Proverbs 9:1

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about wisdom:

Proverbs 9:1 (NASBStr)

 Wisdom has built her house,

She has hewn out her seven pillars;

Proverbs 9:1 (ESV)

Wisdom has built her house;

she has hewn her seven pillars.

Wisdom builds her house, while folly tears her house down with her hands (Proverbs 14:1).  The metaphor used here is to help us grasp that wisdom has built a safe place for us to reside.  When we are in the house of wisdom there is safety.  Thus the phrase, "she has hewn out her seven pillars."  The question is often asked, "Why seven?"   Note what we find in the World Biblical Commentary:

"These have been described not unfairly by J. Greenfield: "The seven pillars of wisdom have been variously interpreted:the seven firmaments or heavens, the seven planets, the seven regions or climates, the seven days of creation or the seven books of the law, the seven gifts of the holy ghost, the seven eras of the church, the seven sacraments, the seven liberal arts, and even the first seven chapters of the Book of Proverbs" (p. 13). This did not prevent him from adding his own theory, relating the seven pillars to the seven sages of Mesopotamian myth."

We can see there are plenty of descriptions for the "seven".   Perhaps the best way to interpret this is to look at the construction of Hebrew poetry.   Wisdom is perfection - it is the personification of Christ.  The number seven in Scripture is the number for perfection in the Bible.   So, perhaps Solomon is simply saying, but using the metaphor of the "house", that the perfect house is the one that is supported by Wisdom; and, when Wisdom is in the house, the house has support.  When we seek wisdom (by the fear of The Lord) we bring wisdom into our home and it gives us security.

If we imagined this as not a metaphor, but rather the building of an actually house, we might gain some knowledge and inspiration in Solomon’s words.   The part we see about a house is the beauty of the rooms, the furniture, the color the asserts available within and without.   What we don’t see is the foundation.   That is the key to the structure.   Any big wind will topple a mobile home.  It has as a foundation, wheels.   But, a home, built on a solid foundation has a better chance of survival.  That is Solomon’s point.  Build your life, your home, your family, your occupation on a solid foundation of wisdom.   That is the key to success and stability in life.   

Matthew 7:24-27 (ESV)

Build Your House on the Rock

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”