Proverbs 4:6

Old Testament Wisdom/Poetry ASV (1901)

What does Proverbs 4:6 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee.
Proverbs 4:6 — American Standard Version

Context — Proverbs 4

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
6Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee, etc.] That is, Wisdom, or Christ. Men may be said to forsake Christ when they forsake the assembly of his church and people, which are his other self; when they forsake his ministers, his ambassadors, and representatives; when they forsake his word and ordinances; when they drop the doctrines of the Gospel, or depart from them; when they quit the profession they have formerly made. Nominal believers and formal professors may forsake him finally and totally; true believers only partially and for a time, through the weakness of the flesh, the temptations of Satan, the snares of the world, and the prevalence of corruption; and therefore such an…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Not only accept but love wisdom, who will keep thee from evil, and evil from thee.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The counsel which has come to him, in substance, from his father. Compare it with 2 Samuel 23:2 etc.; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 1 Chronicles 29:17; Psalms 15:1-5; Psalms 24:1-10; Psalms 37:0. Proverbs 4:7 Or, “The beginning of wisdom is - get wisdom.” To seek is to find, to desire is to obtain. Proverbs 4:12 The ever-recurring parable of the journey of life. In the way of wisdom the path is clear and open, obstacles disappear; in the quickest activity (“when thou runnest”) there is no risk of falling. Proverbs 4:13 She is thy life - Another parallel between personified Wisdom in this book and the Incarnate Wisdom in John 1:4. Proverbs 4:16 A fearful stage of debasement. Sin is the condition without…”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“4:6 she: In Proverbs, wisdom is sometimes personified as a woman (see 1:20-33; 8:1–9:6).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“love: Pro 4:21, Pro 4:22, Pro 2:10-12; Eph 3:17; Th2 2:10 Proverbs 4:7”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification