◄ Proverbs Devotional Commentary ►
Proverbs 1:7
The wise man is the one who develops a teachable spirit and is ready, willing, and anxious to learn. The fear of the Lord and reverence for His holy name is the foundation upon which each one of us should build our lives, for fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the foundation of knowledge, and the gateway to truth. It is the key to spiritual insight and the singular requisite for godly instruction in righteousness.
For read more...
Proverbs 1:8
The Bible talks a lot about hearing and listening, and very frequently it links wisdom with those that listen and credits discernment to those that hear. Scripture encourages us to have ears to hear and calls upon each one of us to pay attention to what the Spirit says to the churches. It reminds us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of the Lord. It warns of the dangers of being blind to the truth and deaf to God's Word.
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Proverbs 2:1
King Solomon was the man to whom is attributed the book of Proverbs, and its contents give an abundance of sound advice on how to live an honourable, productive, and rewarding life.
The first section which covers about nine chapters, starts with a loving lecture of a father to his dearly beloved son. It is the first in a series of proverbs on accumulating wisdom and avoiding folly. It outlines the differences between a wise man read more...
Proverbs 2:2
Both parents and children would do well to review the wise instructions given by one father to his son, in the book of Proverbs. Those who pay attention to his words and apply his directives are wise indeed and will gain a right understanding, a clear direction, and a respect for justice and equity - as they journey along the path of life.
In this verse, we are to read more...
Proverbs 2:5
We are charged in many places to seek after wisdom and to ask the Lord for wisdom; to rejoice in wisdom and to get wisdom, for wisdom brings with it strength and shelter, help and hope. Indeed, Scripture often reminds us that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Reverencing the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that knowledge of the Holy One gives us understanding.
So how do we understand what the fear of the Lord read more...
Proverbs 2:6
The Lord is the Author of wisdom, the Finisher of wisdom, and the Giver of wisdom to all those who search for wisdom and desire it. And God gives generously to all who recognise their lack and seek after the wisdom that comes from Him. While we are exhorted in Scripture to strive after wisdom and earnestly desire it, we should never forget that wisdom is a divine gift from the Lord, and with it comes a knowledge of the Holy.
But read more...
Proverbs 3:5
Trusting God in all things is a foundational precept.. for faith in the Word of God is His will for each of our lives. Trusting God unreservedly is the centre and circumference of all wisdom because He is the beginning and the end of all knowledge. It is marrow to the bones, honey to the taste, the wellspring of light, life, love, and hope. Having faith in God is the fountain-head of all that is good – and it pleases our heavenly Father, for without faith it is read more...
Proverbs 3:6
Some years ago, I discovered a truth that removed forever any concerns I had about God's will for my life, which path to take, which direction to follow, which decision to choose. Some years ago, I discovered a principle that I have proved to be true on many occasions. It all comes back to acknowledging Him in everything - trusting Him in every eventuality of life.
When the eyes of our heart are focused on the Lord Jesus Christ, read more...
Proverbs 3:11
The Word of God is a library of wisdom and encouragement that we would do well to heed. One such pearl of sound advice is that chastening is an important way that God deals with His children, for the chastening rod of God develops in us a spiritual maturity and a godly character.
The chastening of the Lord should never be compared with a judge passing sentence on a criminal, but rather as a loving father disciplining his beloved read more...
Proverbs 3:12
Every good parent corrects and trains their children because they love them and want the very best for them. They want to see their children living good and wise lives - and discipline and correction is a necessary part of growing into maturity.
It takes effort on the part of the parent to ensure that discipline is never imparted in anger or from a hasty reaction, but given as a consistent, loving, firm, but fair consequence to read more...
Proverbs 4:4
Godly wisdom comes from the Lord and enables the one who is endowed with wisdom to discern what is good, to distinguish between what is true and what is false, and to judge that which is godly and righteous. The principles of gaining godly wisdom are laid down in Scripture, for we are told to trust in the Lord with all our heart and to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all we need will be provided - including godly wisdom.
