The LORD founded the earth by wisdomThis phrase emphasizes the divine attribute of wisdom as the foundational principle in the creation of the world. In biblical context, wisdom is often personified and is seen as an essential aspect of God's character (
Proverbs 8:22-31). The creation account in
Genesis 1 reflects this wisdom, as God orders chaos into a structured and harmonious universe. The Hebrew word for "wisdom" (חָכְמָה, chokmah) implies skill and expertise, suggesting that creation was an intentional and skillful act. This wisdom is also reflected in the intricate design and order of nature, which is evident in the laws of physics and biology that govern the earth. Theologically, this wisdom is seen as a type of Christ, who is described as the "wisdom of God" in
1 Corinthians 1:24, indicating that Christ was integral to the creation process (
John 1:1-3).
and established the heavens by understanding
The term "understanding" (תְּבוּנָה, tebunah) in this context refers to discernment and insight, highlighting God's ability to perceive and implement the complex systems that govern the heavens. The heavens, often representing the sky and celestial bodies, are a testament to God's understanding in their precise movements and functions (Psalm 19:1-4). Historically, the ancient Near Eastern cultures viewed the heavens as a realm of divine activity, and the biblical narrative asserts that it is the LORD who has established them with purpose and order. This understanding is also prophetic, as it points to the ultimate restoration and new creation described inRevelation 21:1, where the heavens and earth are renewed. The connection to other scripture, such asJob 38:4-7, further illustrates God's unmatched understanding in laying the earth's foundations and setting the stars in place.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal existence and His relationship with His people. In this verse, He is depicted as the Creator who uses wisdom and understanding in His creation.
2.
The EarthRepresents the physical world that God created. It signifies the tangible and visible aspects of creation that are founded by divine wisdom.
3.
The HeavensRefers to the sky and the universe beyond the earth. It symbolizes the vastness and the order of creation, established by God's understanding.
Teaching Points
God's Wisdom in CreationRecognize that the world around us is a testament to God's wisdom. Every aspect of creation reflects His intelligent design and purpose.
Understanding God's OrderAppreciate the order and structure in the universe as a reflection of God's understanding. This order should inspire trust in His plans for our lives.
Living WiselyAs God used wisdom to create, we are called to seek His wisdom in our daily lives. This involves making decisions that align with His will and purpose.
Trust in God's SovereigntyKnowing that God established the heavens and the earth by His understanding should encourage us to trust in His sovereignty over all circumstances.
Pursuing Knowledge of GodEngage in studying God's Word to grow in understanding of His character and His creation, which leads to a deeper relationship with Him.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Proverbs 3:19?
2.How does Proverbs 3:19 demonstrate God's wisdom in creation's foundation?
3.What practical ways can we seek God's wisdom in our daily lives?
4.How does Proverbs 3:19 connect with Genesis 1:1 on creation?
5.How can understanding God's wisdom in creation strengthen our faith?
6.How can we apply God's wisdom in decision-making and problem-solving?
7.How does Proverbs 3:19 relate to the creation of the world by God?
8.What does Proverbs 3:19 reveal about God's wisdom in creation?
9.How does Proverbs 3:19 support the belief in divine order in the universe?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Proverbs 3?
11.What is String Theory?
12.What is the order of the Bible's books?
13.What does 'Children are a heritage from the Lord' mean?
14.What is the meaning of "Foundation of the World"?What Does Proverbs 3:19 Mean
The LORD founded the earth“The LORD founded the earth...” (Proverbs 3:19a)
- “Founded” paints God as the master builder who laid a solid, intentional base for everything that exists.
-Genesis 1:1 echoes this beginning: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
-Psalm 24:1-2 affirms, “The earth is the LORD’s... for He founded it upon the seas.”
-Hebrews 11:3 reminds us that “the universe was formed at God’s command.”
Taken together, these passages underscore that the physical world did not emerge by chance but by the deliberate act of its Creator.
by wisdom“The LORD founded the earth by wisdom...” (Proverbs 3:19a)
- Wisdom here is not an impersonal force; it is the perfect intelligence of God woven into creation.
-Proverbs 8:22-31 pictures Wisdom rejoicing beside God as He shaped the world, highlighting design rather than randomness.
-Psalm 104:24 celebrates, “How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You made them all.”
-Jeremiah 10:12 repeats the same truth: “He founded the earth by His power, established the world by His wisdom.”
We observe a moral universe where order and purpose testify to the skillful mind of God.
and established the heavens“...and established the heavens...” (Proverbs 3:19b)
- “Established” conveys permanence and stability. God not only set the heavens in place but sustains them.
-Psalm 19:1 proclaims, “The heavens declare the glory of God,” pointing to their ongoing witness.
-Isaiah 45:18 states, “He created the heavens, He formed the earth and made it... He established it.”
-Colossians 1:16-17 identifies Christ as the One through whom all things were created and “in Him all things hold together,” confirming the divine upkeep of the cosmos.
by understanding“...by understanding.” (Proverbs 3:19b)
- God’s “understanding” is His limitless insight into every detail of His universe.
-Isaiah 40:28 asks, “His understanding is unsearchable,” stressing its immeasurable scope.
-Psalm 147:5 adds, “His understanding has no limit.”
