heights of the city. |
| 2 | Colossians 2:3 | in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. |
| 3 | 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.’ |
| 4 | 1 Corinthians 1:24 | but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. |
| 5 | Proverbs 8:1–5 | 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: “To you, O men, I call out, and my cry is to the sons of men. O simple ones, learn to be shrewd; O fools, gain understanding. |
| 6 | 1 Corinthians 1:30 | It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. |
| 7 | Matthew 13:54 | Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked. |
| 8 | 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. |
Proverbs 1:20 Summary
Wisdom is like a loud voice that calls out to everyone, everywhere, offering guidance and counsel to those who will listen. This verse, Proverbs 1:20, shows that wisdom is not hidden or exclusive, but is available to anyone who wants it, much like the wisdom of God that is evident in creation, as seen in Psalm 19:1-6. By listening to wisdom's call, we can make better choices and live more fulfilling lives, as encouraged in James 1:5 where we are reminded to ask God for wisdom if we lack it. Just like in Jeremiah 29:13 where it says that we will find God when we seek Him with our whole heart, we will find wisdom when we seek it with an open and willing heart.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is meant by 'Wisdom calls out in the street' in Proverbs 1:20?
This phrase is a metaphor for how wisdom is publicly available and accessible to everyone, much like a town crier proclaiming important news, as seen in Proverbs 8:1-3 where wisdom is personified as calling out to people.
Why does wisdom lift her voice in the square?
Wisdom lifts her voice in the square to reach the largest audience possible, emphasizing the importance of listening to her counsel, as also encouraged in Psalm 19:1-6 where creation itself declares God's wisdom.
Is wisdom only available to certain people or groups?
No, according to Proverbs 1:20, wisdom calls out in public places, indicating that it is available to anyone who will listen, regardless of their background or social status, as also stated in Romans 1:19-20 where it says that God's wisdom is evident to all through creation.
How does this verse relate to our everyday lives?
This verse reminds us that we have constant access to wisdom, and we should seek it out and listen to its counsel in our daily decisions, as encouraged in James 1:5 where it says that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it.
Reflection Questions
- In what ways can I intentionally seek out wisdom in my daily life, and what are some public or visible ways I can share wisdom with those around me?
- How can I ensure that I am listening to the voice of wisdom, rather than the voices of foolishness or scorn, in the decisions I make and the company I keep?
- What are some specific areas of my life where I need to apply wisdom, and what steps can I take to do so?
- How does the fact that wisdom is publicly available affect my responsibility to seek it out and live wisely?
Gill's Exposition on Proverbs 1:20
Wisdom crieth without,.... Here the person instructing throughout this whole book is represented under the name of "Wisdom"; by which we are to understand not the attribute of divine wisdom displayed
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 1:20
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: Wisdom crieth without - literally, wisdoms; i:e., consummate wisdom.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Proverbs 1:20
Having expressed the counsels and invitations of folly and of wicked men, he now declareth the voice of wisdom. By the name of wisdom or wisdoms he seems to understand the wisdom or counsel of God revealed to the sons of men by his word. Which he calls wisdoms here, as also , either to note the excellency of this wisdom beyond all other, as the greatest and chief of beasts is called behemoth or beasts, ; or because it consisteth of a multitude of wise precepts; or because it hath been delivered to mankind at sundry times, and in divers manners, and by many persons, prophets and apostles, and especially by the Son of God, who is called the wisdom of God, . And this wisdom is said to cry with a loud voice, to intimate both God’ s earnestness in inviting sinners to repentance, and their inexcusableness if they do not hear such loud cries. Without, or abroad, or in the streets or open places, as many others render it, and as it is in the next clause. Not in corners and privily, as seducers persuade men to error or wickedness, being afraid of the light, but openly and publicly before all the world.
Trapp's Commentary on Proverbs 1:20
Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:Ver. 20. Wisdom.] Heb., Wisdoms: that is, the most absolute and sovereign wisdom, the Lord Jesus, "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," who also "is made unto us of God wisdom, righteousness," &c. Crieth without.] The Hebrew word signifies often to shout for joy. Christ surely cried sweetly, "the roof of his mouth was like the best wine that goeth down sweetly"; "with a desire did he desire" our salvation, though he well knew it should cost him so very dear. She uttereth her voice.] Verbis non solum desertis, red et exertis. "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink."
