Proverbs 4:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.

NIV: Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

NASB: Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.

CSB: Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.

NLT: Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

KJV: Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

NKJV: Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.

Earlier verses used the common imagery of a "path" to explain the value of wisdom. Evil and wickedness are likened to a dark, jagged, rocky path, prone to causing falls and despair (Proverbs 4:19). Wisdom and godliness create a brighter, safer path (Proverbs 4:18). In harmony with that imagery, Solomon advises his son to look directly forward and to keep his gaze straight ahead.

The wise person refuses to be distracted from his goal. This keeps him on task. It also avoids temptations from the example of evil people (Proverbs 4:14–15). For the Christian, the goal is to finish the race well by doing the will of God (1 Corinthians 9:24–27; 2 Timothy 4:7). The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to "run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1–2).

In the early days of human history, Eve sinned when her eyes were diverted from what God had said. She saw that the tree God had placed off-limits was "good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise" (Genesis 3:6), and she took some of its fruit and ate it. Looking with desire at wrong things can distract us and keeps us from doing God's will. The apostle John classified the desires of the eyes as worldly, and assured us that the world is passing away, "but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:16–17).

Proverbs 4:20–27 concludes the chapter with Solomon telling his son how to live. This follows earlier explanations of advice his own father, David, gave to him. Emphasis here is on the attitude of the heart, the focus of the eyes, and the direction of the feet. This begins with a pattern seen many other places in Proverbs: an encouragement to value godly wisdom.

Common for the first nine chapters of Proverbs, Solomon urges his sons—possibly also other students—to listen to his words. He recalls his early years, when he heard some of these words from his father, David. Wisdom is upheld as the most beneficial thing a person can acquire in life. It brings honor and safety. In contrast, the wicked are perpetual wrongdoers whose goal is to lead others astray. They live for wickedness and violence, and they stumble in the darkness. Solomon urges his sons not to deviate from the path of godly wisdom, either ''to the right or to the left.''

The first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs focus on extolling the value of godly wisdom. In this chapter King Solomon continues to pass along this message to his son. His advice to his sons—possibly also meaning his students—in chapter 4 is similar to what he says in Proverbs 1:8–9; 2:1–6; 3:1–2, 21–26; 5:1–2; 6:20–22; 7:1–3, 24; and 8:22–36. The words of this chapter are partly taken from advice Solomon recalls hearing from his own father, David.

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.