Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…
Proverbs 18:22 ESV
22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the LORD.
This verse, in the way it is translated, is incoherent to the reader. The AV, NKJV, NASB all translate it in the same way. The NIV does slightly better, but still leaves much to be desired.
The commentaries on this verse – Matthew Henry, Charles Bridges and Garrett in the New International Commentary have a correct understanding, but they have brought this in from other statements in Proverbs, Genesis 2, and other places.
A literal translation is, “He has come to him a wife, has come to him a good. And he receives a delight (or desire) from Yahweh.”
Because the action in the primary statement is transitive this can be understood in this way, “He who receives a wife, the one he desires, (interpolated from the parallel), receives that good thing he desires, (again interpolated from the parallel). And he receives his desire from the Lord as a gift (interpolated from the transitive in the primary of the parallel which indicates a gift).
Add to this the verses chapter 12:4 and 19:14 and the meaning is plain.
12:4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones
19:14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
As Matthew Henry writes, “A good wife is a great blessing to a man…he has found a good thing , a jewel of great value, a rare jewel; he has found that which will not only contribute in this life, but will forward him in the way to heaven. God is to be acknowledged in it with thankfulness, it is a token of His favor, and a happy pledge of further favors”. It is apparent that Henry is writing as if this good wife is a gift. Though he does not mention it, this would be based on the transitive in 18:22A.
The message is easy to understand. A good wife given to a good man equals a happy marriage and a happy home. Truly this is the grace of God.
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