Some days when I read the Bible, certain verses jump out at me. Sometimes it’s the syntax – why is it written that way? Other times I’m drawn to the word choices. And sometimes it’s for no other reason than because I have no idea what it means, like Proverbs 13:12:
Hope deferred makes a heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
I don’t know what the first part of this verse means and I’m also curious about the word deferred. Using it to describe hope has piqued my curiosity. What on earth does hope deferred mean?
My obsession with words
You see, words are important to me and I have an endless fascination with them. I’m weird like that. But words are also important to God. He used them to create the heavens (note the word is plural, it’s how it’s written in Genesis 1:1 NLT) and the earth.
Marketing people definitely know the importance of words and how powerful they can be. As a writer, words are indispensable and I chose them carefully.
So if mere mortals put so much thought into words, you bet the words in the Bible are very important. They weren’t arbitrarily selected to increase the word count or to impress the professor, they have a purpose. And my goal is to find out what it is.
So I looked up deferred in the dictionary. Sadly, it meant exactly what I thought it meant and didn’t provide any additional insight whatsoever. My confusion remained and the verse was still a mystery, even when I tried replacing deferred with a synonym. Hope delayed didn’t make any more sense than hope deferred.
Looking for clarity elsewhere
Since the dictionary wasn’t helpful, I decided to see how other versions translated this verse. Thankfully, the internet makes this so easy. I have access to EVERY Bible translation at my fingertips. It’s truly amazing!
Most of the translations use the word deferred or delayed but check out what the Contemporary English Version (CEV) says: Not getting what you want can break your heart, but a wish that comes true is a life-giving tree.
And the Good News Translation (GNT) phrases it this way: When hope is crushed, the heart is crushed, but a wish come true fills you with joy.
And that’s when I finally got it.
The revelation
This verse is talking about dreams, plans, goals, or anything we hope to get out of life. The longer it takes to achieve our dreams (or if they go unmet) the more it weighs us down and takes a toll on us mentally. In other words, the farther away our hopes are from becoming reality, the greater the chance for discouragement, discontentment, and depression. It crushes the spirit and makes it harder to create and pursue new dreams. I mean what’s the point when the old ones couldn’t even be achieved?
However, check out what happens when our dreams do come true or when expectations and reality align. The verse says when that happens it’s a tree of life, meaning it refreshes and emboldens us. It breathes life and encourages us to pursue other dreams because when one dream comes true, it’s easy to believe others will come true as well.
My encouragement
Sometimes the Bible isn’t easy to understand. But I’ve found if you commit to look for answers; if you keep digging and searching, you will find them. Use whatever resources you have to help you in your quest whether that is looking up words in the dictionary, reading how other versions translate the verse, or even reading Bible commentaries. The key is to keep searching until you find the answer. And remember “[f]or everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:8 NLT (emphasis mine)