Proverbs 3:3 (KJV)

Passage

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

Nearby Context

Proverbs 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

Proverbs 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

Proverbs 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

Proverbs 3:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercy", "truth", "forsake", "thee", "bind", "neck", "write", and "upon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercy" and "truth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "For length of days and long life..." into verse 4's "So shalt thou find favour and good...", so "mercy" and "truth" 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 "mercy" and "truth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.