Proverbs 4:3 (KJV)

Passage

For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Proverbs 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

Proverbs 4:3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

Proverbs 4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "father", "tender", "only", "beloved", "sight", and "mother". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "father" and "tender", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "For I give you good doctrine forsake..." into verse 4's "He taught me also and said unto...", so "father" and "tender" 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 "father" and "tender" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.