Proverbs 8:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.

NIV: When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water;

NASB: When there were no ocean depths, I was born, When there were no springs abounding with water.

CSB: I was born when there were no watery depths and no springs filled with water.

NLT: I was born before the oceans were created, before the springs bubbled forth their waters.

KJV: When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

NKJV: When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.

This continues a series of statements made by wisdom, personified by Solomon as a woman (Proverbs 8:1–4).

In this verse Solomon again points out that wisdom existed before the creation of the universe. The Bible's first reference to water is in Genesis 1:2, yet godly wisdom had been solidified before even then (Proverbs 8:23). Genesis 1:6–8 reports that on the second day of creation, "God said, 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.' And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven."

Proverbs 8:22–31 pays tribute to wisdom as having existed from the very beginning of beginnings. In this chapter, wisdom speaks as a woman, in a poetic style used by Solomon. Since the wisdom in question is godly truth, rooted in the knowledge and nature of God, that wisdom predates the creation of the world and everything in it. Like God's goodness and justice, His wisdom has always been part of who He is and how He creates.

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.

Accessed 4/29/2024 5:49:47 AM