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Proverbs 4:5
The wise words that are found in the book of Proverbs come as advice from the God-given wisdom of King Solomon to his son, and we would do well to take note of some of the pearls of grace and truth that are therein contained.
This short, simple little verse instructs us to "get wisdom and to gain understanding." We are to acquire wisdom and to develop good judgement, but we must be aware that there are two read more...
Proverbs 4:23
There is an intensity and urgency in this earnest pleading to guard your heart about all else, and in Scripture, the heart is the seat of the thoughts, the will, the conscience, and the emotions. The heart is the storehouse for wisdom and all that influences the life and character of an individual, and Jesus reminds us that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, with every part of our inner being. We have been endowed with read more...
Proverbs 5:15
Solomon advised his son to: "Drink water from your own cistern, and draw fresh water from your own well." Although this counselling in good morals and ethical behaviour can be applied to any area of life, its focus in this passage is sexual purity and integrity in marriage. In it, we are warned not to stray from the path of chaste virtue, or flirt with the alluring lust of the roving eye or the beckoning appetites of our fallen fleshly read more...
Proverbs 8:12
A major theme of the book of Proverbs is wisdom, and much in this poetic script gives advice on the acquisition, development, and application of wisdom in our everyday lives. We read that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but how sad that the world seeks after worldly wisdom in preference to the unalterable wisdom of the Lord.
Job asks the question: "But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place read more...
Proverbs 9:10
Good parents always want the best for their children. They want them to flourish and prosper, and parents will often try to teach their children the values in life that they themselves have treasured.
Too often, however, the things that are valued by earthly parents come from the fleeting pleasures of this world and pander to the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - but in the book of Proverbs, we discover king Solomon read more...
Proverbs 11:14
Practical morality is something about which the Bible, in general, and Proverbs, in particular, teaches. One interesting way that biblical truth is translated into easily assimilated lessons, is through 'Antithetic Parallelism' or 'Contrasting Parallelism'.
Good is contrasted with evil, right with wrong, wisdom with foolishness, righteousness with folly, - and the benefits of a righteous lifestyle are often placed alongside read more...
Proverbs 13:3
Every verse in the book of Proverbs holds gems of wisdom from the Lord, whether they are words of warning or precious pearls of instruction, exhortation to live a godly life, or simply encouragement to trust in the Lord with all our heart and to keep the eyes of our heart firmly fixed onto our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The council in this little verse of Scripture has colossal consequences, for although the mouth is so small and the read more...
Proverbs 13:10
We are told that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in the same way, pride is a germ that disseminates into all kinds of sin and strife.
Pride can be displayed in many ways and is described by many words, such as arrogance, insolence, self-importance, and conceit. Pride is also displayed in boastings and bluster, condescension and contempt, superiority and swagger, vanity and immodesty.
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Proverbs 13:12
The Tree of Life stands like two majestic book-ends in the Word of God. In Genesis we find this life-giving Tree growing in the midst of the garden of Eden, offering eternal life to Adam who was made in God's image and likeness. All he had to do was to simply chose to take and eat of the fruit that hung from its branches, for he could freely eat of every tree in the garden with one exception.
Adam had the opportunity to eat of read more...
Proverbs 13:24
Solomon is credited with the learned sayings in the book of Proverbs. As a young man, he acted on the wise counsel of his own father, king David and as an older man, he wanted to pass on judicious advice to his own sons. There are many sayings in this book that are familiar to most Christians like, "The fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom", "knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" or "Pride goes before read more...
Proverbs 14:12
Solomon was a wise son who paid attention to his father, David. He also sought to be a wise father by sharing his wisdom with his own son and compiling his own set of righteous guidelines and the learned sayings of others, into a compendium. He did this to encourage his own children towards righteous living.
Reverence for the Lord and trust in His Word is the foundation upon which true wisdom is based, and we in the Church age read more...
