◄ Proverbs 22:18 ►
for it is pleasing when you keep them within you and they are constantly on your lips.
Study Bible
for it is pleasing
The Hebrew word for "pleasing" here is "נָעִים" (na'im), which conveys a sense of delight, beauty, and agreeableness. In the context of wisdom literature, this word suggests that the internalization of wisdom is not merely a duty but a source of joy and satisfaction. The pursuit of wisdom is portrayed as a delightful endeavor, aligning with the broader biblical theme that God's commandments are not burdensome but are designed for our ultimate joy and fulfillment (1 John 5:3).

when you keep them within you
The phrase "keep them within you" emphasizes the importance of internalizing wisdom. The Hebrew verb "שָׁמַר" (shamar) means to guard, protect, or preserve. This suggests an active engagement with wisdom, where one not only learns but also treasures and safeguards it in the heart. The heart, in Hebrew thought, is the center of one's being, encompassing mind, will, and emotions. Thus, wisdom is to be deeply rooted in our innermost being, influencing every aspect of our lives.

and they are constantly on your lips
The phrase "constantly on your lips" highlights the importance of verbal expression of wisdom. The Hebrew word "שָׂפָה" (saphah) refers to the lips or speech. This implies that wisdom should not only be internalized but also articulated and shared. In the ancient Near Eastern context, oral tradition was a primary means of transmitting knowledge. Therefore, speaking wisdom ensures its perpetuation and influence. This aligns with the biblical principle found in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, where God's words are to be spoken of continually, teaching them diligently to the next generation.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
Traditionally regarded as the author of Proverbs, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom. His proverbs are intended to impart wisdom and understanding.

2. Israel
The nation to whom the Proverbs were originally addressed, representing God's chosen people who were to live by His wisdom and commandments.

3. The Wise
A general term for those who seek and apply God's wisdom in their lives, as opposed to the foolish who reject it.
Teaching Points
Internalization of Wisdom
True wisdom is not just about knowing God's words but internalizing them so they become a part of who we are. This internalization allows us to live out God's principles naturally.

Readiness to Speak
Having wisdom "ready on your lips" suggests being prepared to share God's truth and apply it in daily conversations and decisions. This readiness comes from a deep understanding and commitment to God's word.

Pleasing to God
Keeping God's wisdom within us is pleasing to Him. It reflects a heart aligned with His will and a life that seeks to honor Him in all things.

Practical Application
Wisdom should be evident in our actions and words. We are called to live out the principles of Proverbs in our daily interactions, demonstrating God's love and truth to others.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can you ensure that God's wisdom is "within you" and "ready on your lips" in your daily life?

2. In what ways does internalizing God's word help you in making decisions and facing challenges?

3. Reflect on a time when having God's wisdom ready on your lips helped you in a conversation or situation. What was the outcome?

4. How does the concept of internalizing wisdom in Proverbs 22:18 relate to the command in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 to keep God's commandments in your heart?

5. What practical steps can you take to be more of a "doer" of the word, as encouraged in James 1:22-25, in light of Proverbs 22:18?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
This passage emphasizes the importance of keeping God's commandments in one's heart and teaching them diligently to one's children, similar to the idea of keeping wisdom within and ready on one's lips.

Psalm 119:11
The psalmist speaks of hiding God's word in his heart to avoid sin, paralleling the concept of internalizing wisdom.

James 1:22-25
James encourages believers to be doers of the word, not just hearers, which aligns with the idea of having wisdom ready on one's lips for practical application.
Sermons
Spiritual VeritiesD. Thomas, D.D.Proverbs 22:17-21
The Words of the Wise to be Taken to HeartE. Johnson Proverbs 22:17-21
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Altogether, Delight, Established, Fitted, Heart, Keepest, Lips, Pleasant, Prepared, Ready, Withal, Within
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 22:17-18

     5164   lips

Library
The Rich and the Poor
Chapel Royal, Whitehall, 1871. Proverbs xxii. 2. "The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all." I have been asked to preach here this afternoon on behalf of the Parochial Mission Women's Fund. I may best describe the object for which I plead, as an attempt to civilise and Christianise the women of the lower classes in the poorer districts of London and other great towns, by means of women of their own class--women, who have gone through the same struggles as they have, …
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

One Lion Two Lions no Lion at All
A sermon (No. 1670) delivered on Thursday Evening, June 8th, 1882, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets."--Proverbs 22:13. "The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets."--Proverbs 26:13. This slothful man seems to cherish that one dread of his about the lions, as if it were his favorite aversion and he felt it to be too much trouble to invent another excuse. …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

The Formation of Habits.
School Sermon. Proverbs xxii. 6. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." INTRODUCTION.--There is a district, high up in the Black Forest, where the ground is full of springs. It is a plain some nine hundred feet above the sea. Thousands upon thousands of little springs gush out of the soil; you seem to be on the rose of a vast watering-can. Now, from this great source flow a good many rivers, and they flow in very different, nay, opposite directions. …
S. Baring-Gould—The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent

The Christian Business World
Scripture references: Proverbs 22:29; Romans 12:11; Psalms 24:1; 50:10-12; Haggai 2:8; Psalm 49:6,10,16,17; 62:10; Matthew 13:22; Mark 10:23,24; Job 31:24-26; Proverbs 3:9; Matthew 25:14-30; 24:45-51; 6:19-21; Luke 12:16-21. THE IDEAL IN THE BUSINESS WORLD There is often a wide difference between the methods actually employed in doing business and when they should be. Good men who are in the thick of the battle of competition and rivalry with other firms in the same line of trade, are the quickest …
Henry T. Sell—Studies in the Life of the Christian

Philip and the Emperor
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.--Prov. xxii. 29. Kallias stayed a fortnight under the hospitable roof of Olympias, and during those days he had the pleasure of seeing how greatly his honest and genial simplicity brightened the thoughts both of his hostess and of his friend. The general outline of his own future seemed now to be approximately settled. Like Philip, he had acquired an incurable disgust for Constantinople, with …
Frederic William Farrar—Gathering Clouds: A Tale of the Days of St. Chrysostom

He Accuses Abaelard for Preferring his Own Opinions and Even Fancies to the Unanimous Consent of the Fathers, Especially Where He Declares that Christ did Not
He accuses Abaelard for preferring his own opinions and even fancies to the unanimous consent of the Fathers, especially where he declares that Christ did not become incarnate in order to save man from the power of the devil. 11. I find in a book of his sentences, and also in an exposition of his of the Epistle to the Romans, that this rash inquirer into the Divine Majesty attacks the mystery of our Redemption. He admits in the very beginning of his disputation that there has never been but one conclusion …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Baptismal Covenant Can be Kept Unbroken. Aim and Responsibility of Parents.
We have gone "to the Law and to the Testimony" to find out what the nature and benefits of Baptism are. We have gathered out of the Word all the principal passages bearing on this subject. We have grouped them together, and studied them side by side. We have noticed that their sense is uniform, clear, and strong. Unless we are willing to throw aside all sound principles of interpretation, we can extract from the words of inspiration only one meaning, and that is that the baptized child is, by virtue …
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You. "
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some imperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the sun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they appear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God's sight! How far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a pure mass of light and …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

We Shall not be Curious in the Ranking of the Duties in which Christian Love...
We shall not be curious in the ranking of the duties in which Christian love should exercise itself. All the commandments of the second table are but branches of it: they might be reduced all to the works of righteousness and of mercy. But truly these are interwoven through other. Though mercy uses to be restricted to the showing of compassion upon men in misery, yet there is a righteousness in that mercy, and there is mercy in the most part of the acts of righteousness, as in not judging rashly, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

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

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