The Meaning of Proverbs 9:1 Explained

Proverbs 9:1

KJV: Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

YLT: Wisdom hath builded her house, She hath hewn out her pillars -- seven.

Darby: Wisdom hath built her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars;

ASV: Wisdom hath builded her house; She hath hewn out her seven pillars:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Wisdom  hath builded  her house,  she hath hewn out  her seven  pillars: 

What does Proverbs 9:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 9:1-18 - Two Contrasted Invitations
There is an age-long competition between Wisdom and Folly, Virtue and Vice. The palace of Wisdom is very attractive-well built and well furnished. It is reared upon seven well-hewn marble pillars, in a quadrangular form, the entrance being left wide-open. An eternal mansion, it is stable and beautiful. Great preparations are made for the feast, which is open to all-in striking contrast to the private supper to which Vice allures the unwary youth. The beautiful owner also sends forth her maidens into the public thoroughfares to give free invitations to all who will accept them. See Matthew 22:1, etc.
Only to the simple or child-hearted, and not to the scorner, is the invitation addressed. Wisdom lets the scorner pass, because a word to him would only recoil on herself, and would add to his wickedness. To scoff at things which are holy and scorn the divine power is to risk the sin that is never forgiven. Such is the man who enters the feast without the wedding garment. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 9

1  The discipline
4  and the doctrine of wisdom
13  The custom
16  and error of folly

What do the individual words in Proverbs 9:1 mean?

Wisdom has built her house she has hewn out her pillars seven
חָ֭כְמוֹת בָּנְתָ֣ה בֵיתָ֑הּ חָצְבָ֖ה עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ שִׁבְעָֽה

חָ֭כְמוֹת  Wisdom 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: חָכְמֹות  
Sense: wisdom.
בָּנְתָ֣ה  has  built 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
בֵיתָ֑הּ  her  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
חָצְבָ֖ה  she  has  hewn  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָצֵב 
Sense: to dig, cleave, divide, hew, make, cut out, dig out, cut down, quarry, hewer, mason.
עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ  her  pillars 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: עַמּוּד  
Sense: pillar, column.
שִׁבְעָֽה  seven 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).