Proverbs 20:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The righteous who walks in his integrity — blessed are his children after him!

NIV: The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.

NASB: A righteous person who walks in his integrity— How blessed are his sons after him.

CSB: A righteous person acts with integrity; his children who come after him will be happy.

NLT: The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them.

KJV: The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

NKJV: The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.

The example of a godly (Proverbs 1:7; 3:1–6), righteous parent brings many benefits. Wisdom makes a family less prone to risks and failures (Proverbs 8:35–36; 10:9). It also increases one's reputation in the eyes of others (Proverbs 3:35; 20:3). Raising children with proper wisdom (Proverbs 13:24) sets them up for success in life (Proverbs 19:18). As it often does, the book of Proverbs here refers to a person's life as a "path," or the way someone "walks" (Proverbs 2:20; 12:28).

Solomon (Proverbs 10:1) may have been reflecting on his father, David. He was known as a man who "walked in" integrity (1 Kings 3:6). As one of David's sons, Solomon was blessed. The Lord granted Solomon a peaceful, prosperous kingdom and great wisdom.

Although Joseph was not Jesus' biological father (Luke 1:31–35), he acted as His father, and was known for being fair and honorable (Matthew 1:19). Despite the awkward situation of his betrothed being pregnant, Joseph obeyed God's command to take Mary as his wife (Mathew 1:20–25). Also, when commanded to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt, he did so without hesitation (Matthew 2:13–14). Later, when Herod died, an angel commanded Joseph to take the family to Israel, and Joseph again obeyed (Matthew 2:19–23). Undoubtedly, as a man whose life demonstrated a pattern of honoring God's will, Joseph set a good example for the boy Jesus as Jesus "increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52).

In this section of Solomon's wise sayings (Proverbs 10:1), he again discusses a wide range of subjects. These echo many of the common themes of the book of Proverbs. Solomon warns against foolishness (Proverbs 1:7), hastiness, angering authorities, and the consequences of sin and dishonesty. Several references condemn dishonest business dealings. Others note the value of diligence in making decisions.

This chapter of Proverbs belongs to the second division of the book that extends from Proverbs chapter 10 to chapter 22, in which there are nearly 400 wise sayings. Proverbs 20 continues the collection of Solomon's wise sayings. In this chapter Solomon focuses on numerous things which harm the unwise. Among them are laziness, wrong values, and bad decisions.

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.