The fear of the LORD leads to life, that one may rest content, without visitation from harm. The fear of the LORDThis phrase, "the fear of the LORD," is central to the wisdom literature of the Bible, particularly in Proverbs. The Hebrew word for "fear" is "yirah," which encompasses reverence, awe, and respect. It is not a fear that paralyzes but one that acknowledges God's majesty and authority. In a conservative Christian perspective, this fear is foundational to a life of faith, as it aligns one's heart and actions with God's will. It is the beginning of wisdom ( Proverbs 9:10) and a guiding principle for righteous living. Historically, this reverence was integral to the covenant relationship between God and Israel, emphasizing obedience and devotion. leads to life
The phrase "leads to life" suggests a path or journey. In Hebrew, "life" is "chayim," which implies not just physical existence but a quality of life that is abundant and fulfilling. This life is characterized by spiritual vitality and eternal significance. In the biblical context, life is a gift from God, and the fear of the LORD is the means by which one experiences the fullness of this gift. It is a life that transcends mere survival, offering peace, purpose, and joy. Theologically, this aligns with Jesus' promise of abundant life in John 10:10. that one may rest content
"Rest content" speaks to a state of peace and satisfaction. The Hebrew word "shakan" means to dwell or settle, and "sabea" means to be satisfied or full. Together, they convey a sense of security and fulfillment that comes from trusting in God. In a world filled with anxiety and striving, this contentment is a profound blessing. It reflects the peace that surpasses understanding, as mentioned in Philippians 4:7. Historically, this contentment was a sign of God's favor and provision, as seen in the lives of the patriarchs and the nation of Israel. untouched by trouble
The phrase "untouched by trouble" suggests divine protection and deliverance. The Hebrew word "paqad" can mean to visit or attend to, often with a sense of oversight or care. "Ra" is the word for trouble or evil, indicating adversity or calamity. In the biblical narrative, those who fear the LORD are often shielded from ultimate harm, even if they face trials. This does not imply a life free from challenges but rather a life where God's presence and providence offer refuge and strength. Theologically, it echoes the promise of Romans 8:28, where all things work together for good for those who love God. Persons / Places / Events 1. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal existence and faithfulness to His promises. 2. SolomonTraditionally considered the author of Proverbs, known for his wisdom and leadership as the king of Israel. 3. IsraelThe nation to whom the Proverbs were originally given, serving as a context for understanding the cultural and religious background. 4. The WiseThose who seek and apply God's wisdom, often contrasted with fools in the book of Proverbs. 5. The Fear of the LORDA recurring theme in Proverbs, representing reverence, awe, and obedience to God. Teaching Points The Fear of the LORD as a Pathway to LifeEmphasize that true life, both abundant and eternal, begins with a reverent relationship with God. Encourage believers to cultivate a deep respect and awe for God's holiness and authority. Contentment Through ReverenceHighlight that contentment is a byproduct of fearing the LORD, as it aligns our desires with His will. Challenge individuals to find satisfaction in God's provision rather than worldly pursuits. Protection from TroubleTeach that fearing the LORD provides a spiritual safeguard, offering peace and security amidst life's challenges. Encourage trust in God's sovereignty, knowing that He shields those who honor Him. Practical Steps to Cultivate the Fear of the LORDSuggest daily practices such as prayer, Bible study, and worship to deepen one's reverence for God. Encourage accountability and fellowship with other believers to grow in wisdom and understanding. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the fear of the LORD lead to life, and what does this life look like in practical terms? 2. In what ways can we cultivate a deeper fear of the LORD in our daily lives? 3. How does contentment relate to our relationship with God, and what are some practical steps to achieve it? 4. What are some examples of how fearing the LORD has protected you or others from trouble? 5. How do the teachings of Jesus and Paul on contentment and seeking God's kingdom connect with the message of Proverbs 19:23? Connections to Other Scriptures Proverbs 1:7This verse introduces the concept of the fear of the LORD as the beginning of knowledge, establishing a foundational principle for understanding wisdom. Psalm 34:9-10These verses highlight the blessings and provision that come to those who fear the LORD, reinforcing the idea of contentment and security. Ecclesiastes 12:13Solomon concludes that fearing God and keeping His commandments is the whole duty of man, aligning with the life-giving aspect of fearing the LORD. Matthew 6:33Jesus teaches about seeking first the kingdom of God, which parallels the idea of prioritizing the fear of the LORD for a fulfilled life. Philippians 4:11-13Paul speaks about contentment in all circumstances, which echoes the rest and contentment found in fearing the LORD. People Isaiah, SolomonPlaces JerusalemTopics Abide, Charged, Content, Contentment, Evil, Fear, Gives, Harm, Leads, Nothing, Rest, Rests, Satisfied, Sleep, Tendeth, Touched, Trouble, Untouched, VisitedDictionary of Bible Themes Proverbs 19:23 5057 rest, physical
5939 satisfaction
6701 peace, search for
8335 reverence, and blessing Library How the Slothful and the Hasty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 16.) Differently to be admonished are the slothful and the hasty. For the former are to be persuaded not to lose, by putting it off, the good they have to do; but the latter are to be admonished lest, while they forestall the time of good deeds by inconsiderate haste, they change their meritorious character. To the slothful therefore it is to be intimated, that often, when we will not do at the right time what we can, before long, when we will, we cannot. For the very indolence of …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the GreatHow the Impatient and the Patient are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 10.) Differently to be admonished are the impatient and the patient. For the impatient are to be told that, while they neglect to bridle their spirit, they are hurried through many steep places of iniquity which they seek not after, inasmuch as fury drives the mind whither desire draws it not, and, when perturbed, it does, not knowing, what it afterwards grieves for when it knows. The impatient are also to be told that, when carried headlong by the impulse of emotion, they act in some …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Second Journey through Galilee - the Healing of the Leper.
