Proverbs 3:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Lord 's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

NIV: The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.

NASB: The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the righteous.

CSB: The Lord’s curse is on the household of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous;

NLT: The Lord curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright.

KJV: The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

NKJV: The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just.

Scripture is not naïve about the world. Following good wisdom is more likely to bring success, but it's not an ironclad guarantee of prosperity. This very passage warns that fear and hardship will still come (Proverbs 3:25–26). In the same way, Proverbs does not shy away from the fact that those who blatantly defy God sometimes seem to have great earthly prosperity (Proverbs 3:31).

What separates the value of those approaches is a long-term perspective, especially one that looks into eternity. In Matthew 7:24–27 Jesus described the difference between a house built on sand and one built on a rock. The house on the sand fell victim to a flood, whereas the house on the rock stood firm. The house on the sand represents a life without Jesus' words as its foundation. The house on a rock represents a life built on the foundation of Jesus' words.

In another passage of Scripture, Jesus spoke about a rich man who must have lived in a beautiful house. He lived the so-called good life. He wore expensive clothes and ate extremely well every day, but his life was not founded on the Lord, and at the end of his life he suffered the anguish of fire (Luke 16:19–24). His fate should serve as a warning to the wicked.

Proverbs 3:27–35 gives general principles about our relationships, both with other people and with God. Solomon instructs the reader to show honor, integrity, trustworthiness, peace, and contentment towards others. This passage also contrasts the response of God to those who defy His will, versus His actions towards those who honor Him.

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.