The Meaning of Proverbs 1:20 Explained

Proverbs 1:20

KJV: Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

YLT: Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,

Darby: Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways;

ASV: Wisdom crieth aloud in the street; She uttereth her voice in the broad places;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wisdom  crieth  without;  she uttereth  her voice  in the streets: 

What does Proverbs 1:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 1:20-33 - The Call Of Wisdom
The word Wisdom and the description of her standing atthe head of the noisy streets-see Proverbs 1:21, r.v., margin-remind us of our Lord, who, as the Word of God, stood and cried, John 7:37. It is a remarkable picture of the world as it is today. The streets filled with traffickers, with the bawling of wares, with the crowds of idle sightseers, and amid it all the ringing appeal of Christ to the heart of man! But the scorners deride and mock, while fools hate the speaker and threaten his life. Yet there is no crowded thoroughfare in the world from which the Spirit of God is absent. See Matthew 22:1-10.
The two results that divide the hearers are set forth in words that are always receiving verification. The day of calamity, when banks suspend payment, and the boldest speculators lose heart, breaks suddenly on the worldling. He has no hiding-place, no second line of defense, no spiritual treasure; and is like a drowning sailor in a tempestuous sea. But "Wisdom is justified of all her children," for they dwell safely. See Proverbs 1:33 and Luke 7:35. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 1

1  The use of the proverbs
7  An exhortation to fear God, and believe his word
10  to avoid the enticing of sinners
20  Wisdom complains of her contempt
24  She threatens her contemners

What do the individual words in Proverbs 1:20 mean?

Wisdom outside calls aloud in the open squares she raises her voice
חָ֭כְמוֹת בַּח֣וּץ תָּרֹ֑נָּה בָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹת תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽהּ

חָ֭כְמוֹת  Wisdom 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: חָכְמֹות  
Sense: wisdom.
בַּח֣וּץ  outside 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חוּץ  
Sense: outside, outward, street, the outside.
תָּרֹ֑נָּה  calls  aloud 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: רוּן 
Sense: to overcome.
בָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹת  in  the  open  squares 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: רְחֹב  
Sense: broad or open place or plaza.
תִּתֵּ֥ן  she  raises 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
קוֹלָֽהּ  her  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.