Proverbs 3:19

This place of a mediatrix - the speaker here now continues - she had from the beginning. God's world-creating work was mediated by her: 19 Jahve hath by wisdom founded the earth, Established the heavens by understanding. 20 By His knowledge the water-floods broke forth, And the sky dropped down dew. That wisdom is meant by which God planned the world-idea, and now also wrought it out; the wisdom in which God conceived the world ere it was framed, and by which also He gave external realization to His thoughts; the wisdom which is indeed an attribute of God and a characteristic of His actions, since she is a property of His nature, and His nature attests itself in her, but not less, as appears, not from this group of tetrastichs, but from all that has hitherto been said, and form the personal testimony, Pro 8:22., of which it is the praeludium, she goes forth as a divine power to which God has given to have life in herself. Considered apart from the connection of these discourses, this group of verses, as little as Jer 10:2; Psa 104:24, determines regarding the attributive interpretation; the Jerusalem Targum, I, when it translates, Gen 1:1, בראשׁית by בּחוּכמא (בּחוּכמתא), combines Pro 8:22 with such passages as this before us. יסד (here with the tone thrown back) properly signifies, like the Arab. wasad, to lay fast, to found, for one gives to a fact the firm basis of its existence. The parallel Pil. of כּוּן (Arab. kân, cogn. כהן, see on Isaiah, p. 691) signifies to set up, to restore; here equivalent to, to give existence. Pro 3:20 It is incorrect to understand 20a, with the Targ., of division, i.e., separating the water under the firmament from the water above the firmament; נבקע is spoken of water, especially of its breaking forth, Gen 7:11; Exo 14:21, cf. Psa 74:1…

This chapter is one of the most excellent in all this book, both for argument to persuade us to be religious and for directions therein. I. We must be constant to our duty because that is the way to be happy (Pro 3:1-4). II. We must live a life of dependence upon God because that is the way to be safe (Pro 3:5). III. We must keep up the fear of God because that is the way to be healthful (Pro 3:7, Pro 3:8). IV. We must serve God with our estates because that is the way to be rich (Pro 3:9, Pro 3:10). V. We must hear afflictions well because that is the way to get good by them (Pro 3:11, Pro 3:12). VI. We must take pains to obtain wisdom because that is the way to gain her, and to gain by her (Pro 3:13-20). VII. We must always govern ourselves by the rules of wisdom, of right reason and religion, because that is the way to be always easy (Pro 3:21-26). VIII. We must do all the good we can, and no hurt, to our neighbours, because according as men are just or unjust, charitable or uncharitable, humble or haughty, accordingly they shall receive of God (Pro 3:27-35). From all this it appears what a tendency religion has to make men both blessed and blessings.

3:19-20 God’s wisdom created harmony in the universe. Having wisdom means living in conformity with principles embedded in creation.