Bird's-eye view
In these two verses, Solomon lays out a foundational principle of godly living, which is that true strength is not a matter of brute force but is rather a consequence of applied wisdom. He moves from the general principle of wisdom as strength to a specific, high-stakes application of that principle, waging war. The passage teaches that both individual fortitude and corporate success in the most intense conflicts depend on the cultivation of knowledge and the humility to seek counsel. This is not simply practical advice for secular life; it is a spiritual reality. The strength described here is covenantal strength, the knowledge is the knowledge of God, and the war is ultimately the spiritual warfare in which every believer is engaged.
The progression is logical and powerful. Verse 5 establishes the identity between wisdom and strength. A wise man is a strong man. A knowledgeable man increases his power. This is not to say they are the same thing, but rather that one is the necessary condition for the other. Verse 6 then provides the ultimate test case: war. How do you prosecute a successful war? Not through sheer numbers or raw aggression, but through wise guidance. How do you achieve victory, or salvation? Through a multitude of counselors. The word for salvation here is broad, encompassing deliverance and victory. It is a corporate reality that rests on a foundation of shared wisdom.
Outline
- 1. The Nature of True Strength (v. 5)
- a. Wisdom as the Foundation of Strength (v. 5a)
- b. Knowledge as the Means of Increasing Power (v. 5b)
- 2. The Application of Strength in Conflict (v. 6)
- a. The Necessity of Wise Guidance for Warfare (v. 6a)
- b. The Safety and Victory Found in Many Counselors (v. 6b)
Context In Proverbs
This passage sits within a larger collection of "the words of the wise" (Proverbs 22:17-24:34). This section of Proverbs emphasizes practical instruction for living a godly and successful life. The themes of wisdom, justice, diligence, and the fear of the Lord are woven throughout. These two verses, in particular, build on the consistent message of Proverbs that wisdom is the principal thing (Prov. 4:7). It is more valuable than gold or silver (Prov. 16:16) and is the foundation for a well-built house and a well-lived life (Prov. 24:3-4). The immediate context contrasts the wise man's strength with the ruin that comes to the wicked and the fool. The larger context of the book identifies the ultimate source of this wisdom as the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7), and ultimately, wisdom is personified as Christ Himself (Prov. 8; 1 Cor. 1:24).
Key Issues
- Wisdom vs. Brute Strength
- The Relationship between Knowledge and Power
- Spiritual Warfare as a Primary Application
- The Corporate Nature of Wisdom
- Key Word Study: Yeshua, "Salvation"
Verse by Verse Commentary
5 A wise man is strong,
The proverb begins with a direct and potent equation. A wise man is strong. The Hebrew can also be rendered "a wise man is in strength." The point is not that a wise man might also happen to be a weightlifter. The point is that wisdom itself constitutes a formidable kind of strength. In a world that consistently defaults to measuring strength by physical might, financial clout, or political influence, God's Word cuts straight through the nonsense. True, lasting, effective strength is found in wisdom. This is because wisdom is the skill of navigating God's world God's way. It is understanding the grain of the universe and working with it, not against it. The fool, by contrast, is constantly trying to swim upstream against the current of God's created order, and so he exhausts himself in his folly and is ultimately broken by it. The wise man, fearing God and walking in His statutes, is aligned with reality. That is a position of immense strength.
And a man of knowledge strengthens his power.
This clause parallels and intensifies the first. Knowledge is the raw material that wisdom uses. A man of knowledge is one who has taken the time to learn, to study, to observe, to understand. And the result of this accumulation of knowledge is not a big head, but a strong arm. He "strengthens his power" or "increases strength." This is an active process. A man doesn't just receive knowledge passively; he applies it, and in the application, his capacity grows. Think of it this way: a man might have a powerful engine, but without the knowledge of how to maintain it, fuel it, and operate it, that power is useless. Knowledge is the operational manual for the power God gives. For the Christian, this knowledge begins with the Scriptures. A man who knows his Bible, who understands doctrine, who can trace God's work through history, is a man who is strengthening his power to live effectively for the kingdom. He is not easily deceived, not easily discouraged, and not easily defeated.
6 For by guidance you will make war,
Now Solomon moves from the general principle to a specific and intense application. The "for" connects this verse directly to the previous one. Because wisdom is strength, it follows that the most challenging of human enterprises, war, must be conducted with wisdom. The word for guidance here (tachbulot) has a naval connotation, like the steering of a ship. It means skillful strategy, wise counsel, or direction. You don't win wars by just sending a mass of men into the fray. You win by out-thinking the enemy. You win through strategy, planning, and shrewd leadership. This is true of physical warfare, but it is profoundly true of the spiritual warfare that is the constant reality for the Christian (Eph. 6:12). We are at war with the world, the flesh, and the devil. How do we fight? Not with carnal weapons, but with divine power, which includes the wisdom that comes from above. We need strategy, which the Word of God provides. We need to understand the enemy's tactics and our own weaknesses. To rush into this spiritual conflict without wise guidance is to court disaster.
And in abundance of counselors there is salvation.
The verse concludes by broadening the source of this wise guidance. It is not found in the isolated genius of one man, but "in an abundance of counselors." The victory, the deliverance, the "salvation" (yeshua) is found in corporate wisdom. This is a direct rebuke to the prideful individualism that so often characterizes folly. The man who thinks he knows it all, who refuses to listen to advice, is the man who is setting himself up for a fall. The wise man, the strong man, is humble enough to know that he doesn't see everything. He surrounds himself with other godly, wise men. He listens to the counsel of the elders in the church. He consults his faithful friends. He reads the wisdom of saints who have gone before. In this multiplicity of perspectives, vetted by the Word of God, there is safety and victory. This principle is foundational for a healthy church, a healthy family, and a healthy individual life. Salvation is not a solo project. It is a community project, under the headship of Christ, guided by the wisdom He provides through the means He has appointed, including the counsel of the saints.
Key Words
Yeshua, "Salvation"
The Hebrew word yeshua is a rich and significant term. While it is the root of the name Jesus (Yehoshua), here in Proverbs it carries the meaning of deliverance, victory, safety, or welfare. It is not primarily referring to soteriological salvation in the New Testament sense of forgiveness of sins, though it is related. It describes a rescue from a tangible threat, in this case, the threat of defeat in war. The proverb teaches that victory and deliverance are secured not through military might alone, but through the collective wisdom of many counselors. This points to a broader biblical principle: God's deliverance often comes through the means of godly, corporate wisdom. For the Christian, this reminds us that our ultimate salvation in Christ does not lead us to isolation, but into a community of saints where we find safety and help in our ongoing spiritual battles.
Application
The modern world, and even much of the modern church, has a distorted view of strength. We think of strength in terms of celebrity, platform size, political power, or physical prowess. This passage calls us back to the biblical foundation: true strength is wisdom in action. A man is not strong because he can yell the loudest; he is strong because he knows God and fears Him, and therefore knows how to navigate the world aright.
This has immediate application for every Christian man. Do you want to be strong for your family? Then you must be a man of knowledge, a man of the Book. Your strength as a husband and father is not in your paycheck or your physical presence, but in your ability to apply biblical wisdom to the challenges of life. Your power is increased as your knowledge of God's Word increases.
Furthermore, we must take the reality of spiritual warfare seriously. We are in a fight. And this passage tells us how to prosecute that war: with wise guidance and an abundance of counselors. This means we must reject the pride of the lone ranger Christian. We need the church. We need pastors and elders who will give us counsel. We need brothers in Christ who will sharpen us as iron sharpens iron. The man who isolates himself is making himself a target for the enemy. Victory, salvation, is found in the fellowship of the wise.