Proverbs 3 Commentary And Bible Study

Here is a Bible commentary and Bible study on Proverbs chapter three.

Proverbs 3:1-2 “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.”

This chapter of Proverbs contains a lot of godly wisdom and the first lesson is the most important and that is obedience to the commandments of God. If obeyed, they result in a longer life and a more peaceful life too. There is great peace of mind for all who live in obedience.

Proverbs 3:5-7 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”

I must admit that my “trust” meter is very low at times and that’s tragic because it shows I don’t trust God. When my confidence is in God then I have more trust in God. It’s a mistake for me to lean on my own understanding because in leaning on my own understanding, I’m already in a position to fall. If I trust in God’s teachings and acknowledge Him in all my ways (giving Him due glory) then He will straighten the paths that I don’t even see around the corner that before were narrow and winding. Why should I consider myself wise in my own eyes when Paul wrote “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it” (1st Cor 4:7)?

Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

This is not just about tithing but about giving back to God the first and the best and that may not include wine or fruits but it will probably include your time, talent (gifts), and treasure (your money). If you are generous to the poor then you are generous to the Lord and “he will repay him for his deed” (Prov 19:17).

Proverbs 3:11-12 “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”

I believe that you cannot separate love from discipline. A father disciplines his children because he loves them. Indiscriminate punishment is another thing altogether. God loves us enough to discipline us because what son or daughter is there that does not receive discipline? The opposite of love is not hate, it is apathy. Such a state causes someone to care so little that they won’t care enough to discipline however discipline is motivated by love.

Proverbs 3:13-14 “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.”

Searching for the precious pearl of wisdom makes finding it its own reward. The one who finds wisdom and gets understanding finds those things that will not rust, corrode, or be stolen and that cannot be lost.

Proverbs 3:24-26 “If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.”

These verses very much remind me of the 23rd Psalm or Psalm 91 where it says “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day” (91:5) and even if “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand…it will not come near you” (91:7).

Proverbs 3:27-28 “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.”

These verses remind me of some other wisdom literature but it’s found in the New Testament. Most scholars consider the Book of James as wisdom literature because there’s so much wisdom in it. One thing James wrote that sounds every similar to what Solomon wrote in saying “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it” was what James essentially said, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17). When you tell your neighbor you’re going to give them something to help them and then don’t, that is sin. Better not to promise something than to promise something and not follow through on that promise.

Proverbs 3:30-32a “Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord.”

It is unreasonable and illogical to debate someone who only wants to be contentious, argumentative, and to debate you. It’s just a waste of time. This is a pride-caused issue. Paul told Timothy to “Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen” (2nd Tim 2:14). The church must have had members who were wrangling over words so Paul also told Titus to “avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless” (Titus 3:9).

Proverbs 3:35 “The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace.”

If we lived with the end in mind, we could better tolerate today’s suffering. This is how Paul was able to endure so much as he explains, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18). Paul used a mathematical accounting term here; he put today’s sufferings on one side of the scales and then the glorious eternal future on the other side and concluded that it’s “not worth comparing.”

Conclusion

There are enough chapters in the Book of Proverbs to supply you with a wisdom-literature lesson every day for a month. You will be surprised at how much you glean of God’s wisdom if you read it every day. In fact, there is great wisdom in that.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.