Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 4:20
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Pro 4:20-22
My son, attend to my words.
Divine principles
The words of wisdom are the vehicles of those Divine principles the reception and embodiment of which by man are essential to his well-being.
I. The method of gaining them.
1. There must be the attentive ear.
2. There must be the steadfast look.
3. There must be the enshrining heart.
II. The blessedness of having them.
1. They are life to those who find them; they are the soul-quickening elements.
2. They are health.
Life without health is scarcely worth living. These principles not only give life to the soul, but they also supply the nutriment and stimulate the activities that ensure health–health of all kinds. (D. Thomas, D.D.)
Call to attention
The motives that call for our attention are exceedingly powerful. It is a father that speaks. The things which are spoken are of quickening and invigorating virtue. They are life to such as find them, and health not only to the soul, but to the body; not to a particular part of it, but to all flesh. A medicine effectual to the cure of a single member might soon enrich the inventor of it. Here is a medicine for all the flesh, and yet the physician that prescribes it without reward finds so few willing to make use of it that he must proclaim its virtues again and again. Here is a physician of infinite value; attend to the directions which he gives for the management of our whole life. (G. Lawson.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
20-22. (Compare Pro 4:10;Pro 4:13; Pro 3:8,&c.).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
My son, attend to my words,…. Which go before and which follow after, his doctrines, instructions, cautions, and exhortations;
incline thine ear unto my sayings; stoop and bow the ear; listen attentively to what is said, as being of the greatest moment and importance.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The paternal admonition now takes a new departure:
20 My son, attend unto my words,
Incline thine ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes;
Keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22 For they are life to all who get possession of them,
And health to their whole body.
Regarding the Hiph. (for ), Pro 4:21, formed after the Chaldee manner like , , , vid., Gesenius, 72, 9; – Ewald, 114, c, gives to it the meaning of “to mock,” for he interchanges it with , instead of the meaning to take away, efficere ut recedat (cf. under Pro 2:15). This supposed causative meaning it has also here: may they = may one ( vid., under Pro 2:22) not remove them from thine eyes; the object is (Pro 4:20) the words of the paternal admonition. Hitzig, indeed, observes that “the accusative is not supplied;” but with greater right it is to be remarked that (fut. Hiph. of ) and (fut. Kal of id.) are not one and the same, and the less so as occurs, but the masoretical and grammatical authorities ( e.g., Kimchi) demand . The plur. is continued, 22b, in the sing., for that which is said refers to each one of the many (Pro 3:18, Pro 3:28, Pro 3:35). is fundamentally an active conception, like our “ finden ,” to find; it means to attain, to produce, to procure, etc. means, according as the is understood of the “that = ut ” of the action or of the “what” of its performance, either health or the means of health; here, like , Pro 3:8, not with the underlying conception of sickness, but of the fluctuations connected with the bodily life of man, which make needful not only a continual strengthening of it, but also its being again and again restored. Nothing preserves soul and body in a healthier state than when we always keep before our eyes and carry in our hearts the good doctrines; they give to us true guidance on the way of life: “Godliness has the promise of this life, and of that which is to come.” 1Ti 4:8.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Parental Instructions. | |
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. 25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Solomon, having warned us not to do evil, here teaches us how to do well. It is not enough for us to shun the occasions of sin, but we must study the methods of duty.
I. We must have a continual regard to the word of God and endeavour that it may be always ready to us.
1. The sayings of wisdom must be our principles by which we must govern ourselves, our monitors to warn us of duty and danger; and therefore, (1.) We must receive them readily: “Incline thy ear to them (v. 20); humbly bow to them; diligently listen to them.” The attentive hearing of the word of God is a good sign of a work of grace begun in the heart and a good means of carrying it on. It is to be hoped that those are resolved to do their duty who are inclined to know it. (2.) We must retain them carefully (v. 21); we must lay them before us as our rule: “Let them not depart from thy eyes; view them, review them, and in every thing aim to conform to them.” We must lodge them within us, as a commanding principle, the influences of which are diffused throughout the whole man: “Keep them in the midst of thy heart, as things dear to thee, and which thou art afraid of losing.” Let the word of God be written in the heart, and that which is written there will remain.
2. The reason why we must thus make much of the words of wisdom is because they will be both food and physic to us, like the tree of life,Rev 22:2; Eze 47:12. Those that seek and find them, find and keep them, shall find in them, (1.) Food: For they are life unto those that find them, v. 22. As the spiritual life was begun by the word as the instrument of it, so by the same word it is still nourished and maintained. We could not live without it; we may by faith live upon it. (2.) Physic. They are health to all their flesh, to the whole man, both body and soul; they help to keep both in good plight. They are health to all flesh, so the LXX. There is enough to cure all the diseases of this distempered world. They are a medicine to all their flesh (so the word is), to all their corruptions, for they are called flesh, to all their grievances, which are as thorns in the flesh. There is in the word of God a proper remedy for all our spiritual maladies.
II. We must keep a watchful eye and a strict hand upon all the motions of our inward man, v. 23. Here is, 1. A great duty required by the laws of wisdom, and in order to our getting and preserving wisdom: Keep thy heart with all diligence. God, who gave us these souls, gave us a strict charge with them: Man, woman, keep thy heart; take heed to thy spirit, Deut. iv. 9. We must maintain a holy jealousy of ourselves, and set a strict guard, accordingly, upon all the avenues of the soul; keep our hearts from doing hurt and getting hurt, from being defiled by sin and disturbed by trouble; keep them as our jewel, as our vineyard; keep a conscience void of offence; keep out bad thoughts; keep up good thoughts; keep the affections upon right objects and in due bounds. Keep them with all keepings (so the word is); there are many ways of keeping things–by care, by strength, by calling in help, and we must use them all in keeping our hearts; and all little enough, so deceitful are they, Jer. xvii. 9. Or above all keepings; we must keep our hearts with more care and diligence than we keep any thing else. We must keep our eyes (Job xxxi. 1), keep our tongues (Ps. xxxiv. 13), keep our feet (Eccl. v. 1), but, above all, keep our hearts. 2. A good reason given for this care, because out of it are the issues of life. Out of a heart well kept will flow living issues, good products, to the glory of God and the edification of others. Or, in general, all the actions of the life flow from the heart, and therefore keeping that is making the tree good and healing the springs. Our lives will be regular or irregular, comfortable or uncomfortable, according as our hearts are kept or neglected.
