Proverbios 4:12-22

12 Cuando andes, tus pasos no serán obstruidos, y si corres, no tropezarás.

13 Aférrate a la instrucción, no la sueltes; guárdala, porque ella es tu vida.

14 No entres en la senda de los impíos, ni vayas por el camino de los malvados.

15 Evítalo, no pases por él; apártate de él y pasa adelante.

16 Porque ellos no duermen a menos que hagan el mal, y pierden el sueño si no han hecho caer a alguno.

17 Porque comen pan de maldad, y beben vino de violencia.

18 Mas la senda de los justos es como la luz de la aurora, que va aumentando en resplandor hasta que es pleno día.

19 El camino de los impíos es como las tinieblas, no saben en qué tropiezan.

20 Hijo mío, presta atención a mis palabras, inclina tu oído a mis razones;

21 que no se aparten de tus ojos, guárdalas en medio de tu corazón.

22 Porque son vida para los que las hallan, y salud para todo su cuerpo.

Proverbios 4:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 4

In this chapter Solomon advises to seek after wisdom, to avoid bad company, and to continue in the right paths of goodness and truth: he excites attention to what he had to say, from the relation he stood in to the persons addressed; from the nature of his instructions, which were good and profitable; and from his own example, in attending to those his parents gave him, Pr 4:1-4; He exhorts above all things to get wisdom, from the superior excellency of it, and from the preservation, promotion, and honour, to be had by it, Pr 4:5-9; and he further enforces big exhortations, from their being the means of a comfortable life, and of the prolongation of it, and of leading in a right way without straitness or stumbling, Pr 4:10-13. And then proceeds to caution against bad company, and going into a bad way of life; which is enforced from the mischief done by those that walk in it, and from the darkness of it, to which the path of the just is opposed, Pr 4:14-19. And the exhortation to attend to and observe his instructions, and keep them, is repeated, from the consideration of their being life and health to them, Pr 4:20-22; and that they might be preserved, and not departed from, direction's are given about ordering the heart, mouth, lips, eyes, and feet, Pr 4:23-27.