What is the meaning of Proverbs 4:3? When I was a son to my father - Solomon recalls sitting under David’s personal instruction, highlighting real, lived discipleship. - “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction” (Proverbs 1:8) echoes that memory. - Parental teaching is a divine mandate: “Teach them diligently to your children” (Deuteronomy 6:7). - Obedience brings blessing: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1). - The verse urges us to receive and pass on truth inside the family, where faith is first formed. tender - The word paints Solomon as young, soft-hearted, easily shaped for good or ill. - God values that stage: “And the boy Samuel continued to grow… with the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:26). - It is the prime time for guidance: “Train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6). - Tenderness is not weakness; it is fertile soil for wisdom to take deep root. and the only child of my mother - Bathsheba’s singular focus on Solomon intensified both her affection and her instruction. - Unique love carries unique responsibility: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love” (Genesis 22:2). - God’s own words to Jesus reflect this pattern: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). - Knowing he was treasured, Solomon was expected to treasure wisdom in return. summary Proverbs 4:3 shows Solomon remembering his childhood—shaped by a devoted father, nurtured in youthful tenderness, and singled out by his mother’s love. Each phrase underscores how God uses close family bonds to plant enduring truth. The verse invites every reader to honor parental instruction, guard a soft heart, and cherish the privilege of passing on God’s wisdom to the next generation. |
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