From the Household into the World

From the Household into the World

Proverbs 1–9 culminates at a crossroads. The youth hears the voices of wisdom (9:3–6) and folly (9:16–17) beckoning him home for supper, each with initially identical invitations (“you who are naive, turn in here,” 9:4, 16). Wisdom and folly, it seems, are not always distinguished quickly. Will the youth choose to feast in secret on stolen water and bread? Or choose the house of wisdom and step across her threshold into the next major section of the book (10:1–22:16)?…