Proverbs 3:22
New International Version
they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.

New Living Translation
for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace.

English Standard Version
and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.

Berean Standard Bible
They will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck.

King James Bible
So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

New King James Version
So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck.

New American Standard Bible
And they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck.

NASB 1995
So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck.

NASB 1977
So they will be life to your soul, And adornment to your neck.

Legacy Standard Bible
So they will be life for your soul And grace for your neck.

Amplified Bible
And they will be life to your soul (your inner self) And a gracious adornment to your neck (your outer self).

Christian Standard Bible
They will be life for you and adornment for your neck.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They will be life for you and adornment for your neck.

American Standard Version
So shall they be life unto thy soul, And grace to thy neck.

Contemporary English Version
They will help you to live a long and beautiful life.

English Revised Version
So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then they will mean life for you, and they will grace your neck.

Good News Translation
They will provide you with life--a pleasant and happy life.

International Standard Version
and they will be life to you and a graceful ornament for your neck.

Majority Standard Bible
They will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck.

NET Bible
So they will give life to you, and grace to adorn your neck.

New Heart English Bible
so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.

Webster's Bible Translation
So shall they be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

World English Bible
so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they are life to your soul, and grace to your neck.

Young's Literal Translation
And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

Smith's Literal Translation
And they shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy throat.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And there shall be life to thy soul, and grace to thy mouth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And so shall there be life in your soul and grace in your voice.

New American Bible
So will they be life to your soul, and an adornment for your neck.

New Revised Standard Version
and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So shall they be life to your soul and grace to your neck.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And it shall be Life to your soul and Grace to your neck.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
So shall they be life unto thy soul, And grace to thy neck.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
that thy soul may live, and that there may be grace round thy neck; and it shall be health to thy flesh, and safety to thy bones:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Blessings of Wisdom
21My son, do not lose sight of this: Preserve sound judgment and discernment. 22They will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck. 23Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.…

Cross References
Proverbs 4:21-22
Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. / For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.

Proverbs 1:9
For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.

Proverbs 6:22
When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.

Proverbs 8:35
For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD.

Proverbs 16:22
Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessor, but the discipline of fools is folly.

Proverbs 2:10-11
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul. / Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,

Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

Proverbs 19:8
He who acquires wisdom loves himself; one who safeguards understanding will find success.

Proverbs 24:14
Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off.

Proverbs 22:4
The rewards of humility and the fear of the LORD are wealth and honor and life.

Matthew 6:22-23
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. / But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

1 Corinthians 1:30
It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

Ephesians 1:17-18
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. / I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,


Treasury of Scripture

So shall they be life to your soul, and grace to your neck.

life

Proverbs 4:22
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Isaiah 38:16
O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.

John 12:49,50
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak…

grace

Proverbs 1:9
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

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Adornment Grace Life Neck Ornament Soul
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Adornment Grace Life Neck Ornament Soul
Proverbs 3
1. various exhortations
13. The gain of wisdom
27. Exhortation to goodness
33. the different state of the wicked and upright














They will be life to your soul
The phrase "They will be life to your soul" speaks to the transformative power of wisdom and understanding, as discussed in the preceding verses of Proverbs 3. The Hebrew word for "life" is "חַיִּים" (chayyim), which implies not just physical vitality but a fullness of life that encompasses spiritual and emotional well-being. In the ancient Near Eastern context, life was seen as a gift from God, and wisdom was a means to align oneself with God's order and purpose. The "soul," or "נֶפֶשׁ" (nephesh) in Hebrew, refers to the entire being of a person, indicating that wisdom nourishes and sustains one's innermost self. This phrase encourages believers to seek wisdom as a source of true life, echoing the biblical theme that spiritual insight leads to a flourishing existence.

and adornment to your neck
The phrase "and adornment to your neck" uses the imagery of jewelry to convey the value and beauty of wisdom. In ancient cultures, adornments such as necklaces were symbols of honor, status, and beauty. The Hebrew word for "adornment" is "לִוְיַת" (livyat), which can also mean a garland or wreath, suggesting something that encircles and enhances. The neck, or "גַּרוֹן" (garon) in Hebrew, is a visible and prominent part of the body, symbolizing how wisdom should be evident in one's life. This imagery suggests that wisdom not only enriches the inner life but also enhances one's outward demeanor and reputation. In a conservative Christian perspective, this adornment is not merely for personal glory but reflects the glory of God, as believers are called to live in a way that honors Him. The verse thus inspires Christians to pursue wisdom as a precious and visible testament to their faith and devotion.

Verse 22. - 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, 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 Psalm 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.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They will be
וְיִֽהְי֣וּ (wə·yih·yū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

life
חַיִּ֣ים (ḥay·yîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

to your soul
לְנַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ (lə·nap̄·še·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

and adornment
וְ֝חֵ֗ן (wə·ḥên)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2580: Graciousness, subjective, objective

to your neck.
לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃ (lə·ḡar·gə·rō·ṯe·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1621: The throat


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 3:22 So they will be life to your (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 3:21
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