Proverbs 15:1
Many verses in the book of Proverbs are contrasting couplets that stand-alone as a wise piece of advice for men and women of every generation. But like this first verse in chapter 15 which says: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger," it is also linked to a much wider body of teaching that could impact the lives of all who take note of its intrinsic wisdom and apply it in their lives.
The read more...
Proverbs 16:1
God is sovereign over all the earth and His supreme plans and purposes will prevail. However from the beginning of creation, man was given a free-will, and we read in this verse that, "the plans of the heart belong to man."
The responsibility to make good choices or even bad decisions, is given into the heart of man, but this does not suggest that God has somehow lost His authority in our lives, for the verse read more...
Proverbs 16:1
God is Sovereign and because we are made in His image, we have been given a free will - our sovereign will - and it is exhibited in the choices we make, the options we choose, and the preferences we select. However, we are fallen beings and the thoughts of our mind and the meditations of our hearts should be filtered through the Holy Spirit and submitted to His gracious leading so that the words that we speak are words as from the Lord, full of grace and seasoned read more...
Proverbs 16:3
The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God, but the wisdom of God is life and health to those that obey Him. If only we could take this simple instruction to heart and carry it out to completion, we would be walking in the way of the Lord and living in spirit and truth.
Every believer is called upon to commit his works and activities unto the Lord, but all too often we discover ourselves trying to carry out the works that He read more...
Proverbs 16:9
There are many lessons that God's people have to learn and often it takes a lifetime to pass the different tests the Lord sets for each one of us. The book of Proverbs is filled with examples of both godly living, (behaviour we should seek to emulate), and unwise actions, (things we should eschew and avoid.)
There are many biblical principles to follow in this book of instructions, and many wise practices to read more...
Proverbs 16:18
Like much of the book of Proverbs, chapter 16 has many self-contained verses guiding us to the way of righteousness which pleases the Lord, but warns against the evils of wickedness which cause Him much displeasure. Giving delight to the Lord, holding fast to the truth, and shunning evil ways, is a theme that threads it way throughout this chapter.
Similarly, the blessings and benefits of godly wisdom and the destructive danger of read more...
Proverbs 16:28
There is much in Scripture that promotes a righteous lifestyle; gracious speech, healing words, and a listening ear. Believers are called to develop godly attitudes and acknowledge the Lord in all their ways. We are to ask God for an understanding heart, to practice morality, produce spiritual fruit in His sufficient strength, and trust in the Lord with all our heart. Those who follow this advice and walk in spirit and truth, honour the Lord and grow in grace.
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Proverbs 16:31
In Proverbs 20, we read that the glory of young men is their strength, while the honour of old men is their grey hair. This is reinforced in Proverbs 16, where we read that an old man's grey hair and other symbols of his advancing age should not to be pitied or considered as detrimental, but rather should be praised and seen as a badge of honour.
When a man has trusted God with all his heart during his lifetime and acknowledged the Lord in all his ways, read more...
Proverbs 17:6
There is a dignity and grace that accompanies a godly man into his old age, and one of the joys of being in one's twilight years is to have grandchildren. To see one's children's children born into this world and have an opportunity to interact with them and instruct them in godly living is a true joy.
From eternity to eternity, the Lord's faithful love is toward those that fear Him, and His read more...
Proverbs 17:17
The qualities of a true friend or a beloved brother are best exemplified in the life of the Lord Jesus. A true friend loves at all times, in good circumstances and during times of greatest difficulty and hardships, and Jesus reminded us that the greatest of all love is expressed when a friend is prepared to give up his own life for that of his friend or to forego his own desires and needs for the sake of his dearly beloved friend.
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Proverbs 18:10
The little book of Proverbs is overflowing with great truths which, if taken to heart by believers and applied to their every-day Christian life, would turn the tables on the wiles of the wicked one, whose evil desire is to render the witness of born-again believers as impotent.
