Proverbs 3:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.

NIV: Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

NASB: Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

CSB: Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.

NLT: Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.

KJV: Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

NKJV: Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,

Here, Solomon counsels his student to always value steadfast love and faithfulness. These qualities were to adorn the student's life as a necklace adorns its wearer, and they should be written figurately upon the heart. The Hebrew word translated "steadfast love" by the ESV is he'sed, meaning loyalty to one's covenant. This kind of love is reflected in the lives of people who remain true to their marriage vows.

"Faithfulness" is from the Hebrew word emet. The primary meaning is dependability. When someone is dishonest or deceptive, we may refer to them as "false." The opposite of this is reflected here. Some translations choose words like "truth" for this reason. Throughout a believer's life, he should love God constantly and be dependable in doing what God assigns.

This comment carries a similar message as Deuteronomy 6:8. Literal interpretation of that instruction: for Israel to bind His commands as a sign on the hand and as frontlets between the eyes–led the Jews to copy certain texts of Scripture, put them in a leather case, and tie the case to the left arm and forehead at the time of prayer.

Proverbs 3:1–12 is an exhortation from Solomon to his son, urging him to heed his teaching and trust wholeheartedly in the Lord. He cites some of the valuable results of obedience and trust. This section builds on the counsel Solomon gave in Proverbs 2. The following section describes the blessings that come to those who find wisdom and understanding.

This chapter of Proverbs is addressed to Solomon's son. The term, ''my son'' occurs 15 times in chapters 1—7. The words may apply to one of Solomon's students in his court or to one of his biological sons. The application of wisdom in Proverbs 3 shows the benefits of trusting in the Lord with one's whole heart. Solomon credits obedience to and trust in God for longevity, success, guidance, health, reward that exceeds monetary wealth, enjoyment, peace, security, confidence, excellent human relationships, the Lord's blessing and favor, and honor. As with all ''proverbs,'' biblical or otherwise, their purpose is to impart general wisdom, not absolute prophecy. Like the original audience, modern readers are not expected to see these guidelines as absolute guarantees for any one person.

This passage lies in the second section of the book, found in chapters 1—9. The author, King Solomon, reigned over Israel from 971 to 931 BC. The first section of Proverbs, the preface, is found in Proverbs 1:1–7. The third section, chapters 10—22, were also written by Solomon. These proverbs were likely written by Solomon in his middle years, whereas he probably wrote Song of Songs in his early adulthood, and Ecclesiastes near the end of his life. As in the first two chapters, wisdom is stressed in Proverbs 3.

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.