III. We must set a watch before the door of our lips, that we offend not with out tongue (v. 24): Put away from thee a froward mouth and perverse lips. Our hearts being naturally corrupt, out of them a great deal of corrupt communication is apt to come, and therefore we must conceive a great dread and detestation of all manner of evil words, cursing, swearing, lying, slandering, brawling, filthiness, and foolish talking, all which come from a froward mouth and perverse lips, that will not be governed either by reason or religion, but contradict both, and which are as unsightly and ill-favoured before God as a crooked distorted mouth drawn awry is before men. All manner of tongue sins, we must, by constant watchfulness and stedfast resolution, put from us, put far from us, abstaining from all words that have an appearance of evil and fearing to learn any such words.
IV. We must make a covenant with our eyes: “Let them look right on and straight before thee, v. 24. Let the eye be fixed and not wandering; let it not rove after every thing that presents itself, for then it will be diverted form good and ensnared in evil. Turn it from beholding vanity; let thy eye be single and not divided; let thy intentions be sincere and uniform, and look not asquint at any by-end.” We must keep our eye upon our Master, and be careful to approve ourselves to him; keep our eye upon our rule, and conform to that; keep our eye upon our mark, the prize of the high calling, and direct all towards that. Oculum in metam—The eye upon the goal.
V. We must act considerately in all we do (v. 26): Ponder the path of thy feet, weigh it (so the word is); “put the word of God in one scale, and what thou hast done, or art about to do, in the other, and see how they agree; be nice and critical in examining whether thy way be good before the Lord and whether it will end well.” We must consider our past ways and examine what we have done, and our present ways, what we are doing, whither we are going, and see that we walk circumspectly. It concerns us to consider what are the duties and what the difficulties, what are the advantages and what the dangers, of our way, that we may act accordingly. “Do nothing rashly.”
VI. We must act with steadiness, caution, and consistency: “Let all thy ways be established (v. 26) and be not unstable in them, as the double-minded man is; halt not between two, but go on in an even uniform course of obedience; turn not to the right hand not to the left, for there are errors on both hands, and Satan gains his point if he prevails to draw us aside either way. Be very careful to remove thy foot from evil; take heed of extremes, for in them there is evil, and let thy eyes look right on, that thou mayest keep the golden mean.” Those that would approve themselves wise must always be watchful.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Further Counsel
(Proverbs 20-27)
Verses 20-27 provide further words of counsel for those who walk the path of the just:
1) Attend, take time to read, meditate upon and obey the words of divine truth. Such will provide spiritual food, comfort and strength, Vs. 20-22; Jos 1:8; Psa 1:1-3; Psa 119:11; Luk 4:4.
2) Keep in subjection the heart and fleshly impulses to stray from the path of the just, particularly those that prompt the eyes, mouth, feet and mind to sin, Vs. 23-25; Pro 2:1; Pro 3:3; Pro 3:21; Pro 23:7; Mat 5:28; 1Jn 2:16; Gal 5:24; Jas 3:5-12.
3) Ponder the path of thy feet. Whatever is planned or contemplated weigh by the Word c God. Hold to that which squares with the Word. Do not deviate, Vs. 26-27;16:11; Deu 5:32; Deu 28:14; Jos 1:7.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.
Pro. 4:22. Health, or healing.
Pro. 4:23. Above all other watching, keep thy heart, some read: Keep thy heart with all (kinds of) keeping. Issuescurrents, outgoings.
Pro. 4:24. Froward mouth, Lit., distortion, crookedness.
Pro. 4:26. Ponder, make level, or straight.
NOTE ON Pro. 4:20.There is an aspect of sameness in these beginnings. But they are beginnings. One of the characteristics of Scripture is a division, like Childe Harold into cantos, or separate sonnets. They are most conspicuous in the prophet Isaiah; and, like grapes upon a bunch, each wrapped in its individual rind, but all clustered on a common stem. If we ventured a conjecture, it would be that this suited the Israelitish worship. The synagogue would take one of these cantos and use it for the day. They were of irregular length, but that would allow variety. They have some repetitions, but so have missals and breviaries, that allow of choice on different occasions. There was an aim to provide most of the points for recitation on each occasion. What for one reading would seem very same, for many readings would seem wonderfully diversified.Miller.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Pro. 4:20-27
THE PATH OF SAFETY
For Homiletics on Pro. 4:20-22, see chap. Pro. 2:1-8, etc.
Pro. 4:23-27.
I. A mans most precious and real possession. Thy heart. The heart here, and in other parts of Holy Scripture, is that part of a man for which the Bible exists, that in man to which the revelation of God appeals, that which places a great gulf between him and all other creatures in the world, that which links him to the angels of God, that which entails upon him responsibilities and endows him with capabilities which will last throughout all the ages to come. It is that spiritual nature which our Lord calls a mans own soul (Mat. 16:26), which Paul speaks of as the inner man (Eph. 3:16).
II. The need of keeping, or guarding the heart. There are elements of evil as well as good in it. In any kingdom where there are bad subjects as well as good, there must be a watch kept over those out of whom submission to law is not to be got voluntarily. They must be guarded lest they get the upper hand and overpower and tyrannise over the peace-loving obedient citizens. In every human body there is some organ which is more prone to disease than others. While some are strong and vigorous, others are more or less delicate; therefore a man needs to exercise care over his body. So in the heart of the child of wisdom there is an evil element as well as a good one. I see another law in my members, says Paul, warring against the law of my mind (Rom. 7:23). Every godly man has a tendency to moral weakness, some opening in his spiritual armour, some weak part in his moral constitution. Therefore it behoves him to keep guard over, to watch vigilantly, the lawless, rebellious, or diseased elements within him, lest sin have dominion, if only for a time, where grace ought to rule.
III. The importance of keeping the heart. Out of it are the issues of life. The physical heart of man is well defended by nature, because it is the spring of our bodily life. From it, as from a well, issues life-blood, which flows into every part of the body, and without which a man ceases to live. The strong ribs and the inner coverings of the heart which so well defend it show the necessity there is that it should be free to do its work without let or hindrance. A sound heart is the life of the flesh, says Solomon (chap. Pro. 14:30). If the heart is healthy, the benefit is felt to the extremities of the body; if it is diseased, the whole physical frame suffers. Out of it are the issues of animal life. A man who has charge of a well of water is bound to keep it covered and secured against the entrance of anything that might poison or even defile it. Upon its safe keeping depends, perhaps, not only the health of himself and his household, but that of an entire district. It is a centre of health if pure, of disease if impure. So upon the condition of the inner man depends the character of the outward life. It is a well-spring of life in the sense that it determines the character of the life. The streams which issue from it are the actions of man, actions repeated are habits, and habits form character; and character influences other lives. What a man is blesses or curses those around him, and entails blessing or curse upon generations to come. A good man in a neighbourhood is like a well of living water, he diffuses and preserves moral health all around him.
