Proverbs 3 Footnotes

3:3 The goal of wisdom is not external adherence to a body of rules; rather, it is to internalize the principles in a way that produces character. In the OT the “heart” is the central core of a person, and it controls the thoughts, words, and actions of an individual much as a computer controls a system. A heart programmed with Wisdom’s values produces thoughts and behaviors consistent with God’s order.

3:5-7 This statement of trust is set in the context of a book that both implicitly and explicitly affirms the importance of carefully studying the world and society to discover elements of God’s order. The book also presupposes that people have the insight and rational abilities to succeed in those endeavors. These verses do not stand in tension with those endeavors; rather, the statement is a call to live life in the fear of the Lord. We are to do our work of discovery always mindful of who God is and bowing to his legitimate authority over us. When God has clearly spoken in his special revelation to us (the Bible) and our conclusions (or the results of the most respected scholarship) seem to stand at variance to that revelation, we are to defer to God’s special revelation and submit to God’s authority in our thinking and behavior.

3:9 Proverbs suggests that one practical test of whether one is trusting the Lord or one’s own judgment can be found in how we view our possessions and finances. In the ancient agrarian society, the “first produce” would have meant the choicest and best portions of the harvest. Today, this might mean giving to God the “first produce” of your paycheck, rather than waiting to give after all the bills have been paid.

3:10-12 By including v. 12 in this context, Solomon makes it clear that honoring the Lord with the first of the produce is not simply a way to become rich. Outcomes in life are complex and unpredictable and may cover a broad continuum from great prosperity to discipline. God’s purpose for us is not to make us rich, but rather to develop in us godly character, and his responses are designed with that goal in mind.

3:17 Many people view God’s instruction as restrictive and burdensome, but this verse claims that wisdom’s ways are pleasant and freeing. The paths of wisdom are peaceful, and the Hebrew word shalom suggests not just the absence of hostility, but rather wholeness and well-being. The claim is that life lived according to Yahweh’s order brings delight.

3:21-26 Critics claim that wise people do not always experience the benefits that this section promises, but the intention of the author is to emphasize the fact that wisdom enables a person to avoid many difficulties that foolish people frequently encounter in life. Diligence, careful planning, self-control, and the like allow people to avoid many obstacles that they otherwise might experience. The book of Ecclesiastes, as well as our personal experience, make it clear that the picture presented here is only one tiny cross section of truth about the reality of living in a fallen world, and that difficulties arise for many reasons other than personal folly. Even so, responding to circumstances based on wisdom will provide safety and protection and minimize the difficulties we experience in life.