CRITICAL NOTES.—
Proverbs 2:7. Sound wisdom. Miller translates this word “something stable.” It is used but twelve times in Scripture; in Job 5:12, it is translated “enterprise,” but the rendering given here would well fit the context there; and so in every other case. That walk uprightly, literally “the walkers of innocence.”
Proverbs 2:8. (Heb.) so as that “He may keep,” or protect the paths, etc., i.e. He manifests Himself as a shield that He may cause the upright to keep the paths of judgment (Fausset). 9 ver., Righteousness, etc., the same three words used in chap. Proverbs 1:3 (see Notes). Every or “the whole” path. 10 ver. When. Rather “if” or “because.” This verse is antecedent to the consequence expressed in Proverbs 2:11. Heart, “the seat of desire, the starting point for all personal self-determination” (Lange).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Proverbs 2:6-11
GOD AS A GIVER AND MAN AS A RECEIVER
I. The fact stated—that God gives. The nature of the good is to give. God is the best of all beings, therefore He is the greatest giver.
1. The kindness of God is manifested in the character of His gifts.
2. The resources of God are revealed in the abundance of His gifts. The character and disposition of men are made known by what they give and by how they give. God’s gifts are “good and perfect,” and are given ungrudgingly (James 1:5-17). But men’s resources are not always equal to their desires to give. But God is rich, not only in mercy, but in power; He has given up to Himself in the gift of His Son, in whom dwell all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and beyond whom the Father Himself cannot give.
II. Some of His gifts enumerated.
1. Wisdom. Sound wisdom. Real wisdom as opposed to that which is only a sham (see “Critical Notes”). The serpent—the devil—possesses cunning, but not real wisdom. Our first parents were led astray by believing a lie—the fruit of following the tempter’s guidance was unsoundness of body and soul. The results of this “wisdom of the serpent” proved its falsity. God gives the true wisdom. He gives men the truth. A knowledge of the truth about themselves, about Him (Proverbs 2:6), brings stability of character—leads men into the right way of life (Proverbs 2:9)—and thus tends to peace and blessedness of soul.
2. He gives protection by giving true wisdom. “He is a buckler,” etc. (Proverbs 2:7). When Abraham undertook to deliver Lot from the hands of his enemies, the skill with which he planned and carried out the attack (Genesis 14:14) showed his wisdom. After the victory God came to him and said, “Fear not, Abraham. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward” (Genesis 15:1). How had God just proved himself to be his shield? Not by sending a legion of angels to deliver him, but by giving him the wisdom by which he had defended himself. This is how He is a buckler to His children. He preserveth the way of His saints” (Proverbs 2:8) by giving them wisdom and grace to “understand” and keep “every good path” (Proverbs 2:9).
III. Man as a receiver of God’s gifts.
1. This wisdom and protection is only given to those who fulfil certain conditions. Wisdom is for the righteous, the buckler for them that walk uprightly, preservation for his saints. These terms must be regarded as relative, as we shall see presently; but the fact that God has “laid up” His “wisdom,” implies that it must be sought. God had laid up a store of wisdom for Joseph’s guidance-when Pharaoh summoned him from the prison, even as Joseph afterwards stored up corn for the needy people; but in both instances the gifts had to be sought for (Genesis 41:16). Daniel had wisdom laid up for him, but he had to ask for the wisdom kept in store for him (Daniel 2:18).
2. This best gift of God must be received into man’s best place. The knowledge which God gives must enter the heart, the affections—thus it will be pleasant to the soul (Proverbs 2:10). He who holds the rudder guides the vessel. There may be many important positions in a fortified city, but he who holds the highest place commands all the rest. Understanding the word heart here to mean the affections, the heart commands the man. The will, and even the conscience to an extent, are wheeled about by the affections. They are the rudder of the man; they are the key to the position in the town of Man-soul.
3. Man, by thus receiving God’s gifts, attains a relative perfection. The “understanding” of every good way implies a walking in them. Those who receive God’s wisdom “walk uprightly”—are “saints.” The man who has long followed any profession may be said to be a perfect master of his business, of his handicraft. This does not imply that he can go no further—can attain to nothing higher. The Apostle Paul speaks of an absolute and a relative perfection. He had attained to the last but not to the first (Philippians 3:12-15). To know what we ought to strive after and to choose the right way, is the relative perfection, which leads on to that which is absolute and entire.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Proverbs 2:6. One may, indeed, by natural knowledge, very readily learn that God is a benevolent being; but how He becomes to a sinner the God of love, this can be learned only from the mouth of God in the Holy Scriptures.—Lange.
Proverbs 2:1-5 teach plainly that a man may get “light,” and that there are steps to it like money-getting; and yet hardly have the words left his lips before Solomon guards them: “Jehovah gives wisdom”—and guards them in a striking way, for he says: “For,” that is, the fact that it is the gift of God is the reason it can be proceeded so hopefully after by man.—Miller.
Solomon knew this by experience. The “for” gives the reason why he who is anxious to have wisdom should learn to know and worship God.—Fausset.
Every beam of reason in men is communicated from the wisdom of God (1 John 1:9). The simplest of the mechanical arts cannot be acquired unless men are taught of God. How, then, can we be expected to understand the mystery of the Divine will without light from the Father of lights.—Lawson.
Proverbs 2:7. We are ill keepers of our own goodness and wisdom: God, therefore, is pleased to lay it up for us,—and that it may be safe, Himself is the buckler and safeguard of it.… In this life, he that walketh, although he walk uprightly, and seeing evil, shuns it, yet may receive hurt behind, where backbiters too frequently make their assaults. Wherefore, as he walketh to God before him, so God walketh after him, and even there, where they cannot help themselves, He will be a buckler to His servants.… But learn also that the buckler shows that they who will live uprightly must strive and fight.—Jermin.
Heb., substance, reality (see “Critical Notes”): that which hath a true being in opposition to that which hath not.—Trapp.
He layeth up that which is essential for the righteous.—A. Clarke.
The righteousness of our conduct contributes to the enlightenment of our creed. The wholesome reaction of the moral on the intellectual is clearly intimated here, inasmuch as it is to the righteous that God imparteth wisdom.—Chalmers.
“He lays up” or “hides away.”
1. That the wicked may not find it.
2. That the righteous may have to dig to get it (the verb is the same as that from which “hid treasures” is derived in Proverbs 2:4).
3. That it may be safe from the evil one.—Miller.
He walks uprightly who lives with the fear of God as his principle, and the Word of God as his rule, and the glory of God as his end.—Wardlaw.
The most dreadful enemies of those who walk uprightly are those who endeavour to turn aside the way of their paths; but against these enemies God defends, for He keepeth the paths of wisdom and righteousness.—Lawson.
Proverbs 2:8. Well may they walk uprightly that are so strongly supported. God’s hand is ever under his; they cannot fall beneath it—Trapp.
“Paths of judgment” or “justice” are here, by the substitution of the abstract for the concrete expression, paths of the just, and therefore synonymous with “the way of His saints.”—Lange’s Commentary.
We have certain vicarious rights. One is, to come out all well at last. Another is, that all things shall work together for our good. Another is, that we shall grow up into Christ, increasing day by day. To realise each and all is required of God. The track this takes Him into for all is, as to each man, His path of judgment. Each such path He must walk in strictly. To do so, He must watch the saints.—Miller.
He is not the guardian of the broad way—the way of the world and of sin. That way Satan superintends, “the god of this world”—doing everything in his power, by all his various acts of enticement and intimidation, to keep his wretched subjects and victims from leaving it.—Wardlaw.
He preserveth the way of His saints both from being drawn out of that way, and from all evil while they walk in it.—Jackson.
If men will not keep their bounds, God will keep His. There is a right way for the saints to walk in.
1. Because else it were worse living in God’s kingdom than in any other kingdom. For all kingdoms have rules of safety and of living.
2. God would be in a worse condition than the meanest master of a family. He would have no certain service.—Francis Taylor.
Proverbs 2:9. Not as standing in speculation, but as a rule of life. Knowledge is either apprehensive only, or effective also. This differs from that as much as the light of the sun, wherein is the influence of an enlivening power, from the light of torches.—Trapp.
Not only does it enlarge our knowledge of God, but it brings us to a full understanding of every practical obligation.—Bridges.
Good signifies,
1. That which is just and right.
2. That which is profitable.
3. That which is pleasing.
4. That which is full and complete (Genesis 15:15).… Men must grow from knowledge of some good duties to knowledge of others. They must go on till they know every good path.—Francis Taylor.
Proverbs 2:10. Another picture of the results of living unto the Lord. Not that only to which it leads a man, but that from which it saves him, must be brought into view. Here, as before, there is a gradation in the two clauses. It is one thing for wisdom to find entrance into the soul, another to be welcomed as a “pleasant guest.”—Plumptre.
Spiritual joy mortifies sin. His mouth hankers not after homely provision that hath lately tasted of delicate sustenance. Pleasure there must be in the ways of God because therein men let out all their souls into God, the foundation of all good, hence they so infinitely distaste sin’s tasteless fooleries.—Trapp.
It was to open thus thy heart for wisdom that Christ’s heart was open upon the cross; it was to make an entrance for wisdom into thy heart that the spear entered into the heart of thy Saviour. And what though wisdom enter thy heart at a breach, a wound? It is this that must heal thee and make thee sound.—Jermin.
Here only has it any life or power. While it is only in the head it is dry, speculative, barren.… Before it was the object of our search; now, having found it, it is our pleasure.—Bridges.
It is pleasure that can compete with pleasure. It is joy and peace in believing that can overcome the pleasures of sin.… A human soul, by its very constitution, cannot be frightened into holiness. It is made for being won, and won it will be, by the drawing on this side or the drawing on that.—Arnot.
Proverbs 2:11. The man who has let knowledge come into his heart does but watch afterwards as he does in common walking: “discretion” or “reflection” will keep him straight.—Miller.
Men are subject to many dangers till they get Wisdom
1. Their reputation is in danger.
2. Their goods and estates are in danger.
3. Their body and life are in danger.
4. The soul is in danger of eternal misery. Therefore sin is called folly, and wicked men that go to hell are chronicled as fools all over this book.—Francis Taylor.
Though the heart of man by nature be a rebellious fort, so that wisdom at first must enter it by a kind of force, yet, being entered, it makes itself pleasant, and keeps and preserves the soul which kept her out.—Jermin.