Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

◄ Proverbs 3:5 ►

New International Version
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

New Living Translation
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

English Standard Version
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Berean Standard Bible
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

King James Bible
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

New King James Version
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

New American Standard Bible
Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.

NASB 1995
Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.

NASB 1977
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding.

Legacy Standard Bible
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.

Amplified Bible
Trust in and rely confidently on the LORD with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

Christian Standard Bible
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;

American Standard Version
Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding:

Contemporary English Version
With all your heart you must trust the LORD and not your own judgment.

English Revised Version
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not upon thine own understanding:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.

Good News Translation
Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know.

International Standard Version
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding.

Majority Standard Bible
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;

NET Bible
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.

New Heart English Bible
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Webster's Bible Translation
Trust in the LORD with all thy heart; and lean not to thy own understanding.

World English Bible
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
Trust to YHWH with all your heart, "" And do not lean to your own understanding.

Young's Literal Translation
Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.

Smith's Literal Translation
Trust to Jehovah with all thy heart; and thou shalt not lean to thine understanding.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Have confidence in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not upon thy own prudence.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend upon your own prudence.

New American Bible
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely;

New Revised Standard Version
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and rely not on your own wisdom.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Hope in LORD JEHOVAH from your whole heart and do not trust upon the wisdom of your soul.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Trust in the LORD with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Trust in God with all thine heart; and be not exalted in thine own wisdom.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Trust in the LORD
…4Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man. 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Jeremiah 17:7-8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. / He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.

Psalm 37:3-5
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. / Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. / Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.

Isaiah 26:3-4
You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You. / Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. / And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:25-34
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? / Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? / Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ...

Psalm 118:8-9
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. / It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Psalm 62:8
Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.

James 1:5-6
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. / But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Psalm 115:11
You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield.

Isaiah 12:2
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”

John 14:1
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.

Treasury of Scripture

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding.

trust

Proverbs 22:19
That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

Job 13:15
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Psalm 37:3,5,7
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed…

and

Proverbs 3:7
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Proverbs 23:4
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

Proverbs 28:26
He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

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Proverbs 3

1. various exhortations
13. The gain of wisdom
27. Exhortation to goodness
33. the different state of the wicked and upright

Berean Study Bible

Trust in the LORD
The Hebrew word for "trust" is "batach," which conveys a sense of security and confidence. In the ancient Near Eastern context, trust was often associated with reliance on a stronghold or refuge. Here, the verse calls believers to place their complete confidence in the LORD, Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God of Israel. This trust is not passive but active, requiring a conscious decision to rely on God's character and promises. Historically, the Israelites were reminded of God's faithfulness through events like the Exodus, which served as a foundation for their trust.

with all your heart
The Hebrew term for "heart" is "lev," which encompasses not just emotions but the mind, will, and inner being. In biblical anthropology, the heart is the center of one's being, where decisions are made and desires are formed. The phrase "with all your heart" implies total commitment and devotion, leaving no room for divided loyalties. This comprehensive trust in God is a call to surrender every aspect of one's life to His guidance and wisdom, reflecting a holistic approach to faith.

and lean not
The word "lean" in Hebrew is "sha'an," meaning to support oneself or rely on something. The imagery here is of a person who might be tempted to prop themselves up with their own understanding, much like leaning on a crutch. The verse warns against this self-reliance, which can lead to instability and error. In the ancient world, leaning on one's own understanding was akin to building on a shaky foundation, contrasting with the firm foundation found in God's wisdom.

on your own understanding
"Understanding" in Hebrew is "binah," which refers to insight, discernment, or intelligence. While human understanding is a gift from God, it is limited and fallible. The verse cautions against elevating personal insight above divine revelation. Historically, the wisdom literature of the Bible, including Proverbs, emphasizes the superiority of God's wisdom over human reasoning. This admonition encourages believers to seek God's perspective, acknowledging that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, as stated in Isaiah 55:8-9.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - Trust in the Lord (b'takh el y'hovah); literally, trust in Jehovah. Entire reliance upon Jehovah, implied in the words, "with all thine heart," is here appropriately placed at the head of a series of admonitions which especially have God and man's relations with him in view, inasmuch as such confidence or trust, with its corresponding idea of the renunciation of reliance on self, is, as Zockler truly remarks, a "fundamental principle of all religion." It is the first lesson to be learnt by all, and no less necessary for the Jew than for the Christian. Without this reliance on or confidence in God, it is impossible to carry out any of the precepts of religion. Batakh is, properly, "to cling to," and so passes to the meaning of "to confide in," "to set one's hope and confidence upon." The preposition el with Jehovah indicates the direction which the confidence is to take (cf. Psalm 37:3, 5). Lean (tishshaen); Vulgate, innitaris; followed by el, like b'takh, with which it is very similar in meaning. Shaan, not used in kal, in hiph. signifies "to lean upon, rest upon," just as man rests upon a spear for support. Its metaphorical use, to repose confidence in, is derived from the practice of kings who were accustomed to appear in public leaning on their friends and ministers; cf. 2 Kings 5:18; 2 Kings 7:2, 17 (Gesenius). The admonition does not mean that we are not to use our own understanding (binab), i.e. form plans with discretion, and employ legitimate means in the pursuit of our ends; but that, when we use it, we are to depend upon God and his directing and overruling providence (Wardlaw); cf. Jeremiah 9:23, 24. "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom," etc. The teacher points out not only where we are to rely, but also where we are not to rely.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Trust
בְּטַ֣ח (bə·ṭaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 982: To trust, be confident, sure

in
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the LORD
יְ֭הוָה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

with all
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

your heart,
לִבֶּ֑ךָ (lib·be·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

and lean
תִּשָּׁעֵֽן׃ (tiš·šā·‘ên)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8172: To lean, support oneself

not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

on
וְאֶל־ (wə·’el-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

your own understanding;
בִּֽ֝ינָתְךָ֗ (bî·nā·ṯə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 998: An understanding

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OT Poetry: Proverbs 3:5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart (Prov. Pro Pr)