Proverbs 22:12

“The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, etc.] That is, the providence of God, whose eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth; these preserve the knowledge of himself, even among the Heathens in some measure; for what may be known of God is manifest in them, and showed to them: more particularly his providence has preserved the Scriptures, the means of knowledge, which men would have destroyed; and preserves men of knowledge, as Aben Ezra interprets it, the ministers of the word, the stars he holds in his right hand; and he preserves spiritual and experimental knowledge in the hearts of his people, and causes it to increase; and continues his Gospel and a Gospel ministry in the world,…”

“preserve--or guard. knowledge--its principles and possessors. overthroweth--utterly confounds and destroys the wicked.”

“Preserve - God by the watchful eye of his providence maintains and defends. Knowledge - Men of knowledge, knowing and good men. The matters - All his hopes, enterprizes, and concerns. Proverbs 22:14”

“22:12 This proverb reminds the wise (those with knowledge) that the Lord is in control.”

“eyes: Ch2 16:9; Isa 59:19-21; Mat 16:16-18; Act 5:39, Act 12:23, Act 12:24; Rev 11:3-11; Rev 12:14-17 he: Job 5:12, Job 5:13; Act 8:9-12, Act 13:8-12; Th2 2:8; Ti2 3:8, Ti2 3:9 words: or, matters Proverbs 22:13”

“12 The eyes of Jahve preserve knowledge; So he frustrateth the words of the false. The phrase "to preserve knowledge" is found at Pro 5:2; there, in the sense of to keep, retain; here, of protecting, guarding; for it cannot possibly be said that the eyes of God keep themselves by the rule of knowledge, and thus preserve knowledge; this predicate is not in accord with the eyes, and is, as used of God, even inappropriate. On the other hand, after "to preserve," in the sense of watching, guarding a concrete object is to be expected, cf. Isa 26:3. We need not thus with Ewald supply יודע; the ancients are right that דעת, knowledge, stands metonymically for אישׁ (Meri), or אנשׁי (Aben Ezra), or…”