Proverbs 3:22 - Exposition

So shall they he life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck. So shall they be ( n'yikva ); and they shall be. The "soul" and "neck" stand for the whole man in his twofold nature, internal and external. Life is in its highest and widest sense given to the soul (see Proverbs 2:16 , Proverbs 2:18 ; Proverbs 4:22 ; Proverbs 8:35 ), and favour is conferred on the man, i.e. he becomes acceptable to his neighbours, if he has wisdom. The latter expression is very similar to Proverbs 1:9 , where the same promise is expressed, "grace" ( hon ) being equivalent to "ornament of grace" ( liv'yath hon ) . Others understand "grace to thy neck" ( hon l'garg' grotheyka ) , as gratia guttturis, in the sense of "grace of the lips," as in Psalms 45:3 and Proverbs 22:11 , that is, as the grace of speaking, power of eloquent and effective utterance (Gejerus, Bayne, Lapide). It is better to take it as referring to the adornment of the personal character, and so by metonymy of the favour and kindness which it procures.