In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.
In the NIV, Proverbs 3:6 reads much like it does here in the ESV but has a footnote on the words “make straight.” The footnote provides an alternate translation ending of “direct your paths.” Years ago when I came across this verse in my old NIV Bible, I immediately circled and highlighted the footnote and then crossed out “make your paths straight.”
I reasoned that God has never promised us an easy life so why would we ever think He would simply “straighten” out our path? He wants us to learn lesosons not found on the easy straight road right? The footnote version just seemed to make the mst sense. But what is the verse really trying to say? Does God direct our paths or make our paths straight?
The verse says He will make straight (or direct) our paths. Paths or “˒ōraḥ” means; way, route, road, and even sometimes travels or traveler. It is an all encompassing word for the course we travel through life.
Make straight, or “Yasar”, means to make smooth, straight, upright, or successful. It does also mean direct, but direct in the sense that we go directly to somewhere. Make straight actually does carry the connotation of a smooth, level, or free from obstacles journey. The more I looked into this word the more it slowly began to make sense to me. I realized that I’ve often prayed for God to straighten me (or someone else) out. What I actually mean is that I want to get back on the right path so as to avoid having to learn lessons the hard way. Yasar is also frequently used to mean “upright.” Proverbs 11:5 says, “The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight.” 4:11 says, “I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness.” God wants us to live upright lives that follow directly along the righteous path.
Remember when studying the Bible to keep the Biblical context. We can’t get so caught up in the second half of a verse like this that we forget there is a first half. If we miss the part about acknowledging Him in all our ways, He isn’t going to direct or make straight our paths. That said, acknowledge, or yāda˓, more or less means to know, be familiar with, and understand. It goes along with discernment and recognition. Ways (dārak ) is our journey or conduct, our way of life. Scripture’s command here is that we know God so deeply and are so familiar with Him, that His will and Truth will guide every aspect of our conduct as we journey through life.
While I don’t have the space to work back further and go into verse 5 today, I do want to at least show it to you. I think it is valuable to see how we got to verse 6. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.”
Friends, be encouraged; as we grow in our relationship with God we will begin to more readily recognize to the upright path. As we strive to live in obedience to His Word, we can trust that we won’t have to lean on our own understanding, but He will give us the wisdom and guidance to travel straight and direct along the way of righteousness.
His Slave to Righteousness
- Tyler Wess
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