Proverbs 22:20 (WEB)

Passage

Haven’t I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge,

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.

Proverbs 22:19 I teach you today, even you, So that your trust may be in Yahweh.

Proverbs 22:20 Haven’t I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge,

Proverbs 22:21 To teach you truth, reliable words, to give sound answers to the ones who sent you?

Proverbs 22:22 Don’t exploit the poor, because he is poor; and don’t crush the needy in court;

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "I teach you today even you So..." into verse 21's "To teach you truth reliable words to...", so "haven" and "written" 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 "haven" and "written" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.