Proverbs 3 - Introduction

Discourse 3. The Young Man Is To Trust In YHWH, To Fear YHWH And To Honour YHWH, And In View Of Their Great Value Is To Find YHWH's Wisdom And Obtain Understanding Which Will Be His Protection And Through YHWH's Chastening Activity Will Restore Him To Man's First Estate. In View Of Them He Is To Observe A Series Of Practical Requirements Which Will Result In Blessing For The Wise (Proverbs 3:1).

The passage divides into three sections, each headed by an address to ‘my son'. These sections are:

· Introductory exhortation followed by the requirements to trust in YHWH, to fear YHWH and to honour YHWH (Proverbs 3:1).

· Emphasis on the importance and great value of wisdom and understanding, especially as restoring those who respond to them to man's first estate at creation (Proverbs 3:11).

· An assurance that wisdom and understanding will bolster their lives, followed by a series of exhortations in which is given the assurance that YHWH will be their confidence, whilst abominating the perverse man, ending with a series of contrasts concerning the fate of the wicked and the good in which the good are assured of YHWH's blessing whilst the wicked come under His curse (Proverbs 3:21).

As already mentioned it may be significant that Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 2:1 and Proverbs 3:1 all divide up into three parts (Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 2:1; Proverbs 3:1), and all end in a final contrast between the wise and the fool (or equivalent). The pattern, however, does not continue.

Once again the passage commences with a detailed exhortation (Proverbs 3:1; compare Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 2:1; Proverbs 4:1; etc.), as in other wisdom literature (see introduction). But the aim now is not just to teach, but to exhort. In contrast with chapter 2, where the emphasis was on finding wisdom and understanding, something which could only be given by God, and would deliver from evil men and women, Solomon now presses home the response which should come from receiving his words. And because he is dealing with practical response he adds the proviso for ‘kindness and truth' which are a necessity to their proper fulfilment. These too are to be sought with urgency and dedication.

In other words to Solomon it was not enough simply to heed his instruction and commandments, it must be done with the right motive and attitude, it must be done in love and truth. Thus the response to wisdom and understanding, which he sees here in terms of ‘instruction' (torah) and ‘commandments', is not to be hardnosed and judgmental, but is rather to be fulfilled lovingly and honestly. The word for ‘kindness' is chesed which regularly indicates ‘covenant love', a love which springs from a willingness to fulfil the Covenant. For as that Covenant said, they must love their neighbour, and any strangers who lived among them, as themselves (Leviticus 19:18; Leviticus 19:34). The man who follows true wisdom is therefore to be gentle and kind, something which the teaching of Jesus underlines and amplifies.

The fact that Solomon is not just thinking of humanistic wisdom comes out very strongly here. They are to trust in YHWH (Proverbs 3:5), to fear YHWH (Proverbs 3:7), to honour YHWH (Proverbs 3:9), and not to despise YHWH's chastening (Proverbs 3:11), for true wisdom has its source in YHWH (Proverbs 3:19). The young man is to trust in the wisdom that comes from YHWH, and not in his own understanding. If he truly ‘knows YHWH' (not, be it noted, knows wisdom) in all his ways, his path will be directed by Him. God will be personally involved. They are not just to trust in their own humanistic wisdom, having a general sense of what is right, but are to fear YHWH, and as a consequence depart from all evil. And they are to honour YHWH by expressing their gratitude in offering to Him the firstfruits and tithes. Solomon's wisdom was rooted in the activity of YHWH. This was something that other wisdom literature could not offer.