IV. The way to keep the heart.The vigilance of a sentinel is manifested by his notice of the distant motion of the grass under cover of which the enemy is creeping towards the citadel. He is ever on the look-out for the distant enemy. The watchful general notes the first symptoms of mutiny in the army, and treads out the spark before it becomes a flame. So the watchful heart-keeper takes notice of the first movement of rebels within. The thoughts take their rise in the soul under the eye of none but God and the keeper, and he must be on the alert at the first motion. And as when the sentinel sees the first movement of the enemy he never thinks of advancing to fight him alone, but communicates with one who has power to overthrow him, so when a man becomes aware of the first motion of evil in his heart, God must receive the informationHe must be called upon to exercise His power to disperse or take prisoners the thoughts before they can become actions. Keeping of the heart includes a guarding of every inlet of temptation, a watchfulness over the senses, and any organ of the outward man which might lead us into temptation. Hence Solomon exhorts his son to guard his eyes and his feet. It has been asserted by some that there is nothing in the mind that has not first been in the senses; and though this is a disputed point, we are quite sure that there is much in the heart, both of good and evil, which entered by those gates. There are thoughts there which have been kindled by what we have seen, as Achans covetous desires were created by the sight of the goodly spoils of Jericho. The eye of David was the entrance-gate of the thought which ended in adultery and murder. And the feet may lead us in forbidden pathsinto the way of temptationinto the society of those whose words, finding entrance by the ear, may sow seeds of impurity within.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Pro. 4:20. Still he calls for attention. It fares with many of us as with little children, who, though saying their lessons, must needs look off to see the feather that flies by them.Trapp.
The former verse having spoken of hearing Gods Word, this speaketh of reading it. For the beginning of obedience is to be willing to know what is commanded, and it is a part of performance to have learned what is to be performed. Let Gods Word be in our heart, it will be in the midst of it. For the heart hath no outside, all is the midst there: the heart hath no outward show, all there is inward truth.Jermin.
Pro. 4:21. The terms of this verse may be compared, for illustration, with those of Deu. 6:6; Deu. 6:8 : And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. Amongst the Jews there was a sad propensity to take the latter injunction literally and externally. Hypocrites and formalists satisfied themselves with having little scraps of the law written on parchment, and worn as frontlets on the forehead. But this was a delusion. The laws of God are never rightly before the eyes unless they are in the heart. The meaning of the former clause of the verse is, that the commandments of God should be kept constantly in view as the guides of the whole conduct. And this will be the case when they are kept in the midst of the heart.Wardlaw.
Pro. 4:22. Some medicines are good for one part of the body, some for another. This is good for all the body, and all the soul.Cartwright.
Pro. 4:23. That thou mayest keep thy heart sincere, to use the similitude of a castle, for so the heart is,
1. Repair and fortify it diligently. Weak walls are soon broken down. Breaches give occasion for an enemy to enter. Thou wilt find something to mend every day in the understanding, or conscience, or memory, or will, or affections, if not in all of them. Victual this fort, else it cannot hold out against a siege. Feed it with good meditations from the creatures, and out of the Scriptures. Starved soldiers cannot defend a fort.
3. Set up a regiment in thy soul. No fort can be kept without government; soldiers, else, will rebel and betray the fort. Commit that charge to a well-informed conscience; submit all thoughts, and words, and deeds to it.
4. Get arms in it to keep out enemies; to wit, Gods prohibitions and threats in His Word. This is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17).Francis Taylor.
The man is as his heart is. The heart is the spring and fount of all natural and spiritual actions, it is the primum mobile, the great wheel that sets all other wheels agoing; it is the great monarch in the isle of man, therefore, keep it with all custody and caution, or else bid farewell to all true joy, peace, and comfort. When the heart stands right with Christ He will pardon much and pass by much. Therefore we should keep our hearts as under lock and key, that they may be always at hand when the Lord shall call for them. The word heart is here put comprehensively for the whole soul, with all its powers, noble faculties, and endowments, together with their several operations, all which are to be watched over. It is a duty incumbent upon every Christian to keep his own heart. Thou mayest make another thy park-keeper, thy housekeeper, thy shopkeeper, thy cashkeeper, but thou must be thy own heartkeeper. With all diligence. Some understand this of all kind of watchfulness.
1. As men keep a prison. How vigilant are they in looking after their prisoners.
2. As they keep a besieged garrison, or castle, in time of war. A gracious heart is Christs fort-royal. Against this fort Satan will employ his utmost art, therefore it must have a strong guard.
3. As the Levites kept the sanctuary of God and all the holy things committed to their charge (Eze. 44:8-15). Our hearts are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and therefore we should keep a guard about them, that nothing may pass in or out that may be displeasing, grieving, or provoking to Him.
4. As a man keeps his life. The same word (shamar) is used in Job 10. in reference to life. With what care, what diligence, do men labour to preserve their natural lives.
5. As men keep their treasures. There are few men who know how to value their hearts as they should. It is that pearl of price for which a man should lay down his all.
6. As spruce men and women do their fine clothes. They wont endure a spot upon them. Let not others be more careful to keep their outsides clean, than you are to keep your insides clean.Brooks.
The fountains and wells of the East were watched over with special care. A stone was rolled to the mouth of the well, so that a spring shut up, a fountain sealed, became the type of all that is most jealously guarded (Song Son. 4:12). So it is here. The heart is such a fountainout of it flow the issues of life. Shall we let the stream be tainted at the fountain head?Plumptre.
Keep the heart.
1. Because it falls directly under the inspection of God. Man can judge only by what is external, but I, the Lord, search the heart.
2. Because of the influence the heart has upon the life. He that is concerned about making the tree good will probably make the fruit so.
3. Care in keeping the heart is greatly to be regarded for itself. Is there nothing pleasant, nothing honourable in being masters at homein being possessors of our own spirits? Is it nothing that the peace of the kingdom is broken, even though the constitution of it be not overthrown?Doddridge.
A heart purified by the grace of God, and firmly rooted in truth as its ground, is the source and common fountain for the successful development of all the main activities and functions of human life, those belonging to the sphere of sense, as well as to the psychical and spiritual realms, and this must more and more manifest itself as such a centre of the personality, sending forth light and life.Langes Commentary.
Though to keep the heart be Gods work, it is mans agency. Our efforts are his instrumentality.Bridges.
All vital principles are lodged there, and only such as are good and holy will give you pleasure. The exercises of religion will be pleasing when they are natural, and flow easily out of their own fountain.John Howe.
