Chapter
Verse

Proverbs 3:5

ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
NIV Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
NASB Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
CSB Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
NLT Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
KJV Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
NKJV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

What does Proverbs 3:5 mean?

This is among the more often-quoted verses of the entire Bible. Solomon offers sound advice for life. Human understanding is always subject to error. What appears to be the right choice may be the wrong choice. But the Lord sees the big picture and He always knows what is best for us. The point here is not to be mindless or naïve. Rather, we need to recognize our own limitations. Just because we're in over our heads does not mean God is no longer in control. The following verses add insights to this instruction (Proverbs 3:6–12).

Abraham could not see how everything would work out for the best when the Lord commanded him to slay his son Isaac on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:1–2), but he trusted in the Lord with all his heart. The Lord had promised Abraham that He would establish His covenant with Isaac and his descendants (Genesis 17:19), so Abraham believed that, if necessary, the Lord would raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:17–19). At Mount Moriah, Abraham tied Isaac to an altar and raised a knife to plunge into Isaac's chest, when the Lord intervened and substituted a ram for Isaac (Genesis 22:9–14). The Lord did not disappoint Abraham's wholehearted trust, nor will He disappoint us if we trust Him with all our heart. Our understanding may need time to catch up with His will, but in the end we'll see how He is always working for good.
Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app: