Proverbs 6:23

Context

Chapters 1–9 of Proverbs form a sequence of instructional poems in which a father urges his son to pursue wisdom. Proverbs 1:1 introduces the book as the proverbs of Solomon, though traditional and scholarly views differ on when and by whom this section was compiled. Proverbs 6:20–35 is a unit that urges the reader to keep "thy father's commandment" and "the law of thy mother." Many commentators note that verse 21, "Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck," recalls Deuteronomy 6:6–9. Verse 23 is a causal clause explaining why this teaching matters: "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." Verse 24 immediately adds that this teaching keeps one "from the evil woman." The verse is thus set within a specific warning against adultery.

In the Hebrew text, "commandment" is mitzvah, "law" is torah (teaching, law), and "instruction" is musar (instruction, discipline). In Proverbs these words refer to parental instruction, but across the Old Testament as a whole they also denote the law of God.

Interpretation

• Contextual reading: Read together with verse 20, "commandment" and "law" are understood as the teaching parents give their children. On this reading, verse 23 means that instruction in the home serves as a safeguard that protects the young from temptation.
• Extended reading as the word of God: Many Protestant commentaries and sermons regard the word of God as the source of parental instruction and read the verse alongside "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). On this reading, the "reproofs of instruction" are understood as Scripture's work of exposing and correcting wrongdoing.
• Reading in Jewish tradition: Rabbinic tradition preserves an interpretation that distinguishes the "lamp" from the "light": keeping a single commandment illuminates for a time, like a lamp, while the study of Torah shines continually, like light.

Questions of Application

There is no significant doctrinal dispute among denominations over this verse. Several questions, however, have been raised. One is whether the verse may be quoted as a general proposition that "the words of Scripture are light," apart from its original context as a warning against adultery. Some stress that the context must be examined first, while others hold that the teachings of Proverbs were written to be extended into general principles. Another is whether "reproofs" may be used to justify harsh corporal punishment. In response, it is commonly suggested that the verse be read together with the exhortation not to provoke children to wrath (Ephesians 6:4).

Related Passages

• Proverbs 1:8
• Psalm 119:105
• Psalm 19:7–11
• 2 Peter 1:19
• Hebrews 12:6–11