Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryProverbs 2:5
Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God. Jump to: Barne's Notes • Biblical Illustrator • Gill's Exposition • Geneva Study Bible • Commentary Critical and Explanatory • Scofield's Notes • Trapp's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Whedon's Commentary • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Ellicott's Commentary • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole BibleThe promise. The highest blessedness is to know God John 17:3. If any distinction between “the Lord” יהוה yehovâh and “God” אלהים 'elohı̂ym can be pressed here, it is that in the former the personality, in the latter the glory, of the divine nature is prominent. Copyright Statement Bibliography The Biblical IllustratorProverbs 2:5 Find the knowledge of God. The benefits of religion Religion, whether natural or revealed, has always the same beneficial influence on the mind. In youth, in health and prosperity, it awakens feelings of gratitude and sublime love, and purifies at the same time that which it exalts; but it is in misfortune, in sickness, in age, that its effects are more truly and beneficially felt; when submission is cherished in faith and humble trust in the Divine will, when duties become pleasures, undecaying sources of consolation, then it creates powers which were believed to be extinct, and gives a freshness to the mind which was supposed to have passed away for ever, but which is now renovated as an immortal hope. Its influence outlives all earthly enjoyments, and becomes stronger as the organs decay and the frame dissolves; it appears as that evening star of light in the horizon of life which we are sure is to become, in another season, a morning star, and to throw its radiance through the gloom and shadow of death. (Sir Humphrey Davey.) Knowledge of God the result of revelation I do not look to the Bible to teach me what I or my successors may some day find out by the use of observations and the inductive faculties; I go to the Bible to learn what I cannot find out for myself. Apart from revelation, what do I know about the world to come, about anything but what I can touch, taste, and handle? What hope have I for the future if I look only to nature? Nature tells me that when I die I shall probably be just like the dog, or horse, or any other animal. “All immortal, none immortal,” she seems to say. Therefore I must get light from revelation. I must even look to revelation for the motives which influence conduct, for personally I am not satisfied with these systems of ethics that are founded on utilitarian motives. I do not see how I can be said to have knowledge of God unless He in some way reveal Himself to me. (Prof. Bonney.) Copyright Statement Bibliography John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleThen shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord,.... The grace of fear, and the exercise of it: which is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge, and is a treasure itself, Proverbs 1:7. By means of the Gospel the Lord works it in the hearts of his people by his Spirit; and by the same leads them into the riches of his special grace and "goodness", which they are influenced by to "fear", and the Lord for the sake of it: and particularly they are led hereby to the pardoning grace and mercy of God, which is with him, that he may "be feared"; and it is the Gospel which induces and encourages a true filial fear of God, by which men "depart from evil"; for that teaches them to deny all manner of sin, and to live a godly life and conversation: so that through a diligent search after the knowledge of the Gospel, and an attaining it, men come to have a spiritual, experimental, and practical understanding of the fear of God as a grace; and also, as it includes the whole worship of God, by means of Gospel light, they come to understand what sort of worship that is God is to be worshipped with; that it is pure, spiritual, and evangelical, suited to his nature and will: what the ordinances of divine service are; and that these are to be kept as they were delivered, and in the exercise of faith, from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory, of God, without trusting to them or depending on them for salvation. And this is the advantage arising from a diligent search after the doctrine of wisdom, or the Gospel, and a knowledge and understanding of it; and is used as an argument encouraging to it; and another follows; and find the knowledge of God; such a knowledge of God as is not to be found by the light of nature, in the whole volume of the creatures, and in all the writings of the philosophers; no, nor in the law of Moses; for though much of God and his perfections may be seen and known by the things that are made, and much of the will of God by the law he gave; yet by neither of these is the knowledge of God in Christ, which is "life eternal". This only is to be found in the Gospel, and by means of it; here only it is brought to light; and through this men not only find it, but increase more and more in it: herein is a glorious display of his persons and perfections, of his counsels and purposes, of his covenant and promises, of his mind and will, with respect to doctrine and worship; and of the way of peace, life, and salvation, by Jesus Christ; which must serve greatly to engage and excite persons to a diligent search and pursuit after it. And all that is here said is designed to encourage a diligent search after divine things; for, as the poet Copyright Statement Bibliography Geneva Study BibleThen shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the e knowledge of God.(e) This (he says) is the true wisdom to know and fear God. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bibleunderstand — or, “perceive intelligently.” find — obtain. Copyright Statement Bibliography Scofield's Reference Notesfear Also; Proverbs 3:7, (See Scofield "Psalms 19:9"). Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryProverbs 2:5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Ver. 5. Then shalt thou understand.] Then shalt thou be as those noble Romans were, [Romans 15:14] "full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish others"; in fine, well accomplished Christian, that hath Christian for his name, and Catholic for his surname, Such a Catholic as Augustine describeth when he saith, Boni Catholici sunt qui et fidem integram sequuntur et bonos mores. Those be good Catholics that believe well and live well. These be not those ancient Roman Catholics. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleUnderstand more perfectly and profitably; for that very seeking and searching after it, Proverbs 2:4, supposed some understanding. The fear of the Lord; which is the beginning of this wisdom, Proverbs 1:7. Copyright Statement Bibliography Whedon's Commentary on the Bible5. Then — When thou so seekest and searchest. Shalt thou understand — Discern, comprehend, and attain to. Fear of the Lord — That true piety, of which the author speaks, and which is the highest of all knowledge. Knowledge of God — Divine knowledge, sanctified learning. This is the first instance where the word God occurs in parallelism with Jehovah. It occurs only eight times in the book, namely: in Proverbs 2:5; Proverbs 2:17; Proverbs 3:4; Proverbs 21:12; Proverbs 25:2; Proverbs 26:10; Proverbs 30:5; Proverbs 30:9. Comp. Proverbs 1:7; 1 Kings 10:10; 1 Kings 10:27; Job 28:28; Jeremiah 41:8; Matthew 13:14. Copyright Statement Bibliography E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible NotesThen. In that case. See notes above. the fear, &c. That is only "the beginning of wisdom", not the end. See note on Proverbs 1:7. find. What He has hidden (Proverbs 2:7). God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4. Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedThen shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. "Then," the consequent of the "if," Proverbs 2:1; "if," Proverbs 2:3; "if," Proverbs 2:4. The fear (reverent service) of the Lord is inseparable from the true knowledge of the Lord. Copyright Statement Bibliography Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5) Find the knowledge of God.—It is the highest of all gifts, even eternal life itself, to know God, the Giver of all good things. It was to bestow this knowledge upon man that Christ came into the world (John 17:3). He promises (Proverbs 14:21) the manifestation of Himself as the reward of obedience and love. And yet our highest knowledge of God in this life must be so imperfect, in comparison with the knowledge of Him hereafter, when we shall see Him “face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12), that St. Paul. (Galatians 4:9) describes our relation to Him now as better expressed by “being known of Him:” i.e., recognised, acknowledged by Him as His children, rather than by “knowing” Him. Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeThen shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
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