3: 21-35. My child, do not let these escape from your sight:
keep sound wisdom and prudence,
and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.
Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
If you sit down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Then you will not be afraid of sudden panic
or of the storm that strikes the wicked,
for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being caught.
With the heading, “My child…,” we begin a new section. What are “these”? This refers to wisdom and knowledge that are found in the previous verse (v. 20); and these are complimented by wisdom and prudence, at the end of this verse (v. 21).
The two words translated as ‘wisdom’ are not the same. The Hebrew word behind ‘wisdom’ in verse 21 might be better translated as ‘sound wisdom’ as it was translated in 2:7, or even as ‘sound judgment’. The Hebrew word translated ‘prudence’ has occurred twice previously, in 1:4 and 2:11. Most other translations of the Bible have ‘discretion’ or even ‘common sense’. The notion seems to be that the more knowledge and wisdom you accumulate, the better prepared you are to make sound decisions on a daily basis. Knowledge is not enough, wisdom is needed to sort out false claims. And common sense doesn’t seem to be so common.
If you have ‘these’, you will walk ‘securely’ and ‘not stumble’. You will walk with ‘confidence’ in the Lord, even in turbulent times. We certainly will need wisdom and sound knowledge to survive 2024.
3: 27-32. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to do it.
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go and come again; tomorrow I will give it,”
when you have it with you.
Do not plan harm against your neighbor
who dwells trustingly beside you.
Do not quarrel with anyone without cause,
when no harm has been done to you.
. Do not envy a man of violence
and do not choose any of his ways;
for the perverse man is an abomination to the Lord,
but the upright are in his confidence.
This is a clear statement of ‘Do’s and Don’t’s,” not unlike the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes. As with Jesus’ teachings, which reference both the Law and the Prophets, the central tenant is that disciples should love the Lord and love their neighbors as themselves. Who is your neighbor? Anyone starting with the family next door out to the needy anywhere.
This agrees with the best of ancient wisdom: “Generosity to the poor is a common theme in ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. Typical is the following quote from the Egyptian ‘Instruction of Any’, … ‘Do not eat bread while another stands by, without extending your hand to him’.”[1]
In the Torah: Equality in the Courtroom: “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits” (Exodus 23:6; see also Leviticus 19:15 and 23:22).
Share Food with the Poor: “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow so that the poor of your people may eat, and what they leave the wild animals may eat. You shall do the same with your vineyard and with your olive orchard” (Exodus 23:10-11, see also Leviticus 19:10-11).
How Society Ought to Be: “If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be. … Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.’ (Deuteronomy 15: 7-8, 11).
The last line should be familiar, but many Christians are completely unaware of its significance. When some Christians are asked for a donation to help the poor, they slyly refer to Jesus’ statement that “The poor you will always have with you” (Matthew 26:11), then shrug their shoulders as if to say, “What can you do?” In fact, Jesus was quoting this verse, Deuteronomy 15:11. In olden days, before chapter and verse numbers, people referred to a passage by quoting the first phrase, so Jesus clearly intended that those listening should go to Deuteronomy to complete the quote. The verse is completed by telling us what to do. ‘Since the poor will always be with us, therefore open you hand to the poor and needy neighbor in you land’.
3: 33-35. The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the abode of the righteous.
Toward the scorners he is scornful,
but to the humble he shows favor.
The wise will inherit honor,
but fools receive disgrace.
The wicked, the scorners, and the fools; not the crowd that I want to run with.
Just one more thing to think about. The next to the last verse in the previous section says “Do not envy the man of violence.” It could also be translated, “Do not envy the violent.” Either way, the Hebrew word behind the English words ‘violent’ and ‘violence’ is ḥamas.
[1] Keener and Walton, The NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, 2019. Page 1036,