18:22

In this verse, the second line describes a specific consequence of finding a wife.

22a He who finds a wife finds a good thing

22b and obtains favor from the LORD.

By finding a wife, a man has received favor from the LORD. As the Contemporary English Version translates it, the wife herself “is a gift from the Lord.” Some other ways to express the relationship between the two lines of the verse are:

22a He who finds a wife finds happiness; 22b it is a favor he receives from the Lord. (New American Bible)
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22a When a man finds a wife, he finds something good. 22b It shows that the Lord is pleased with him. (New Century Version)
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22a Whoever finds a wife finds something good 22b and has obtained favor from the Lord. (God’s Word)

18:22a

He who finds a wife finds a good thing: The phrase He who finds a wife refers to a man who gets married. It is implied that he marries a good wife. When he does this, he gains what is good, including good fortune and happiness.

18:22b

and obtains favor from the LORD: This phrase is identical to 8:35b, but the context is different. In 8:35b, the LORD’s favor refers to the benefits that a person will receive as a future result of gaining wisdom. Here the LORD’s favor refers to the benefits that a person has already received as a result of marrying a good wife.

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