Proverbs 8:34
in Proverbs 8Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.
KJV
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
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This verse in Proverbs 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseBlessed is the man that heareth me,.... Christ in his Gospel, as speaking by his ministers; for hearing them is hearing him, Luk 10:16; they have their commission from him; are his ambassadors, and represent him; receive their gifts from him; speak according to his mind and will, revealed in his word, and preach him himself.
This site's exposition
Now therefore, my sons, listen to me
on Proverbs 8:32-36
The poem turns back into the father's appeal. “For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD” gathers the chapter's promise into one line. The alternative is stated plainly: “he who fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death”.
This site's exposition
watching daily at my doors
The young man of 7:8 walked down the road to the adulteress's house. This man waits at Wisdom's doorway every day. Gill applies the hearing to those who hear Christ through His ministers, as at Luke 10:16.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Blessed is the man who listens to me," etc. He calls his doors and the posts of his gate the Holy Scriptures and their teachers, without whom we cannot enter into the life he promises.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. 7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Those are blessed that watch and wait at Wisdom's gates; even their attendance there is their happiness; it is the best place they can be in. Those are blessed that wait there, for they shall not be put to wait long; let them continue to knock awhile and it shall be opened to them.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Watching daily at my gates - Wisdom is represented as having a school for the instruction of men; and seems to point out some of the most forward of her scholars coming, through their intense desire to learn, even before the gates were opened, and waiting there for admission, that they might hear every word that was uttered, and not lose one accent of the heavenly teaching. Blessed are such.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The image is suggested probably by the Levites who guarded the doors of the sanctuary Psa 134:1; Psa 135:2. Not less blessed than theirs is the lot of those who wait upon Wisdom in the temple not made with hands.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי | ʾashrei | how blessed! | H835 → | 45 times |
| אָדָם֮ | ʾadam | [is] a person | H120 → | 551 times |
| שֹׁמֵ֪עַֽ֫ | shomea' | [who] listens | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| לִ֥י | li | to me | ||
| לִשְׁקֹ֣ד | lishkod | by keeping watch | H8245 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| דַּ֭לְתֹתַי | daltotai | doors my | H1817 → | |
| י֤וֹם׀ | yom | day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| י֑וֹם | yom | day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר | lishmor | by watching | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מְזוּזֹ֥ת | mezuzot | [the] doorposts of | H4201 → | |
| פְּתָחָֽי׃ | petachai | doorways my | H6607 → | 164 times |
אַ֥שְֽׁרֵיhow blessed!
ʾashreiH835 →45 times
אָדָם֮[is] a person
ʾadamH120 →551 times
שֹׁמֵ֪עַֽ֫[who] listens
shomea'H8085 →1159 times
לִ֥יto me
li
לִשְׁקֹ֣דby keeping watch
lishkodH8245 →
עַל־at
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
דַּ֭לְתֹתַיdoors my
daltotaiH1817 →
י֤וֹם׀day
yomH3117 →2304 times
י֑וֹםday
yomH3117 →2304 times
לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗רby watching
lishmorH8104 →468 times
מְזוּזֹ֥ת[the] doorposts of
mezuzotH4201 →
פְּתָחָֽי׃doorways my
petachaiH6607 →164 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 7:24Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
it leads to
- John 13:17
If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 6:47–49
I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them:
- Luke 11:28
But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
- 1 Corinthians 3:10–11
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds.
- John 13:17
Through
Luke 11:28But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
it leads to
- Luke 6:47–48
I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them:
- Luke 8:21
But He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out.”
- Psalms 112:1
Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments.
- James 1:21–25
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.
- Luke 6:47–48
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
On this chapter
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.