Proverbs 3:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

NIV: Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.

NASB: Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

CSB: Don't be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

NLT: Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

KJV: Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

NKJV: Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

Solomon continues his counsel regarding trusting the Lord instead of one's own understanding. He tells us not to rely on our own wisdom. This does not mean we're to act recklessly or without thought. The point is that our intellect is nothing compared to that of God, who created us. Human wisdom falls far below God's wisdom and leads to false assumptions. Romans 1:22–23 reports that the heathen claimed to be wise but became fools by worshiping nature instead of the Creator.

It is infinitely better to reverence the Lord, trust Him, and turn one's back on evil than to follow our own inclinations. Job did not understand why he was suffering so greatly, but he was convinced that the Lord knew what he was doing. He acknowledged that his responsibility was to reverence the Lord and reject evil. In Job 28:28, he quoted the Lord as saying, "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.' Therefore, Job did not let his sufferings persuade him to sin. Instead, he wisely reverenced the Lord and eventually received abundant reward (Job 42:10–17).

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.