Proverbs 3:26

Pro 3:26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Ver. 26. For the Lord shall be thy confidence.] The Hebrew word here used signifies both unconstant folly, {Ecc 7:28} and constant hope. {Psa 77:7} And Rabbi Solomon saith, that he had found in the Jerusalem Targum this text, thus censured and expounded, The Lord shall be with thee in thy folly; that is, he shall turn to thy good, even thine inconsiderate and rash enterprizes, if thou addict thyself to the study of wisdom.

And shall keep thy foot from being taken.] In the snare which thou wast near unto, by choosing rather to be held temerarious than timorous.

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.

The reason; such as are objects of God's favor.

be thy confidence--literally, "in thy confidence," in the source of thy strength (compare Nah 3:9, for the same construction, Hebrew).

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

For the Lord shall be thy confidence,.... The object of it, in whom thou shall put thy confidence, and be safe and secure from all fear and danger: or "the Lord shall be in thy confidence" (g); shall support thee in it, and maintain that, so that thou shalt not cast it away; the word used has sometimes the notion off oily in it, and Jarchi, from the Jerusalem Talmud, produces a sense agreeable to it;

"the Lord shall be in things in which thou art foolish;''

which, how absurd it may seem to be, will admit of a good interpretation; that the Lord will be with Wisdom's followers in things which may seem foolishness to the world; as Christ, the things of Christ, and the things of the Spirit of Christ, the Gospel, and the doctrines of it, are. The Targum is,

"the Lord shall be thine help,''

in all times of distress, difficulty, and danger;

and shall keep thy foot from being taken; in the snares of sin, temptation, and mischief; in those which Satan and the world lay for God's people; from these the Lord preserves them; wherefore happy are those that have an interest in Christ, who find and enjoy him.

(g) So Montanus, Vatablus, Michaelis.

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

Thy confidence; a sufficient and sure ground of confidence to thee.

From being taken, in the snares either of sin or of mischief.

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

26. Thy confidence — Literally, in thy confidence.

From being taken — That is, in the snare, or from capture. This wisdom will inspire strong confidence that Jehovah will preserve thee from hidden dangers.

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

Thy confidence (v"kis"leka); literally, as thy confidence. Kesel, primarily "loin" or "flank," as in Lev_3:14 Lev_10:15 Job_15:27, is apparently used here in its secondary meaning of "confidence," "hope," as in Job_8:14 Job_31:24 Psa_78:7. The b (v) prefixed is what is usually termed the b essentiae, or b pleonasticum (equivalent to the Latin tanquam, "as"), and serves to emphasize the connection between the predicate "thy confidence" and the subject "Jehovah". (cf. Exo_18:4; see Ewaht, "Lehrb.," 217, f. ; and Gesenius, "Gram.," Jehovah shall be in the highest sense your ground and object of confidence. Delitzsch describes kesel as confidence in the presence of evil: Jehovah in the presence of the "sudden fear," and of "the desolation of the wicked," the evils and calamities which overwhelm the wicked, shall be thy confidence. The sense of his all-encircling protection will render you undismayed. The meaning given to kesel as "foolhardiness" (Psa_49:14) and "folly". (Ecc_7:25) and the connection of kesel with ksilim in Pro_1:22, comes from the root idea kasal, "to be fleshly, or fat," the signification of which branches out on the one side into strength and boldness, and on the other into languor and inertness, and so folly or confidence in self (Schultens, i.e. ). The Talmudic rendering of the Rabbi Salomon approximates to this meaning, "and the things in which you seemed to be foolish (desipere videbaris) he will be at once present with you." Others, as Ziegler, Muentinghe, gave kesel its primary meaning, and translate, "Jehovah shall be as thy loins," the loins being regarded as the emblem of strength. Jehovah shall be your strength. But kesel does not appear to have this local application here. Wherever it is used in this sense, as in Job and Leviticus cited above, there is something in the context to point it out as a part of the body. Compare, however, the Vulgate. in latere suo, "in thy side or flank." The LXX renders, epi paswn odwn sou , "over all thy ways." From being taken (millaked); Vulgate, ne capiaris, "lest thou be taken." The meaning is, Jehovah will be your protection against all the snares and traps which the impious lay for you. Leked, "a being taken," is from lakad, "to take or catch animals" in a net or in snares. It only occurs here in the Proverbs. Its unusual appearance, together with other reasons, not tenable, however, has led Hitzig to reject vers. 22-26 as an interpolation.

The LXX reads, ptohsin , pavorem. Ptohsiv , in Plato, Aristotle, and Plutarch, is used subjectively, and means "any vehement emotion." The word only occurs once in the New Testament in 1Pe_3:6, mh foboumenh mhdemian ptohsin , where it is evidently quoted from the passage before us, in an objective sense, and designates some external cause of terror (cf. Authorized Version, "and be not afraid with any amazement;" see also Book of Common Prayer: "Solemnization of Matrimony," ad fin).

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

Shall be - A sure ground of confidence to thee. Taken - In the snares either of sin or mischief.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

For the Lord shall be your trust Heb. בכסלך, in your trust. Another explanation: in the things concerning which you are a fool (כסיל). This I found in Yerushalmi.

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.