Although Solomon repeats himself, he always advances upon the thought. There is always some characteristic novelty; and that novelty is the hinge of the purpose, and imbeds its meaning in the life of the passage. Here it is the function of the heart. It circulates life. Give it good blood, and it will throw off disease; give it bad blood, and it will produce disease. Give it health enough, and it will throw off incipient mortification; give it no health, and it will produce mortification. Solomon weaves this into experimental godliness. Guard the great central guard-post, and no out-station will be cut off. If it be, for a time, the heart will win it again.Miller.
Pro. 4:24. While we speak, we should never forget that God is one of the listeners. Take the principle of Hagars simple and sublime confession, accommodated in thought to the case in hand, Thou, God, hearest me. If our words were all poured through that strainer, how much purer and fewer they would be.Arnot.
It is true that vigilance over the heart is vigilance over the tongue, inasmuch as out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. There is no surer index of the state of the inner man. As is the conversation, so is the heart.Wardlaw.
While a fire is confined to one mans house, even if it burns that house to its foundation, all other dwellings are unharmed; but when it lays hold of surrounding buildings, all the city is endangered. When an evil thought is confined to a mans own spirit, kept within the limits of thinking or desiring, though it may char his own soul with the blackness of perdition, the evil ends with himself. But when he allows his thought to become words, he kindles a fire outside himself which may go on burning even after he has forgotten it himself.
Pro. 4:25. Let them be fixed upon right objects Be well skilled in Moses optics (Heb. 11:27). Do as mariners do that have their eye on the star, their hand on the stern. A man may not look intently upon that he may not love.Trapp.
Like one ploughing, who must not look back.Cartwright.
Had Eve done so she would have looked at the command of God, not at the forbidden tree. Had Lots wife looked straight before her instead of behind her, she would, like her husband, have been a monument of mercy. In asking the way to Zion, be sure that your faces are thitherward (Jer. 1:5). The pleasures of sin and the seductions of the world do not lie in the road. They belong to the bye-paths. They would not, therefore, meet the eye looking right on.Bridges.
Pro. 4:26. Lift not up one foot till you find firm footing for another, as those in Psa. 35:6. The way of this world is like the vale of Siddim, slimy and slippery.Trapp.
The habit of calm and serious thinking makes the difference between one man and another.Dr. Abercrombie.
The feet of the soul are generally understood to be the affections. And surely we have need to ponder the path of them before we give way to them. St. Bernard maketh the two feet to be nature and custom, for, indeed, by them we are much carried, and great need we have to ponder the path of them, so that they do not lead us amiss.Jermin.
The best time to ponder any path is not at the end, not even in the middle, but at the beginning of it.Arnot.
Pro. 4:27. It is as if the royal way was hemmed in by the sea, and a fall over either side were danger of drowning. Some are too greedy; others too ascetic. Some are too bold; others too diffident. Some neglect the one Mediator; others seek more mediators than one. Some flee the cross; others make one. Some tamper with Popery; others, from dread of it, hazard the loss of valuable truth.Cartwright.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
TEXT Pro. 4:20-27
20.
My son, attend to my words;
Incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21.
Let them not depart from thine eyes;
Keep them in the midst of thy heart.
22.
For they are life unto those that find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23.
Keep thy heart with all diligence;
For out of it are the issues of life.
24.
Put away from thee a wayward mouth,
And perverse lips put far from thee.
25.
Let thine eyes look right on,
And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26.
Make level the path of thy feet,
And let all thy ways be established.
27.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left:
Remove thy foot from evil.
STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 4:20-27
1.
Why does the father go over the same thought so often (Pro. 4:20)?
2.
What 2 parts of a person are spoken of in Pro. 4:21?
3.
Is Pro. 4:22 speaking literally or figuratively?
4.
Memorize Pro. 4:23.
5.
Find the parallels in Pro. 4:24.
6.
What is the meaning of Pro. 4:25?
7.
In life what should one be interested in as brought out in Pro. 4:26?
8.
How much deviation from the proper path is allowed (Pro. 4:27)?
PARAPHRASE OF 4:20-27
Pro. 4:20-22.
Listen, son of mine, to what I say. Listen carefully. Keep these thoughts ever in mind; let them penetrate deep within your heart: for they will mean real life for you, and radiant health.
Pro. 4:23-27.
Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life. Spurn the careless kiss of a prostitute. Stay far from her. Look straight ahead; dont even turn your head to look. Watch your step. Stick to the path and be safe. Dont side-track; pull back your foot from danger.
COMMENTS ON 4:20-27
Pro. 4:20. Oh, the earnestness of the fathers instructions and entreaties as he thinks upon these matters!
Pro. 4:21. That Rehoboam would keep what his father was teaching him ever before his eyes and ever in his heart was so important that Solomon mentions it so often in this section of the book. Pro. 3:21 is similar: My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion.
Pro. 4:22. The great physical blessings of life and health are promised if the son will follow the fathers good teachings throughout life. Several times is life promised on this basis: Length of days, and long life…shall they add to thee (Pro. 3:2); Length of days is in her right hand (Pro. 3:16); Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many (Pro. 4:10). Pro. 3:8 also promises health on this basis: It shall be health to thy naval and marrow to thy bones.
Pro. 4:23. Here is one of the best known, most memorized verses in all of Proverbs. The reason is obvious: the outward words and deeds and course of life are but the manifestation of what is in ones heart. Other passages: Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things (Mat. 12:34-35); The things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart…Out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings (Mat. 15:18-19); Let each man do as he hath purposed in his heart (2Co. 9:7). The Pharisees kept the outside but neglected the inside. Jesus pointed out that if they cleaned the inside, the outside would automatically be all right: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also (Mat. 23:25-26).
Pro. 4:24. A wayward person is one who has gone astray, so a wayward mouth is a mouth that speaks wrong things. Perverse lips is but a repetition of the same type of mouth. Wrong, speech is so detrimental and out of place that our verse says it should be put away, put far away! So, say nothing wrong-dont even come close. In other words, use nothing that is out-and-out wrong and not even that which is shady. One will be judged by his speech: Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Mat. 12:36-37).
Pro. 4:25. After urging the sons care of his heart in Pro. 4:23 and bidding him to put away perverse lips in Pro. 4:24, he now calls upon him to direct his eyes and not let them wander upon sights that would be detrimental. In the next 2 verses he will speak of his feet. Especially when it comes to women, this is such an important and right way to keep from lusting in ones heart (Mat. 5:28; 2Pe. 2:14). Job said, I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin? (Job. 31:1). This is a covenant that every man needs to make with his eyes. Let his own wife be the desire of his eyes even as Ezekiels wife was to his (Eze. 24:16; Eze. 24:18).
Pro. 4:26. In everyday life we try to keep from falling. Every irregularity in the sidewalk and every object in the pathway is a potential stumbling block that could result in a fall. In life we should avoid everything that would cause us to stumble and fall; we should want our ways to be established.