A DAY and an evening such as of that Sabbath of healing in Capernaum must, with reverence be it written, have been followed by what opens the next section. [2299] To the thoughtful observer there is such unbroken harmony in the Life of Jesus, such accord of the inward and outward, as to carry instinctive conviction of the truth of its record. It was, so to speak, an inward necessity that the God-Man, when brought into contact with disease and misery, whether from physical or supernatural causes, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah The Kingdom of God Conceived as the Inheritance of the Poor.
These maxims, good for a country where life is nourished by the air and the light, and this delicate communism of a band of children of God reposing in confidence on the bosom of their Father, might suit a simple sect constantly persuaded that its Utopia was about to be realized. But it is clear that they could not satisfy the whole of society. Jesus understood very soon, in fact, that the official world of his time would by no means adopt his kingdom. He took his resolution with extreme boldness. …
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus "Boast not Thyself of to Morrow, for Thou Knowest not what a Day May Bring Forth. "
Prov. xxvii. 1.--"Boast not thyself of to morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." As man is naturally given to boasting and gloriation in something (for the heart cannot want some object to rest upon and take complacency in, it is framed with such a capacity of employing other things), so there is a strong inclination in man towards the time to come, he hath an immortal appetite, and an appetite of immortality; and therefore his desires usually stretch farther than the present …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning The Wrath of God
What does every sin deserve? God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.' Matt 25: 41. Man having sinned, is like a favourite turned out of the king's favour, and deserves the wrath and curse of God. He deserves God's curse. Gal 3: 10. As when Christ cursed the fig-tree, it withered; so, when God curses any, he withers in his soul. Matt 21: 19. God's curse blasts wherever it comes. He deserves also God's wrath, which is …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments The Unity of God
Q-5: ARE THERE MORE GODS THAN ONE? A: There is but one only, the living and true God. That there is a God has been proved; and those that will not believe the verity of his essence, shall feel the severity of his wrath. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.' Deut 6:6. He is the only God.' Deut 4:49. Know therefore this day, and consider it in thy heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath, there is none else.' A just God and a Saviour; there is none beside …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Man's Misery by the Fall
Q-19: WHAT IS THE MISERY OF THAT ESTATE WHEREINTO MAN FELL? A: All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. 'And were by nature children of wrath.' Eph 2:2. Adam left an unhappy portion to his posterity, Sin and Misery. Having considered the first of these, original sin, we shall now advert to the misery of that state. In the first, we have seen mankind offending; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
Since every revealed purpose of God, implying that obedience to his law will be given, is a demand of that obedience, the announcement of his Covenant, as in his sovereignty decreed, claims, not less effectively than an explicit law, the fulfilment of its duties. A representation of a system of things pre-determined in order that the obligations of the Covenant might be discharged; various exhibitions of the Covenant as ordained; and a description of the children of the Covenant as predestinated …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting The Ninth Commandment
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.' Exod 20: 16. THE tongue which at first was made to be an organ of God's praise, is now become an instrument of unrighteousness. This commandment binds the tongue to its good behaviour. God has set two natural fences to keep in the tongue, the teeth and lips; and this commandment is a third fence set about it, that it should not break forth into evil. It has a prohibitory and a mandatory part: the first is set down in plain words, the other …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Christian Meekness
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth Matthew 5:5 We are now got to the third step leading in the way to blessedness, Christian meekness. Blessed are the meek'. See how the Spirit of God adorns the hidden man of the heart, with multiplicity of graces! The workmanship of the Holy Ghost is not only curious, but various. It makes the heart meek, pure, peaceable etc. The graces therefore are compared to needlework, which is different and various in its flowers and colours (Psalm 45:14). …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 The Third Commandment
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.' Exod 20: 7. This commandment has two parts: 1. A negative expressed, that we must not take God's name in vain; that is, cast any reflections and dishonour on his name. 2. An affirmative implied. That we should take care to reverence and honour his name. Of this latter I shall speak more fully, under the first petition in the Lord's Prayer, Hallowed be thy name.' I shall …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Proverbs 19:23 NIVProverbs 19:23 NLTProverbs 19:23 ESVProverbs 19:23 NASBProverbs 19:23 KJV
Proverbs 19:23 Commentaries
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