She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
Wisdom is a tree of life to all who lay hold upon her, and happiness belongs to everyone who retains and keeps hold of her. She is a heavenly treasure worth seeking above silver and gold and anything that can be desired, bringing long life, riches, honor, pleasantness and peace. This tree of life is God's Word and the truth of inspiration, whose wisdom and knowledge give life to all who receive and accept them. Its life is not given by merely knowing facts and theories, but by trusting God rather than self, and by believing, obeying, practicing and holding fast the Word in daily living. So laying hold nourishes and satisfies the hungry soul, supplies what is needed to form a perfect character, and shapes eternal destiny by giving eternal life and power to save and elevate souls.
Wisdom's Promise of Life
She is wisdom, a living tree of life to all who lay hold upon her, and happy is everyone who retains her and keeps hold of her. To grasp her is to take living hold of her, and to retain her is to keep that hold firm, and in that grasping and keeping is life and happiness. Her life is given as nourishing food that stimulates spiritual life when laid hold of and kept in practical living, not by merely knowing facts and theories. In education this distinguishes true wisdom from merely studying books, joining it to true understanding and practical ability. The path to her benefit is trusting God rather than one's own understanding and following His direction.
She is a heavenly treasure to be sought. She is to be sought above silver and above gold and above anything that can be desired, for she is of greater value than all that men desire. She cannot be bought with material wealth, for no earthly riches can purchase what is heavenly.
With her come length of days, riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that fear includes hating evil.
Wisdom Found in Scripture
The tree of life spoken of is God's Word, the Word of inspiration and the Word of the Lord, given for all who will partake of it. It is a tree of life to those who obey it and hold it fast, receiving it through belief and practice. It is the Word of salvation received unto eternal life, giving life through receiving the Son of God, saving souls and having power to elevate them. Its teachings supply what is needed to form a perfect character, and their effect upon a person determines eternal destiny.
The wisdom and knowledge found in truth are that tree of life, giving life to all who receive and accept them. They nourish and satisfy the hungry soul, and the truth itself is noble, elevating and sacred. Those who sense their duty to their fellow men and enter into co-partnership with Jesus Christ in a life of obedience and service lay hold upon it, gaining a high conception of life that worldly pleasure and amusement can never give to satisfy the hungry soul.
Jesus had access to this source of knowledge in a way His brothers did not know, and this accounts for the higher wisdom He showed when answering the rabbis. Diligent study of the Old and New Testaments makes thoughts pure and heavenly. A narrow understanding of the Word is displeasing to God.
Living by Wisdom Daily
The tree of life in the verse is not mere information held in the mind, for knowing facts and theories alone does not impart its life. It is not gained by only studying books, but by grasping wisdom itself and developing true understanding joined with practical ability. Its nourishing food stimulates spiritual life only when it is laid hold of and retained in practical living, and happiness belongs to everyone who keeps hold of it in that way.
The way to receive its benefit is to trust in God rather than in one's own understanding and to follow His direction. The Word is to be received through belief and practice, for it becomes a tree of life to those who receive it in that manner. It is a tree of life to those who obey it and hold fast to it, so obedience and holding fast are the conditions of its life-giving power. The Word of salvation is thus received unto eternal life by belief, practice, obedience, and steadfast retention.
Laying hold of the wisdom and knowledge found in truth nourishes and satisfies the hungry soul. The truth is noble, elevating, and sacred, and those who accept it gain a high conception of life that worldly pleasure and amusement can never give to satisfy that hunger. This laying hold involves sensing duty to fellow men and entering into co-partnership with Jesus Christ in a life of obedience and service.
Its teachings supply all that is needed to form a perfect character, and the effect they have on a person shapes eternal destiny. They give eternal life through receiving the Son of God, for a person's destiny turns on what the Word does within him. The Word of the Lord saves souls and has power to elevate them, giving eternal life to all who receive it.
Wisdom is a tree of life to all who lay hold upon her, and happiness belongs to everyone who retains and keeps hold of her. She is a heavenly treasure worth seeking above silver and gold and anything that can be desired, bringing long life, riches, honor, pleasantness and peace. This tree of life is God's Word and the truth of inspiration, whose wisdom and knowledge give life to all who receive and accept them. Its life is not given by merely knowing facts and theories, but by trusting God rather than self, and by believing, obeying, practicing and holding fast the Word in daily living. So laying hold nourishes and satisfies the hungry soul, supplies what is needed to form a perfect character, and shapes eternal destiny by giving eternal life and power to save and elevate souls.
Wisdom's Promise of Life
She is wisdom, a living tree of life to all who lay hold upon her, and happy is everyone who retains her and keeps hold of her. To grasp her is to take living hold of her, and to retain her is to keep that hold firm, and in that grasping and keeping is life and happiness. Her life is given as nourishing food that stimulates spiritual life when laid hold of and kept in practical living, not by merely knowing facts and theories. In education this distinguishes true wisdom from merely studying books, joining it to true understanding and practical ability. The path to her benefit is trusting God rather than one's own understanding and following His direction.
She is a heavenly treasure to be sought. She is to be sought above silver and above gold and above anything that can be desired, for she is of greater value than all that men desire. She cannot be bought with material wealth, for no earthly riches can purchase what is heavenly.
With her come length of days, riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and that fear includes hating evil.
Wisdom Found in Scripture
The tree of life spoken of is God's Word, the Word of inspiration and the Word of the Lord, given for all who will partake of it. It is a tree of life to those who obey it and hold it fast, receiving it through belief and practice. It is the Word of salvation received unto eternal life, giving life through receiving the Son of God, saving souls and having power to elevate them. Its teachings supply what is needed to form a perfect character, and their effect upon a person determines eternal destiny.
The wisdom and knowledge found in truth are that tree of life, giving life to all who receive and accept them. They nourish and satisfy the hungry soul, and the truth itself is noble, elevating and sacred. Those who sense their duty to their fellow men and enter into co-partnership with Jesus Christ in a life of obedience and service lay hold upon it, gaining a high conception of life that worldly pleasure and amusement can never give to satisfy the hungry soul.
Jesus had access to this source of knowledge in a way His brothers did not know, and this accounts for the higher wisdom He showed when answering the rabbis. Diligent study of the Old and New Testaments makes thoughts pure and heavenly. A narrow understanding of the Word is displeasing to God.
Living by Wisdom Daily
The tree of life in the verse is not mere information held in the mind, for knowing facts and theories alone does not impart its life. It is not gained by only studying books, but by grasping wisdom itself and developing true understanding joined with practical ability. Its nourishing food stimulates spiritual life only when it is laid hold of and retained in practical living, and happiness belongs to everyone who keeps hold of it in that way.
The way to receive its benefit is to trust in God rather than in one's own understanding and to follow His direction. The Word is to be received through belief and practice, for it becomes a tree of life to those who receive it in that manner. It is a tree of life to those who obey it and hold fast to it, so obedience and holding fast are the conditions of its life-giving power. The Word of salvation is thus received unto eternal life by belief, practice, obedience, and steadfast retention.
Laying hold of the wisdom and knowledge found in truth nourishes and satisfies the hungry soul. The truth is noble, elevating, and sacred, and those who accept it gain a high conception of life that worldly pleasure and amusement can never give to satisfy that hunger. This laying hold involves sensing duty to fellow men and entering into co-partnership with Jesus Christ in a life of obedience and service.
Its teachings supply all that is needed to form a perfect character, and the effect they have on a person shapes eternal destiny. They give eternal life through receiving the Son of God, for a person's destiny turns on what the Word does within him. The Word of the Lord saves souls and has power to elevate them, giving eternal life to all who receive it.