3 Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,
Bind them on thy fingers, Write them on the tablet of thy heart.
Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck.
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, With the point of a diamond, Graven on the tablet of their heart, And on the horns of your altars,
and hast bound them for a sign upon thy hand, and they have been for frontlets between thine eyes,
For a graceful wreath `are' they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
Yesterday `is' thy coming in, and to-day I move thee to go with us, and I am going on that which I am going! -- turn back, and take back thy brethren with thee, -- kindness and truth.'
`This `is' the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, giving My laws on their hearts, and upon their minds I will write them,'
`And ye have placed these my words on your heart, and on your soul, and have bound them for a sign on your hand, and they have been for frontlets between your eyes; and ye have taught them to your sons, by speaking of them in thy sitting in thy house, and in thy going in the way, and in thy lying down, and in thy rising up, and hast written them on the side-posts of thy house, and on thy gates, so that your days are multiplied, and the days of your sons, on the ground which Jehovah hath sworn to your fathers to give to them, as the days of the heavens on the earth.
Become, then, followers of God, as children beloved, and walk in love, as also the Christ did love us, and did give himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odour of a sweet smell,
`Wo to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law -- the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved `you' to do, and those not to neglect.
Who `is' a God like Thee? taking away iniquity, And passing by the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance, He hath not retained for ever His anger, Because He -- He delighteth `in' kindness. He doth turn back, He pitieth us, He doth subdue our iniquities, And Thou castest into the depths of the sea all their sins. Thou givest truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, That thou hast sworn to our fathers, from the days of antiquity!
`Hear a word of Jehovah, sons of Israel, For a strife `is' to Jehovah with inhabitants of the land, For there is no truth, nor kindness, Nor knowledge of God, in the land,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 3
Commentary on Proverbs 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
This chapter is one of the most excellent in all this book, both for argument to persuade us to be religious and for directions therein.
From all this it appears what a tendency religion has to make men both blessed and blessings.
Pro 3:1-6
We are here taught to live a life of communion with God; and without controversy great is this mystery of godliness, and of great consequence to us, and, as is here shown, will be of unspeakable advantage.
Pro 3:7-12
We have here before us three exhortations, each of them enforced with a good reason:-
Pro 3:13-20
Solomon had pressed us earnestly to seek diligently for wisdom (ch. 2:1, etc.), and had assured us that we should succeed in our sincere and constant pursuits. But the question is, What shall we get by it when we have found it? Prospect of advantage is the spring and spur of industry; he therefore shows us how much it will be to our profit, laying this down for an unquestionable truth, Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, that true wisdom which consists in the knowledge and love of God, and an entire conformity to all the intentions of his truths, providences, and laws. Now observe,
Pro 3:21-26
Solomon, having pronounced those happy who not only lay hold on wisdom, but retain her, here exhorts us therefore to retain her, assuring us that we ourselves shall have the comfort of doing so.
Pro 3:27-35
True wisdom consists in the due discharge of our duty towards man, as well as towards God, in honesty as well as piety, and therefore we have here divers excellent precepts of wisdom which relate to our neighbour.