Proverbs 3:2

Pro 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

Ver. 2. For length of days.] A sweet mercy, and generally desired. {Psa 34:12} Short life is reckoned as a curse, {Psa 89:47} yet in some cases it is a blessing. {1Ki 14:13 Isa 57:1} Wκυμοροι οι θεοφιλεις - God taketh away his from the evil to come, {a} as, when there is a fire in a house or town, men carry out their jewels; but then God makes them up in his cabinet. "They do enter into peace"; their souls go to heaven; "they rest in their beds"; {Isa 57:2} their bodies rest sweetly and safely in the grave till the resurrection of the just. And is not this far better than the longest life here? Length of days may prove a curse, when it brings shame, sorrow, &c., as it did to Cain, Ham, &c.

And peace shall they add to thee.] Without which to live is nothing else but to lie dying. Rebecca, for want of this, was weary of her life; so was Elijah when he sat under the juniper tree. "All the days of the afflicted are evil." {Pro 15:15} Sυνοικουσι, ου συμβιουσι; they dwell together; they do not live together, said Themistocles of married folk that agree not. Non ille diu vixit, sed diu fuit, said Seneca of one. And again, Non multum navigavit, sed multum iactatus est; He was tossed much up and down, but sailed not far, as being driven about by contrary winds.

Shall they add to thee.] Multiplicem pacem significat, saith one. "Peace, peace," as in Isa 26:3; that is, a multiplied peace; with God, with one’s self, with others; or a renewed continued peace, today, tomorrow, and every day; or a perfect, sheer, pure peace.

{a} Oν φιλει φεος, θνησκει νεος. - Dion. Prus. Orat. 28.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro_3:2

Long life and peace shall they add to thee.

The philosophy of health and peace

I. Obedience to moral law is a condition of physical health. Heart-obedience is required. The connection is clear from three facts.

1. That physical health requires obedience to the Divine laws of our being.

2. That obedience to the Divine laws of our being involves the study of them.

3. That a hearty agreement with the Divine will is essential to secure the study of His laws.

II. Obedience to moral law is a condition of spiritual peace. Peace of soul requires two things.

1. The inward harmony of its powers.

2. The sense of the Divine favour. The feeling, or even the fear, that the Lord is against it, gives it the throb of perpetual restlessness or torture. Obedience to moral law secures the two conditions of this peace. (D. Thomas, D. D.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3:2 Those who obey God’s laws are more likely to live many years; wickedness generally has negative physical and psychological consequences. However, evil people sometimes outlive righteous people (Eccl 7:15-18).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Long life is the blessing of God which he giveth to his, so far forth as it is expedient for them.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

length . . . life--often promised as blessings (Psa 21:4; Psa 91:16).

peace--includes prosperity (Psa 125:5).

add--abound to thee.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. For length of days] THREE eminent blessings are promised here:

1. ארך ימים orech yamim, long days;

2. שנות חיים shenoth chaiyim, years of lives;

3. שלום shalom, prosperity; i.e. health, long life, and abundance.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

III.

(d) Fourth Discourse:—Exhortation to Various Virtues (Pro iii 1-18).

(2) Long life.—That is, a life worth living, fit to be called “life”; whereas” length of days” only implies extension of life, the reward promised for obedience to parents.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. long life] Rather, with A.V. marg. and R.V. text, years of life. There is perhaps a climax; not only length of days, prolonged existence, but years of life truly so-called, life worth living. The distinction is at least suggested by the use of βίος in the first clause and ζωή in the second by the LXX. μῆκος βίου, ἔτη ζωῆς: not alone vita quam vivimus, but vita quâ vivimus.

peace] This word, meaning literally wholeness, completeness, contains implicitly and is gradually developed into its full Biblical sense: “the greatest blessing, even peace, a blessing which no man is able to afford,” Philo quoted by Bp Westcott on St Joh_14:17. Comp. Php_4:7.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For length of days, and long life,.... Or, "years of life", or "lives" (f); a long life of usefulness and comfort here, and eternal life hereafter: the law of Moses promised a long life to the observers of it; but the Gospel of Christ brings an immortal life to light and promises to all believers in him that they shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life. "Length of days for ever and ever" was asked by Christ of his Father, Psa 21:4, and given him, and is in his right hand, Pro 3:16; it is in his power to give, and he does give it to all his children, people, and followers, Psa 21:4;

and peace shall they add to thee; the Gospel is the Gospel of peace, which not only proclaims peace by the blood of Christ; but the doctrines of it, such as justification by the righteousness of Christ, pardon by his blood, and atonement by his sacrifice, are the means of giving and increasing spiritual peace in the hearts of believers; and so are the ordinances of Christ, which in Pro 3:17; are called, for that reason, "paths of peace"; see Rom 5:1.

