Analysis of the Meaning of Parables 2:11

Proverbs 2:11 King James Version states discretion, shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee. In this essay, I am going to analyze the meaning of Proverbs 2:11, my understanding of its meaning, how it applies to my life, as well as how man personifies Proverbs 2:11 throughout human history. Anecdotal evidence suggests the definition of Proverbs 2:11 is that of the tone one must understand in order to be able to practice the art of discretion and it is not the practice of falsifying information but merely disassembling ones thought process on a subject in the conviction of perseverance.

Furthermore, it is the belief and true understanding of the Lord gives you discretion and understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will have success Chronicles 22:12.

In order to have a full understanding the true mastery of Proverbs 2:11, I decided to break down the meaning of the words presented in the scripture.

First, I needed to know the meaning of discretion. As stated in the Webster dictionary discretion is defined as “the quality of having or showing discernment or good judgment: the quality of being discreet”. In other words, having discretion can protect one from making quick or rash decisions that may lead to future trouble. I drew a parallel of the meaning of discretion to the words found in First Corinthians 6:12-20, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

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Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them.

Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committed fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” The reason why I recognized the parallel is because in order for one to be able to make a sound decision, one must have full understanding to base any conclusion on a subject matter.

First Corinthians 6:12–20 tells us that we are to be holy in our bodies because we are joined together with Christ. Our body is no longer our own, but belongs to Christ. Therefore, we are to show full discretion over our body by being holy. This is the understanding that will watch over us and will guide our steps. Furthermore, as used in the book of Proverbs 2:11, discretion protects our mind, and understanding watches over our body. To further explain my point, I will use a modern example. In the age of social media one may find it hard to exercise discretion as a practice. Many feel compelled to express ones entire life to friends and followers by divulging personal issues, relationship disagreements, and so on. This simple rash action or decision can lead to monumental mistakes, which can lead to a downfall when trying to achieve aspirations in life. Now just to give context to my example… imagine if two different students aspire to receive the same full time job offer at the end of their college career. Person one has a brand on social media that was poorly cultivated throughout college, comparative to person two who practiced discretion when it came to social media while in school.

Both persons have applied to their first corporate job and will have to submit to an intensive background check. Who will receive the job offer? If the background check required includes the recruiter looking at both of the applicant’s social media? Person two will receive the job because they were more disciplined in the use of discretion and the understanding of how their actions can jeopardize future opportunities during their life after college. Being discrete during one’s life simply can allow for one to make mistakes with no true detriment to the end goal, while also fostering personal growth, and empowerment.

The power granted to one person by practicing discretion is beyond immense, and the advantage of maintaining this was highlighted in 1998 by author Robert Greene in his novel 48 Laws of Power. Robert Greene’s third law, conceal your intentions, again a direct interpretation of the power in practicing discretion. In deeper readings into the third law this idea of power behind discretion was expound upon when he stated “keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense”.

In addition Greene further explains his idea by stating, “When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended and sphinxlike.” The idea of empowerment and preservation is not a foreign concept when the idea of discretion is introduced, in the King James Version of the Bible it was seen necessary to be 1 of the 22 Wisdoms of Power. Moreover as stated in Chapter 2 of Proverbs, “Chapter 2 in the book of Proverbs it sheds light on the context of the specific verse, it says “He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh forward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the forwardness of the wicked;”. This notion of straying away from the path of discretion leaves one powerless, defenseless, and in line with the path of evil, seems to be a reoccurring interpretation. The ability to be able to practice a constant exercise of maintaining the mystique and or mystery around ones person can fundamentally the best trait one can embody, for it can transcend throughout the life cycle of any human.

I wholeheartedly agree with the words of the famous stoic philosopher Seneca who once said, “Wisdom is a right understanding, a faculty of discerning good from evil, what is to be chosen and what rejected; a judgment grounded upon the value of things, and not the common opinion of them. It sets a watch over our words and deeds, and makes us invincible by either good or evil fortune. It has for its object things past and things to come, things transitory and things eternal. It examines all the circumstances of time, and the nature and operation of the mind. It stands to philosophy as avarice to money — the one desires and the other is desired; the one is the effect and the reward of the other. To be wise is the use of wisdom, as seeing is the use of eyes, and speaking of the tongue. He that is perfectly wise is perfectly happy; nay, the very beginning of wisdom makes life easy to us.

