Proverbs 3
3
Confidence in God Leads to Prosperity#The instruction consists of a series of six four-line exhortations in which the second line of each exhortation mentions a reward or benefit. In the first five exhortations, the teacher promises a reward: long life, a good name, divine protection, health, abundant crops. The last exhortation, vv. 11–12, departs from the command-reward scheme, implying that being a disciple of the Lord does not guarantee unalloyed bliss: one must allow God freedom to “reprove” or educate. The process of education is like that described in chap. 2: the father first invites his son (or disciple) to memorize his teaching (v. 1), then to enter upon a relationship of trust with him (v. 3), and finally to place his trust in God, who takes up the parental task of education (v. 5). Education begun by the parent is brought to full completion by God.
1My son, do not forget#Do not forget: this word and several others in the section such as “teaching,” “commands,” “years of life,” and the custom of affixing written teaching to one’s body, occur also in Deuteronomy. This vocabulary suggests that Proverbs and Deuteronomy had a common origin in the scribal class of Jerusalem. This section (and vv. 21–34) subtly elaborates Dt 6:5–9, “You shall love the Lord with all your heart (v. 5)…Take to heart these words (v. 1)…Recite them when you are at home and when you are away (v. 23)…when you lie down (v. 24)…Bind them (v. 3) on your arm as a sign and let them be a pendant on your forehead” (v. 21). my teaching,
take to heart my commands;
2For many days, and years of life,#Prv 4:10; 9:11; 10:27.
and peace, will they bring you.
3Do not let love and fidelity forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4Then will you win favor and esteem
before God and human beings.
5Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
on your own intelligence do not rely;
6In all your ways be mindful of him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7Do not be wise in your own eyes,#Rom 11:25; 12:16.
fear the Lord and turn away from evil;
8This will mean health for your flesh
and vigor for your bones.
9Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with first fruits of all your produce;#Ex 34:26; Lv 27:30; Dt 26:2; Sir 7:31; 35:7.
10Then will your barns be filled with plenty,
with new wine your vats will overflow.
11The discipline of the Lord, my son, do not spurn;#Heb 12:5–6.
do not disdain his reproof;
12#One might be tempted to judge the quality of one’s relationship to God by one’s prosperity. It is an inadequate criterion, for God as a teacher might go counter to student expectations. The discipline of God can involve suffering. For whom the Lord loves he reproves,
as a father, the son he favors.#Jdt 8:27; Rev 3:19.
The Benefits of Finding Wisdom#An encomium of Wisdom through the listing of her benefits to the human race and the depiction of her role in creation. Wisdom, or understanding, is more valuable than silver and gold. Its fruit is long life, riches, honor and happiness (vv. 13–18). Even the creation of the universe and its adornment (Gn 1) were not done without wisdom (vv. 19–20). The praise of Wisdom foreshadows the praise of a noble wife in the final poem (31:10–31), even to the singling out of the hands extended in a helpful way toward human beings.
13Happy the one who finds wisdom,
the one who gains understanding!#Prv 8:34–35.
14Her profit is better than profit in silver,
and better than gold is her revenue;
15She is more precious than corals,
and no treasure of yours can compare with her.#Prv 8:11, 19; Wis 7:8–11.
16Long life is in her right hand,
in her left are riches and honor;
17Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace;
18She is a tree of life#A tree of life: in the Old Testament this phrase occurs only in Proverbs (11:30; 13:12; 15:4) and Genesis (2:9; 3:22, 24). The origins of the concept are obscure; there is no explicit mention of it in ancient Near Eastern literature, though on ancient seals trees are sometimes identified as trees of life. When the man and the woman were expelled from the garden, the tree of life was put off limits to them, lest they “eat of it and live forever” (Gn 3:22). The quest for wisdom gives access to the previously sequestered tree of life. The tree of life is mentioned also in the apocryphal work 1 Enoch 25:4–5. Rev 2 and 22 mention the tree of life as a source of eternal life. to those who grasp her,
and those who hold her fast are happy.#Prv 4:13; 8:35; 11:30; Gn 2:9; 3:22.
19The Lord by wisdom founded the earth,
established the heavens by understanding;
20By his knowledge the depths#Depths: for the Hebrews, the depths enclosed the great subterranean waters; the rain and dew descended from the waters above the firmament; cf. Gn 1:6–10; Jb 26:8, 12; Ps 18:15; 24:2. The cosmogony provides the reason why Wisdom offers such benefits to human beings: the world was created in wisdom so that all who live in accord with wisdom live in tune with the universe. are split,
and the clouds drop down dew.