Pro. 4:27. Dont deviate from the right path in either way. We have to be careful of ditches on both sides of the road. One who is in the ditch is going nowhere. Other passages: Ye shall observe to do therefore as Jehovah your God hat commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left (Deu. 5:32); Thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God…to observe them and do them, and shalt not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left (Deu. 28:13-14); Observe to do according to all the law…turn not from it to the right hand or to the left (Jos. 1:7). In putting away pride, we must be careful not to become sloven; in putting away rashness, we should not become soft; etc.
TEST QUESTIONS OVER 4:20-27
1.
Find the parallels in Pro. 4:20.
2.
Rehoboam was to keep his fathers instructions before his ………… and in the midst of his ………….. (Pro. 4:21).
3.
What 2 blessings of obedience are promised in Pro. 4:22?
4.
What great fact of life is contained in Pro. 4:23?
5.
How seriously important is ones speech (Pro. 4:24)?
6.
What was Jobs covenant with his eyes (Pro. 4:25)?
7.
Comment on Pro. 4:26.
8.
What do you get from turning not to the right hand nor to the left (Pro. 4:27)?
LAZINESS IS WASTEFULNESS
The Bible reveals waste to be a terrible thing. This is not a saying from the Bible, but it is surely true: Wilful waste makes woeful want. We see that in the prodigal son. But, listen to what Pro. 18:9 says, He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. You can see how that would be: the waster destroys that which is produced while the slothful man fails to produce it in the first place.
There are those who are ambitious, but wasteful, and they think it is so terrible when people are lazy. On the other hand, there are those who talk about how wasteful some people are, but they themselves are too lazy to work. Proverbs says in the final analysis, both are brothers.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
A General Appeal To Hear His Words And Sayings, And Instructions With Regard To His Heart, Mouth, Eyes And Feet ( Pro 4:20-27 ).
Solomon urges those who hear him and read his words to take them to heart and keep them there because they offer life and health. They are therefore to watch over their hearts (and minds and wills), to put away careless or false words, to look straight ahead without deviation, and to watch where they put their feet on the path of life. They are not to turn to either right or left but are to ensure that they keep their foot from evil. They are not to be like the ‘strange woman’, the adulterous woman or prostitute, who ‘does not watch the path of life’ (Pro 5:6).
It will be noted how many parts of the body are mentioned in these verses: ear, eyes, heart, flesh, heart, mouth, eyes, eyelids, feet, hand, foot. The whole body is to be involved in responding to wisdom. The subsection may be seen chiastically as follows:
A My son, attend to my words, incline (bend) your ear to my sayings (Pro 4:20).
B Do not let them depart from your eyes (Pro 4:21 a)
C Keep them in the midst of your heart (Pro 4:21 b).
D For they are life to those who find them (Pro 4:22 a)
D And health to all their flesh (Pro 4:22 b).
C Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life (Pro 4:23).
B Put away from you a wayward mouth, and perverse lips put far from you, let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you (Pro 4:24-25).
A Make level the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established, do not turn (bend) to the right hand or to the left, remove your foot from evil (Pro 4:26-27).
Pro 4:20-21
‘My son, attend to my words,
Incline (bend) your ear to my sayings,
Do not let them depart from your eyes,
Keep them in the midst of your heart.’
In Pro 1:8 he called on them to hear disciplinary instruction and torah, in Pro 2:1 to hear his words and commandments, in Pro 3:1 not to forget his torah but to keep his commandments, in Pro 4:1 to hear the disciplinary instruction of a father and to attend, in Pro 4:10 to receive his sayings. Now he calls on them to attend to his words, and listen carefully to his sayings. They must read them constantly (let them not depart from their eyes) and keep them in the centre of their hearts, minds and wills. In ancient Israel the ‘heart’ was the centre of mind, will and emotions. They must read, mark, learn and inwardly digest. Note the assumption that the sayings can be ‘seen’ which suggests that they are in writing.
Pro 4:22
For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
And this was to be so because to those who truly discern them they offer the secret of wholesome living. They offer life and health. The life offered is spiritual life, life lived with God. Health is especially important here because in the next subsection the warning is against going in to loose women who would very likely have transmittable diseases. Thus those who listen to his words will avoid unpleasant diseases, and will have a healthy lifestyle. They will not be those whose ‘flesh and body are consumed’ (Pro 5:11). It will be noted that in the chiasmus this verse is the central thought of the subsection.
Four Injunctions.
Solomon now tells his adherents to guard their hearts, to abjure a wayward mouth and false lips, to concentrate their eyes on what is true, and to watch which path they place their feet on.
Pro 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it are the issues of life.’
The Israelite saw the heart as the centre of a man’s being. It was the seat of the mind, will and emotions. It was also the repository of knowledge, especially about God. Thus the thought was to keep a guard on such by obtaining God’s wisdom and living it out. For their response to the issues of life (basically all that they did) would depend on the state that their heart was in, and what knowledge and wisdom it contained. If their hearts were set on God’s wisdom, then all would be well. But if they followed man’s wisdom it could only lead to tragedy. Their hearts were therefore to be guarded ‘with all diligence’. A careful watch must be kept over them.
Pro 4:24
‘Put away from you a wayward mouth,
And perverse lips put far from you,
And part of this guarding involved putting away what was false. It is tempting to see this as an injunction to ‘his son’ to guard his words, (as most commentators do), but the main emphasis in the subsection is on receiving and responding to teaching, not on proclaiming it. It is more probable then that this is a warning not to listen to the false words of others. Solomon is saying, ‘pay heed to my words (Pro 4:20; Pro 5:7), and do not listen to false words’. Thus ‘his son’ is to ‘push away’ the wayward mouth and ‘put far from him’ perverse lips. In other words he is not to listen to those who say things which are wayward and perverse, who inculcate false wisdom. Indeed, the mouth and lips of those who are wayward and perverse are to be ‘put away’ and ‘put far from him’, because he is ‘guarding’ his heart, and letting his eyes look right on, and we should note that the mouth and lips are not said to be ‘his’, and that uniquely they were not mentioned previously in the subsection (as heart and eye were). Nor if they were his words do they fit well into the chiasmus. It fits far better with the context for this to be seen as indicating the necessity for not listening to false wisdom, rather than as referring to him speaking in such a way, for the context is about receiving and responding to teaching not proclaiming it. And this connects better with the following verse where the eyes could have been caused to deviate by listening to false words. By putting away and avoiding false advice it will be easier to look straight forward. Furthermore this ties in better with what follows later, where he is called on to avoid the strange woman whose lips ‘drop honey’, and whose mouth ‘is smoother than oil’.
