Proverbs 3:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof,

NIV: My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke,

NASB: My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord Or loathe His rebuke,

CSB: Do not despise the Lord's instruction, my son, and do not loathe his discipline;

NLT: My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you.

KJV: My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

NKJV: My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction;

The God who guides, removes obstacles, and provides abundantly for His people can be trusted to discipline them for their good and His glory. Therefore, Solomon instructs his student not to despise the Lord's discipline or become weary of His reproof. To despise the Lord's discipline is to reject or minimize it. In common biblical use, this suggests the opposite of "preferring" something.

To be weary of God's reproof is to loathe or abhor it. The Lord's discipline is not punishment; it is remedial. We learn much by being disciplined. We learn to identify actions that displease the Lord and impede our spiritual progress. When the Lord disciplined Jonah for his rebellious attitude, he prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. The whale was the Lord's messenger to save Jonah from the stormy sea, but is was also the means whereby the Lord taught Jonah to obey him (Jonah 1:10—2:10). Discipline in the Lord's hands is an effective tool He uses to shape us into the kind of people He wants us to be.

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.

Accessed 5/6/2024 10:24:31 AM