What is the meaning of Proverbs 6:21? Bind them always upon your heart “Bind them always upon your heart;” (Proverbs 6:21a) - The “them” points back to the “commandment of your father and the teaching of your mother” (v. 20). Scripture treats these instructions as God-given wisdom, fully reliable and meant to be obeyed. - “Bind” is an unmistakably literal command: attach God’s Word so closely to the inner person that it cannot slip away. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 and 11:18 echo the same idea—God’s words are to be fixed on the heart and mind without interruption. - “Always” removes every loophole. Joshua 1:8 says the Book of the Law “shall not depart from your mouth,” while Psalm 119:11 shows the psalmist storing up the Word in his heart to guard against sin. - The “heart” is the control center of thought, choice, and affection (see Matthew 22:37). When wisdom rules there, every outward action is shaped by it. - Practical ways to obey: • Memorize key passages (Psalm 1:2). • Meditate on them throughout daily routines (Proverbs 4:4). • Let them guide private motives before they govern public behavior (Proverbs 23:19). Tie them around your neck “tie them around your neck.” (Proverbs 6:21b) - Moving from the inner life to outward display, this phrase calls for wisdom to be worn where it is visible and constant, like an ornament that never comes off. Proverbs 3:3 repeats, “Bind them around your neck,” while Proverbs 1:9 pictures parental teaching as “a garland of grace.” - The neck connects head and body; wisdom tied there signals that every decision of the mind and every act of the body are under Scriptural authority. - In Exodus 13:9 and Deuteronomy 6:8 Israel literally bound God’s words as signs, illustrating the seriousness of keeping them in plain view. - A necklace remains close in sleep, travel, work, and worship—so God’s commands must stay with us in every context (Colossians 3:17). - Benefits Scripture promises when wisdom is kept in sight: • Guidance—“When you walk, they will guide you” (Proverbs 6:22). • Protection—“They will watch over you” (same verse). • Honor—wise living becomes an adornment far better than gold (Proverbs 3:16-18). summary Proverbs 6:21 calls for God-given wisdom to be fastened internally and externally. First, we are to bind it permanently to the heart so that every motive and desire submits to Scripture’s unerring truth. Second, we are to tie it around the neck so that our words, choices, and reputation openly display obedience. Taken together, the verse urges believers to make God’s Word an inseparable, continual companion—shaping character within and testifying to righteousness without. |
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