Proverbs 3:22

shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. Solomon, having pronounced those happy who not only lay hold on wisdom, but retain her, here exhorts us therefore to retain her, assuring us that we ourselves shall have the comfort of doing so. I. The exhortation is, to have religion's rules always in view and always at heart, v. 21. 1. To have them always in view: "My son, let them not depart from thy eyes; let not thy eyes ever depart from them to wander after vanity. Have them always in mind, and do not forget them; be ever and anon thinking of them, and conversing with them, and never imagine that thou hast looked upon them long enough and that it is time now to lay them by; but, as long as thou livest, keep up and cultivate thy acquaintance with them." He who learns to write must always have his eye upon his copy, and not let that be out of his sight; and to the words of wisdom must those, in like manner, have a constant respect, who will walk circumspectly. 2. To have them always at heart; for it is in that treasury, the hidden man of the heart, that we must keep sound wisdom and discretion, keep to the principles of it and keep in the ways of it. It is wealth that is worth keeping. II. The argument to enforce this exhortation is taken from the unspeakable advantage which wisdom, thus kept, will be of to us. 1.

3:21-26 Let us not suffer Christ's words to depart from us, but keep sound wisdom and discretion; then shall we walk safely in his ways. The natural life, and all that belongs to it, shall be under the protection of God's providence; the spiritual life, and all its interests, under the protection of his grace, so that we shall be kept from falling into sin or trouble.

So shall they be life unto thy soul,.... Give it a better life than it naturally has, though immortal; Christ is both the spiritual and eternal life of the souls of those that look unto him by faith; and his Gospel, and the doctrines of it, are the means of reviving drooping saints, and of quickening them to the discharge of their duty; wherefore both he and they should be kept in continual view, and held fast; and grace to thy neck; an ornament to that and to the whole man; how ornamental is Christ and his righteousness to a believer! how lovely is the person that is steady in his principles, and regular in his practices! who stands fast in the truths of the Gospel, and whose conversation is as becomes it! see Proverbs 1:9.

Unto thy soul; either, 1. To thee or thy person. They shall prolong and perpetuate thy life, and make it life indeed, to wit, pleasant and happy; whereas a miserable life is reputed a kind of death, and is oft so called. Or, to thy soul, properly so called. They shall quicken, and delight, and save thy soul. Grace to thy neck; like a beautiful chain or ornament about thy neck, as above, Proverbs 3:3 1:9 .

Verse 22. - So shall they he life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck. So shall they be ( n'yikva ); and they shall be. The "soul" and "neck" stand for the whole man in his twofold nature, internal and external. Life is in its highest and widest sense given to the soul (see Proverbs 2:16, 18 ; Proverbs 4:22 ; Proverbs 8:35 ), and favour is conferred on the man, i.e. he becomes acceptable to his neighbours, if he has wisdom. The latter expression is very similar to Proverbs 1:9 , where the same promise is expressed, "grace" ( hon ) being equivalent to "ornament of grace" ( liv'yath hon ). Others understand "grace to thy neck" ( hon l'garg grotheyka ), as gratia guttturis , in the sense of "grace of the lips," as in Psalm 45:3 and Proverbs 22:11 , that is, as the grace of speaking, power of eloquent and effective utterance (Gejerus, Bayne, Lapide). It is better to take it as referring to the adornment of the personal character, and so by metonymy of the favour and kindness which it procures. Proverbs 3:22

From this eminence, in which the work of creation presents wisdom, exhortations are now deduced, since the writer always expresses himself only with an ethical intention regarding the nature of wisdom: 21 My son, may they not depart from thine eyes - Preserve thoughtfulness and consideration, 22 And they will be life to thy soul And grace to thy neck. If we make the synonyms of wisdom which are in 21b the subject per prolepsin to אל־ילזוּ (Hitzig and Zckler), then Proverbs 3:19-20 and Proverbs 3:21-22 clash. The subjects are wisdom, understanding, knowledge, which belong to God, and shall from His become the possession of those who make them their aim. Regarding לוּז, obliquari, deflectere, see under Proverbs 2:15, cf. Proverbs 4:21; regarding תּשׁיּה (here defective after the Masora, as rightly in Vened. 1515, 1521, and Nissel, 1662), see at Proverbs 2:7; ילזוּ for תּלזנה, see at Proverbs 3:2. The lxx (cf. Hebrews 2:1) translate without distinctness of reference: υἱὲ μὴ παραῤῥυῂς (παραρυῇς), let it now flow past, i.e., let it not be unobserved, hold it always before thee; the Targ. with the Syr. render לא נזּל, ne vilescat, as if the words were אל־יזוּלוּ. In 22a the synallage generis is continued: ויהיוּ for ותהיינה. Regarding גּרגּרת, see at Proverbs 1:9. By wisdom the soul gains life, divinely true and blessed, and the external appearance of the man grace, which makes him pleasing and gains for him affection.

