Proverbs 4:8

8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.

Proverbs 4:8 in Other Translations

8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.

8 If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you.

8 Throw your arms around her - believe me, you won't regret it; never let her go - she'll make your life glorious.

8 Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.

8 Cherish wisdom. It will raise you up. It will bring you honor when you embrace it.

8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.

8 Value wisdom, and she will lift you up. Hold her close, and she will honor you.

Proverbs 4:8 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 4:8

Exalt her, and she shall promote thee
Christ is to be exalted in his person, by asserting his proper deity; by ascribing all divine perfections to him; by allowing him to be the author of all divine works; by giving him divine worship and homage; by owning his divine and eternal sonship, and distinct personality: he is to be exalted in all his offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, and as the only Redeemer and Saviour; by trusting in him, embracing his Gospel, and submitting to his ordinances, and such that exalt him, he will "promote" them here and hereafter; of which more in the next clause. According to the Talmudists ^F21, the word for "exalt" signifies a diligent search, by turning things about to find out what is sought; and so the Septuagint interpret the word in the sense of "searching", ( Jeremiah 50:26 ) ; she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her:
by faith: for this is an act of faith, and a very considerable one, and is expressive of great nearness to Christ, of much intimacy and familiarity with him, of strong love and affection to him, of a good degree of boldness used with him, and of joy and exaltation in him; for such an action is used by persons near akin, and are very familiar with, and have a very great affection for one another, and use much freedom with each other, and rejoice at meeting together. Now such who embrace Christ, in the arms of their faith, as their alone Saviour, such he promotes and "brings to honour"; not to honour among men, for to embrace Christ and exalt him is the way to disgrace, though the disgrace is an honour, and will be before long rolled off; but to honour hereafter. Such will be set at his right hand, and be owned by him before his Father and his angels; and they will be placed on the same throne with him, and will reign with him for ever and ever; see ( 1 Samuel 2:30 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 T. Bab. Roshhashanah, fol. 26. 2.

Proverbs 4:8 In-Context

6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.

7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.

9 She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.”

10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 2:30; S Proverbs 3:18