Proverbs 2:7

2:1-9 Those who earnestly seek heavenly wisdom, will never complain that they have lost their labour; and the freeness of the gift does not do away the necessity of our diligence, Joh 6:27. Let them seek, and they shall find it; let them ask, and it shall be given them. Observe who are thus favoured. They are the righteous, on whom the image of God is renewed, which consists in righteousness. If we depend upon God, and seek to him for wisdom, he will enable us to keep the paths of judgment.

He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous,.... In order to give it to them that seek for it; which is another encouragement to search after it. By "sound wisdom" may be meant, not the law, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; so called, because it endures for ever, when all beings are defective and come to nothing; but the Gospel, which is sound doctrine, pure and not corrupt; true and real wisdom, in opposition to that which has only the show of wisdom, and is science falsely so called; and this was hid in God, in Christ, and laid up as a treasure in the sacred Scriptures: or else the true grace of God, in distinction from that which is counterfeit; and is that goodness of his, which he has laid up in his heart, and in the covenant of his grace; and the fulness of grace which he has laid up in Christ for them Psalm 31:19 ; or eternal glory and happiness. The word here used signifies "essence", "substance" (o); that which really is, and is solid and substantial; and such are the glories of the other world the crown of righteousness, the hope laid up in heaven, and the inheritance reserved there, Colossians 1:5 . These are real things, though invisible, and are rich and valuable; and have substance and solidity in them, in opposition to earthly riches, which are a vain show, and are things that are not, and at best temporal and perishing; but these are an enduring substance, Proverbs 8:21 .

7 . layeth up ] Lit. hideth , as a treasure too precious to be left exposed, therefore it must be searched for ( Proverbs 2:4 ). But he layeth it up for , not from , the upright; therefore the search shall be successful ( Proverbs 2:5 ). He is a buckler ] So R.V. except, instead of buckler , more accurately, shield , the smaller weapon. The rendering, And a shield , R.V. marg.; or better, which (sc. wisdom) is a shield , is admissible, and is supported by such passages as Ecclesiastes 7:12 ; Ephesians 6:16 , where wisdom and faith are compared to a shield. But the frequent comparison of God Himself to a shield or buckler in the O.T. (e.g. Genesis 15:1 ; Deuteronomy 33:29 ; Psalm 59:11 ; Psalm 84:11 , in all which places the Heb. word for shield is the same as here) is in favour of regarding Jehovah ( Proverbs 2:6 ) as the subject of this, as of the former, clause of the verse.

Sound wisdom, Heb. essence or substance ; either, 1. Solid and true felicity, opposed to the vain enjoyments of this world, which are said to have no substance or being, Proverbs 23:5 . Or, 2. True and substantial wisdom, which is satisfactory and everlasting, opposed to worldly wisdom, which is but an empty shadow of wisdom, and perisheth with us. A buckler to them, to protect and save them from that mischief and ruin which shall befall all wicked men.

Verse 7. - Wisdom which is the foundation of security and safety, and hence is sound wisdom , is that which God treasures up for the righteous. The teacher passes to another phase of the Divine character. God is not only the Source of wisdom; he is also the Ensurer of safety, the Source of salvation to those who act uprightly. It will be noted that the use of the word is confined to the Proverbs and Job, with the exception of the two passages in Isaiah and Micah. Buckler . Besides storing up the treasures of sound wisdom, which the righteous may use and so obtain security in their uprightness, God is himself a Buckler , or Shield ( מָגֵן , magen ), to those who walk in innocence. This aspect of God's directly protecting power is met with in other parts of Scripture. In Genesis 15:1 he encourages Abram with the assurance, "I am thy Shield." In Psalm 33:20 ; Psalm 84:11 ; Psalm 89:18 ; Psalm 144:2 , Jehovah is called a Shield to his saints. He renders them security against the assaults of their enemies, and especially against the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Again, in Proverbs 30:5 , it is said, "God is a Shield ( magen ) up to them that walk uprightly." It is incorrect to take מָגֵן ( magen ) either as an accusative after the verb or in apposition with "sound wisdom." To them that walk uprightly; literally, to the walkers in innocence ( לְחֹלֵכֵי תֹם , l'khol'key thom ). תֹם ( thom ) is "integrity of mind," "moral faultlessness," "innocence." "To walk uprightly" is to maintain a course of life regulated by right principles, and directed to right ends. He "walks uprightly who lives with the fear of God as his principle, the Word of God as his rule, and the glory of God as his end" (Wardlaw). The completeness of the moral and religious character is involved in the expression which is found also in Proverbs 10:9 and Psalm 84:11 . The Vulgate translates the latter clause of the verse, proteget gradientes simpliciter , "he will protect those who walk in simplicity;" cf. 2 Corinthians 1:12 in illustration of the phrase. He layeth up; i.e. he treasures up (LXX., θησαυρίζειν ), or preserves and protects ( custodire , Vulgate), as a person does "treasure or jewel, that it may not be stolen" (Zockler). The majority of commentators read the Keri ( יִצפֹן , "he will treasure up," future of צָפַן ) in preference to the Khetib ( צָפַן , perfect of same verb, with prefix וְ , "and he treasured up"), and this is the; reading adopted in the Authorized Version.