Proverbs 23:10 says, “Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless.”
This verse seems simple at first, but there’s a lot packed into it. Back in Bible times, God gave the land of Canaan to Israel and divided it up by tribes and families. Every family had a piece of land that God Himself gave them. They’d mark it with stones or other signs. Moving one of those landmarks wasn’t just stealing—it was messing with something God put in place.
But this verse goes deeper than property lines. It warns against taking what belongs to the weak, like orphans. It says not to go into “the fields of the fatherless.” Orphans didn’t have a dad to stand up for them. That made them an easy target. God says, “Don’t you dare touch what’s theirs.”
This also pictures something spiritual. Removing landmarks can mean changing old doctrines or moving moral standards. In today’s world, people want to throw out the old paths and replace them with new ideas that go against the Bible. God’s not okay with that. When we remove the old truths, we’re doing the same thing—trespassing on something that isn’t ours to mess with.
Bottom line—don’t touch what God put in place. Don’t take from people just because they can’t fight back. And don’t mess with the old paths. God is watching, and He cares about every inch of land and every line of truth.
