CHAPTER 1 Mar. 23 
The Purpose of the Book 
The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel: 2to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding; 3to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; 4to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man: 5that the wise man may be obedient, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel: 6to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise. 7The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
Embrace Wisdom
8My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:  9for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.  10My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.  11If they say, Come with us,  let’s lay in wait for blood;  let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;  12let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit.  13We’ll find all kinds of wealth.  We’ll fill our houses with spoil.  14You shall cast your lot among us, we’ll all have one purse.  15My son, don’t walk in the way with them.  Keep your foot from their path, 16for their feet run to evil.  They hurry to shed blood.  17For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird:  18but these lay wait for their own blood.  They lurk secretly for their own lives.  19So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners.
Do Not Reject Wisdom
20Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares. 21She calls at the head of busy places, at the entrance of the city gates she utters her words: 22How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you, I will make known my words to you. 24Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention; 25but you have ignored all my counsel, and wished none of my reproof; 26I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you; 27when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come on you. 28Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me; 29because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh. 30They wished for none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof. 31Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with the fruit of their own schemes. 32For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them. 33But whoever listens to me will dwell securely and will be at ease, without fear of harm.

Commentary

1:5 That the wise man may be obedient- There is an upward spiral in spiritual life, whereby God’s commandments are designed to lead the wise to yet more obedience if they are obeyed; wisdom leads to more wisdom.
1:12 Sheol is the Hebrew word translated “hell” in some Bibles; it is also translated “the grave”, and is here parallel with “the pit”. It refers simply to the grave and not to any place of eternal torment.
1:23 My spirit... my words- The Bible is written by inspiration of God. God’s words are a vehicle by which His Spirit works in the lives of His children (Jn. 6:63).
1:26 Mock... laugh- God will mock and laugh at the Gentile nations who come against Him in the last day (Ps. 2:4), and yet He will do just the same to those of His people who refuse wisdom’s voice. If we are not separate from this world now, we will not be separated from them when the judgments fall. We will be “Condemned with the world...” (1 Cor. 11:32). If we don’t come out from Babylon, we will share her judgments (Rev. 18:4).
1:28 Then will they call on me, but I will not answer- In the day of judgment, everybody will desperately want to be in God’s Kingdom, to live eternally in the way of wisdom. The rejected will urgently seek acceptance, but it will be too late (Mt. 25:11; Lk. 13:25).
1:29 Hated knowledge- They ‘despise’ wisdom (:30); but they likely never said so in those words. In their lives they lived in “careless ease” (:32), but this is tantamount to proactively hating spiritual knowledge.