Proverbs - 1:23



23 Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Proverbs 1:23.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
Turn ye at my reproof: behold I will utter my spirit to you, and will shew you my words.
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words.
Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.
Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you.
Be converted by my correction. Lo, I will offer my spirit to you, and I will reveal my words to you.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

The teaching of Divine Wisdom is essentially the same as that of the Divine Word John 7:38-39. "Turning," repentance and conversion, this is what she calls the simple to. The promise of the Spirit is also like His John 14:26. And with the spirit there are to be also the "words" of Wisdom. Not the "spirit" alone, nor "words" alone, but both together, each doing its appointed work - this is the divine instrumentality for the education of such as will receive it.

Turn you at my reproof - לתוכחתי lethochachti, at my convincing mode of arguing; attend to my demonstrations. This is properly the meaning of the original word.
I will pour out my spirit unto you - "I wil expresse my mynde unto you;" Coverdale. Loo I shall bryngen to you my Spirit; Old MS. Bible. If you will hear, ye shall have ample instruction.

Turn ye at my reproof,.... Or rather "to my reproof", for the words are not an exhortation to the conversion of the heart, or to him repentance; but to an attendance to the external ministry of the word preached, which reproves of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and does not design the turning of the heart to it, which is God's work, but the turning of the face and ears to hear it; and so the Targum,
"turn your face to my reproof,''
and not your backs, as they did, showing a dislike of it; or, as Aben Ezra,
"turn ye to hear my reproof;''
turn your ears and listen to it, and do not pull away the shoulder, or stop your ears that you may not hear it;
behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you; not "upon you", but "unto you": for the Holy Spirit of God is not here designed, and the effusion of his gifts, ordinary and extraordinary, or of his special grace; but the mind of Wisdom, or Christ, as the word is used in Proverbs 29:11. Some interpret it, "here, my will" (d); the external revelation of his will made in the ministry of the word, by whom "grace and truth", the doctrines of grace and truth, "came" in their full extent, John 1:17; for as the doctrines of "grace were poured into his lips", Psalm 45:2, so they were poured out by them again, out of his heart, as out of a fountain or well, as the word (e) here used signifies; which denotes the large and abundant revelation of the Gospel by Christ, and is mentioned as an encouragement to men to attend unto it; which sense is confirmed by what follows;
I will make known my words unto you; the doctrines of the Gospel, words of grace and wisdom, and such as never man spake as Christ did, his enemies being witnesses; the words of peace and reconciliation, of life and righteousness, and of eternal salvation, which were made known in a ministerial way by Christ and his apostles; but the Jews were such fools as to hate and despise the knowledge of these things; wherefore it follows:
(d) So some in Ben Melech. (e) "fluere, vel scaturire faciam", Baynus; "scatebrae instar effundam", Cocceius, Michaelis; "scaturiam", Gussetius; "ebulliam", Schultens; so Ben Melech.

reproof--implying conviction deserving it (compare John 16:8, Margin).
pour out--abundantly impart.
my spirit--whether of wisdom personified, or of Christ, a divine agent.

To the call to thoughtfulness which lies in the complaint "How long?" there follows the entreaty:
Turn ye at my reproof!
Behold! I would pour out my Spirit upon you,
I would make you to know my words.
23a is not a clause expressive of a wish, which with the particle expressive of a wish, which is wanting, would be תּשׁוּבוּ־נא, or according to Proverbs 23:1 and Proverbs 27:23 would be שׁוב תּשׁוּבוּ. The הנּה, introducing the principal clause, stamps 23a as the conditional clause; the relation of the expressions is as Isaiah 26:10; Job 20:24. תּשׁוּבוּ
(Note: In the Hagiographa everywhere written plene, with exception of Job 17:10.)
is not equivalent to si convertamini, which would require תּפנוּ, but to si revertamini; but לתוכהתּי
(Note: The Metheg belongs to the ת, under which it should be placed (and not to the ל), as the commencing sound of the second syllable before the tone-syllable; cf. Proverbs 1:25.)
does not therefore mean at my reproof, i.e., in consequence of it (Hitzig, after Numbers 16:34), but it is a constructio praegnans: turning and placing yourselves under my reproof. With תוכחת there is supposed an ἔλεγχος (lxx, Symm.): bringing proof, conviction, punishment. If they, leaving their hitherto accustomed way, permit themselves to be warned against their wickedness, then would Wisdom cause her words to flow forth to them, i.e., would without reserve disclose and communicate to them her spirit, cause them to know (namely by experience) her words. הבּיע (from נבע, R. נב; vid., Genesis, p. 635) is a common figurative word, expressive of the free pouring forth of thoughts and words, for the mouth is conceived of as a fountain (cf. Proverbs 18:4 with Matthew 12:34), and the ῥῆσις (vid., lxx) as ῥεῦσις; only here it has the Spirit as object, but parallel with דּברי, thus the Spirit as the active power of the words, which, if the Spirit expresses Himself in them, are πνεῦμα καὶ ζωή, John 6:63. The addresses of Wisdom in the Book of Proverbs touch closely upon the discourses of the Lord in the Logos-Gospel. Wisdom appears here as the fountain of the words of salvation for men; and these words of salvation are related to her, just as the λόγοι to the divine λόγος expressing Himself therein.

My words - By my spirit I will cause you to understand my word.

*More commentary available at chapter level.


Discussion on Proverbs 1:23

User discussion of the verse.






*By clicking Submit, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use.