The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.
Note - All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew or Greek definition(s).
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. 16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
God’s Sovereignty and Wisdom
Note: The verses fall under the “Law of Double Reference” which means that a portion of Scripture applies in more than one way to more than one group of people. Here we see both God’s Sovereignty addressed, and God’s Wisdom bestowed upon leaders.
“Counsel is mine” the “mine” in this verse is Wisdom, with a capital “W” because it is a reference to God, the source of all Divine Wisdom, and Wisdom itself or Himself.
“Counsel” in the Hebrew language is defined as:
6098. עֵצָה ˓êtsâh, ay-tsaw’; from 3289; advice; by impl. plan; also prudence:— advice, advisement, counsel ([-lor]), purpose.
3289. יָעַץ yâ˓ats, yaw-ats’; a prim. root; to advise; refl. to deliberate or resolve:— advertise, take advice, advise (well), consult, (give, take) counsel (-lor), determine, devise, guide, purpose.
In one aspect God is saying to us that Divine Counsel can only come from Him. To act with a godly “plan,” godly “prudence,” godly “purpose,” or to make a godly “determination” about something, “to deliberate and resolve” a matter in a godly way can only come from the Divine Counsel of God by way of The Holy Spirit. If it comes from worldly wisdom and worldly intellect then it is not of God, it is not godly counsel.
In another aspect, God is saying that He “guides” the king, princes, and nobles that He puts in place on the earth. That He through His Divine Counsel “guides and directs” them. As can be seen by looking into the definition of “sound wisdom” as found in verse fourteen.
“sound wisdom” in the Hebrew language is defined as:
8454. תּוּשִׁיָּה tûwshı̂yâh, too-shee-yaw’; or
תֻּשִׁיָּה tûshı̂yâh, too-shee-yaw’; from an unused root prob. mean. to substantiate; support or (by impl.) ability, i.e. (direct) help, (in purpose) an undertaking, (intellectual) understanding:— enterprise, that which (thing as it) is, substance, (sound) wisdom, working.
God puts His rulers and holds them in place. It is through His “support” and the “ability” that God provides them that these rulers are able to rule. He provides them “direct help” in their “undertaking” and “purpose” that His Sovereign Will might be brought to pass. God provides the “intellectual understanding” that these men and women need to rule. It is God and God alone that makes it all “work” in accordance with His Will, Wisdom, and an understanding that no human can even fathom.
For only God holds “perfect knowledge” and impeccable “discernment” of all things. Only God has the correct “feelings” on all matters. Only God can flawlessly “inform” or “teach” or “instruct” people. For God is, as verse fourteen states Understanding and by extension Wisdom is understanding.
“understanding” in the Hebrew language is defined as:
998. בִּינָה bı̂ynâh, bee-naw’; from 995; understanding:— knowledge, meaning, × perfectly, understanding, wisdom.
995. בִּין bı̂yn, bene; a prim. root; to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(gen.) understand:— attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill (-full), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) understand (-ing), view, (deal) wise (-ly, man).
God is, and therefore by extension, godly wisdom is strength, and this is not just some earthly form of strength. As you will see by the definition below God and godly wisdom is a “literal and figurative force” like no other. A force that brings “valor” and “victory” to circumstances. A “power” to end all powers. A force that creates the “valiant man” or woman; the noble, honorable, godly human being that only God can create.
“strength” in the Hebrew language is defined as:
1369. גְּבוּרָה gebûwrâh, gheb-oo-raw’; fem. pass. part. from the same as 1368; force (lit. or fig.); by impl. valor, victory:— force, mastery, might, mighty (act, power), power, strength.
1368. גִּבּוֹר gibbôwr, ghib-bore’; or (short.)
גִּבֹּר gibbôr, ghib-bore’; intens. from the same as 1397; powerful; by impl. warrior, tyrant:— champion, chief, × excel, giant, man, mighty (man, one), strong (man), valiant man.
We should not only pray for godly wisdom but for the ability to act in accordance with godly wisdom in every single action we take and decision we make.
This blog entry is part of an entire series on Proverbs that can be found on my personal blog at GodsTruthInLove.org
Note - All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew or Greek definition(s).
