Proverbs 3
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Chapter 3
Chapter Overview:
Verses:
An exhortation to be steadily religious, ver. 1 - 4.
To trust God, ver. 5, 6.
To fear him, ver. 7, 8.
To honour him with our substance, ver. 9, 10.
To bear affliction well, ver. 11 - 12.
The praise of wisdom, ver. 13 - 20.
The good effects of adhering to it, ver. 21 - 26.
Caution, against uncharitableness, strife, envy; if we would avoid a curse and inherit a blessing, ver. 27 - 35.
| 3:1 | My law - The law of God, which might be called his law, as the gospel is called Paul's gospel, 2:8 , because delivered by him. |
| 3:3 | Mercy - Mercy denotes all benignity, charity, and readiness to do good to others: truth or faithfulness respects all those duties which we owe to God or man, which we have special obligation from the rules of justice. Bind them - Like a chain, wherewith persons adorn their necks.Table - In thy mind and heart, in which all God's commands are to be received and engraven. |
| 3:4 | Understanding - Whereby to know thy duty, and to discern between good and evil. Of God - Grace or favour with God, and that understanding which is good in God's sight. |
| 3:5 | Trust - Wholly rely upon God's promises and providences.Lean not - Under this one kind of carnal confidence, he understands all other confidence in bodily strength, wealth, or friends. |
| 3:8 | Navel - To thy body, which is signified by one part of it.Marrow - Which is the nourishment and strength of the bones. |
| 3:9 | Substance - Lay out thy estate not to please thyself, but to glorify God. First - fruits - Or, with the chief or best; which answers to the first - fruits under the law. |
| 3:10 | So - This is not the way to diminish thy estate, but rather to increase it. |
| 3:11 | Despise not - Either by making light of it, or not being duly affected with it; or by accounting it an unnecessary thing: but rather esteem it a privilege and favour from God. Weary - Neither think it tedious or hard, but endure it with patience and chearfulness. |
| 3:13 | Findeth - Which supposes his diligent searching for it. |
| 3:17 | Peace - Procure a blessed tranquility in a man's mind and conscience. |
| 3:18 | A tree - A pledge of everlasting life. He alludes to the tree of life, and intimates, that this is the only restorer of that life which we have lost by sin. |
| 3:19 | Wisdom - Either by Christ, or by that Divine perfection of wisdom, which is the fountain of wisdom in man. |
| 3:20 | The depths - That great abyss contained in the bowels of the earth, breaks forth into fountains and rivers. |
| 3:21 | Eyes - The eyes of thy mind. Constantly and seriously meditate upon them. |
| 3:22 | Grace - Like a beautiful chain or ornament. |
| 3:25 | Be not - Thou shalt not be afraid. Sudden - For sudden and unexpected evils are most frightful. And fear is here put for the evils feared. Desolation - Which cometh upon the wicked. |
| 3:26 | Shall be - A sure ground of confidence to thee. Taken - In the snares either of sin or mischief. |
| 3:27 | With - hold not - Do not deny it, but readily and chearfuly impart it. Good - Any thing which is good, either counsel, comfort, reproof, or the good things of the present life. Due - That is, to all men, by that great and sovereign law of love. |
| 3:28 | Say not - The former verse forbad the denial, and this forbids the delay of this duty. |
| 3:29 | Securely - Relying upon thine integrity. |
| 3:31 | Envy not - For his impunity and success. |
| 3:32 | Abomination - Therefore sooner or later he must be miserable.The righteous - They are God's friends, to whom he imparts the favours and comforts to which other men are strangers. |
| 3:33 | The house - Not only upon his own person, but also upon his posterity. |
| 3:35 | Shame - Instead of that glory which they seek. |