Introduction
Before getting into the meaning of Proverbs 14:27, here’s different Bible translations:
King James Version
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
American Standard Version
The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life, That one may depart from the snares of death.
World English Bible version
The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, turning people from the snares of death.
Proverbs 14:27 Meaning & Commentary
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. – Proverbs 14:27 (ESV)
The Bible lists numerous “benefits” of the fear of the Lord. In Proverbs 14:27, The Bible calls the fear of the Lord “a fountain of life.” When we look at a description of a fountain, we see that it says, “A fountain, from the Latin “fons,” meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water.” A fountain is a source or a spring that produces something.
So, with this in mind, we can say that the fear of the Lord produces “life.” This is not actual human life The Bible is referring to here. Instead, the bible is referring to the opposite of “the snares of death” referred to in the second part of the verse. The fear of the Lord produces abundance, favor, joy, intimacy with God, success, purity, holiness, and anything else that we deem to be the opposite of “the snares of death.”
Two specific “benefits” spoken of in The Bible that the fear of the Lord produces are “turning away from evil” and “the path to wisdom.” When we walk in the fear of the Lord, our natural desire is to turn from evil and to honor the Lord with our lives.
Also, The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: Proverbs 9:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. There is wisdom that is demonic and fleshly and wisdom that is godly and pure: James 3:17 -But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. Because the fear of the Lord causes us to desire to turn from evil and to God – it puts us on the path towards godly wisdom – not just any wisdom, but godly wisdom, which carries the fruits spoken of in James 3:17.
Application
How can we apply Proverbs 14:27 to our lives?
Since The Bible lists the benefits of the fear of the Lord, it is undoubtedly something we should strive for and go after. How do we do this, though? We can start by simply praying to the Lord and asking him to increase the fear of the Lord in our lives. If we pray according to God’s Word, we know He will hear our prayers:
1 John 5:14-15 – And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
When we, therefore, pray in line with God’s Word, we can have confidence that God will not only hear our prayers but also answer them, as we are praying according to His will. Since The Bible lists the “benefits” of the fear of the Lord, we know that it is something to be desired and is, therefore, God’s will for us.
In addition to simply praying and asking God, we need to cultivate a life of living and walking in the fear of the Lord”. This is done by walking in purity and holiness, building intimacy with God, studying His Word, and seeking to understand Him and His ways better. We cannot simply pray to God only, asking for the fear of the Lord, but then live contrary to it.
If fearing the Lord means departing from evil, then we need to take practical steps to rid ourselves of specific practices, habits, ways of life, and even attitudes that we know are not in line with the fear of the Lord. As we pray and ask God to increase the fear of the Lord in our lives and take practical steps to walk in it, we are truly building a “fountain of life” in our lives and be spared from the “snares of death.”
Prayer
Mighty God, I thank You for Your Word, which points me to the path of life, peace, and godly success. I pray today, and I ask for the fear of the Lord.
Please increase the fear of the Lord in my life and help me to walk in a manner that is pleasing to You in all things. I pray right now and ask this all in Jesus’ name. Amen!
