Proverbs 3:7

7 Be thou not wise with thyself; dread thou God, and go away from evil. (Do not think thyself wise; but fear God/but revere God, and go thou away from evil.)

Proverbs 3:7 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 3:7

Be not wise in thine own eyes
So as to act independently of God; not to trust in him, nor acknowledge him, nor seek to him for help and direction; nor ask nor take the advice of others; but, being conceited and self-sufficient, lean to thine own understanding, as being wise enough to conduct all affairs in life by thy own discretion; and in matters of religion wiser than thy teachers, and even than the Scriptures, being wise above that which is written; pleasing thyself with thine own wisdom, as exceeding others; glorying in it as thine own acquisition, and not ascribing it to God, so far as it any ways deserves the name of wisdom; though for the most part that which men glory in, and are conceited of, is not wisdom, but folly; and at least it is their folly to boast of it and be elated with it; see ( Isaiah 5:21 ) ( Romans 12:16 ) ; fear the Lord;
which is true wisdom; and, where this is not, there is none, let men be ever so conceited; and where this is there is humility; these two go together, and make a man wise, rich, and honourable, ( Proverbs 22:4 ) . The fear of the Lord is opposed to pride, high-mindedness, and vain conceit, ( Romans 11:20 ) ; this includes reverence of God, faith in him, dependence on him, acknowledgment of him, seeking to him for direction, and carefulness not to offend him; and depart from evil;
from the evil of self-confidence and self-conceit, and from all other evil; the fear of God influences men to avoid sin, and abstain from all appearance of it; by means and through the exercise of it men forsake it, and keep at a distance from it, ( Proverbs 16:6 ) . Nehemiah could not do as others did, because of the fear of the Lord; and Job was a man that feared God, and therefore he avoided that which was evil, ( Nehemiah 5:15 ) ( Job 1:1 ) .

Proverbs 3:7 In-Context

5 Have thou trust in the Lord, of all thine heart; and lean thou not to thy prudence. (Have thou trust in the Lord, with all thy heart, and lean thou not unto thy own understanding.)

6 In all thy ways think on him, and he shall (ad)dress thy goings. (In all thy ways, or in all thy deeds, think of him, and he shall direct thy steps.)

7 Be thou not wise with thyself; dread thou God, and go away from evil. (Do not think thyself wise; but fear God/but revere God, and go thou away from evil.)

8 For why health shall be in thy navel, and moisting of thy bones. (For that shall be health for thy body, or thy entrails, and moistening for thy bones.)

9 Honour thou the Lord of thy chattel, and of the best of all thy fruits give thou to poor men; (Honour thou the Lord with thy possessions, and with the best of all thy fruits, or of all thy earnings;)