Nevertheless it is undoubtedly true that Scripture does teach us to keep a watch on our mouths, and that that is how most commentators see it, and taken in this way this would be seen as an injunction to honesty and truth in all that we say. In the words of Pro 5:2 our ‘lips must keep knowledge’. It is a salutary lesson. But in our view it is not what Solomon is saying here.
Pro 4:25
Let your eyes look right on,
And let your eyelids look straight before you.’
In Pro 4:20 Solomon’s words were not to depart from his eyes. Now, therefore, he is advised to ensure that his eyes and eyelids look straight on, following his words of wisdom. They are not to wander to other paths (Pro 4:27), or listen to wayward and perverse words (Pro 4:24), but are to concentrate on the pathway of God’s wisdom and knowledge (compare Pro 17:24 where ‘wisdom is before the face of him who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth’). This reminds us of the importance of having ‘the single eye’ fixed on truth, which will cause our whole bodies to be filled with light (Mat 6:22). It is because men’s eyes wander so easily that they fall into sin.
Pro 4:26-27
‘Take heed to the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established,
Do not turn to the right hand or to the left,
Remove your foot from evil.’
And in looking straight on he is to carefully watch the path that he treads on. He is to ensure that his way is established, walking in the straight path. He is not to turn to the right hand or to the left. He is to walk straight on, thereby removing his foot from evil (compare Pro 5:8, ‘remove our foot far from her’. Note the point that the way in which the eye is fixed will be the way in which he walks. What we look at will affect what we do.
This is in direct contrast with the strange woman in Pro 5:6 who ‘does not watch the path of life’ but wanders aimlessly in her own ways.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Path of Wisdom that Directs the Body (note a reference to the body in Pro 4:22 ) – The previous passages of Scripture in this chapter tells us how wisdom transforms our hearts (Pro 4:1-9) and how wisdom renews our minds (Pro 4:10-19). We then see in this passage (Pro 4:20-27) how the human body is moved and directed by wisdom. Thus, wisdom sanctifies our whole bodies to become like Jesus, our Saviour and Lord.
This passage of Scripture shows a progression in how the human being receives information, processes it and acts on it. For example, when we receive either wisdom or folly into our ears (Pro 4:20 b) and our eyes (Pro 4:21 a), it enters into our heart. Jesus said that it is what enters a man that defiles a man, and not what comes out.
Mat 15:10-11, “And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”
If wisdom is received into the heart of man through the eyes and ears (Pro 4:20-21), it brings health to our bodies (Pro 4:22). For this reason, we are to guard what we see and hear, and thus, guard our heart (Pro 4:23). What is in our heart comes forth out of our mouth (Pro 4:24). Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart, the man speaks (Luk 6:45).
Luk 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
What we say with our mouth determines how we see with our eyes (Pro 4:25). What we fix our eyes upon, our feet with follow (Pro 4:26-27). One preacher said that our thinking affects our believing, and our believing affects our actions. Our actions affects our receiving.
This passage explains to us how the human body is moved and controlled by wisdom. Thus, we now realize how God has given us our five “sense gates,” which are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching, in order to receive information around us and to process it. Within the context of these passages, we receive most of our information that guides our daily decisions through our eyes and ears. How careful we must be in what we allow ourselves to receive into our souls through these two important sense gates of the body.
Pro 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Pro 4:20
Pro 4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
Pro 4:21
Pro 4:21 “keep them in the midst of thine heart” – Comments – Once wisdom enters our ears and eyes, it goes to the heart. This is why Pro 4:23 will tell us to guard our hearts.
Pro 4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Pro 4:22
Heb 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him .”
Pro 4:22 “and health to all their flesh” Comments – That is, every part of your body: head, legs, etc.
Pro 4:22 Comments – A healthy heart produces a healthy body. Even medical doctors are agreeing to this fact.
Pro 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Pro 4:23
Mat 12:43-45, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
Pro 4:23 “for out of it are the issues of life” – Comments – Or, “for out of it (the heart) are the issues (springs) of life.” Jesus said, “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luk 12:15) True life is peace and joy within, in our hearts. We must not let our hearts become corrupted, especially by striving after this world’s goods.
Luk 12:15, “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
Jesus spoke on this issue when He was teaching His disciples about the traditions of the Pharisees. He said that from a man’s heart proceeds either clean or unclean things (Mat 15:18-20). In Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus discussed the good and evil treasure of a man’s heart (Luk 6:45).
Mat 15:18-20, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”
Luk 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
Jesus spoke on this issue when He called all those who were thirsty to partake of the Holy Spirit. It was out of our hearts that the Holy Spirit would come forth, for that is His dwelling place in our earthly tabernacle (Joh 7:37-39).
Joh 7:37-39, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
Pro 4:23 Comments – In other words, “Be careful who you let influence you.”
Pro 4:24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Pro 4:24
Pro 4:24 Word Study on “froward” Strong says the Hebrew word “froward” ( ) (H6143) means, “perversity,” and it comes from the root verb ( ) (H6140) that means, “ to distort, to pervert.” Note Pro 6:12, “A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.”
Pro 4:24 Word Study on “perverse” – Strong says the Hebrew word “perverse” ( ) (H3891) means, “perverseness.”
Pro 4:24 Word Study on “lips” – Strong says the Hebrew word “lips” ( ) (H8193) means, “the lip, language.”
Pro 4:24 Word Study on “put far” – Strong says the Hebrew word “put far” ( ) (H7368) mean, “to widen, recede, remove.”
Pro 4:24 Comments – We are to guard our hearts (Pro 4:23), because we will speak what is in our hearts. Note:
Luk 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh .”
Pro 4:25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Pro 4:25
Luk 9:51, “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,”
Pro 4:25 “and let thine eyelids look straight before thee” – Comments – Two great examples of those who looked ahead to their heavenly reward were Jesus (Heb 12:2) and Abraham (Heb 11:10).
Heb 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Heb 11:10, “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
It is the ability to focus on the eternal destiny our soul that keeps us moving forward on the path of wisdom. When we begin to look around at all of the pleasures and distractions of this life, the path of wisdom becomes dim and we lose our way.
Pro 4:25 Comments – Note other translations:
YLT, “ Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.”
Pro 4:26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Pro 4:26
Pro 4:26 “and let all thy ways be established” Comments – The only thing in this life that is established and sure, unchanging and secure, is the Word of the Living God. Man’s promises will change, but God’s Word is forever settled in heaven (Psa 119:89).
Psa 119:89, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
Pro 4:27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Pro 4:27
Scripture References – Note a similar clause in Jos 23:6, “Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside there from to the right hand or to the left ;”
Pro 4:25-27 “Let thine eyes look right on Turn not to the right hand nor to the left” – Comments – When we allow the Lord to lead our lives, we must be careful not to allow our lives to become busy doing many other things. As a business manager of Lighthouse Television, I receive invitations to go and do many things. I could also allow myself to become absorbed in some hobbies, such as boating or fishing, but I have learned to do only what I know I have been called to do and let other things go. I do not consider them by allowing my eyes and ears to pay attention to them. Otherwise, my mind would begin to reason and consider allowing them to become a part of my life.
Many well-intending and successful ministers find themselves overwhelmed with things to do. They have become so busy that they are not giving their single calling the proper attention. They become weary in well doing.
The Lord has now called me as the station manager of Lighthouse Television in Uganda. I do not do much else on the side. I go to work, go to church and have family time. Otherwise, I spend as much time as possible in Bible Study with prayer time. If I did not give myself such restrictions, I would be busy all of the time and sidetracked on unimportant activities.
Pro 4:25-27 Comments – Fixing our Eyes Straight Ahead – What we believe in our hearts is the result of what has entered our ears and eyes. We will speak with our mouths what we have in our hearts. Therefore, our heart will determine our perception of circumstances around us. We will be able to see God’s way of victory in every circumstance, or we will be seeing defeat. As a result of what we perceive, we will fix our eyes upon the answer. What we fix our eyes upon, our bodies will follow.
Pro 4:23-27 Comments – The Way becomes Narrow – In entering the Christian life, God begins purging a man and narrowing down his activities so that his goals and purpose being to glorify God. There are many steps to take, and everyone around us is walking their own path, but there is a simple, narrow life style that God has called us to, with most activities in this world being not of God. A very slim few lives are ordered and ordained by God as the Scriptures say:
Mat 7:13-14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
We see that the heart, the lips, the eyes, and the feet represent a progression of events that lead a person into a life of righteousness or wickedness. When a heart is made pure, a person begins to speak right. He then begins to think (or see) correctly. This leads to actions of a godly lifestyle. The same process takes place in the heart that is corrupted with wickedness.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
There is not much variety in these verses, but they contain the same wholesome admonitions. They are all in perfect conformity to the gospel precepts. And while they very strongly recommend an uniform attention to keep the heart with all diligence, they imply the necessity of looking to God to keep it, because Out of it are the issues of life. The apostle recommends diligence in the work of grace upon the same principle, because be saith, that it is God that worketh in us, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Phi 2:13 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Pro 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Ver. 20. My son, attend to my words. ] Still he calls for attention, as knowing our dulness and fickle headedness. It fared with the prophet Zechariah as with a drowsy person, who, though awaked and set to work, is ready to sleep at it. Zec 4:1 It fares with many of us as with little children, who, though saying their lessons, yet must needs look off to see the feather that flies by them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
words. Hebrew. dabar. App-73.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 4:20-27
Pro 4:20-27
THE EIGHTH DISCOURSE
“My son, attend to my words;
Incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Let them not depart from thine eyes;
Keep them in the midst of thy heart.
For they are life unto those that find them,
And health to all their flesh.
Keep thy heart with all diligence;
For out of it are the issues of life.
Put away from thee a wayward mouth,
And perverse lips put far from thee.
Let thine eyes look right on,
And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Make level the path of thy feet,
And let all thy ways be established.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left:
Remove thy foot from evil.”
“My son, attend to my words” (Pro 4:20). It is just as reasonable to construe these words as being spoken by the teacher (or the father) during a given speech as it is to make them invariably the beginning of another discourse. Such an address could have come in the middle of an exhortation as the attention of the listener diminished and needed to be stimulated.
“Let them not depart from thine eyes” (Pro 4:21). This is exactly the same as Pro 3:21, another example of the constant repetition in Proverbs. “The repeated message is that, `it is not enough to hear wise instruction; it must be assimilated, pondered and kept at the center of man’s being.’
“Keep thy heart with all diligence … etc.” (Pro 4:23). Here is another favorite verse which many have committed to memory. The heart, as the word is used in the Bible, means the mind, which is the center of human intelligence, emotions and the will. “The fact here stated is that the whole moral conduct of human life, and its every action, attitude and purpose are determined by what one thinks and believes. The great corollary of this is that “thought control” is the prerequisite of all moral rectitude and uprightness. See Pro 23:7.
“The last verses of this discourse are put together around the discipline of (1) the heart, (2) the mouth, (3) the eyes, and (3) the feet. This is true, but if one takes charge of his mind and controls his thoughts he is not likely to have much trouble with the other organs mentioned. The attainment of such power is greatly aided by the admonition of the apostle Paul (Php 4:8). “Whatsoever things are true … honorable … just … pure … lovely … of good report … any virtue … any praise, THINK ON THESE THINGS”!
“Let thine eyelids look straight before thee …turn not to the right hand nor to the left” (Pro 4:25; Pro 4:27). These instructions have found their way into the vernacular as, “Keep your eye on the ball, and stay in the middle of the road.”! The great goal of earthly existence, for every wise man, is that of receiving at last the blessed welcome of the Lord, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Looking straight ahead means that men should not allow sensual, earthly, selfish, or material temptations to turn their eyes and their purpose away from the true goal and toward such other considerations. The mention of the right and the left hand is a warning against extreme positions. It should always be remembered that there is a ditch on either side, (the right or the left) of the road!
Pro 4:20. Oh, the earnestness of the fathers instructions and entreaties as he thinks upon these matters!
Pro 4:21. That Rehoboam would keep what his father was teaching him ever before his eyes and ever in his heart was so important that Solomon mentions it so often in this section of the book. Pro 3:21 is similar: My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion.
Pro 4:22. The great physical blessings of life and health are promised if the son will follow the fathers good teachings throughout life. Several times is life promised on this basis: Length of days, and long life…shall they add to thee (Pro 3:2); Length of days is in her right hand (Pro 3:16); Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many (Pro 4:10). Pro 3:8 also promises health on this basis: It shall be health to thy naval and marrow to thy bones.
Pro 4:23. Here is one of the best known, most memorized verses in all of Proverbs. The reason is obvious: the outward words and deeds and course of life are but the manifestation of what is in ones heart. Other passages: Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things (Mat 12:34-35); The things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart…Out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings (Mat 15:18-19); Let each man do as he hath purposed in his heart (2Co 9:7). The Pharisees kept the outside but neglected the inside. Jesus pointed out that if they cleaned the inside, the outside would automatically be all right: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also (Mat 23:25-26).
Pro 4:24. A wayward person is one who has gone astray, so a wayward mouth is a mouth that speaks wrong things. Perverse lips is but a repetition of the same type of mouth. Wrong, speech is so detrimental and out of place that our verse says it should be put away, put far away! So, say nothing wrong-dont even come close. In other words, use nothing that is out-and-out wrong and not even that which is shady. One will be judged by his speech: Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Mat 12:36-37).
