Proverbs 3:3 (GNV)

Passage

Let not mercie and trueth forsake thee: binde them on thy necke, and write them vpon the table of thine heart.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 3:1 My sonne, forget not thou my Lawe, but let thine heart keepe my commandements.

Proverbs 3:2 For they shall increase the length of thy dayes and the yeeres of life, and thy prosperitie.

Proverbs 3:3 Let not mercie and trueth forsake thee: binde them on thy necke, and write them vpon the table of thine heart.

Proverbs 3:4 So shalt thou finde fauour and good vnderstanding in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and leane not vnto thine owne wisdome.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercie", "trueth", "forsake", "thee", "binde", "necke", "write", and "vpon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercie" and "trueth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "For they shall increase the length of..." into verse 4's "So shalt thou finde fauour and good...", so "mercie" and "trueth" 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 "mercie" and "trueth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.