Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3 is the third chapter of the Book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible, or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.Template:Sfn The book is a compilation of several wisdom literature collections, with the heading in 1:1 may be intended to regard Solomon as the traditional author of the whole book, but the dates of the individual collections are difficult to determine, and the book probably obtained its final shape in the post-exilic period.Template:Sfn This chapter is a part of the first collection of the book.Template:Sfn

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text of Proverbs 3 with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse	Hebrew	English translation (JPS 1917)
1	Template:Script/Hebrew	My son, forget not my teaching; But let thy heart keep my commandments;
2	Template:Script/Hebrew	For length of days, and years of life, And peace, will they add to thee.
3	Template:Script/Hebrew	Let not kindness and truth forsake thee; Bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of thy heart;
4	Template:Script/Hebrew	So shalt thou find grace and good favour In the sight of God and man.
5	Template:Script/Hebrew	Trust in the LORD with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding.
6	Template:Script/Hebrew	In all thy ways acknowledge Him, And He will direct thy paths.
7	Template:Script/Hebrew	Be not wise in thine own eyes; Fear the LORD, and depart from evil;
8	Template:Script/Hebrew	It shall be health to thy navel, And marrow to thy bones.
9	Template:Script/Hebrew	Honour the LORD with thy substance, And with the first-fruits of all thine increase;
10	Template:Script/Hebrew	So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
11	Template:Script/Hebrew	My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD, Neither spurn thou His correction;
12	Template:Script/Hebrew	For whom the LORD loveth He correcteth, Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13	Template:Script/Hebrew	Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, And the man that obtaineth understanding.
14	Template:Script/Hebrew	For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, And the gain thereof than fine gold.
15	Template:Script/Hebrew	She is more precious than rubies; And all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16	Template:Script/Hebrew	Length of days is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honour.
17	Template:Script/Hebrew	Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.
18	Template:Script/Hebrew	She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, And happy is every one that holdest her fast.
19	Template:Script/Hebrew	The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens.
20	Template:Script/Hebrew	By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And the skies drop down the dew.
21	Template:Script/Hebrew	My son, let not them depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
22	Template:Script/Hebrew	So shall they be life unto thy soul, And grace to thy neck.
23	Template:Script/Hebrew	Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, And thou shalt not dash thy foot.
24	Template:Script/Hebrew	When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25	Template:Script/Hebrew	Be not afraid of sudden terror, Neither of the destruction of the wicked, when it cometh;
26	Template:Script/Hebrew	For the LORD will be thy confidence, And will keep thy foot from being caught.
27	Template:Script/Hebrew	Withhold not good from him to whom it is due, When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.
28	Template:Script/Hebrew	Say not unto thy neighbour: ‘Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give’; when thou hast it by thee.
29	Template:Script/Hebrew	Devise not evil against thy neighbour, Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
30	Template:Script/Hebrew	Strive not with a man without cause, If he have done thee no harm.
31	Template:Script/Hebrew	Envy thou not the man of violence, And choose none of his ways.
32	Template:Script/Hebrew	For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD; But His counsel is with the upright.
33	Template:Script/Hebrew	The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked; But He blesseth the habitation of the righteous.
34	Template:Script/Hebrew	If it concerneth the scorners, He scorneth them, But unto the humble He giveth grace.
35	Template:Script/Hebrew	The wise shall inherit honour; But as for the fools, they carry away shame.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).Template:Sfn

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; $𝔊$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: $𝔊$^S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; $𝔊$^A; 5th century).Template:Sfn

Analysis

This chapter belongs to a section regarded as the first collection in the book of Proverbs (comprising Proverbs 1–9), known as "Didactic discourses".Template:Sfn The Jerusalem Bible describes chapters 1–9 as a prologue of the chapters 10–22:16, the so-called "[actual] proverbs of Solomon", as "the body of the book". The chapter has the following structure:

• introductory exhortation (1–4),
• an admonition to be faithful to the Lord (5–12).
• commendation of Wisdom as
  • the most valuable possession (13–18),
  • essential to creation (19–20), and
  • the way to a long and safe life (21–26)
• a warning to avoid unneighborliness (27–30) and emulating the wicked (31–35).

Template:AnchorTrust in God (3:1–12)

This passage stands out among the instructions in the first collection (chapters 1–9, because of its spiritual content that may be seen as a development to the motto of the whole book in Template:Bibleverse, that 'Wisdom consists in complete trust in and submission to God'.Template:Sfn It is related to 'loyalty and faithfulness', which can refer to (and may be intended about both) relationships between human and God (cf. Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 6:4) or human to human (cf. Psalm 109:16; Hosea 4:1; Micah 6:8),Template:Sfn and are to be 'worn as an adornment around the neck' (cf. Proverbs 1:9; Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18) as well as 'written on the heart' (cf. Jeremiah 31:33).Template:Sfn As the kernel of the instructions in this chapter, 'trust in God' is contrasted in verses 5 and 6 with self-reliance, saying that the best action is the complete commitment and submission to God ('all your ways').Template:Sfn The analogy of medicinal healing benefits of wisdom (verse 8) recurs in Proverbs 15:30; 16:24; 17:22; although sometimes tastes bitter (suffering adversity), it is a divine chastisement and a proof of God's fatherly love (cf. Job 5:17–18; 33:14–30; Hebrews 12:5–6).Template:Sfn

Verse 1

My son, do not forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep my commandments;

• "Teaching": from Hebrew root torah, "guidance, direction" (cf. Proverbs 1:9), paralleling 'commandments', from Hebrew root mitzvah; both terms may refer to "the law of God" although here is applied in wisdom instruction (cf. 'my teaching').Template:Sfn

Verse 2

My teaching will give you a long and prosperous life.

Template:AnchorVerses 5–6

Template:SupTrust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

Template:Sup In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

• "Trust": from Hebrew root Template:Strong-number, related to the words rendered 'securely' in Proverbs 3:23 (cf. Proverbs 1:33) and 'confidence' in Proverbs 14:26;Template:Sfn in the Hebrew Bible is used in (1) literal physical sense (physically lean on something for support) and (2) figurative sense (rely on something/someone for help or protection), often in the negative context of false securities, trusting in worthless things, but here in the context of security the Lord who is a 'reliable object of confidence'.

Template:AnchorCommendation of Wisdom (3:13–35)

Verses 13–18 form a hymnic celebration of the 'happiness' in finding wisdom, as if possessing a vastly valuable asset, unfailingly pays a higher dividend than silver or gold (verse 14), and beyond comparison is a rare and priceless treasure (verse 15), providing a good quality of long life, riches, and honor (verse 16) and leading to pleasant and peaceful paths (verse 17), metaphorically like 'the tree of life' in the garden of Eden (Template:Bibleverse; Genesis 2–3 as the vital source for nourishing growth and promoting fullness of life (cf. Proverbs 11:30; 13:12; 15:4).Template:Sfn By Wisdom the world was created and is sustained (Template:Bibleverse; cf. Template:Bibleverse), as Wisdom can 'fructify' life.Template:Sfn Those who hold fast to Wisdom and trust in God (verses 21–26; cf. verses 5–8) will have secure and tranquil lives.Template:Sfn The application is by inculcating kindness and neighbourliness, while avoiding malicious actions and unnecessary confrontations (verses 27–30.Template:Sfn Verses 31–35 warn against envying evil men and imitating their ways, because God's judgement ('curse', cf. Deuteronomy 27:15–26) remains on their house, that they are unable to enjoy the divine blessing as the upright persons, and will be utterly disgraced.Template:Sfn

Uses

The milkshake cups' bottom of In-N-Out Burger has the text "PROVERBS 3:5", which refers to the 5th verse of this chapter.

See also

• Related Bible parts: Psalm 5, Proverbs 1, Proverbs 2, Proverbs 5, Proverbs 7, Proverbs 23

Sources

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External links

• Jewish translations:
  • Mishlei - Proverbs - Chapter 3 (Judaica Press) translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org
• Christian translations:
  • Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
• Book of Proverbs Chapter 3 King James Version
• Template:Librivox book Various versions