Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Proverbs 4:3-9
An Autobiographical Reminiscence Of What His Father Had Taught Him As ‘A Son' (Proverbs 4:3).
Solomon now stresses that his wisdom has partly come down to him from his father. This greatly added to its value as it was thereby revealed to be traditional, and to have come from the great David. There can be little doubt that among David's advisers were wisdom teachers, who had no doubt played their part in the education of Solomon. This would partly explain Solomon's great interest and expertise in wisdom teaching, especially as it was enhanced by the gift of wisdom that he received from God (1 Kings 4:29). For he transformed wisdom teaching into an instrument of YHWH.
The reference, however, by Solomon to his mother is interesting. One reason for it was no doubt to stress that in that verse he was speaking biologically about his blood father. Furthermore in his early years he no doubt received his torah from his mother (Proverbs 1:8). But it is also very possible that the mention of the Queen was in order to illustrate his reference to Ms Wisdom in what follows. She too was a queen, to be loved, exalted and embraced (Proverbs 4:6; Proverbs 4:8), and bestowing a wreath and a crown on those who obtained her (Proverbs 4:9).
The subsection may thus be seen chiastically:
A For I was a son to my father, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother (Proverbs 4:3)
B And he taught me, and said to me, “Let your heart retain my words, keep my commandments, and live” (Proverbs 4:4).
C “Obtain wisdom, obtain understanding, forget not, nor decline from the words of my mouth” (Proverbs 4:5).
D Forsake her not, and she will preserve you (Proverbs 4:6 a)
D Love her, and she will guard you (Proverbs 4:6 b).
C Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore obtain wisdom, yes, with all your obtaining, obtain understanding' (Proverbs 4:7).
B Exalt her, and she will promote you, she will bring you to honour, when you embrace her (Proverbs 4:8).
A She will give to your head a chaplet of grace, a crown of beauty will she deliver to you (Proverbs 4:9).
In A special reference is made to Solomon's mother, who was made queen and who out of her love ensured the passing on of the crown to Solomon, and in the parallel e have Queen Wisdom passing on the crown to her ‘sons'. In B honouring and keeping his words and commandments will ensure life, and in the parallel exalting and embracing wisdom will ensure promotion and honour. In C the stress is on obtaining wisdom and understanding, and the same is true in the parallel. Centrally in D if wisdom is not forsaken she will preserve you, and in the parallel if she is loved she will guard you.
For I was a son to my father,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother.
And he taught me, and said to me, “Let your heart retain my words,
Keep my commandments, and live.” '
The reference to his mother confirms that Solomon is speaking of David his natural father, and he likens his readers' relationship to himself with that of his relationship to his father. They are to listen to his teaching as he listened to that of his father. He stresses that their heart should retain his words, and that they should keep his commandments and ‘live'. Elsewhere, however, it is made clear that the words and commandments that give life are found in the Torah (Leviticus 18:5; Deuteronomy 4:1; Deuteronomy 5:33; Deuteronomy 8:1; Deuteronomy 8:3; Deuteronomy 16:20; Deuteronomy 30:6; Deuteronomy 30:16; Deuteronomy 30:19). The thought is of abundant living in fellowship with YHWH.
The tender way in which Solomon speaks of his mother has special significance with reference to the tender way in which he later speaks of Ms Wisdom. It was because of her tenderness towards him (and David's love for her) that he received his crown (1 Kings 1:17) in accordance with God's intention (1 Chronicles 22:9). These words may well therefore have been preparing for what is said about Wisdom in subsequent verses.
“Obtain wisdom, obtain understanding,
Do not forget, or turn aside from the words of my mouth,
Do not forsake, and she will preserve you.
Love her, and she will keep you.”
The word for ‘obtain' means basically to buy. The idea is of being willing to sacrifice much in order to obtain God-provided and God-based wisdom (Proverbs 2:6; Proverbs 3:19) and understanding. The repetition of ‘obtain' stresses the urgency of it. The thought may even be of the willingness to ‘pay a dowry' in order to obtain her, because she is treasured so much. Note that wisdom and understanding are seen as one (‘she'), and that they are obtained from the words of his mouth. He sees himself as teaching the wisdom that comes from God, as passing on what God has spoken (compare Proverbs 2:6).
The issue is so important that he uses three verbs as warnings against neglecting wisdom and understanding, ‘do not forget -- do not turn aside -- do not forsake'. It is a reminder that some negligently forget God's wisdom, some deliberately turn aside from it, and some intentionally forsake it because its demands are too great, or it has become a nuisance. Rather they are to love her and cherish her as a man loves and cherishes his wife. For they are promised that thereby they will be preserved and guarded. Like a beloved wife Wisdom is to be loved, and not forsaken, and then she will watch over her family.
‘Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore obtain wisdom,
Yes, with all your obtaining (or ‘all that you possess'), obtain understanding,'
Exalt (or ‘cherish') her, and she will promote you,
She will bring you to honour, when you embrace her,
She will give to your head a wreath of gracious beauty,
A crown of splendour will she deliver to you.'
The first line is strictly ‘beginning of wisdom obtain wisdom' or ‘wisdom foremost, obtain wisdom'. It may therefore mean that we reveal the beginning of wisdom in ourselves by seeking to obtain wisdom, or that because wisdom is foremost we should obtain it. This may mean that the way in which we first show that we have wisdom is by obtaining wisdom, or that once we have truly received wisdom we will seek more of her, or that we should obtain wisdom because of its pre-eminence. Whichever way we take it, and the writer may have intended a double meaning, it underlines the importance of wisdom as something that we should make an effort to obtain. Indeed, God's wisdom is to be seen as so important that we should be willing to give all that we possess in order that we might obtain it.
Wisdom, therefore, is to be ‘held in high honour' and ‘embraced'. Once again it may indicate that we are to see her as a highly prized wife. If we treat her properly she will promote our interests, exalt us and bring us honour. The illustration that follows suggest that this is in a spiritual sense. Our spiritual lives will prosper. (But some consider that it does refer to physical exaltation to high position). Indeed, she will crown us with a wreath of spiritual, God-given beauty, a crown of splendour. The adjectives are stressing splendour and beauty. She will have enhanced our lives and made them spiritually beautiful. We can compare this with Proverbs 1:9. It is far more likely that we should see floral wreaths and crowns as in mind, as things of beauty, rather than looking to Egyptian religion and obtaining our ideas from there. Those who do so, see them as symbols of power and protection. But Proverbs always stresses their beauty.