Pro 4:25. After urging the sons care of his heart in Pro 4:23 and bidding him to put away perverse lips in Pro 4:24, he now calls upon him to direct his eyes and not let them wander upon sights that would be detrimental. In the next 2 verses he will speak of his feet. Especially when it comes to women, this is such an important and right way to keep from lusting in ones heart (Mat 5:28; 2Pe 2:14). Job said, I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin? (Job 31:1). This is a covenant that every man needs to make with his eyes. Let his own wife be the desire of his eyes even as Ezekiels wife was to his (Eze 24:16; Eze 24:18).
Pro 4:26. In everyday life we try to keep from falling. Every irregularity in the sidewalk and every object in the pathway is a potential stumbling block that could result in a fall. In life we should avoid everything that would cause us to stumble and fall; we should want our ways to be established.
Pro 4:27. Dont deviate from the right path in either way. We have to be careful of ditches on both sides of the road. One who is in the ditch is going nowhere. Other passages: Ye shall observe to do therefore as Jehovah your God hat commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left (Deu 5:32); Thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God…to observe them and do them, and shalt not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left (Deu 28:13-14); Observe to do according to all the law…turn not from it to the right hand or to the left (Jos 1:7). In putting away pride, we must be careful not to become sloven; in putting away rashness, we should not become soft; etc.
STUDY QUESTIONS – Pro 4:20-27
1. Why does the father go over the same thought so often (Pro 4:20)?
2. What 2 parts of a person are spoken of in Pro 4:21?
3. Is Pro 4:22 speaking literally or figuratively?
4. Memorize Pro 4:23.
5. Find the parallels in Pro 4:24.
6. What is the meaning of Pro 4:25?
7. In life what should one be interested in as brought out in Pro 4:26?
8. How much deviation from the proper path is allowed (Pro 4:27)?
Wisdom Is Supreme – Pro 4:1-27
Open It
1. How did peer pressure influence you when you were a teenager?
2. To what sort of things do people look for protection in life?
3. Whats one of the best pieces of advice your parents ever gave you?
4. In your opinion what is the most important thing parents can teach their children?
Explore It
5. Why should the reader listen to Solomon? (Pro 4:1-2)
6. What is one of the central messages of these verses? (Pro 4:1-27)
7. What did Solomons father say would happen if he kept his commandments? (Pro 4:3-4)
8. What will wisdom do for the person who does not forsake it? (Pro 4:5-6)
9. Why did Solomon say to get wisdom? (Pro 4:7)
10. Whom does wisdom exalt? (Pro 4:8)
11. Why did Solomon tell his reader to accept what he said? (Pro 4:10-12)
12. What is the value of listening to instruction? (Pro 4:13)
13. Why did Solomon warn us to avoid the path of the wicked? (Pro 4:14-15)
14. What did Solomon say about the wicked? (Pro 4:16-17)
15. How do the path of the righteous and the way of the wicked differ? (Pro 4:18-19)
16. What did Solomon tell us to do with his words? (Pro 4:20-21)
17. How do Solomons words help the people who find them? (Pro 4:22)
18. Why should we guard our hearts? (Pro 4:23)
19. What did Solomon say about perversity and corrupt talk? (Pro 4:24)
20. How should we proceed in life? (Pro 4:25-27)
Get It
21. How does a person get wisdom?
22. How do wisdom and understanding bring life and health to a person?
23. In what way is wisdom supreme?
24. What can we learn from our parents?
25. If wisdom is so good, why do we need encouragement to seek it and to hang on to it?
26. Why is it difficult to listen to instruction?
27. What does it take to learn from others, including our elders?
28. How is the heart the wellspring of life?
29. When and why is it hard to keep your eyes straight ahead, to keep your feet on ways that are firm, and to keep your foot from evil?
30. What is it about evil that makes it so tempting?
Apply It
31. What is one thing you can do this week to get wisdom?
32. What will you do today to avoid following the way of the wicked?
33. What tempting situation will you purposefully avoid this week?
34. What is something you can do to guard your heart today?
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Pro 5:1, Pro 6:20, Pro 6:21, Pro 7:1, Psa 78:1, Psa 90:12, Isa 55:3, Mat 17:5
Reciprocal: Deu 4:9 – keep thy soul Pro 2:1 – hide Pro 8:6 – for Pro 13:1 – wise Heb 2:1 – the more
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8. The importance of persistence 4:20-27
The last pericope of this chapter emphasizes the importance of persisting in the good practices that will lead to life. Success usually comes to those who keep concentrating on and perfecting the basics in their work. Our temptation is to leave these when we become adequately proficient and move on to things that we find more interesting and exciting. These verses give the reader a checkup on his or her condition.
Advocates of the "prosperity gospel," who teach that it is never God’s will for believers to experience sickness or privation, appeal to Pro 4:20-22 as support for their position (along with Exo 15:26; Exo 23:25; Psa 103:3; Isa 33:24; Jer 30:17; Mat 4:23; Mat 10:1; Mar 16:16-18; Luk 6:17-19; Act 5:16; Act 10:38). The Book of Job and the past earthly career of Jesus are two lessons, among many in Scripture, that prove this view is incorrect. [Note: For a critique of this movement, see Ken L. Sarles, "A Theological Evaluation of the Prosperity Gospel," Bibliotheca Sacra 143:572 (October-December 1986):329-52.]
"By using ears, eyes, and heart, the teacher is exhorting the whole person to receive the traditions." [Note: Ross, p. 925.]
"Heart" (Pro 4:23) usually means "mind" (Pro 3:3; Pro 6:32 a; Pro 7:7 b; et al.), but it has a much broader meaning that includes the emotions (Pro 15:15; Pro 15:30), the will (Pro 11:20; Pro 14:14), and even the whole inner person (Pro 3:5). [Note: See. R. J. Bouffier, "The Heart in the Proverbs of Solomon," The Bible Today 52 (1971):249-51.] Here the affections are particularly in view. Pro 4:23, in conjunction with Pro 4:20-22, helps us see that the life in view is not some prize that one gains all at once. It is rather a growing spiritual vitality that empowers the wise person and enables him or her to reach out and help others effectively (cf. Mar 7:15-23; Luk 6:45; Joh 4:14 and especially Joh 7:38). One’s words (Pro 4:24) reflect his or her heart’s affections. We must be single-minded in our pursuit of wisdom (Pro 4:25; cf. Psa 101:3; Psa 119:37). We must also give attention to practical planning so we end up taking the steps we need to take to arrive at our intended destination (Pro 4:26-27; cf. Heb 12:13).