Proverbs 3:3 - Exposition

Mercy and truth ( khesed vermeth ); properly, love and truth ; Vulgate, misericordia et veritas ; LXX ; ἐλεημοσύναι καὶ πίστεις . With this verse begin the commandments which are alluded to in Proverbs 3:1 . The Hebrew khesed has to be understood in its widest sense, though the Vulgate and the LXX . confine it to one aspect of its meaning, viz. that which refers to the relation of man to man, to the pity evoked by the sight of another's misfortunes, and to ahnsgiving. The radical meaning of the word is "ardent desire," from the root khasad, "to eagerly or ardently desire." Delitzsch describes it as "well affectedness." Predicated of God, it indicates God's love and grace towards man; predicated of man, it signifies man's love toward s God, i.e. piety, or man's love towards his neighbour, i.e. humanity. Where this mercy or love is exhibited in man it finds expression in

(1) mutual outward help;

The word carries with it the ideas of kindlim as, benignity (Targum, benignitas ), and grace (Syriac, gratia ) . Truth ( emeth ); properly, firmness, or stability, and so fidelity in which one performs one's promise. Truth is that absolute integrity of character, beth in word and deed, which secures the unhesitating confidence of all (Wardlaw). Umbreit and Elster designate it as inward truthfulness, the pectus rectum, the very essence of a true man. As khesed excludes all selfishness and hate, so emeth excludes all hypocrisy and dissimulation. These two virtues are frequently combined in the Proverbs ( e.g. Proverbs 14:22 ; Proverbs 16:16 ; Proverbs 20:28 ) and Psalms ( e.g. Psalms 25:10 ; Psalms 40:11 ; Psalms 57:4-11 ; Psalms 108:5 ; Psalms 138:2 ), and, when predicated of man, indicate the highest normal standard of moral perfection (Zockler). The two ideas are again brought together in the New Testament phrase, ἀληθεύειν ἐν ἀγάπη , "to speak the truth in love" ( Ephesians 4:15 ). There seems little ground for the remark of Salasius, that "mercy" refers to our neighbours, and "truth" to God. Each virtue, in fact, has a twofold reference—one to God, the other to man. The promise in verse 4, that the exercise of these virtues procures favour with God and man, implies this twofold aspect. Bind them about thy neck; either