The Hebrew text is not ambiguous: ‫בחסד‬ ‫ואמת‬ ‫יכפר‬ ‫עון‬ bechesed veemeth yechapper avon; "By mercy and truth he shall atone for iniquity." He - God, by his mercy, in sending his son Jesus into the world, - "shall make an atonement for iniquity" according to his truth - the word which he declared by his holy prophets since the world began. Or, if we retain the present version, and follow the points in ‫יכפר‬ yecuppar, reading "iniquity is purged" or "atoned for," the sense is unexceptionable, as we refer the mercy and the truth to God. But what an awful comment is that of Don Calmet, in which he expresses, not only his own opinion, but the staple doctrine of his own Church, the Romish! The reader shall have his own words: "'L'iniquite se rachete par la misericorde et la verite.' On expie ses pechez par des oeuvres de misericorde envers le prochein; par la clemence, par la douceur, par compassion, par les aumones: et par la verite-par la fidelity, la bonne foi, la droiture, requite dans le commerce. Voyez Proverbs 3:3, Proverbs 14:22, Proverbs 20:28." "'Iniquity is redeemed by mercy and truth.' We expiate our sins by works of mercy towards our neighbor; by clemency, by kindness, by compassion, and by alms: and by truth - by fidelity, by trustworthiness, by uprightness, by equity in commerce." If this be so, why was Jesus incarnated? Why his agony and bloody sweat, his cross and passion, his death and burial, his resurrection and ascension?

[Reformed Biblical] CHAP. II. 1-6. 13 But to close with the sunshine of promise--Art thou, Reader, like God's own child, hearkening unto him? Then art thou under his cover, where no evil can reach thee; dwelling not only safely, but assured of safety; quiet even from fear of evil (Chap. iii. 21—26. Job, v. 21. Ps. xci. 5; cxii. 6, 7. Isa. xxxii. 17—19); as Noah in the ark, in con- scious security, while the world were perishing around him (Gen. vii. 11-16); as David, fearless in imminent danger, because realizing a refuge in God. (Ps. iii. Comp. 1 Sam. xxx. 6.) Yes — even the coming day of distress and anguish brings with it no fear of evil. (Contrasting verses 26, 27. Luke, xxi. 26. Rev. vi. 16-18.) "The day will burn like an oven." Thou shalt behold the world on fire, and feel thou hast lost, thou canst lose, nothing. The "day of darkness and gloominess" will be to thee a day of unclouded sunshine, the entrance into everlasting joy. (Mal. iv. 1, 2. Luke, xxi. 28. 2 Pet. iii. 10-13.) CHAPTER II. 1. My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2. So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine, heart to understanding: 3. Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4. If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5. Then shalt thou under- stand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. 6. For the Lord giveth wisdom a out of his mouth cometh knowledge and under- standing. Wisdom, having solemnly warned rebellious scorners, now instructs her dutiful children

[Reformed Biblical] 14 EXPOSITION OF THE BOOK OF PROVERBS. Hide my commandments with thee . Carry them about with thee as thy choicest treasure for greater security (Col. iii. 16, with Matt. xiii. 44); as thy furniture always at hand for present use. (Chap. iv. 20, 21; vii. 3. Job, xxii. 22.) Let the heart be the hiding-place for the treasure. (Luke, ii. 19, 51. Ps. cxix. 11.) Satan can never snatch it thence. But there must be an active, practical habit of attention .* Yet to incline the ear, and apply the heart —"who is sufficient for these things?" Oh! my God! let it be thine own work on me—in me. Thou alone canst do it.† Let it be with me, as with thy Beloved Son—"Waken my ear morning by morning to hear as the learned." (Isa. L. 4.) So let me under thy grace "incline mine ear, and hear, that my soul may live." (Ibid. lv. 3.) Without this spirit of prayer --there may be attention and earnest- ness ; yet not one spiritual impression upon the conscience; not one ray of Divine light in the soul. Earthly wisdom is gained by study; heavenly wisdom by prayer. Study may form a Biblical scholar; prayer puts the heart under a heavenly tutorage, and therefore forms the wise and spiritual Christian. The word first comes into the ears; then it enters into the heart; there it is safely hid; thence rises the cry — the lifting up of the voice . Thus, "the entrance of thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple." (Ps. cxix. 130.) God keeps the key of the treasure-house in his own hand. "For this he will be enquired of" (Ezek. xxxvi