Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
PROVERBS 1
Purpose and Theme
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.
10 My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.
Wisdom’s Rebuke
20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:
22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call
and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me,
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
Application Notes
1:1 What the book of Psalms is to prayer and devotional life, the book of Proverbs is to everyday life. Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living. This book is not just a collection of homey sayings; it contains deep spiritual insights drawn from experience. A proverb is a short, wise, easy-to-learn saying that challenges us to action. This is a book of common sense based on a biblical worldview. It shows the fruit of a life deeply rooted in a relationship with God. And conversely, it also shows how right actions keep us connected to God and strengthen our faith in him.
1:1 Solomon, the third king of Israel, son of the great King David, reigned during Israel's golden age. When God said he would give him whatever he wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-14). God was pleased with this request, and he not only made Solomon wise but also gave him great riches, power, and an era of peace. Solomon built the glorious temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 6) and wrote and compiled most of the book of Proverbs. His profile is on page 515.
1:6 Riddles were thought-provoking questions that could be. used to promote discussion and reflection on important topics.
1:7-9 In this present age of information and technology, we have plenty of head knowledge at our fingertips. But true knowledge—what the Bible calls wisdom—is all too scarce. Wisdom means far more than simply knowing a lot. It requires a basic mindset that affects every aspect of life. This mindset is characterized by an eager desire to learn from God, from experience, and from others. The foundation of true knowledge, or wisdom, is to fear the Lord, which means to revere, honor, and respect him, to live in awe of his power, and to obey his Word. Doing so will affect your identity, your attitudes, your actions, and your future. Keep drawing close to God—learn who he is, why he created this world, and what he wants you to know. Then you will be truly wise.
1:7 One of the most annoying types of people is the know-it-all, the person who has a dogmatic opinion about everything, is closed to anything new, resents discipline, and refuses to learn. Solomon calls this kind of person a fool. Don't be a know-it-all. Instead, be open to the advice of others, especially those who know you well and can give you valuable insight and counsel. Discover what others have to teach you; learn how to learn from others. Remember, only God knows it all.
1:8 Actions do, indeed, speak louder than our words. This is especially true in the family. Children learn values, morals, and priorities by observing how their parents act and react every day. How they understand the world is shaped by how their parents go about their daily living. If parents and grandparents exhibit a deep reverence for and dependence on God, children will catch these attitudes. If you have children in your care, let them see your respect for God. Be an example of godly living by praying, worshiping, and reading the Bible with them and with others. Make sure they see how you act out your faith in a way that's consistent with God's Word.
1:8 Proverbs places the responsibility for raising children to become wise adults squarely on fathers and mothers. Parents must bring their children up to honor God and know his Word. If you are a parent, rely on God for help every day. Read the Bible and seek wise Christian counsel on how to disciple your children. If you are living at home with your parent or parents, ask God to teach you through them.
1:10-19 Sin can often be enticing because it cloaks itself in the disguises of fun, pleasure, happiness, riches, comfort, popularity, and fame. Sin convinces us that we deserve these things at any cost. When we refuse to listen to and live by God's truth, our appetites become our masters, and we'll do anything to satisfy them. Sin, even when attractive, is deadly. We must learn to make choices not on the basis of flashy appeal or short-range pleasure but in view of the long-range effects. Wisdom for this is clearly outlined in God's Word. Sometimes this will mean steering clear of people who want to draw us into activities that we know are sinful. We can't be friendly with sin and expect to remain unaffected. So go ahead and enjoy the life God has given you, but enjoy it within the boundaries articulated in his Word. Eventually, sin will always lead to devastating consequences.
1:19 Going after “ill-gotten gain” is one of Satan's surest traps. He sets the bait when he plants the suggestion in our minds that we can't live without something. Then the desire for it fans its own fire until it becomes an all-consuming obsession as we move closer and closer to getting it, oblivious of the trap where it rests. Ask God for wisdom to recognize any greedy desire before it closes around you and won't let you go. If that happens, it is exceedingly difficult to get free. If you daily seek God's wisdom, you will have more discerning eyes to recognize and avoid the traps in front of you.
1:20 The picture of wisdom calling aloud in the streets is personificationa literary device used to make wisdom come alive for us, speaking and acting as if it were a real person. Wisdom is not a separate being; it is the mind of God revealed. One way to see wisdom in action is to read the stories about Jesus in the Gospels, the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. When Jesus, the Son of God, lived a human life on earth, he lived it perfectly. He is the perfect model for what wisdom in action looks like. So to understand how to become wise, we should listen to wisdom calling and instructing us in the book of Proverbs (see the chart on page 1035) and study wisdom in action in the life of Jesus. For a New Testament call to wisdom, see James 1:5.
1:22 In the book of Proverbs, those who are simple or fools do not have a mental deficiency but a character deficiency. Foolish people are not dumb or stupid, but they are naive to God's way of living and unable or unwilling to tell right from wrong or good from bad.
1:23-28 God gladly pours out his heart and makes known his thoughts to us. To receive his words, however, we must be willing to listen. Not paying attention to God, refusing to listen to him, ignoring his advice, and rejecting his correction are all evidences of pride. Pride is thinking more highly of our own ideas and courses of action than God's. If we think that we know better than God or that we have no need of his direction, we are showing that foolish pride has a grip on our hearts. And pride is so dangerous because it hardens our hearts against the only one who can help us see what is really true and help us live in a way that is truly free.
1:31-32 Many proverbs point out the consequences people experience (the “fruit of their ways” ) for the destructive choices they make. Faced with either choosing God's wisdom or persisting in rebellious independence, many decide to go it alone. The problems such people create for themselves will destroy them. Don't ignore God's advice, even if it is painful for the present. It will keep you from greater pain in the future.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)