Thy Strong Word — Proverbs 4: Passing Down Wisdom from Fathers to Sons

This chapter begins with a father encouraging his sons to embrace godly wisdom, citing his own father’s teachings to illustrate wisdom’s value and its ability to guide one towards righteousness and away from wickedness. He then contrasts the prosperous path of wisdom with the ruinous ways of the wicked. In the final set of instructions, the father advises his son to steadfastly follow the path of wisdom, highlighting the importance of maintaining focus and purity of heart to navigate life.

The Rev. John Lukomski, co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Proverbs 4. Find Wrestling with the Basics at kfuo.org/wrestlingwiththebasics.

Step into the spiritually rich landscape of the Book of Proverbs, a text divinely inspired and attributed to Solomon, the sage king endowed by God with unsurpassed wisdom. This ancient scripture begins with heartfelt lessons from a father to a son, laying a foundation of moral and ethical guidance before unfolding into a collection of timeless proverbs. It uniquely personifies wisdom and folly as two paths that stand before humanity, offering a choice between a life filled with virtue, fear of the Lord, and understanding, and one marred by shortsighted pleasures and foolishness. Proverbs serves as a compass for those seeking to walk in righteousness, offering insights that resonate deeply with the human experience, guiding us toward a life of purpose and discernment according to God’s will.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Proverbs 4

A Father’s Wise Instruction

4 Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may gain^[a] insight,
²for I give you good precepts;
    do not forsake my teaching.
³When I was a son with my father,
    tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
⁴he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
    keep my commandments, and live.
⁵Get wisdom; get insight;
    do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁶Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
    love her, and she will guard you.
⁷The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
    and whatever you get, get insight.
⁸Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
    she will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹She will place on your head a graceful garland;
    she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

¹⁰Hear, my son, and accept my words,
    that the years of your life may be many.
¹¹I have taught you the way of wisdom;
    I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
¹²When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
    and if you run, you will not stumble.
¹³Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
    guard her, for she is your life.
¹⁴Do not enter the path of the wicked,
    and do not walk in the way of the evil.
¹⁵Avoid it; do not go on it;
    turn away from it and pass on.
¹⁶For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
    they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.
¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
    which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
¹⁹The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
    they do not know over what they stumble.

²⁰My son, be attentive to my words;
    incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹Let them not escape from your sight;
    keep them within your heart.
²²For they are life to those who find them,
    and healing to all their^[b] flesh.
²³Keep your heart with all vigilance,
    for from it flow the springs of life.
²⁴Put away from you crooked speech,
    and put devious talk far from you.
²⁵Let your eyes look directly forward,
    and your gaze be straight before you.
²⁶Ponder^[c] the path of your feet;
    then all your ways will be sure.
²⁷Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
    turn your foot away from evil.

Footnotes

Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know
Proverbs 4:22 Hebrew his
Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Native North Carolinian Rev. Dr. Phil Booe serves pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio. His parishioners probably think he can’t teach Bible study without a mug of coffee in his hand, and he’ll always be happy to eat a plate of sushi. When he’s not shepherding his flock or teaching on the radio, you might find him watching bad movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and especially binging RiffTrax and MST3K episodes. Some day he’d love to travel to the Lutheran homeland in Germany, but for now he spends time in Minnesota with his wife, son, daughter, and cat, and looks forward to Holy Week every year.