It is not enough to know this; we must print it in our minds by daily meditation, and so bring a good will to a good habit. Philosophy, after all, is a guide to living your life. Philosophy, after all, is a guide to living your life.” When I relate Seneca’s words to those of Proverbs 2:11 again I can draw a parallel, but this time with the use of the use of the word understanding and how it relates to wisdom. Moreover, in earlier passages in Chapter 2 of Proverbs it states, “A wise person calls out for insight and cries aloud for understanding. They look for wisdom as if looking for silver, and they search for wisdom as if searching for hidden treasure” the use of understanding in my view is centered on the importance of wisdom. If one truly is wise, he or she shall be careful to avoid all evil company and evil practices. When wisdom has dominion over us, then it not only fills the head, but enters into the heart, and will preserve, both against corruptions within and temptations without. The previous sentence presents the idea of understanding and how wisdom relates to preservation. If applied in one’s life correctly it stands the test of time and can protect and preserve ones way of life and will result in happiness. Aside from many biblical scriptures or passages, theoretical writing on how to maintain discretion, one can also look at philosophical readings for deeper examples of how has man maintain discretion.

For example, I can reference the writings of Homer in the book Iliad. In the book, the Trojan War was one of the most important wars in Greek mythology history. The war was waged between the Greeks and the people of Troy brought on by the abduction of Helen of Troy. During the war, use of the Trojan horse is a perfect example of how the Greeks used secrecy to maintain dominance throughout their reign. At the brink of defeat the Greek assigned Epeius, a master carpenter to assemble a gift for Athena the Goddess of War the Queen of Troy signaling that the city of Troy was impenetrable. Wisely moving all soldiers out of a position to poise a predictable attack, but instead to neighboring islands. When Queen Athena accepted the peace offering even though unremitting warnings from her advisors Laocoon and Cassandra, the “peace offering” was accepted along with the rest of Grecian battalion. You see tee the Trojan horse was constructed as a gift, but when the gift was delivered it had soldiers inside that were used to defeat their enemy and in turn win the war. This was just a small excerpt in Greek mythology history of the use of deception to maintain an empire.

Following the brilliant plan by the Grecian kingdom, the American people during also displayed the same discretion during the Revolutionary War. The use of unorthodox tactics like guerilla warfare was exceptionally pivotal in the Revolutionary War, ensue the creation of the United States of America. The ability to adapt and learn new styles of combat through confidentiality epitomize the capability to understand the statement “discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee”. In a less distractive tone man illustrates the competence to practice Proverbs 2:11 during the holiday of Christmas, parents around the world allow for a false narrative to enter a child’s imagination simply for holiday cheer. At a young age the idea of Santa Claus and the North Pole is introduce to offer a sense of mystery, but this is all at the cost of understanding that one need to maintain constant discretion for the youth to maintain this mystery. Once this awe of illusion seemingly dissipates the spirt of Christmas does the same, this correlation is not outlandish this is a common feeling exhibited through growth.

Many adults long for the childlike fantasy of Christmas which inspires one to instill these dream like fantasy into the youth. The idea that ignorance is bliss is a true concept that transcends all because the practice of discretion in its purest form. As seen in the Trojan War, Revolutionary war, and even the holiday of Christmas it is a mere necessity to display some sort of discretion to solidify ones way of life. Now, in relation to my life and experiences where I can say Proverbs 2:11 has had formidable application and where I can speak on real life examples that I continue to apply daily. I will begin with my childhood, for it is the best way to explain the direction of my life to this point. There is a quote that has always stuck with me and was written by Stephen R. Covey, “To retain the loyalty of those who are present, be loyal to those who are absent.” I learned that if I protected my family and friends’ business I would build a foundation of trust that would be unbreakable.

