New Living Translation
Proverbs 3:20
20By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth, and the dew settles beneath the night sky.
Proverbs 3:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.
- New International Version (NIV)by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.
- English Standard Version (ESV)by his knowledge the deeps broke open, and the clouds drop down the dew.
- New King James Version (NKJV)By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew.
Context of Proverbs 3:20
18Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. 19By wisdom the Lord founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens. By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth, and the dew settles beneath the night sky. 21My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, 22for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace.
Read all of Proverbs 3Proverbs 3:20 word by word
בְּ֭דַעְתּוֹ תְּהוֹמ֣וֹת נִבְקָ֑עוּ וּ֝שְׁחָקִ֗ים יִרְעֲפוּ־טָֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 3:20
- Genesis 1:9Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened.
- Genesis 7:11When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky.
- Job 38:8“Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb,
- Psalms 104:8Mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed.
- Genesis 27:28“From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine.
- Deuteronomy 33:28So Israel will live in safety, prosperous Jacob in security, in a land of grain and new wine, while the heavens drop down dew.
- Job 36:27He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain.
- Job 38:26Who makes the rain fall on barren land, in a desert where no one lives?
- Psalms 65:9You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so.
- Jeremiah 14:22Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us.
- Joel 2:23Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring.
Commentaries on Proverbs 3:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20By his knowledge the depths are broken up - He determined in his wisdom how to break up the fountains of the great deep, so as to bring a flood of waters upon the earth; and by his knowledge those fissures in the earth through which springs of water arise have been appointed and determined; and it is by his skill and influence that vapours are exhaled, suspended in the atmosphere, and afterwards precipitated on the earth in rain, dews, etc. Thus the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Compare Genesis 1:7; Genesis 7:11; Job 38. Looking upon the face of Nature, men see two storehouses of the living water, without which it would be waste and barren. From the “depths” rush forth the surging waves, from the “clouds” falls the gentle rain or “dew;” but both alike are ordered by the Divine Wisdom.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-20Verses 13-20 No precious jewels or earthly treasures are worthy to be compared with true wisdom, whether the concerns of time or eternity be considered. We must make wisdom our business; we must venture all in it, and be willing to part with all for it. This Wisdom is the Lord Jesus Christ and his salvation, sought and obtained by faith and prayer. Were it not for unbelief, remaining sinfulness, and carelessness, we should find all our ways pleasantness…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-20God's wisdom brought harmony to the universe. Being wise means living according to the principles found in creation.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2019-20. The place of wisdom in the economy of creation and providence commends it to men, who, in proportion to their finite powers, may possess this invaluable attribute, and are thus encouraged by the divine example of its use to seek its possession.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 3:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries