What Does Proverbs 18:22 Mean?
Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and draws forth favor from the LORD.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.THE KEY
The repeated “findeth” makes a wife and goodness one discovery, then places that discovery beside the LORD’s favor.
THE MEANING
The verse names finding a wife as finding good. Its repeated verb binds the human relationship to goodness, and the next phrase sets that discovery beside the LORD’s favor. The ordinary life of marriage is held within divine goodwill.
THE ROOT
מָצָא
māṣāʾ
GROWS FROM
מצא
māṣāʾ
find, discover, attain
“findeth” in this verse is māṣāʾ. The same verb מָצָא (māṣāʾ, “find”) appears in both clauses: finding a wife is voiced again as finding good. The repetition binds the relationship and goodness as one discovery.
ALSO GROWS
nimṣāʾ: be found; be present
נִמְצָא
This form shifts attention from the finder to what is encountered, showing the receiving side of the discovery.
himṣîʾ: provide; furnish
הִמְצִיא
This form can describe bringing something within reach, showing how the same root can also name provision.
רָצוֹן
rāṣôn
GROWS FROM
רצה
rāṣâ
be pleased with, accept, show favor
“favour” in this verse is rāṣôn. The noun translated “favor” comes from רצה (rāṣâ), “be pleased with, accept,” and carries the sense of pleasure or goodwill. The final clause places the finding within the LORD’s accepting favor.
ALSO GROWS
rāṣâ: be pleased with; accept
רָצָה
This verb makes the pleasure and acceptance inside the word for favor audible.
rāṣûy: pleasing; acceptable
רָצוּי
This form describes what is received with pleasure, echoing favor as acceptance.
THE PATTERN
What is encountered as good is placed within the LORD’s provision and favor.
For whoever finds me finds life, and draws favor out of the LORD.Every good giving and every complete gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no shifting and no shadow cast by turning.THE THREAD
For whoever finds me finds life, and draws favor out of the LORD.Proverbs 8:35 repeats the same Hebrew sequence: find, find, then obtain the LORD’s favor. Wisdom becomes a parallel discovery to the wife here, and the shared wording places both encounters within divine goodwill.
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