Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
Proverbs 8:1-36.-Wisdom herself openly cries in all places, inviting men to her (Proverbs 8:1-3). Her invitation: Unto you men I call; hear, and you shall know right things-truth, righteousness, instruction superior to silver and gold, the fear of the Lord, counsel, wisdom, strength; all to be had by lovingly and early seeking me-riches and honour in the way of righteousness whereby I lead (Proverbs 8:4-21). I am older than the world itself, and was by God when He made it, and was His daily delight, and I in my turn delighted in the habitable earth and in the sons of men (Proverbs 8:22-31). Concluding application: Therefore hearken to me, watch daily at my gates to find me, that so you may find divine life, and escape the death which results from hating me (Proverbs 8:32-36).
Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? - (Proverbs 1:20-21.) She crieth by the written Word, by ministers, and by the dealings of Providence. "Wisdom" is here personal Wisdom, the Son of God. For many personal predicates are attributed to Him: Thus, subsistence by or with God, in Proverbs 8:30; just as John 1:1 saith, "The Word was with God," which cannot be said of a mere attribute. Moreover, the mode of subsistence imparted is generation (Proverbs 8:22; Proverbs 8:24-25). In Proverbs 8:22 God is said to have possessed or acquired wisdom: not by creation, Psalms 104:24; nor by adoption, as Deuteronomy 32:6; Psalms 74:2; but by generation. The very same Hebrew verb is used by Eve of her first-born-gotten or possessed by generation (Genesis 4:1).
Moreover, other attributes are assigned to Wisdom, as if she were not an attribute, but a person - "counsel," "strength," etc. Also, she has the feelings of a person (Proverbs 8:17, "I love them that love me"). She does the acts of a person. She enables kings to rule, and invests them with authority (Proverbs 8:15-16). She takes part in creation, as one brought up, or rather nursed, in the bosom of the Father, as the Only-begotten of His love (John 1:18). She cries aloud as a person (Proverbs 8:1; Proverbs 8:4), and her "lips" and "mouth" are mentioned (Proverbs 8:6-7). She is the delight of the Father, and she in turn delights in men (Proverbs 8:30-31); answering to the rapturous delight into which the Father breaks forth concerning Messiah (Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5; Ephesians 1:6). She builds a house, prepares a feast, and sends forth her maidens to invite the guests (Proverbs 9:1-3). All which admirably applies to Messiah, who builds the Church, as His house, upon Himself the Rock (Matthew 16:18; 1 Timothy 3:15); and invites all to the Gospel feast, (Isaiah 25:6; Isaiah 55:1; Luke 14:16-17, etc.) He is Wisdom itself absolute, and as the Archetype: from Him Wisdom imparted flows to others.
As such, He invites us to learn wisdom from Him who is its source. "Counsel" and "sound wisdom" (Proverbs 8:14) arc in Him as attributes are in their subject, and as effects are in their cause. The parallel, Proverbs 1:20; Proverbs 1:23, "I will pour out my Spirit unto you" (cf. John 7:38), confirms the personal view. The same truth is confirmed by the reproof, Proverbs 1:24, "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out the arm," etc.; compared with Christ's own words. (Matthew 11:28; Matthew 23:37; Luke 17:42). So Christ is called "the Wisdom of God," Luke 11:49; compared with Matthew 23:34 (cf. Luke 7:35; 1 Corinthians 1:24-30, "Christ the Wisdom of God;" Colossians 2:3). As Wisdom here saith (Proverbs 8:23), "I was set up," or 'anointed' х nicaktiy (H5258)] "from everlasting;" so the Father saith of Messiah, "I have set" or 'anointed' (the same Hebrew verb) "my King" (Psalms 2:6). As in Proverbs 8:24 Wisdom is said to be "brought forth" or begotten by God before the world, and to have been by Him in creating all things (Proverbs 8:27-30), so Messiah is called the Son of God (Psalms 2:7; Proverbs 30:4), and is said to have been with God in the beginning, and to have made all things (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2), and to have been begotten before every creature (Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:17); and His goings forth are said, in Micah 5:2, to have been from of old, from everlasting.
Wisdom and her invitations here stand in contrast to the harlot and her lures, (Proverbs 7:1-27.) The interrogation, "Doth not wisdom cry?" gives the greater force to the divine remonstrance with those who suffer themselves to be seduced by the harlot's charms. Why do you heed her flatteries, as though there were not another and an infinitely better damsel claiming your love and allegiance? Instead of the clandestine whisper of the adulteress in the dark, as she flees the light in alluring her victims, wisdom "puts forth her voice" openly in the day, and in a style intelligible to every capacity, so that all are left without excuse if they reject her, through preferring darkness to light.