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So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Proverbs 3:4 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
  • BSB Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man.
  • NKJV And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
  • NASB So you will find favor and a good reputation In the sight of God and man.
  • NLT Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

So you will find favor and good repute with God and man. It matters because a life of love and faithfulness wins approval from both.

Overview

The fruit of keeping kindness and truth (v. 3) is favor before God and a good name among people. Genuine godliness commends itself in both spheres. This recalls the young Jesus, who grew in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 9

  • Luke 2:52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
  • 1 Sam 2:26And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
  • Rom 14:18For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
  • Ps 111:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
  • Gen 39:2–4And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
  • Gen 39:21But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
  • Acts 2:47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
  • Dan 1:9Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
  • Josh 1:7–8Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Proverbs videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Proverbs 3:4YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ProverbsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.

How Proverbs 3:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.