Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
What does Proverbs 3:3 mean?
In the way of believing obedience to God's commandments health and peace may commonly be enjoyed; and though our days may not be long upon earth, we shall live for ever in heaven.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Proverbs 3:1-4 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Proverbs 3:3
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: The two elements of a morally perfect character: (1) "Mercy," shutting out all forms of selfishness and hate. (2) "Truth," shutting out all deliberate falsehood, all hypocrisy, conscious or unconscious. The words that follow possibly refer to the Eastern custom of writing sacred names on pieces of papyrus or parchment, and wearing them around the neck, as charms and talismans against evil. Compare, however, 1 Peter 3:3-4 .
Key words
- truth
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Attend to "truth"; exercise faith on the Lord; cast not away your confidence; speak truth to your neighbour and brother; and hold fast the truth of the Gospel, and never depart from it.
Context in Proverbs 3
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Proverbs 3 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as fatherly discourses on wisdom. Proverbs offers compact instruction on speech, work, wealth, friendship, sex, discipline, justice, and wisdom as a way of life before God. Read this chapter with the wider themes of wisdom, fear of the Lord, and speech in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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