Proverbs 9:3 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 9:3 mean?

Proverbs 9:3 pictures Wisdom as a woman making a public invitation. She sends her servants out and calls from a prominent place, so that people in the city can hear her invitation.

After preparing a feast in verse 2, Wisdom sends her maidens to announce it. The “highest places” suggest a spot where a call could carry and attract attention. The following verses give the words of the invitation.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 9:3

• “maidens” — נַעֲרָה (naʿarah): The word can mean a young woman or a female servant. Here it fits the picture of Wisdom as a hostess with servants who go out on her behalf.
• “crieth” — קָרָא (qaraʾ): This word can mean to call out or proclaim. Here “crieth” describes a public call, not necessarily an expression of sadness.

Why Proverbs 9:3 matters

• Wisdom’s invitation is addressed to people who need instruction. In verse 4, the call welcomes the “simple,” people who lack understanding.
• The invitation is part of a picture that began with a house and a feast. The maidens in verse 3 help carry that picture forward: the preparations are ready, and guests are being sought.
• The public setting also creates a contrast later in the passage. In verses 14–16, a woman called Folly likewise calls to passersby from a high place, but her invitation leads somewhere very different.