Proverbs 3:14

For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. FOR THE MERCHANDISE OF IT IS BETTER THAN THE MERCHANDISE OF SILVER, AND THE GAIN THEREOF THAN FINE GOLD. "The merchandise of it" is what it (wisdom) bugs-the gain which redounds from it-namely, salvation. Wisdom is itself an article of merchandise "better than silver," because wisdom such as Solomon means involves with it salvation and eternal life (, etc.; ). "The gain" - literally, the produce, as from lands: a new image; as in it is called a "tree of life....

13-20 No precious jewels or earthly treasures are worthy to be compared with true wisdom, whether the concerns of time or eternity be considered. We must make wisdom our business; we must venture all in it, and be willing to part with all for it. This Wisdom is the Lord Jesus Christ and his salvation, sought and obtained by faith and prayer. Were it not for unbelief, remaining sinfulness, and carelessness, we should find all our ways pleasantness, and our paths peace, for his are so; but we too often step aside from them, to our own hurt and grief. Christ is that Wisdom, by whom the worlds were made, and still are in being; happy are those to whom he is made of God wisdom. He has wherewithal to make good all his promises....

Verse Proverbs 3:14. _FOR THE MERCHANDISE_] סחר _sachar_, the _traffic_, the _trade_ that is carried on by _going through countries_ and _provinces_ with such articles as they could carry on the backs of camels, c. from סחר _sachar_, to _go about, traverse_. _Chaffarynge_; Old MS. Bible. _AND THE GAIN THEREOF_] תבואתה _tebuathah_, its _produce_; what is gained by the articles after all expenses are paid. The _slaves_, as we have already seen, got their _liberty_ if they were so lucky as to find a diamond of so many carats' weight; he who _finds_ _wisdom_-the _knowledge_ and _salvation of God _- gets a greater prize; for he obtains the _liberty of the Gospel_, is adopted into the _family of God_, and made an _heir_ according to the hope of an eternal life....

Compare Proverbs 2:4. “Fine gold” is apparently a technical word of that commerce, the native gold in the nugget or the dust....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 3:1 4. _Fourth admonitory discourse. _The third chapter introduces us to a group of admonitions, and the first of these (Proverbs 3:1) forms the fourth admonitory discourse of the teacher. To all intents and purposes this is a continuation of the discourse in the preceding chapter, for inasmuch as that described the benefits, spiritual and moral, which follow from the pursuit of Wisdom, in promoting godliness and providing safety from evil companions, so this in like manner depicts the gain flowing from Wisdom, the happiness of the man who finds Wisdom, and the favour which he meets with both with God and man. The discourse embraces exhortations to obedience ...

FOR THE MERCHANDISE OF IT [IS] BETTER THAN THE MERCHANDISE OF SILVER,.... The believer is a spiritual merchant; faith is a trading with and for Christ, and for spiritual and heavenly things by him; and because there is a parting with something for Christ, as a man's sinful lusts and pleasures, his own righteousness, his friends and relations, when set in opposition to or competition with him, and even life itself, when called for; and because he runs a risk of suffering reproach, afflictions, and death itself; therefore this concern with him, and enjoyment of him, is called a "merchandise", which is "better than [that] of silver", or than silver which is got by merchandise: for Christ, and the things of Christ, are more valuable than silver, and to be preferred unto it; more useful and profitable than silver is, which a man may have a large abundance of, and lose his soul, whereas by Chr...

CHAPTER 3 _ 1. The call and promise of wisdom (Proverbs 3:1)_ 2. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom (Proverbs 3:11) 3. Promise and instruction (Proverbs 3:21) Proverbs 3:1. The call to obedience is followed by promise. The promise is like all the promises to an earthly people “for length of days and long life”. Here are some blessed exhortations loved and cherished by all His people (Proverbs 3:5). How happier, and more fruitful the children of God would be if they obeyed constantly this instruction: “in all thy

FOURTH Discourse. The sage exhorts the young man to heed his oral instruction (_torah),_ and to trust in Yahweh, fear Him, and honour Him in the prescribed manner of firstfruits. It is interesting to find _torah_ used in its earlier prophetic sense of oral instruction, without reference to its later sense of the whole body of legislation represented by the Pentateuch. The torah of the wise man represents not his own individual authority, but the accumulated wisdom of experience. The torah of the prophet, although delivered in the name of Yahweh, represents ultimately the accumulated moral consciousness of the nation; while the torah of the priest in its later form at least represents the traditional and inherited ritual, the prescribed method of the cultus. Hence the primary idea of torah is the same in all three forms. (See pp. 121, 620, Deuteronomy 1:5 *, and for a fuller disc

THE MERCHANDISE OF IT: i.e. literal, her merchandise....

_the merchandise of it_ Comp. Matthew 13:45-46, where this proverb is expanded into a parable. The same idea of trading in the moral and spiritual sphere occurs in Proverbs 11:19; Proverbs 23:23; Job 28:15-19....