A closer look at Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.....
-Proverbs 23:7
Proper interpretation is essential to teaching sound doctrine. One scripture that is widely recognized yet grossly misinterpreted and misquoted is Proverbs 23:7. Many, including me, have taught this scripture says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." This may seem like an insignificant paraphrasing but lets look at this a little closer.
To say, "as a man thinketh," is to say the subject of the passage is unknown and can be taken to mean as anybody thinketh. This passage then becomes a statement that talks about self esteem. We then get a message from this passage that was not intended when it was written.
To say, "as he thinketh" is worlds apart from the former. "He" in this sense denotes a specific person. Who is "he?" To answer that, we must go to the 1st verse and make our way down to the 7th verse. This chapter starts with a ruler being the main subject of the text. We are warned to be careful if we are invited to dine with such a man. Verse 6 gives us more insight on the type of ruler the writer is referring to. He is a stingy man. The purpose is to warn the reader that a man is truly what his motives are. The ruler in question has another agenda for inviting you in the first place. It's not that the ruler thought himself to be stingy so be became stingy. The ruler was stingy from the beginning and we are warned his true purpose for the invite to dinenr will soon come to light.
It is so important that when we study the world, we use proper interpretation. The Word only means what the author meant for it to say. We must be careful not to use fanciful interpretations that sound good to the ear but err in sound doctrine.
Pastor Montagne