God identified His name to Moses as: "I AM that I AM," for He is everything that we need in every area of life. One beautiful picture of read more...
Proverbs 18:15
The book of Proverbs can be sub-divided into categories in various ways. One section concentrates on the value of wisdom and the dangers of folly, while others give advice on things like practical morality, pleasing the Lord, the value of righteousness, the dangers of temptation, and the fruit of godly living.
Chapter 18, touches on the benefit and reward of friendship, whilst warning of the drawback of living in isolation and read more...
Proverbs 18:24
Depending on the Bible translation, we discover: "A man who has friends must himself be friendly," and: "A man with too many friends will come to ruin." Both are true in their own right.
In the former, we are instructed that in order to have friends, we need to show friendship towards other people, while in the latter, we are informed that having a lot of 'fair-weather friends' can make us vulnerable, read more...
Proverbs 20:9
"Who can say, 'I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?'" is a question asked in Proverbs, but the tenor and temperature of this question is such that the answer must be, NO ONE! Nobody can say "I have cleansed my heart and am pure from sin." This may be the boast of the self-righteous moralist or deeply religious-minded Pharisee. Many foolishly consider they are 'good enough' when they compare their 'upright' life with the ungodly practices of their read more...
Proverbs 20:27
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." In Him was Life: eternal Life. God has given to all who believe in Christ Jesus, His own abundant Life. And he who has the Son has the Life of Christ within. That Life of Christ is the Light of men that shines in our heart, searching the innermost parts of our being.
God created man in His own image with a spirit, soul, and body, and the read more...
Proverbs 21:3
I am sure that Solomon, who probably authored these wise words, had heard the contrite prayer of his father David, who confessed that the sacrifice that God so desires is a broken and contrite spirit, for the king had learned that God will not reject a truly penitent and repentant heart, a heart that in turning from sin changes direction to look to the Lord.
King Saul exercised the opposite of this vital truth and learned this read more...
Proverbs 21:23
James tells us that of all the members of our body, the tongue is a like a flame of fire from hell itself, which can cause incredible grief to ourselves and to others. He describes it as a whole world of wickedness which corrupts our entire body and can set one's whole life on fire. Peter also tells us that if we want to enjoy life and see many happy days, we must keep our tongue from speaking evil and our lips from telling lies.
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Proverbs 22:6
While many regard this proverb as a precious promise, others consider it a severe warning, but all would be wise to recognise the godly principle on which this word of wisdom is founded.
Children are a gift from God and to dedicate time and patience in the child-training process is the right, responsibility, and joy of all parents. All children are born with a propensity towards evil, and training infants and young people in godly read more...
Proverbs 22:11
Perhaps one of the more important areas in most lives is relationships - our communion with God and affinity with others - and the book of Proverbs contains a wealth of advice and information on maintaining fellowship with the Father and our relationship with one another. Here, we discover that the one who loves purity of heart and is gracious in their speech is a friend of the King, and honours the Lord.
Despite its simplicity, read more...
Proverbs 23:5
We live in times that are becoming increasingly difficult to make ends meet, and the temptation is to look at those around at those who appear to be so bountifully endowed with the riches of this world and yearn for a little of what they have. It seems so unfair, it seems so unjust that those who seek after the wealth of this world appear to have a purse filled with coins, with little to concern their godless lives, whereas we have such a meagre portion and can read more...
Proverbs 23:7
There is an entire section within the book of Proverbs that deals with a collection of sayings which were uttered by certain wise men. It covers a number of chapters and here in the middle of chapter 23, we discover the 8th profound saying from this group of learned elders:
"Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, or desire his delicacies; for as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, 'Eat and drink!' but read more...
Proverbs 23:21
There are many teachings and wise sayings to be found throughout the book of Proverbs. They touch on a wide range of subjects from righteousness to wickedness, from life to death, from success to failure, from integrity to dishonesty, and so on.