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. 16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
God’s Sovereignty and Wisdom
Note: The verses fall under the “Law of Double Reference” which means that a portion of Scripture applies in more than one way to more than one group of people. Here we see both God’s Sovereignty addressed, and God’s Wisdom bestowed upon leaders.
“Counsel is mine” the “mine” in this verse is Wisdom, with a capital “W” because it is a reference to God, the source of all Divine Wisdom, and Wisdom itself or Himself.
“Counsel” in the Hebrew language is defined as:
6098. עֵצָה ˓êtsâh, ay-tsaw’; from 3289; advice; by impl. plan; also prudence:— advice, advisement, counsel ([-lor]), purpose.
3289. יָעַץ yâ˓ats, yaw-ats’; a prim. root; to advise; refl. to deliberate or resolve:— advertise, take advice, advise (well), consult, (give, take) counsel (-lor), determine, devise, guide, purpose.
In one aspect God is saying to us that Divine Counsel can only come from Him. To act with a godly “plan,” godly “prudence,” godly “purpose,” or to make a godly “determination” about something, “to deliberate and resolve” a matter in a godly way can only come from the Divine Counsel of God by way of The Holy Spirit. If it comes from worldly wisdom and worldly intellect then it is not of God, it is not godly counsel.
In another aspect, God is saying that He “guides” the king, princes, and nobles that He puts in place on the earth. That He through His Divine Counsel “guides and directs” them. As can be seen by looking into the definition of “sound wisdom” as found in verse fourteen.
“sound wisdom” in the Hebrew language is defined as:
8454. תּוּשִׁיָּה tûwshı̂yâh, too-shee-yaw’; or
תֻּשִׁיָּה tûshı̂yâh, too-shee-yaw’; from an unused root prob. mean. to substantiate; support or (by impl.) ability, i.e. (direct) help, (in purpose) an undertaking, (intellectual) understanding:— enterprise, that which (thing as it) is, substance, (sound) wisdom, working.
God puts His rulers and holds them in place. It is through His “support” and the “ability” that God provides them that these rulers are able to rule. He provides them “direct help” in their “undertaking” and “purpose” that His Sovereign Will might be brought to pass. God provides the “intellectual understanding” that these men and women need to rule. It is God and God alone that makes it all “work” in accordance with His Will, Wisdom, and an understanding that no human can even fathom.
For only God holds “perfect knowledge” and impeccable “discernment” of all things. Only God has the correct “feelings” on all matters. Only God can flawlessly “inform” or “teach” or “instruct” people. For God is, as verse fourteen states Understanding and by extension Wisdom is understanding.
“understanding” in the Hebrew language is defined as:
998. בִּינָה bı̂ynâh, bee-naw’; from 995; understanding:— knowledge, meaning, × perfectly, understanding, wisdom.
995. בִּין bı̂yn, bene; a prim. root; to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(gen.) understand:— attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill (-full), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) understand (-ing), view, (deal) wise (-ly, man).
God is, and therefore by extension, godly wisdom is strength, and this is not just some earthly form of strength. As you will see by the definition below God and godly wisdom is a “literal and figurative force” like no other. A force that brings “valor” and “victory” to circumstances. A “power” to end all powers. A force that creates the “valiant man” or woman; the noble, honorable, godly human being that only God can create.
“strength” in the Hebrew language is defined as:
1369. גְּבוּרָה gebûwrâh, gheb-oo-raw’; fem. pass. part. from the same as 1368; force (lit. or fig.); by impl. valor, victory:— force, mastery, might, mighty (act, power), power, strength.
1368. גִּבּוֹר gibbôwr, ghib-bore’; or (short.)
גִּבֹּר gibbôr, ghib-bore’; intens. from the same as 1397; powerful; by impl. warrior, tyrant:— champion, chief, × excel, giant, man, mighty (man, one), strong (man), valiant man.
We should not only pray for godly wisdom but for the ability to act in accordance with godly wisdom in every single action we take and decision we make.
This blog entry is part of an entire series on Proverbs that can be found on my personal blog at GodsTruthInLove.org
