Proverbs 1:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder;

NIV: we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;

NASB: We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with plunder;

CSB: We’ll find all kinds of valuable property and fill our houses with plunder.

NLT: Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.

KJV: We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

NKJV: We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil;

This verse changes the game a bit. Now, the lure shifts to what you will get out of it. The incentive becomes the personal benefits of sin. The fictional "sinner" speaks of the riches that you will come by, and what will be found. At this point, we see that the temptation has all the makings of a common manipulation tactic. First, "You won't be alone, we will do it together." Second, "They really have it coming anyway." Third, "We will get rich in the process." It would be easy for anyone to fall into this trap and be enticed by sin.

Many people, in fact, have fallen into sin for these very reasons. All too often, that starts with a desire for the "riches," or the benefits. The rest is just an attempt to justify our sin. Very few people participate in sin because they think it is wrong and that it will lead to disaster. We justify our actions in an effort to say they really aren't "bad," or at least, "not that bad." And, we fool ourselves into thinking that we can get away with it, without any consequences. Solomon uses an extreme example to make a point, but the same silly thinking—and the same proper response—is meant to apply to us, even in less outrageous situations.

Proverbs 1:8–19 is a warning against foolishness and the allure of sinful behavior. Solomon begins this warning by appealing to his children to honor their parents' teaching. As any parent knows, it’s often best to outline a negative behavior before stating the consequences of that behavior. The example used seems extreme, but it is meant to point towards an obvious conclusion.

Proverbs Chapter 1 provides a clear description of the purpose of the book. It is stated plainly who wrote the book, the lineage of Solomon, and to whom he was writing. Solomon gives four distinct purpose statements in the opening verses. The essence of these is to explain why he is writing the book as well as the source of his inspiration. Solomon concludes with a warning against sinfulness and a personal plea for his children to act wisely.

Proverbs Chapter 1 is clearly born out of Solomon’s life history. Solomon held himself back from no earthly pleasure, he had everything he could ever desire, and in the end he saw the foolishness of his actions. Chapter 1 is Solomon’s reflection on his own life, how he had all the wisdom of God available to him, and yet chose to follow after foolish desires. Other chapters detail the advice which this experience allows Solomon to give.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.