Here in this verse, we touch on the dangers on drunkenness, gluttony, and sloth, and by default read more...
Proverbs 25:2
When the young prince Solomon was to be crowned king of Israel as David's anointed son and heir, the Lord appeared to him and said to him: "Ask for whatever you want Me to give you." Solomon recalled that God had dealt with his father David with lovingkindness and tender mercy, and he also acknowledged that it was God Who had appointed him to be king in his father's place.
And so we read that this young man asked the Lord read more...
Proverbs 26:20
Parables and proverbs are often illustrated stories that teach life-principles clearly and simply. They generally use everyday objects that have been familiar in every society, down through the ages. Houses and tents, sun and rain, animals and birds, parents and children, planting and harvesting, have all been used to teach important lessons on life and living.
Solomon used wood and fire to read more...
Proverbs 27:9
In bygone days, the head or the feet of honoured visitors and important guests were often anointed by their host with a beautiful ointment or a sweet-smelling fragrance. This was not only done as a mark of respect to their guests, but it served to refresh their soul and gladden their heart. And in this verse, Solomon compares the pleasant aroma and rejuvenating effect of oil and incense to the wise counsel of a trusted friend, and writes: "Oil and read more...
Proverbs 27:19
Just as gazing into the mirror-like qualities of a still water-pool reflect the detailed features of a man's face, so the standards and qualities residing deep within a heart, reflect a man's character and display the innermost calibre of his soul. Just as we are enabled to study the physical characteristics of our facial features through the mirror-image, reflected in a clear standing-pool of water, so an examination of the inner thoughts of the heart gives a read more...
Proverbs 29:23
The Bible tells us much about pride, and together with a devious heart, dishonest scales, lying lips, and the lifestyle of the wicked, we discover that pride is detestable to the Lord. The sin of pride is placed at the head of a list of matters that God hates, for pride is spawned by an unhealthy presumption of superiority that is far removed from reality. Indeed, prideful arrogance has precipitated the downfall of individuals and nations, as can be attested in read more...
Proverbs 29:25
There are many pressures in life that make us fearful, and all too often it is fear that causes man to seek to escape life's problems through ungodly means. If anxiety or worry causes a man to be controlled or restricted by his circumstances, or if he seeks to escape the consequences of life's pressures by committing some sort of evil act, then that man sets a trap for himself. He becomes embroiled in his own wrong responses. However, the Word of God gives read more...
Proverbs 31:10
Following the godly advice from his mother of the dangers of wayward women and strong drink, and her reminder of his responsibilities to champion the cause of justice and commit his ways to the Lord, we discover king Lemuel (which means devoted to God) offering grateful praise for the wisdom and virtue his mother. It is a famous passage of Scripture that all women of God would be pleased to emulate.
He starts his praise of godly read more...
Proverbs 31:25
There are many fine qualities to be found in a virtuous woman, or in a righteous man, and being clothed in strength and excellence, dignity and honour is a beautiful way to describe the person that trusts in the Lord and reverences His holy name. In Proverbs, we read that, "the virtuous woman is clothed in strength and dignity and she smiles at the future."
So often, in the Word of God, the believer is read more...
Proverbs 31:28
There are many qualities that characterise a virtuous woman or a godly man. David, the shepherd king of Israel, was described as a mighty and virtuous man, a man of battle, intelligent in word – and Jehovah was with him.
Ruth, the grandmother of David, was known as a virtuous woman in Bethlehem, and the good seed in the parable of the sower, is identified as one who, having heard the Word of God, holds fast to it in a just, noble, and virtuous manner, read more...
Proverbs 31:30
The last section of Proverbs is frequently quoted because it contains a beautiful description of a godly woman, who is worthy of high praise - both from her close family as well as those that are acquainted with her.
King Lemuel, who is not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, wrote this final chapter, but like Solomon's wise advice to his children, Lemuel warned his sons of the dangers of strong drink, and the destructive nature of read more...