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Proverbs Chapter 03 Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart, Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom

Chapter III

An exhortation to be steadily religious, ver. 1 - 4. To trust God, ver. 5, 6. To fear him, ver. 7, 8. To honour him with our substance, ver. 9, 10. To bear affliction well, ver. 11 - 12. The praise of wisdom, ver. 13 - 20. The good effects of adhering to it, ver. 21 - 26. Caution, against uncharitableness, strife, envy; if we would avoid a curse and inherit a blessing, ver. 27 - 35.

1 My law - The law of God, which might be called his law, as the gospel is called Paul's gospel, 2Tim 2:8, because delivered by him.

3 Mercy - Mercy denotes all benignity, charity, and readiness to do good to others: truth or faithfulness respects all those duties which we owe to God or man, which we have special obligation from the rules of justice. Bind them - Like a chain, wherewith persons adorn their necks. Table - In thy mind and heart, in which all God's commands are to be received and engraven.

4 Understanding - Whereby to know thy duty, and to discern between good and evil. Of God - Grace or favour with God, and that understanding which is good in God's sight.

5 Trust - Wholly rely upon God's promises and providences. Lean not - Under this one kind of carnal confidence, he understands all other confidence in bodily strength, wealth, or friends.

8 Navel - To thy body, which is signified by one part of it. Marrow - Which is the nourishment and strength of the bones.

9 Substance - Lay out thy estate not to please thyself, but to glorify God. First - fruits - Or, with the chief or best; which answers to the first - fruits under the law.

10 So - This is not the way to diminish thy estate, but rather to increase it.

11 Despise not - Either by making light of it, or not being duly affected with it; or by accounting it an unnecessary thing: but rather esteem it a privilege and favour from God. Weary - Neither think it tedious or hard, but endure it with patience and chearfulness.

13 Findeth - Which supposes his diligent searching for it.

17 Peace - Procure a blessed tranquility in a man's mind and conscience.

18 A tree - A pledge of everlasting life. He alludes to the tree of life, and intimates, that this is the only restorer of that life which we have lost by sin.

19 Wisdom - Either by Christ, or by that Divine perfection of wisdom, which is the fountain of wisdom in man.

20 The depths - That great abyss contained in the bowels of the earth, breaks forth into fountains and rivers.

21 Eyes - The eyes of thy mind. Constantly and seriously meditate upon them.

22 Grace - Like a beautiful chain or ornament.

25 Be not - Thou shalt not be afraid. Sudden - For sudden and unexpected evils are most frightful. And fear is here put for the evils feared. Desolation - Which cometh upon the wicked.

26 Shall be - A sure ground of confidence to thee. Taken - In the snares either of sin or mischief.

27 With - hold not - Do not deny it, but readily and chearfuly impart it. Good - Any thing which is good, either counsel, comfort, reproof, or the good things of the present life. Due - That is, to all men, by that great and sovereign law of love.

28 Say not - The former verse forbad the denial, and this forbids the delay of this duty.

29 Securely - Relying upon thine integrity.

31 Envy not - For his impunity and success.

32 Abomination - Therefore sooner or later he must be miserable. The righteous - They are God's friends, to whom he imparts the favours and comforts to which other men are strangers.

33 The house - Not only upon his own person, but also upon his posterity.

35 Shame - Instead of that glory which they seek.

John Wesley Explanatory Notes