4:1–9 This section is noteworthy because the sage repeats verbatim (vv. 4–9) his own father’s exhortation which personifies Wisdom as a woman to be possessed and embraced (the erotic language of 3:18 is intensified in 4:5–8). My sons (not “my son”) are addressed, as in 5:7; 7:24; 8:32. The call for attention is motivated by the promise of sound learning in verse 2 and the urgency is increased by the personal tone of the father who opens his instruction in a typical way (v. 4; cf. 7:2a for repetition of the last line). The intensity is suggested by the fourfold repetition to get wisdom and understanding. In return for loving and embracing wisdom, she will protect, exalt, and bestow honor. Verse 9 should most likely be taken in a metaphorical sense, but …