Proverbs 24:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;

NIV: By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;

NASB: By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;

CSB: A house is built by wisdom, and it is established by understanding;

NLT: A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense.

KJV: Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

NKJV: Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;

The lesson of this proverb applies well beyond literal buildings. Any effort benefits from the application of wisdom. Businesses do well to use common sense and ethical practices. A wise parent builds a strong family by teaching the children to fear the Lord and to walk in His ways. While godly wisdom (Proverbs 1:7) does not magically guarantee success, it gives the wise person a much better chance at happiness. Evil, sin, and foolishness most often lead to ruin (Proverbs 8:32–36). An earlier proverb pointed to God's own creation as evidence of the benefit of wisdom (Proverbs 3:19). His masterful application of truth is on display in nature (Psalm 19:1); a person who wields a wise, godly approach sets themselves up for success.

Like the sensible man who built his house on a solid foundation (Matthew 7:24–25), a wise person undertakes an enterprise and launches it successfully. Solomon wisely built the temple in Jerusalem that his father David was not allowed to build. Therefore, Solomon is a prime example of building a structure by wisdom. Habakkuk 2:9–12 pronounces woe on the person who builds a house or town for selfish gain and commits violence to do so. The Lord will judge that person and his work.

Psalm 127:1 affirms that the "contrapositive" of this proverb is also true. Contrapositives are statements where both the inputs and outputs are reversed while the statement remains true. Good wisdom builds a house; an effort undertaken without trust in the Lord is doomed to eventually fail: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain."

Proverbs 24:1–12 exhorts Solomon's son, or student, not to be jealous of immoral people or desire their friendship. Solomon contrasts godly wisdom (Proverbs 1:7) with foolishness and calls upon his son to rescue those who are unjustly oppressed. Failing to do so, under the all-seeing eyes of the Lord, cannot be excused. This continues a series of wise sayings endorsed by Solomon (Proverbs 22:17–21).

Solomon continues to list wise sayings (Proverbs 22:17–21), rounding out his promised list of thirty teachings. These endorse integrity, accepting good advice, reputation, and ethical actions. The lessons also stress godly attitudes about vengeance, bitterness, and companionship. After verse 23 come additional proverbs. These may or may not have been Solomon's own words, but at least some appear to be his thoughts. Key points in these verses are the need for impartiality in judgment, godly reputation, and work ethic.

This chapter continues thirty sayings of wise people (Proverbs 22:17–21), as collected and endorsed by Solomon. The remainder of the passage are additional wise statements, which are not as clearly attributed. Some of the lessons are framed as warnings, followed by reasons. The lessons contained here are more detailed than most of the proverbs in this book.

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.