“My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:”
My Notes
What Does Proverbs 3:21 Mean?
Solomon urges his son to keep wisdom constantly in view: "let not them depart from thine eyes." The image is of sustained visual focus—keeping wisdom and discretion directly in your line of sight at all times. Wisdom isn't something you consult occasionally and then put away. It's something you keep before your eyes permanently.
"Sound wisdom" (tushiyyah) is a rare Hebrew word meaning practical wisdom, effective counsel, the kind of understanding that leads to successful outcomes. It's not theoretical knowledge but applied intelligence—the ability to navigate real situations with skill. "Discretion" (mezimmah) means the capacity for careful thought, planning, and prudent judgment. Together, they represent both the wisdom to know what's right and the discernment to carry it out effectively.
The command "let not them depart" implies that wisdom can drift away if you're not attentive. It's not that wisdom leaves on its own—it's that you can look away. Distraction, busyness, complacency, and the urgency of daily life can gradually shift your eyes from wisdom to other things. Solomon's instruction is: don't let that happen. Keep them in view.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What occupies your visual attention and mental focus most of the day? Is wisdom in your line of sight?
- 2.How does wisdom 'depart from your eyes'—what distracts you from the principles you know are right?
- 3.What practices keep sound wisdom and discretion in front of you consistently rather than occasionally?
- 4.If you looked at the decisions you made this week, would they reflect someone who keeps wisdom in view or someone who looked away?
Devotional
"Let not them depart from thine eyes." Keep wisdom and discretion directly in front of you. Don't look away. Don't let them drift to the periphery while other things take center stage. Your eyes determine your direction, and Solomon wants wisdom to be what you're always looking at.
The practical implication is striking: wisdom requires sustained attention. You can't just learn a principle once and assume you'll always apply it. Wisdom fades from view the moment you stop looking at it. The pressures of daily life, the urgency of decisions, the noise of competing priorities—all of these can shift your gaze away from wisdom without you noticing.
Solomon calls it "sound wisdom"—the practical kind. Not abstract philosophy but the ability to navigate real situations skillfully. And "discretion"—the capacity to plan carefully and judge prudently. These are the tools that keep your life on track, and they only work when they're in front of your eyes. Wisdom in your back pocket doesn't help you. Wisdom in your line of sight does.
What are you looking at? Not physically—but where is your attention focused most of the day? If it's on social media, news cycles, other people's opinions, or anxiety about things you can't control—wisdom has departed from your eyes. Solomon says: bring it back. Make wisdom the thing you look at, and let everything else arrange itself around that focus.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
My son, let not them depart from thine eyes,.... Meaning not the things done by Wisdom; though it is good to contemplate…
Let not them depart - i. e., The wisdom and discretion of the following clause. Keep thine eye on them, as one who…
Solomon, having pronounced those happy who not only lay hold on wisdom, but retain her, here exhorts us therefore to…
Sixth Address. Chap. 3. Pro 3:21-35
21. let not them The reference may be to the "sound wisdom and discretion" of the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture