Bible Commentaries
Proverbs 4

Verse 1

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

A father — Of me, who have paternal authority over you and affection for you.

Verse 3

For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

Tender — Young and tender in years, and tenderly educated.

Only beloved — Beloved above all the rest.

Verse 4

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

Said — The following verses, at least as far as the tenth verse, are the words of David.

Verse 7

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

With all — Even with the price of all.

Verse 8

Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

Exalt — Let her have thine highest esteem and affection.

Verse 9

She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

Grace — A beautiful ornament, such as they used to put upon their heads.

Verse 16

For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

For — They cannot sleep with quietness.

Verse 17

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

For — Wickedness is as pleasant to them as their bread.

Verse 18

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

But — Just men daily grow in knowledge, and grace, and consolation, ’till all be perfected and swallowed up in glory.

Verse 19

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

Darkness — Full of ignorance and error, of uncertainty and confusion, of danger and misery.

Verse 23

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Heart — Thy thoughts, will, and affections.

For — From thence proceed all the actions, as of the natural, so of the spiritual life, which lead to eternal life.

Verse 24

Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

Mouth — All sorts of sinful words.

Verse 25

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Right on — Direct all thine actions to a right end, and keep thy mind fixed upon that way which leads to it, and neither look or turn aside to the right-hand or the left.

Verse 26

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Ponder — Consider thine actions before thou dost them, and see that they agree with the rule.

And — Let thine actions be uniformly and constantly good in spite of all temptations.