Ellicott's Commentary on Proverbs 1:20
(b) Second Discourse:—Wisdom Addresses her Despisers (Proverbs 1:20-33). (20) Wisdom.—The form of the Hebrew term (chokhmôth) has been taken for an abstract singular noun, but probably it is the plural of chokhmah (Proverbs 1:2), signifying the multiform excellences of wisdom. It is possible that Solomon may have originally meant in this passage only to describe, in highly poetic language, the influence and work in their generation of those in whom “the fear of the Lord” dwells. So, too, many of the Psalms (Psalms 45, for example), in the first instance it would seem, are intended to describe the excellence of some earthly saint or king, yet they are completely fulfilled only in the Son of man, the ideal of all that is noblest and best in man. And thus the description of Wisdom in her manifold activity, as represented in Proverbs 1, 8, 9, so closely corresponds to the work of our Lord, as depicted in the New Testament, that from the earliest times of Christianity these passages have been held to be a prophecy of Him; and there is good reason for such a view. For a comparison of Luk 11:49 (“Therefore also said the wisdom of God, Behold, I send,” &c.) with Matthew 23:34 (where He says, “Behold, I send”) would seem to show that He applied the title to Himself. St. Paul in like manner speaks of Him as the “Wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24); says He has been “made unto us wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:30); and that in Him “are hid all the treasures of wisdom” (Colossians 2:3). For passages from the Fathers embodying this view, see references in Bishop Wordsworth on this chapter.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Proverbs 1:20
Verse 20. Wisdom crieth] Here wisdom is again personified, as it is frequently, throughout this book; where nothing is meant but the teachings given to man, either by Divine revelation or the voice of the Holy Spirit in the heart. And this voice of wisdom is opposed to the seducing language of the wicked mentioned above. This voice is everywhere heard, in public, in private, in the streets, and in the house. Common sense, universal experience, and the law of justice written on the heart, as well as the law of God, testify against rapine and wrong of every kind.
Cambridge Bible on Proverbs 1:20
Second Address. Warning against Neglecting the Appeal of Wisdom. Chap. 1. Proverbs 1:20-3320. crieth] Rather, crieth aloud, R.V. without] Rather, in the street, R.V. The expression is sometimes used adverbially, without or abroad; but the parallelism here, in the broad places, points to the literal rendering. There is perhaps a designed contrast between the secret enticing of sinners (Proverbs 1:10) and the open call of Wisdom. the streets] Rather, the broad places, R.V.
Barnes' Notes on Proverbs 1:20
Wisdom is personified. In the Hebrew the noun is a feminine plural, as though this Wisdom were the queen of all wisdoms, uniting in herself all their excellences.
Whedon's Commentary on Proverbs 1:20
THE , , AND OF WISDOM, Proverbs 1:20-33. 20, 21. Having thus admonished his pupil of the dangers of yielding to the seducing invitations of rapacious and violent men, and shown him the wickedness,
Sermons on Proverbs 1:20
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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As in the Days of Noah & Lot by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of not relying on our feelings but on the witness of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He references John Wesley's preaching on R |
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Unpardonable Sin by William P. Nicholson | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the fact that preaching the gospel is a serious matter because it deals with the eternal destiny of human beings. He shares a story from the |
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A World of Idols - Tim Keller by From the Pulpit & Classic Sermons | In this sermon, Tim Keller discusses the experience of the apostle Paul in Athens as described in Acts 17:16-21. Paul was distressed to see that the city was full of idols, and he |
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Does It Matter if You Refuse Christ by Fred Whitmore | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of responding to God's invitation. He compares God's invitation to a wedding invitation, where a response is expected. The pr |
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Who Shall God Reveal Himself To by Phil Beach Jr. | Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes that God reveals Himself to those who are humble, lowly, and spiritually bankrupt, contrasting them with the wise and prudent who often miss His call. He |
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The Struggle Is Real by Shane Idleman | Shane Idleman emphasizes the reality of the struggle to obey God's wisdom in his sermon 'The Struggle Is Real.' He discusses how wisdom, as outlined in Proverbs, is essential for m |
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Epistle 51 by George Fox | George Fox emphasizes the significance of the cross in overcoming the carnal nature, which is the source of falsehood and seduction. He explains that embracing the cross leads to a |