What does Proverbs 2:22 mean?
The prior verse mentioned a peculiar reward for those who follow the path of wisdom and avoid the traps of sin: to "inhabit the land." As applied to Christians (Hebrews 3:12–19) as well as Israel, this is a symbol of God's promises and blessings. Hebrews 3:12–19 not only describes this as a blessing, it tells us just how terrible it is to be cut off from the land.Proverbs chapter 2 closes with this final warning against wickedness. Most of the warnings given so far are practical—they apply to our material, daily lives. Here Solomon inserts the notion of being uprooted. Paul writes a beautiful analogy that goes along well with this in Romans 11:17–24. While Israel is the chosen olive tree, planted by the gardener, its roots are holy. However, some of its branches may at times be broken off. In breaking off room is made for wild olive branches to be grafted in. But, in that analogy, notice how the root is not disturbed.
Solomon's dire warning here is that the treacherous will be uprooted. The metaphors of land and farming were very personal to the Jewish readers of these Old Testament passages. References to being "uprooted" invoked the idea of God removing a corrupting influence from His Promised Land. And so the decree to live a righteous, virtuous life is one to be taken quite seriously. As a holy God He must demand nothing short of holiness from His people.
Those who persist in evil, as described in this passage, will be completely "uprooted," pulled out of God's promise. It's important to remember that this passage is not a reference to heaven or hell, and so the concept of being "uprooted" here is not about a loss of salvation.
Proverbs 2:16–22 focuses on the virtue philosophers such as Plato refer to as integrity, which is better labelled as temperance. This virtue is more than doing what is right even when no one is looking, which is how we often define integrity. Rather, it is also keeping ourselves from situations where we might be tempted to do wrong. In the modern sense, integrity is marked by what you do, while temperance is marked by using other virtues to avoid negative situations. For instance, Paul warns how being drunk leads to debauchery (Ephesians 5:18). A person exhibiting temperance might restrict or eliminate use of alcohol, thereby avoiding drunkenness and therefore, avoiding debauchery. This can be stated succinctly as a man mastering or controlling himself (James 3). This passage contrasts the outcome of not controlling oneself against the benefit of living with integrity.
In Proverbs chapter 2, Solomon highlights various virtues, as well as provides encouragement to live a virtuous life. As in chapter 1, specific concepts wil reoccur, and are used in certain ways. Here, these are ideas such as courage, integrity, wisdom, and justice. The gist of this passage is the positive effect that virtue—including these various aspects—will have on one's life. In contrast, those who pursue non-virtuous living will suffer dire consequences.
