Proverbs 8:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.

NIV: To the discerning all of them are right; they are upright to those who have found knowledge.

NASB: They are all straightforward to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.

CSB: All of them are clear to the perceptive, and right to those who discover knowledge.

NLT: My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge.

KJV: They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

NKJV: They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.

Prior verses compared the truthfulness of godly wisdom to speech which is corrupt, crooked, or false (Proverbs 8:8).

Submission to God and His truth is presented in the Bible as a prerequisite for true discernment (John 7:17). Those who have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit can more clearly understand God's Word (1 Corinthians 2:14). However, those who have not trusted in Christ, the source of all wisdom, fail to understand the Bible. The apostle Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 4:3–4 affirm this fact. He writes: "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

Also, in 1 Corinthians 2:7–10, Paul writes: "But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this… But as it is written 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him'—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit."

Proverbs 8:1–11 comes immediately after a potent warning about a promiscuous, seductive woman. Here, Solomon again presents a woman, this time as wisdom personified (Proverbs 1:20). She calls from everywhere to men to learn prudence and sense. She cites the value of learning from her. Her words are noble, right, true, righteous, and honest. Wisdom is far greater than silver, choice gold, jewels, and everything else that can be compared with her.

In this passage, wisdom is once again imagined as a woman who cries out to be heard (Proverbs 1:20–21). Wisdom extols her own truth and value. Wisdom was part of God's creative power long before even the creation of the universe. The chapter again returns to the many benefits of godly wisdom, before completing those declarations at the start of the next chapter.

Thus far in Proverbs, Solomon has spoken about the virtues of wisdom and the need to acquire it and live by it. He has also warned about the dangers of rejecting wisdom. Chapter 7 ended with a description of a promiscuous woman seducing a foolish young man. Now, in chapter 8, he lets wisdom speak, once again personified as a woman. She speaks about her existence before creation and her gift of life to all who find her. This analogy continues into chapter 9.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.