Proverbs 3:6 - Exposition

In all thy ways. This expression covers the whole area of life's action—all its acts and undertakings, its spiritual and secular sides, no less than its public and private, It guards against our acknowledging God in great crises and solemn acts of worship only (Plumptre). Acknowledge ( daehu ); Vulgate, cogita ; LXX ; γνέριζε . The Hebrew verb yada signifies "to know, recognize." To acknowledge God is, therefore, to recognize, in all our dealings and undertakings, God's overruling providence, which "shapes our ends, rough hew them as we will." It is not a mere theoretical acknowledgment, but one that engages the whole energies of the soul (Delitzsch), and sees in God power, wisdom, providence, goodness, and justice. This meaning is conveyed by the Vulgate cogitare, which is "to consider" in all parts, "to reflect upon." David's advice to his son Solomon is, "Know thou ( ola ) the God of thy father." We may well acknowledge Jehovah; for he "knoweth the way of the righteous" ( Psalms 1:6 ). Acknowledging God also implies that we first ascertain whether what we are about to take in hand is in accordance with his precepts, and then look for his direction and illumination (Wardlaw). And he shall direct thy paths ( v'hu y'yashsher or'khotheyka ); i.e. he himself shall make them straight, or level, removing all obstacles out of the way; or they shall, under God's direction, prosper and come to a successful issue; they shall be virtuous, inasmuch as deviation into vice will be guarded against, and happy, because they are prosperous. The pronoun v'hu is emphatic, "he himself;" Vulgate, et ipse. Yashar, piel. is "to make a way straight," as in Proverbs 9:15 ; Proverbs 15:21 ; Proverbs 11:5 . Cf. the LXX . ὀρθοτομεῖν , "to cut straight" (see on Proverbs 11:5 ). God here binds himself by a covenant (Lapide). This power is properly attributed to God, for "it is not in man to direct his steps" ( Jeremiah 10:23 ).