Proverbs 22:20 (KJV)

Passage

Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.

Proverbs 22:19 That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

Proverbs 22:20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

Proverbs 22:21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

Proverbs 22:22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "written", "thee", "excellent", "things", "counsels", and "knowledge". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "written" and "thee", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "That thy trust may be in the..." into verse 21's "That I might make thee know the...", so "written" and "thee" 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 "written" and "thee" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.