Proverbs 3:14 (DRB)

Passage

The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chief and purest gold:

Nearby Context

Proverbs 3:12 For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.

Proverbs 3:13 Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and is rich in prudence:

Proverbs 3:14 The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chief and purest gold:

Proverbs 3:15 She is more precious than all riches: and all the things that are desired, are not to be compared to her.

Proverbs 3:16 Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "purchasing", "thereof", "better", "than", "merchandise", "silver", and "fruit". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "purchasing" and "thereof", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom..." into verse 15's "She is more precious than all riches...", so "purchasing" and "thereof" 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 "purchasing" and "thereof" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.