Proverbs 1:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.

NIV: they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

NASB: So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own schemes.

CSB: they will eat the fruit of their way and be glutted with their own schemes.

NLT: Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes.

KJV: Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

NKJV: Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.

This verse is a fairly direct statement that choices have consequences (Galatians 6:7). We have various ways of saying this in modern English. "You've made your own bed, now you have to lie in it." "Your chickens are coming home to roost." "You mess with the bull, you get the horns." And so on and so forth. Wisdom cries out for anyone who is willing to listen—only those who ignore her fail to learn from wisdom (Proverbs 1:24).

When we do that, we will have to live with the consequences. What happens when we ignore the wisdom of God (Proverbs 1:7) is entirely our own fault. What comes from sin is our own choice and our own doing. This is a major theme of the first chapter of Romans, which explains that when we choose to reject God, God will let us "have it our way," including all of the painful and embarrassing results.

Every opportunity is before us to follow the Lord. Solomon is preparing us for the consequences that will follow when we choose to go our own way.

Proverbs 1:20–33 concludes the first chapter of Proverbs with the dire consequences of the behaviors defined in the previous section. Also, in this segment is the first personification of wisdom as a female. Throughout Proverbs, Solomon likens wisdom to a woman crying out. The theme is that she is not hiding but is out in the open for all to hear, even though she often goes overlooked.

Proverbs Chapter 1 provides a clear description of the purpose of the book. It is stated plainly who wrote the book, the lineage of Solomon, and to whom he was writing. Solomon gives four distinct purpose statements in the opening verses. The essence of these is to explain why he is writing the book as well as the source of his inspiration. Solomon concludes with a warning against sinfulness and a personal plea for his children to act wisely.

Proverbs Chapter 1 is clearly born out of Solomon’s life history. Solomon held himself back from no earthly pleasure, he had everything he could ever desire, and in the end he saw the foolishness of his actions. Chapter 1 is Solomon’s reflection on his own life, how he had all the wisdom of God available to him, and yet chose to follow after foolish desires. Other chapters detail the advice which this experience allows Solomon to give.

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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 10:48:07 AM