Proverbs 4:26
Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
Open Proverbs 4:26 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Dirige semitam pedibus tuis, et omnes viæ tuæ stabilientur.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ὀρθὰς τροχιὰς ποίει σοῖς ποσίν, καὶ τὰς ὁδούς σου κατεύθυνε.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- פַּ֭לֵּס מַעְגַּ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ
Haydock's commentary
Straight. Hebrew, "ponder." Examine what thou takest in hand, and walk not at random, Hebrews xii. 13.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine A Treatise on Grace and Free Will, Letter II
5. Mark well the counsel which the Holy Ghost gives us by Solomon: “Make straight paths for thy feet, and order thy ways aright. Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away thy foot from the evil way; for the Lord knoweth the ways on the right hand, but those on the left are perverse. He will make thy ways straight, and will direct thy steps in peace.” Now consider, my brethren, that in these words of Holy Scripture, if there were no free will, it would not be said, “Make straight paths for thy feet, and order thy ways; turn not aside to the right hand, nor to the left.” Nor yet, were this possible for us to achieve without the grace of God, would it be afterwards added, “He will make thy ways straight, and will direct thy steps in peace.”
Sulpitius Severus The Doubtful Letters of Sulpitius Severus, Chapter X
Wherefore , I beseech you, O virgin, do not flatter yourself on the ground of your purity alone, and do not trust in the perfection of one member; but according to the Apostle, maintain the sanctity of your body throughout. Cleanse thy head from all defilement, because it is a disgrace that it, after the sanctifying oil has been applied to it, should be polluted with the juice or powder of either crocus, or any other pigment, or should be adorned with gold or gems or any other earthly ornament, because it already shines with the radiance of heavenly adornment. It is undoubtedly a grave insult to Divine grace to prefer to it any mundane and worldly ornament. …
St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part II. Containing Conferences XI-XVII, Chapter IX. Of the power of our good will, and the grace of God
Whence human reason cannot easily decide how the Lord gives to those that ask, is found by those that seek, and opens to those that knock, and on the other hand is found by those that sought Him not, appears openly among those who asked not for Him, and all the day long stretches forth His hands to an unbelieving and gainsaying people, calls those who resist and stand afar off, draws men against their will to salvation, takes away from those who want to sin the faculty of carrying out their desire, in His goodness stands in the way of those who are rushing into wickedness. …