Proverbs 18:22 NIV: He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.

Proverbs 18:22

Bible > NIV > Proverbs 18 > Verse 22

◄ Proverbs 18:22 ►

New International Version (© 2011)
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.

King James Bible
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

American Standard Version
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, And obtaineth favor of Jehovah.

Young's Literal Translation
Whoso hath found a wife hath found good, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

Proverbs 18:22 Additional Translations
Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing - Marriage, with all its troubles and embarrassments, is a blessing from God; and there are few cases where a wife of any sort is not better than none, because celibacy is an evil; for God himself hath said, "It is not good for man to be alone." None of the versions, except the Chaldee, are pleased with the naked simplicity of the Hebrew text, hence they all add good: "He that findeth a Good wife findeth a good thing;" and most people, who have not deeply considered the subject, think the assertion, without this qualification, is absurd. Some copies of the Targum, and apparently one of Kennicott's MSS., have the addition טובה tobah, good; but this would be an authority too slender to justify changing the Hebrew text; yet Houbigant, Kennicott, and other able critics argue for it. The Septuagint is not satisfied without an addition: "But he who puts away a good wife, puts away a good thing: and he that retains an adulteress, is a fool and wicked." In this addition the Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic, agree with the Septuagint. The Hebrew text as it stands, teaches a general doctrine by a simple but general proposition: "He that findeth a wife findeth a good thing." So St. Paul: "Marriage is honorable in all." Had the world been left, in this respect, to the unbridled propensities of man, in what a horrible state would society have been - if indeed society could have existed, or civilization have taken place - if marriage had not obtained among men! As to good wives and bad wives, they are relatively so, in general; and most of them that have been bad afterwards, have been good at first; and we well know the best things may deteriorate, and the world generally allows that where there are matrimonial contentions, there are faults on both sides.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

findeth a wife

Proverbs 5:15 Drink waters out of your own cistern, and running waters out of your own well.

Proverbs 12:4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that makes ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

Proverbs 19:14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

Genesis 24:67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her...

Genesis 29:20,21,28 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had to her...

Ecclesiastes 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which he has given you under the sun...

Hosea 12:12 And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

1 Corinthians 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

and