Wisdom’s Worth
1 My son, if you accept my words m
and store up my commands within you,
2 listening closely to wisdom
and directing your heart to understanding;
3 furthermore, if you call out to insight
and lift your voice to understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it like hidden treasure, n
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. o
7 He stores up success for the upright;
He is a shield for those who live with integrity p
8 so that he may guard the paths of justice
and protect the way of his faithful followers. q
9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice,
and integrity—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will delight you.
11 Discretion will watch over you,
and understanding will guard you. r
12 It will rescue you from the way of evil—
from anyone who says perverse things,
13 from those who abandon the right paths
to walk in ways of darkness, s
14 from those who enjoy doing evil t
and celebrate perversion,
15 whose paths are crooked, u
and whose ways are devious. v
16 It will rescue you from a forbidden woman, w
from a wayward woman with her flattering talk, x
17 who abandons the companion of her youth y
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death
and her ways to the land of the departed spirits. z
19 None return who go to her;
none reach the paths of life. a
20 So follow the way of the good, b
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those of integrity will remain in it; c
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, d
and the treacherous ripped out of it. e
2:1–4. Verses 1–4 assume that the son sincerely desires to obtain wisdom. Three (or four) conditions for obtaining wisdom are set forth here. A clear progression is discernible in the sequence of verbs employed, moving from passive to active engagement. The first step is receptivity: “accept” (2:1a; cf. 1:3; 4:10; 8:10; 10:8; 21:11; 24:32). The child must welcome the parental instruction and store it up as valuable and authoritative “commands” (2:1b; cf. Ps 119:11). Proverbs 2:2 describes holistic engagement involving the ear and heart, while 2:3 notes the urgency of the undertaking, as one cries aloud for wisdom. Proverbs 2:4 forms the climax of the quest for wisdom; the same persistence required of one seeking precious metals is demanded of the one who wishes to become wise (cf. Jb 28).
2:5–8. Verses 5–8 portray initial rewards for persevering in one’s quest for wisdom and the general protection that wisdom offers to all who attain it. The first result is somewhat surprising. Rather than becoming exceedingly wise or successful, one first must develop true piety, understanding what it means to fear the Lord (2:5). The quest for true wisdom inevitably leads first to God, since according to 2:6, he is its ultimate source, and it is his exclusive prerogative to grant wisdom to every earnest seeker.
2:9–11. Following the general protection of wisdom in verses 5–8, verses 9–19 portray the specific protection that wisdom offers. Wisdom’s second benefit is described in 2:9–11 (“Then . . .”). In seeking wisdom, one develops not only an intimate relationship with God but also an intimate understanding of moral rectitude (2:9; cf. 1:3). Since wisdom now pervades the command center of one’s life and acquiring knowledge has become an enjoyable task (2:10), personal discretion assumes the role previously carried out by God (2:8) of protecting the youth from the dangers brought about by wrong choices and missteps (2:11). Divine wisdom will help the youth get on the right path and stay on it.
2:12–19. Verses 12–19 then describe the two primary threats to the moral integrity of the youth: perverse men (2:12–15) and seductive women (2:16–19). These two groups are described in a similar fashion, with emphasis on their habitual modes of speaking and the good that they leave behind (2:13, 17).
2:20–22. Verses 20–22 introduce the ultimate benefits of staying on the right path: good companions (2:20), long life in the land (2:21), and avoiding the fate of the wicked (2:22). These verses use language reminiscent of the covenantal promises and threats regarding the land. (For example, Dt 28:63 uses the same rare verb translated “ripped out” in Pr 2:22.) In effect, covenantal promises to the nation are being extended to the individual who embraces wisdom. Such an individual will remain in the land under God’s favor rather than be cut off (see Lv 7:20, 21, 25, 27; 17:4, 9–10, 14; 18:29).