-Romans 11:33 marvels, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”
Nothing in creation surprises or overwhelms the Lord; every molecule, law of physics, and beat of the human heart operates under His perfect comprehension.
summaryProverbs 3:19 unveils a fourfold portrait of God: Creator, Wise Designer, Cosmic Architect, and All-knowing Sustainer. The earth rests on His wisdom, the heavens stand firm through His understanding, and all creation continues to reflect His intentional, intelligent care. Trusting a God who founded, established, and fully knows His universe encourages us to rest confidently in His sovereign plan for our lives.
(e)
Fifth Discourse:--
Wisdom as Creator and Protector(
Proverbs 3:19-26).
(19)The Lord by wisdom . . .--A passage anticipatory of the doctrine ofJohn 1:3. (Comp.Psalm 104:24;Psalm 136:5.) A further advance towards the personality of the Creator is made inProverbs 8:27,sqq. . . .
Verses 19-26. - 5.
Fifth hortatory discourse. Wisdom, the creative power of God, exhibited as the protection of those who fear God. The teacher in this discourse presents Wisdom under a new aspect. Wisdom is the Divine power of God, by which he created the world, and by which he sustains the work of his hands and regulates the operations of nature. This eminence of Wisdom, in her intimate association with Jehovah, is made the basis of a renewed exhortation to keep Wisdom steadily in view. The elevated thought that Wisdom has her source in Jehovah might seem in itself an adequate and sufficient reason for the exhortation. But another motive is adduced intimately bound up with this view of Wisdom. Jehovah becomes the ground of confidence and the protection in all conditions of life of those who keep Wisdom.
Verse 19. -
The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth. The emphatic position of the word
Jehovah, "the Lord," at the beginning of the sentence (cf.
Psalm 27;
Psalm 97;
Psalm 99), as well as the nature of the discourse, indicates a new paragraph. The description of the creative Wisdom of Jehovah may have been suggested to the mind of the teacher by the mention of the tree of life, in ver. 18 (Zockler); but the connection between this and the preceding passage has to be sought for in something deeper. The scope of the teacher is to exhibit, and so to recommend, Wisdom in every respect, and after showing her excellence in man, he now brings her forward as the medium of creation, and hence in her relation to God.
By wisdom (
b'kokhmah); Vulgate,
sapientia; LXX.,
σοφίᾳ. It is evident that Wisdom is here something more than an attribute of Jehovah. "By Wisdom" means "by, or through, the instrumentality of Wisdom." While the corresponding and parallel expressions, "understanding," "knowledge," militate against the idea of an hypostatizing of Wisdom,
i.e. assigning to Wisdom a concrete and objective personality, yet the language is sufficiently strong, when we connect this passage with ch. 1. and 8, to warrant our regarding Wisdom as something apart from yet intimately connected with Jehovah, as an active agency employed by him, and hence this description may. be looked upon as an anticipation of that which is more fully developed in ch. 8, where the characteristics which are wanting here are there worked out at length. The rabbins evidently connected the passage before us, as well as ch. 1 and 8, with
Genesis 1:1, by rendering
b'reshith, "in the beginning." by
b'kokhmah, "by Wisdom." Our Lord identifies himself with the Divine Sophia, or Wisdom (
Luke 11:49). And the language of St. John, "All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made" (
John 1:3), which assigns to the Logos, or Word of God,
i.e. Christ, the act of creation (cf.
John 1:10, and especially the language of St. Paul, in
Colossians 1:16), argues in favour of the view of some commentators who understand Wisdom to refer to the Second Person of the Trinity. The Logos was understood by Alexandrian Judaism to express the
manifestation of the unseen God, the Absolute Being, in the creation and government of the world; and the Christian teachers, when they adopted this term, assigned to it a concrete meaning as indicating the Incarnate Word (see Bishop Lightfoot, in
Colossians 1:15). For the passage, see
Psalm 33:6;
Psalm 104:24;
Psalm 136:5; and especially
Jeremiah 10:12, "He hath established the world by his wisdom," etc.; Jeremiah 51:55; Ecclus. 24:2,
seq. Hath founded (
yasod); Vulgate,
fundavit; LXX.,
ἐθεμελίωσε. The same verb is used in
Job 38:4;
Psalm 24:2;
Psalm 78:69, of the creation of the earth by God. While the primary meaning of
yasad is "to give fixity to," "to lay fast," that of
konen, rendered "he hath established," is "to set up," "to erect," and so "to
found," from
kun, or referring to the Arabic and Ethiopic cognate root, "to exist," "to give existence to." The marginal reading, "prepared," corresponds with the LXX.
ἐτοίμασε. The Vulgate is
stabilivit, "he hath established."
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
The LORDיְֽהוָ֗ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelfoundedיָֽסַד־(yā·saḏ-)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3245:To set, to found, to sit down together, settle, consultthe earthאָ֑רֶץ(’ā·reṣ)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776:Earth, landby wisdomבְּחָכְמָ֥ה(bə·ḥā·ḵə·māh)Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2451:Wisdomand establishedכּוֹנֵ֥ן(kō·w·nên)Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3559:To be erectthe heavensשָׁ֝מַ֗יִם(ma·yim)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064:Heaven, skyby understanding.בִּתְבוּנָֽה׃(biṯ·ḇū·nāh)Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8394:Intelligence, an argument, caprice
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OT Poetry: Proverbs 3:19 By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth (Prov. Pro Pr) 
