Proverbs 2

The opening section of Proverbs (chapters 1–9) is a collection of instructions that a father delivers, addressing his listener as "my son." In Proverbs 1, Wisdom cries out in the streets, calling to the people. Chapter 2 sets out what the one who seeks that wisdom will gain, using an "if… then…" pattern of condition and result.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 The father states the conditions. The son must receive his father's words, incline his ear to wisdom, lift up his voice for understanding (the ability to discern matters clearly), and seek wisdom as one would seek silver and hidden treasures.
• Verses 5–8 If he does so, he will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. The LORD gives wisdom; he is a shield to the upright and preserves the way of his saints.
• Verses 9–11 The one who gains wisdom will understand righteousness, judgment, and equity, and discretion (careful prudence) and understanding will keep him.
• Verses 12–15 Wisdom delivers him from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness and who rejoice in doing evil.
• Verses 16–19 Wisdom also delivers him from the strange woman who flatters with her words. She has forsaken the companion of her youth and forgotten the covenant of her God. Her house inclines toward death and her paths toward Sheol (the realm of the dead), and none who go to her return.
• Verses 20–22 The upright will remain in the land, but the wicked will be cut off from the land.

Key Verses

• Proverbs 2:4–5 "If thou seekest her as silver… Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD": This expresses the central idea of the chapter, that diligently seeking wisdom ultimately leads to knowing God.
• Proverbs 2:6 "For the LORD giveth wisdom": This declares that the wisdom people seek comes from the LORD.

Characters and Places

No individuals are named. The speaker is a father, and the listener is "my son." On the basis of the superscription in Proverbs 1:1, this instruction has traditionally been associated with Solomon. In addition, the upright, the wicked, and the strange woman appear as contrasting character types.

Points for Reflection

• The "strange woman" and "the stranger" in verse 16 translate Hebrew expressions closer in meaning to "outsider woman" and "foreign woman." Many interpreters read this passage as a warning against actual adultery. Others take it as a symbol of folly set against wisdom, or of idolatry.
• Verse 17 views marriage as a covenant made before God and is often read together with Malachi 2:14–16.
• The word "saints" in verse 8 translates the Hebrew hasid ("godly one"), so its meaning is not identical to that of "saints" in the New Testament.
• The fear of the LORD in verse 5 connects with Proverbs 9:10: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom."
• From a New Testament perspective, the chapter is often read alongside James 1:5–6, which urges believers to ask God for wisdom, and Colossians 2:3, which says that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ. The image of hidden treasure recalls the Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl, although there is no direct quotation linking the two passages.