9:1 Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out its seven pillars.
Wisdom (Bible doctrine) is personified as a beautiful and wise lady who builds a house carved out of seven pillars. The seven pillars suggest that the house was large and spacious. There is plenty of room for many guests.
9:2 She has prepared her meat, she has mixed her wine; she also has arranged her table.
Wisdom personified (Bible doctrine) has prepared a large feast. Undiluted wine was distasteful to the Jews. The Jewish Passover wine was diluted with three parts of water and one part of wine.
9:3 She has sent out her female servants; she calls out on the highest places of the city.
Wisdom personified (Bible doctrine) sent out her maids to the highest elevation of the city to invite people to attend her banquet.
9:4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,” she says to those who lack understanding.
Wisdom personified (Bible doctrine) invited those who lack Bible doctrine to her feast.
9:5 “Come, eat some of my food, and drink some of the wine I have mixed.
She asked them to eat her food and drink.
9:6 Abandon your foolish ways so that you may live, and proceed in the way of understanding.”
She asked them to abandon the ways of the satanic world system so that they may live eternally in the way of biblical understanding.
9:7 Whoever corrects a mocker is asking for insult; whoever reproves a wicked person receives abuse.
One who mocks God is unteachable. The mocker will insult the one who corrects his view of the satanic world system.
If one rebukes a wicked person for his lack of Bible doctrine, then he will be abused. Godless liberals do not want to hear that their actions are against Bible doctrine. They want others to be silent when they sin.
9:8 Do not reprove a mocker or he will hate you; reprove a wise person and he will love you.
If a believer reproves one who mocks God, then he will be hated. If a believer reproves a wise person, then he will be loved. There are some Bible teachers who teach the hard truth from the Bible. They do not tickle the ears of the congregation. They are either extremely loved or extremely hated. The positive or negative reaction to tough Bible teaching depends upon the spiritual maturity of the believer.
9:9 Give instruction to a wise person, and he will become wiser still; teach a righteous person and he will add to his learning.
A wise person is one who masters Bible doctrine. He will appreciate the deepest and toughest teaching from the written Word of God. A wise person appreciates rebuke, because he learns from it.
9:10 The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and acknowledging the Holy One is understanding.
The Hebrew word for “beginning” is תְּחִלָּה (tihilah), meaning prerequisite. The prerequisite of mastering Bible doctrine is to respect the Lord. One must acknowledge God as holy, meaning that He is special and set apart. He is above man, because He is God. One who does not recognize that God is holy can never gain wisdom (Bible doctrine).
9:11 For because of me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.
When one acknowledges God as his Savior, then he can learn enough wisdom (Bible doctrine) to add days ro his physical life. Under the Mosaic Law, this person would also prosper in his earthly life. Solomon was using personified Wisdom to teach his sons that they could prosper as kings on this earth by learning and applying Bible doctrine. The Jewish kings should have led their people to the mastery of Bible doctrine. Instead, they led their people into idolatry. By the time “the Seed of David” came to Israel and offered Himself as the Messianic King, the Jewish people chose the dead rituals of Judaism over the living Messiah.
9:12 If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage, but if you are a mocker, you alone must bear it.
If one possesses Bible doctrine, then he will gain eternal life in heaven. If one mocks God, then he must bear eternal death,
9:13 The woman called Folly is brash, she is naive and does not know anything.
Solomon introduced his sons to another personified woman named Folly. The Hebrew word for “Folly” is כְּסִילוּת (kasilut), meaning evil stupidness. Folly is loud, undisciplined, arrogant, and stupid. Like her guests, she does not understand Bible doctrine.
9:14 So she sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, 9:15 calling out to those who are passing by her in the way, who go straight on their way.
Wisdom (Bible doctrine) prepared a feast and went into the city and called out for her guests from the highest elevation of the city. Folly was too undisciplined and lazy to follow this procedure. Instead, she stayed at the door of her home and invited only those who passed by her way.
9:16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here,” she says to those who lack understanding.
Folly personified invited her guests into her home by using the same words as Wisdom personified.
9:17 “Stolen waters are sweet, and food obtained in secret is pleasant!”
According to Proverbs 5:15-16, drinking water from one’s own fountain refers to sex inside of marriage. Stolen water refers to sex outside of marriage. Food eaten in secret also refers to adultery. Folly personified invites her guests into her home to partake of stolen food and water (adultery), because its tastes are sweet.
9:18 But they do not realize that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.
Those without sound Bible doctrine do not understand that Folly (the lack of Bible doctrine) is leading them into physical death.