Justice Toward One’s Neighbor Brings Blessing#As in other instructions, the father in vv. 21–26 urges the son to seek wisdom, which in this case means practicing the virtues of “deliberation and planning,” a specification of wisdom. Practicing these virtues brings protection from violence (vv. 22–26) and friendship with God (vv. 32–35). The language is like Ps 91.Verses 27–35 are arranged according to a clear order. Serving God requires serving one’s neighbor through kindness (vv. 27–28), maintaining peace with the good (vv. 29–31), having no envy of the wicked (v. 31), because the Lord’s friendship and kindness are with the just, not with the wicked. Matching the six exhortations of vv. 1–12, vv. 27–34 contain six prohibitions. The righteous/wicked contrast is progressively developed: in contrast to the wicked, the righteous are in God’s inner circle, their houses are blessed, they deal with a merciful God, and obtain honor.
21My son, do not let these slip from your sight:
hold to deliberation and planning;
22So will they be life to your soul,#Your soul: Heb. nephesh means “throat, esophagus; life; soul.” The meanings are connected. The throat area is the moist, breathing center of the body, which stands for life and for self. The figure of speech is called metonymy, in which one word is substituted for another on the basis of a causal relation, e.g., eye for sight, arm for power, or, as here, “throat area” for life. Proverbs sometimes plays on this concrete meaning of life (e.g., 21:23).
and an adornment for your neck.
23Then you may go your way securely;
your foot will never stumble;
24When you lie down, you will not be afraid,
when you rest, your sleep will be sweet.
25Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
of the ruin of the wicked when it comes;
26For the Lord will be your confidence,
and will keep your foot from the snare.
27Do not withhold any goods from the owner
when it is in your power to act.
28Say not to your neighbor, “Go, come back tomorrow,
and I will give it to you,” when all the while you have it.
29Do not plot evil against your neighbors,
when they live at peace with you.
30Do not contend with someone without cause,
with one who has done you no harm.
31Do not envy the violent
and choose none of their ways:#Prv 23:17; 24:1, 19; Ps 37:1.
32To the Lord the devious are an abomination,
but the upright are close to him.
33The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
but the dwelling of the just he blesses;
34Those who scoff, he scoffs at,#Prv 1:26.
but the lowly he favors.
35The wise will possess glory,
but fools will bear shame.
Currently Selected:
Proverbs 3: NABRE
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Proverbs 3
3
1My son, forget not my law;
but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2For length of days, and years of life,
And peace, shall they add to thee.
3Let not mercy and truth forsake thee:
Bind them about thy neck;
Write them upon the table of thine heart:
4So shalt thou find favour and good understanding
In the sight of God and man.
5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart,
And lean not upon thine own understanding:
6In all thy ways acknowledge him,
And he shall direct thy paths.
7Be not wise in thine own eyes;
Fear the LORD, and depart from evil:
8It shall be health to thy navel,
And marrow to thy bones.
9Honour the LORD with thy substance,
And with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,
And thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
11My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD;
Neither be weary of his reproof:
12For whom the LORD loveth he reproveth;
Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,
And the man that getteth understanding.
14For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver,
And the gain thereof than fine gold.
15She is more precious than rubies:
And none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her.
16Length of days is in her right had;
In her left hand are riches and honour.
17Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:
And happy is every one that retaineth her.
19The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding he established the heavens.
20By his knowledge the depths were broken up,
And the skies drop down the dew.
21My son, let not them depart from thine eyes;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
22So shall they be life unto thy soul,
And grace to thy neck.
23Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely,
And thy foot shall not stumble.
24When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:
Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25Be not afraid of sudden fear,
Neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh:
26For the LORD shall be thy confidence,
And shall keep thy foot from being taken.
27Withhold not good from them to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
28Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again,
And tomorrow I will give;
When thou hast it by thee.
29Devise not evil against thy neighbour,
Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30Strive not with a man without cause,
If he have done thee no harm.
31Envy thou not the man of violence,
And choose none of his ways.
32For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD:
But his secret is with the upright.
33The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked;
But he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.
34Surely he scorneth the scorners,
But he giveth grace unto the lowly.
35The wise shall inherit glory;
But shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society