In verses 1-2 Wisdom is pictured as an industrious, active woman in contrast to the foolish woman of verses 13-14.

“Wisdom has built her house”: Wisdom’s “house” is first referred to in 8.34. This line does not suggest that Wisdom had someone else build her house for her but rather makes clear that she is the builder. New Jerusalem Bible says, “Wisdom has built herself a house.” In languages that have difficulty with the personification here, we may need to shift to a simile and say, for example, “Wisdom is like a carpenter who builds a house” or “Wisdom has built her own house, as a builder does.”

“She has set up her seven pillars”: Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint with “set up”. The Hebrew has “hewn,” which means formed or shaped by chopping with an ax-like tool. New Revised Standard Version translates the Hebrew “she has hewn her seven pillars.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives a “B” rating to “hewn,” and this is recommended to translators as the preferred text. “Pillars” are slender, vertical supports or columns.

There has been much debate about the existence of houses with “pillars” in Israel during the Old Testament period. However, it is now known from archeology that some houses of the rich had “seven pillars” supporting the portico, which is a porch or walkway with a roof leading to the main entrance of the house. The expression “seven pillars” has likewise been the object of much guesswork. However, what seems certain is that the house described here represents an image of luxury and, from the widespread use of “seven” as a perfect number, a complete and ideal or perfect building. All of this is to say that Wisdom has built a comfortable and permanent place for herself to live, in contrast to Folly’s house, which is associated with the dead and Sheol in verse 18.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .