Proverbs 22:28 (DRB)

Passage

Pass not beyond the ancient bounds which thy fathers have set.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:26 Be not with them that fasten down their hands, and that offer themselves sureties for debts:

Proverbs 22:27 For if thou have not wherewith to restore, what cause is there that he should take the covering from thy bed?

Proverbs 22:28 Pass not beyond the ancient bounds which thy fathers have set.

Proverbs 22:29 Hast thou seen a man swift in his work? he shall stand before kings, and shall not be before those that are obscure.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "pass", "beyond", "ancient", "bounds", and "fathers". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "pass" and "beyond", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "For if thou have not wherewith to..." into verse 29's "Hast thou seen a man swift in...", so "pass" and "beyond" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "pass" and "beyond" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.