Proverbs 1
Lutheran reading notes
In Proverbs chapter 1, the wisdom literature continues to explore wisdom for righteous living and reverence for God. Lutheran interpretation often emphasizes humanity’s limitations and the need to rely on God's grace and promises. The chapter highlights the contrast between human striving and the faithfulness of God.
1
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
Proverbs 1:1 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
2
To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
Proverbs 1:2 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
3
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; {equity: Heb. equities}
Proverbs 1:3 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
4
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. {discretion: or, advisement}
Proverbs 1:4 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
5
A wise {man} will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
Proverbs 1:5 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
6
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. {the interpretation: or, an eloquent speech}
Proverbs 1:6 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
7
The fear of the LORD {is} the beginning of knowledge: {but} fools despise wisdom and instruction. {the beginning: or, the principal part}
Proverbs 1:7 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
8
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Proverbs 1:8 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
9
For they {shall be} an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. {an...: Heb. an adding}
Proverbs 1:9 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
10
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
Proverbs 1:10 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
11
If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
Proverbs 1:11 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
12
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
13
We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
Proverbs 1:13 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
14
Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
Proverbs 1:14 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
15
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
Proverbs 1:15 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
16
For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
Proverbs 1:16 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
17
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. {in the...: Heb. in the eyes of every thing that hath a wing}
Proverbs 1:17 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
18
And they lay wait for their {own} blood; they lurk privily for their {own} lives.
Proverbs 1:18 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
19
So {are} the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; {which} taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
Proverbs 1:19 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
20
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: {Wisdom: Heb. Wisdoms, that is, Excellent wisdom}
Proverbs 1:20 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
21
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, {saying},
Proverbs 1:21 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
22
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
Proverbs 1:22 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
23
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Proverbs 1:23 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
24
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
Proverbs 1:24 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
25
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
Proverbs 1:25 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
26
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
Proverbs 1:26 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
27
When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
Proverbs 1:28 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
29
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Proverbs 1:29 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
30
They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Proverbs 1:30 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
31
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Proverbs 1:31 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
32
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. {turning...: or, ease of the simple}
Proverbs 1:32 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.
33
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
Proverbs 1:33 highlights wisdom, prayer, and faithful living with emphasis on law, gospel, grace, and faith.