A Verse Mapping Bible Study on Proverbs
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
Proverbs 8:11
Introduction
Welcome to our Bible study blog at Grounded in Truth Company! We’re so excited to start this deep dive into 52 verses and passages in Proverbs which provide practical tips for our everyday living. Each Monday on our Facebook and Instagram accounts, we will share one verse or passage from Proverbs and then dive in throughout the week to memorize the verse, study individual words, paraphrase it using our new knowledge, study Biblical cross references, and then reflect on what we’ve learned about God and ourselves. This study method is inspired by and adapted from Lauren at The James Method. If you would like a great resource for your study, check out her journals and follow along with us! Today, we will go through an example week using Proverbs 8:11. This introduction post will be linked on each subsequent week throughout the year as a guide for those who join our study later in the year.
Bible Context
We will discuss a little bit about historical context as well on Mondays in our social media stories. This section is unlikely to change much week to week as we are studying through only one book. Most of our passages were written by King Solomon in the early part of his reign, although there are other writers mentioned in the scripture for some of the later portions of the book of Proverbs, which we will discuss when we get to a verse in those sections. For Proverbs 8:11 (and most of our passages), the historical context will look like this:
Who?
King Solomon
When?
Early in his reign, after 970 B.C.
Why?
To apply God’s wisdom to daily life.
For whom?
Israelites (The Jewish People)
Scripture Memory
On Tuesdays, we will work on memorizing our scripture passage for the week. In Psalm 119:11, the Bible says Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. It is important for us to memorize scripture, to “hide it in our hearts,” so that we are prepared to face our highs and our lows in life. One way that we like to use is by breaking down a verse into just the first letters of each word (with punctuation) to jog our memory. For Proverbs 8:11, this would look like this:
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. Proverbs 8:11
F w i b t r; a a t t t m b d a n t b c t i. Proverbs 8:11
Over the week, we will challenge our readers to memorize the passage of scripture we are studying with us. We will share on our social media accounts a graphic with the entire verse and then a graphic with only the first letters of each word, allowing our readers to switch back and forth as they meditate on the scripture to memorize it.
Word Studies
We will begin Wednesdays with word studies on several words in each passage. We will break down some key words in the verse(s) by looking at the original Hebrew word, its definition, and if applicable, what that same word is also translated to in other parts of scripture. For Proverbs 8:11, here are some key words and their breakdowns:
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
Wisdom | חָכְמָה
ḥāḵmâ
Pronunciation: khok-maw'
Definition:
- Wisdom, skill
- Prudence
- Shrewdness
Also translated:
- Wisely 1x
Rubies | פניים
p̄nyym
Pronunciation: paw-neen'
Definition:
- A precious stone
Desired | חֵפֶץ
ḥēp̄eṣ
Pronunciation: khay'-fets
Definition:
- Delight
- Desire, longing
- That in which one takes delight
Also translated:
- Pleasure 16x
- Delight 3x
- Purpose 3x
Paraphrase
Once we have looked at each key word, we will cap off our Wednesday study by rewriting the original verse with the definitions we have learned. This gives us an expanded view of the scripture verse to meditate on over the rest of the week. We will refer to this paraphrase as we reflect on the verses later in the week.
For [wisdom, prudence, skill] is better than [precious stones]; and all the things that may be [delighted in] are not to be compared to it.
Bible Cross References
On Thursdays, our study will have two parts. We will begin by looking at a few cross references for our verse – other scriptures which stand with the verse or passage we are studying which will help us understand how we can apply this verse to our lives. For Proverbs 8:11, these cross references would include:
Proverbs 3:13-15
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Proverbs 16:16
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
1 Corinthians 1:30
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
Reflections
After we discuss our cross references, we will move into some reflections about what we’ve learned over the course of the week. We will focus on what we’ve learned about God, about ourselves, and then some questions we can ponder over the weekend as we seek to apply our newfound wisdom to our lives. Here are some reflections from the verse we’ve been studying in this example, Proverbs 8:11. This is where it can be helpful to look back over not only our cross references but also our paraphrased verse with our key word definitions, so here's a look back out our paraphrase:
For [wisdom, prudence, skill] is better than [precious stones]; and all the things that may be [delighted in] are not to be compared to it.
About God
God, who is wisdom, is better than anything else we can think about desiring.
About Self
We should strive to not continue to desire other things over God. The beautiful and desirable things of this world, like riches and fine jewels, are nothing compared to truly knowing our God, who wants to be known by each of us personally through His son, Jesus.
Questions to ask Myself
- What am I desiring most in my life this week? Is it knowing God more? Or is something else getting in the way of my seeking God and His wisdom for my life?
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