(f) "annos vitarum", Montanus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Three words carry on the chain of blessings:

(1) “Length of days” (see the Psa 91:16 note);

(2) “Years of life,” i. e., of a life worth living (compare Psa 30:5; Psa 42:8);

(3) “Peace,” tranquility inward and outward, the serenity of life continuing through old age until death. Compare 1Ti 4:8.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Peace. These prefigured more substantial blessings. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

God will add these blessings which he hath promised to the obedient, Deu 8:18; 30:20; 1Ti 4:8.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. Length of days — Piety and morality tend to longevity and prosperity. Some suppose that the verb is used impersonally — shall be added. But Miller renders, “For length of days and years of life and prosperity shall make thee greater.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Length of days (orek yamim); Vulgate, longitudo dierum. The expression is literally "extension of days," and signifies the prolongation of life, its duration to the appointed limit a meaning which is brought out in the LXX mhkov biou , "length of days," the Greek word biov being used, not of existence, but of the time and course of life. It occurs again in ver. 16, and also in Job_12:12 and Psa_21:4. "Length of days" is represented as a blessing in the Old Testament, depending, however, as in the present instance, on the fulfilment of certain conditions. Thus in the fifth commandment it is appended to the honouring of parents, (Exo_20:12) and it was promised to Solomon, at Gibeon, on the condition that he walked in the way, statutes, and commandments of God. (1Ki_3:14) The promise of prolongation of life is not to be pressed historically as applying to every individual case, but is to be taken as indicating the tendency of keeping the Divine precepts, which, as a rule, ensure preservation of health, and hence "length of days." Long life (vush"noth khayyim); literally, years of life; Targum Jonathan, Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic, anni vitae; LXX, eth zwhv . The Authorized Version scarcely serves to bring out the sense of the original, as there is practically no difference in meaning between "length of days" and "long life? The idea conveyed in the expression, "years of life," is that of material prosperity. The thought of an extended life is carried on from the preceding expression, but it is amplified and described. The years of life will be many, but they will be years of life in its truest sense, as one of true happiness and enjoyment, free from distracting cares, sickness, and other drawbacks. The Hebrew plural, khayyim, "lives," is equivalent to the Greek expression, biov biwtov , "a life worth while living" (cf. Plat., "Apol.," 38, A). To the Israelitish mind, the happiness of life consisted in "dwelling in the land", (Deu_4:40 Deu_5:30, etc.) and "abiding in the house of the Lord" (Psa_15:1 Psa_23:6 Psa_27:3) (Zockler). The conjecture that the plural, khayyim, signifies the present and the future life, is unfounded. The scope of the promise before us is confined to the present stage of existence, and it is negatived also by the similar use of the plural in Pro_16:5, "In the light of the king"s countenance is life (khayyim)," where khayyim cannot possibly refer to the future life. Khayyim stands for life in its fulness. "Godliness" has indeed, as St. Paul wrote to Timothy, "promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come". (1Ti_4:8) Peace (shalom). The verb shalam, from which the substantive shalom is derived, signifies "to be whole, sound, safe," and hence "peace" means internal and external contentment, and tranquility of mind arising from the sense of safety. In ver. 17 the ways of Wisdom are designated peace. While, on the one hand, peace is represented by the psalmist as the possession of those who love God"s Law, (Psa_119:165) on the other, it is denied the wicked. (Isa_48:22 Isa_57:21) Shall they add to thee; i.e. shall the precepts and commands bring (Zockler) or heap upon (Muffet) thee.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

they shall add length of days...and peace The Torah and the commandments.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.