Furthermore, during my upbringing it was common practice in my household to not tell anyone who is not immediate family any immediate family business. I understood the discretion that I must have at all times when it came to my family’s business. Now in my young adulthood I continue to practice the standard my family has set in place with my friends and it has allowed me to make very informed decisions in my life and has aided me in the preservation of my personal values. A clear example that I can reference would be in the time that I played football. During my high school career I demonstrated the concept of Proverbs 2:11 daily while playing the sport. Playing football in a very small town where everyone knew each other can have repercussions especially when one of the players explains a play to a friend at a rival school. I found that many of our players played football with each other since childhood, which provided a familiarity with each other and a constant bonding ritual over football with said friends.

As a captain of the football team, I spoke daily on the need of discretion. I often used the analogy from my own upbringing about keeping our family business in our house. Each and every week a new scheme, concept, and our game plan would be taught to our offense and defense lines. The knowledge and execution of the learned plan can be instrumental and sometime detrimental to a team’s success, but the practice of discretion is just as important to achieve consistent team success. Just like football I can relate the need of discretion in friendships. In the awareness of friendships and relationships I also had to maintain a form secrecy as a form of respect to whomever entrusted me with such secrets.

In addition to what was addressed earlier my family educated me on the importance of discretion, let alone personal protection but additionally to build trust. I identify that I continue to carry this trait with me in my college career, for I identify it is fundamental to my growth as a young African American from my early childhood and until now. Through the use of networking and genuine relationship building I found that I have become a natural in the use of discretion for it is the fundamental foundation that my family values are based on, my friendships are rooted in, and my future will always be engulfed…

Ultimately what does Proverbs 2:11 mean to me? As I stated previously, I can correlate a lot of my life from childhood to now. But to summarize my position I would say that Proverbs 2:11 means the ability to have the wherewithal to build trust basic or fundamental trust while forming a relationship with another individual. As formerly addressed I understand that the true foundation of any relationship is built on trust, this trust runs concurrent and true with the act of understanding discretion and through discretion one can preserve. It was said by Samuel Adams in the late 18 century “The marriage state was designed to complete the sum of human happiness in this life. It sometimes proves otherwise, but this is owing to the parties themselves, who either rush into it without due consideration or fail in point of discretion in their conduct towards each other afterwards.” To allow growth and a harbor something that is healthy and ultimately beautiful one must first foster reciprocated discretion.

Discretion in one’s actions is capable of then accommodating the continued cultivation of such trust. To put this into perspective, a plant needs multiple components to encourage growth, but let us say this plant simply needs water and sunlight. If this figurative plant was given an equal amount of water as well as sunlight growth is immanent. Now imagine an insufficient amount of water and or sunlight was given to this figurative plant, would this be conducive to growth? No, stagnation and death would climatically approach. The water and sunlight represent two different individuals putting in equal amount of effort and or discretion to maintain a strong favorable relationship.

Moreover, concurrent with the ideas of family values and friendship one must possess trust from others to become a well-rounded leader. I will be a leader one day and the art of my continuous practice of discretion is very important to me. In my 19 years the idea of trust is not a guaranteed trait to come across when dealing with other young adults, but through the practice of Proverbs 2:11 it is conducive to the foundation of building friendships and what I look for in others. As Cam Newton, quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, once said ‘I pray for discretion every single night that I can see through people see what their greater good is.

Sometimes that individual ‘wows’ you by the eye, but when it comes to the heart to heart, that person’s not there for you. That’s not just females. That may be friends, family, future who come into your life just to use you for who you are.” The practice of discretion is not merely keeping a secret, it is a way of life that allows for God to intervene in ones soul to shed light on blessings and demons. So when the question was posted on what does Proverbs 2:11 mean to me, without much elaboration I would say it means to be careful what you say, who you say it to, and be mindful that your actions are coupled with full understanding before a commitment is made. One never wants their words or actions to come back to them rooted in a negative light.