Proverbs 2:1-10

1 My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,

2 so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] thou apply thy heart to understanding;

3 yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;

4 if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:

5 then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God.

6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [he] is a shield to them that walk in integrity;

8 guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.

10 When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,

Proverbs 2:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 2

This chapter directs to the means of attaining to the knowledge of divine things, and shows the profit and advantage arising from thence. The means are, embracing the doctrines of the Gospel, and retaining in memory and affection the ordinances of it, Pr 2:1; and an inclination of the ear and an application of the heart to the knowledge of these things, Pr 2:2. An earnest and importunate desire, expressed by prayer, after the same, Pr 2:3; and a diligent and unwearied search for them, as for silver and hid treasure, Pr 2:4. The advantages are, that such shall attain to the fear and knowledge of God; which may be concluded from these being the gift of God to his people, and from their being laid up for them, whom he carefully keeps and preserves, Pr 2:5-8; and not only so, but such learn to do that which is just and right among men, Pr 2:9. And, besides, such is the nature of divine wisdom, that, when it has once got a place in the heart and in the affections, it will be a means of preserving both from the ways of evil men, Pr 2:10-12; who are described, Pr 2:13-15. And from the evil woman, whose character is given, Pr 2:16,17; whose vicious course of life, and the ways she leads persons into, are represented as very dangerous, Pr 2:18,19. And, on the contrary, such is the usefulness of true wisdom, that it leads into the way of good men, who will be happy and safe, when the wicked shall be destroyed, Pr 2:20-22.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'true wisdom,' or 'soundness;' and so chs. 3.21; 8.14: see Job 6.13; 12.16.
• [b]. Or 'saints;' chasid, see Ps. 30.4.
• [c]. 'Just judgment' or 'justice.'
• [d]. The word is difficult to render. It is properly 'a path going round,' and hence used for the 'entrenchment' of a war camp, as 'wagon-defence' in 1Sam. 17.20. It is applied, as in Ps. 17.5; 23.3, to God's path for the saint, which does not always lead where we expect, or so that we can see straight on in it; and also to the shifting ways of the wicked, as ver. 18; and so in ver. 15, where the plural is rendered collectively 'course.'