Limitless Word
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
Proverbs 8:34 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.
  • BSB Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway.
  • NKJV Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.
  • NASB “Blessed is the person who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.
  • NLT Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me daily at my gates, waiting for me outside my home!

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

Blessed is the one who watches daily at wisdom's gates, eager to listen. Persistent, attentive seeking of wisdom brings blessing.

Overview

The image of waiting daily at the doorposts conveys eager, habitual devotion to wisdom, like a servant attending faithfully at his master's house. Blessing belongs to those who make seeking wisdom a daily discipline rather than an occasional interest. Such watchful attentiveness mirrors the believer's call to abide in Christ and meditate on his word continually (John 15:4-7).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 15

  • Luke 11:28But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
  • Matt 7:24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
  • Prov 3:13Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
  • Acts 2:42And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
  • Luke 10:39And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
  • Ps 27:4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
  • Acts 17:11–12These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
  • Ps 84:10For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
  • Prov 3:18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
  • Prov 2:3–4Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
  • Luke 1:6And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
  • Ps 92:13Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
  • Prov 1:21She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
  • Jas 1:22–25But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
  • John 8:31–32Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

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 8:34YouTube · 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 8:34 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.