Chapter 2

1Wisdom promiseth godliness to her children, 10and safety from evil company, 20and direction in good ways.

1. My son. The return to the address, “my son,” indicates that Solomon is no longer speaking in the name of wisdom. The series of conditional clauses that begins here leads up to the conclusions in vs. 5 and 9. The appeal to hide the commandments refers to the storing away of words for guidance in future difficulties.

2. Incline thine ear. Diligence is here combined with love of learning. To do right, one must not only desire to be good but must also be willing to exert the necessary effort.

3. If thou criest. A change of metaphor and a change of emphasis. The picture of wisdom crying out to the simple gives place to the young man crying out after the power of discrimination (see ch. 1:20).

4. Seekest her. The necessity for an active endeavor to gain wisdom is further emphasized. Men must dig deep in search of a saving knowledge of the grace of God with the perseverance of a prospector seeking for precious metals. Desire for earthly treasure compels men to expend much time, money, and effort in what often proves to be a fruitless search. The same intense devotion should mark the searcher for divine wisdom. No disappointment or difficulty should be permitted to quench the ardor of the search. The revelation of God in His Word is the mine in which every believer must individually dig for truth (see GC 598).

5. Find the knowledge. Treasure hunts may fail, but one who truly seeks will never fail to reach an understanding of the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom Although an exhaustive knowledge of God can never be obtained, even though a happy eternity is spent in learning ever more of His loving nature, knowledge sufficient for salvation is promised to every searcher for truth (Matt. 7:7, 8).

God. Heb. ХElohim, occurring only five times in the book of Proverbs, here and in chs. 2:17; 3:4; 25:2; 30:9. Yahweh, translated “Lord,” is the commonly used term for Deity in this book.

6. The Lord giveth. Here follow reasons why the earnest searcher for truth will never fail to find wisdom. The Lord is the source, and He is impelled by His great love to reward all who turn to Him.

8. Preserveth the way. Those who walk in the broad path of sin have rejected the protection of God, but those in the narrow way of righteousness are His special care. All the forces of heaven are instantly available to guide, strengthen, and protect them (Heb. 1:13, 14).

9. Understand righteousness. The purpose of the book as stated in ch. 1:3 will be fulfilled as a further consequence of the sincere search for knowledge. A true understanding of the good way of life is pre-requisite to walking in that way.

10. When. Better, “for.” The Hebrew preposition ki may have either of these meanings.

Heart. Really, “mind.” To us the heart is figuratively the seat of emotions. To the Hebrews the bowels were the seat of emotions, and the heart the seat of the intellect.

Knowledge is pleasant. Many acquire learning upon the urging of parents or teachers, and gather a measure of wisdom, but there is a vast difference between such learning and that which is inspired by a love of wisdom. Especially is this the case when the wisdom to be learned is the way of eternal life. Salvation from sin demands an active love for truth and a delight in right knowledge.

11. Discretion shall preserve thee. Love for truth leads to a consideration of right and wrong and a purposing in the heart to avoid that which is evil. Daniel had thus counted the cost and determined not to partake of meats offered to idols (see PK 481), whatever might be the outcome. Such preconsideration arms against temptation and protects from failure under sudden pressure (Dan. 1:8).

12. Evil man. “Man” is a supplied word and not necessarily needed. It is sufficient to say “way of evil.” From such, understanding will preserve us.

Froward things. Heb. tahpukoth, “perversities,” from the root haphak, “to turn,” or, “to overturn.” The perverseness with which false teachers twist the plain words of Scripture makes even some established believers begin to wonder as to what is truth. We must seek to avoid contact with those who do not wish to learn, but only to impart error. A deep love and knowledge of the truth is the only sure shield against the deceptions of the last days (see Matt. 24:24; GC 593, 594).

13. The ways of darkness. When men deliberately turn from light into the paths of darkness, they are deceived by a “strong delusion” (2 Thess. 2:10, 11; cf. John 8:12; 12:35; 1 John 2:11).

14. Rejoice to do evil. They hate the light because they love the wrong. When good men make mistakes, they sorrow for them afterward. But wicked men remember their evil deeds with pleasure. Not only do they enjoy their own misdeeds; they take pleasure in the perverseness of evil itself. That this applies to conditions existing today is shown by the failure of public opinion to react more vigorously against organized and premeditated crime.

16. Strange woman. Heb. Хishshah zarah. Either “strange” woman in the sense of belonging to another nation or in the sense of not being a legitimate wife. The next verse supports the latter interpretation. That immorality was a serious problem in the days of Solomon as well as in modern times is indicated by the fourfold repetition of this theme (see chs. 5:3; 6:24; 7:5).

Discretion and understanding (v. 11) will so guide a young man that they will deliver him from “strange women.” According to Paul a godly man will keep himself at a distance from temptation of this kind (1 Cor. 6:18). He will flee as did Joseph (Gen. 39:12), if such should be necessary. To stay and argue with a temptation that is reinforced by the inherited weaknesses of the human race is to lack true wisdom.

17. Guide. Heb. Хalluph, “familiar one,” “confidant.” For other occurrences of Хalluph see Prov. 16:28; 17:9; Jer. 3:4; Micah 7:5. Some have thought that the reference might be to the parents of the woman, but Хalluph more likely means the husband, together with whom, in the early days of their marriage, the wife learned some of the most important lessons of life.

The covenant of her God. Evidently the marriage vows, though there is no specific reference in the OT to a religious marriage ceremony such as the Christian church has developed. There is, however, a suggestion in Mal. 2:14 that solemn vows were exchanged. This strange woman had not only gone against the customs of her people but had broken the binding promises she had made before the great God of Israel.

18. Inclineth unto death. Evil thoughts, the reading of impure books, gazing upon salacious plays and pictures, as well as the deeds to which they often lead, turn the feet to paths of death. Tens of thousands of Israelites died as a consequence of sins that began when they were persuaded to become mere onlookers at the Moabite festivities (Num. 25; PP 454–456). Though today retribution is not so swift, it is as sure as it was then.

19. Return again. This may refer to return from death, but it is also true that it is hard to restore to purity one who has turned aside to immorality. The will seems to be so weakened that the mind is often unable or unwilling to grasp the promised power of God to overcome sin. Some do find salvation, but many of those who turn into this way of death never return.

20. Way of good men. The wise man sums up the purpose of the counsel he has given. The Israelites loved their Promised Land, yet their continual turning from right ways led to sudden death for many and sad exile for others.

21. In the land. Or, “in the earth.” The word translated “land” is also frequently translated “earth.” Not only will obedience to the voice of wisdom bring present good; it will also lead to eternal life in the beautiful new earth. Disregard of the Word of God brings trouble in this life and results in the plucking up from the earth of all who continue in sin. So complete will be this rooting out that no trace will be left (Obadiah 16; Mal. 4:1).

Ellen G. White comments

2    Ed 185

2–11MH 456

3–5COL 114; ML 108; 3T 108

4     CH 39; CT 437, 460, 461; CW 34, 79; Ed 185, 189; FE 120, 169, 188, 307, 326; LS 355; MH 199; MM 124, 203; SL 37; 3T 447; 4T 499; 5T 266; 8T 157

4, 5 FE 390; 4T 414

6     Ed 14

8     PK 576

10, 11  6T 69

11   AH 55

13   GC 310; 3T 437; 5T 39

16   AH 59

18, 19  PP 461

20   AH 459; ML 214; Te 184