1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
1 My son, H1121 if thou wilt receive H3947 my words, H561 and hide H6845 my commandments H4687 with thee;
2 So that thou incline H7181 thine ear H241 unto wisdom, H2451 and apply H5186 thine heart H3820 to understanding; H8394
3 Yea, if thou criest H7121 after knowledge, H998 and liftest up H5414 thy voice H6963 for understanding; H8394
4 If thou seekest H1245 her as silver, H3701 and searchest H2664 for her as for hid treasures; H4301
5 Then shalt thou understand H995 the fear H3374 of the LORD, H3068 and find H4672 the knowledge H1847 of God. H430
6 For the LORD H3068 giveth H5414 wisdom: H2451 out of his mouth H6310 cometh knowledge H1847 and understanding. H8394
7 He layeth up H6845 H6845 sound wisdom H8454 for the righteous: H3477 he is a buckler H4043 to them that walk H1980 uprightly. H8537
8 He keepeth H5341 the paths H734 of judgment, H4941 and preserveth H8104 the way H1870 of his saints. H2623
9 Then shalt thou understand H995 righteousness, H6664 and judgment, H4941 and equity; H4339 yea, every good H2896 path. H4570
10 When wisdom H2451 entereth H935 into thine heart, H3820 and knowledge H1847 is pleasant H5276 unto thy soul; H5315
11 Discretion H4209 shall preserve H8104 thee, understanding H8394 shall keep H5341 thee:
12 To deliver H5337 thee from the way H1870 of the evil H7451 man, from the man H376 that speaketh H1696 froward things; H8419
13 Who leave H5800 the paths H734 of uprightness, H3476 to walk H3212 in the ways H1870 of darkness; H2822
14 Who rejoice H8056 to do H6213 evil, H7451 and delight H1523 in the frowardness H8419 of the wicked; H7451
15 Whose ways H734 are crooked, H6141 and they froward H3868 in their paths: H4570
16 To deliver H5337 thee from the strange H2114 woman, H802 even from the stranger H5237 which flattereth H2505 with her words; H561
17 Which forsaketh H5800 the guide H441 of her youth, H5271 and forgetteth H7911 the covenant H1285 of her God. H430
18 For her house H1004 inclineth H7743 unto death, H4194 and her paths H4570 unto the dead. H7496
19 None that go H935 unto her return again, H7725 neither take they hold H5381 of the paths H734 of life. H2416
20 That thou mayest walk H3212 in the way H1870 of good H2896 men, and keep H8104 the paths H734 of the righteous. H6662
21 For the upright H3477 shall dwell H7931 in the land, H776 and the perfect H8549 shall remain H3498 in it.
22 But the wicked H7563 shall be cut off H3772 from the earth, H776 and the transgressors H898 shall be rooted out H5255 of it.
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And lay up my commandments with thee;
2 So as to incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thy heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou cry after discernment, And lift up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seek her as silver, And search for her as for hid treasures:
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, And find the knowledge of God.
6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom; Out of his mouth `cometh' knowledge and understanding:
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; `He is' a shield to them that walk in integrity;
8 That he may guard the paths of justice, And preserve the way of his saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and justice, And equity, `yea', every good path.
10 For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall watch over thee; Understanding shall keep thee:
12 To deliver thee from the way of evil, From the men that speak perverse things;
13 Who forsake the paths of uprightness, To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice to do evil, And delight in the perverseness of evil;
15 Who are crooked in their ways, And wayward in their paths:
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, Even from the foreigner that flattereth with her words;
17 That forsaketh the friend of her youth, And forgetteth the covenant of her God:
18 For her house inclineth unto death, And her paths unto the dead;
19 None that go unto her return again, Neither do they attain unto the paths of life:
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, And keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, And the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.
1 My son, if thou dost accept my sayings, And my commands dost lay up with thee,
2 To cause thine ear to attend to wisdom, Thou inclinest thy heart to understanding,
3 For, if for intelligence thou callest, For understanding givest forth thy voice,
4 If thou dost seek her as silver, And as hid treasures searchest for her,
5 Then understandest thou fear of Jehovah, And knowledge of God thou findest.
6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom, From His mouth knowledge and understanding.
7 Even to lay up for the upright substance, A shield for those walking uprightly.
8 To keep the paths of judgment, And the way of His saints He preserveth.
9 Then understandest thou righteousness, And judgment, and uprightness -- every good path.
10 For wisdom cometh into thy heart, And knowledge to thy soul is pleasant,
11 Thoughtfulness doth watch over thee, Understanding doth keep thee,
12 To deliver thee from an evil way, From any speaking froward things,
13 Who are forsaking paths of uprightness, To walk in ways of darkness,
14 Who are rejoicing to do evil, They delight in frowardness of the wicked,
15 Whose paths `are' crooked, Yea, they are perverted in their ways.
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, From the stranger who hath made smooth her sayings,
17 Who is forsaking the guide of her youth, And the covenant of her God hath forgotten.
18 For her house hath inclined unto death, And unto Rephaim her paths.
19 None going in unto her turn back, Nor do they reach the paths of life.
20 That thou dost go in the way of the good, And the paths of the righteous dost keep.
21 For the upright do inhabit the earth, And the perfect are left in it,
22 And the wicked from the earth are cut off, And treacherous dealers plucked out of it!
1 My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,
2 so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] thou apply thy heart to understanding;
3 yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;
4 if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:
5 then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [he] is a shield to them that walk in integrity;
8 guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.
10 When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,
11 discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:
12 To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things;
13 [from those] who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of evil;
15 whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;
17 who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God;
18 -- for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead;
19 none that go unto her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:
20 -- that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it;
22 but the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.
1 My son, if you will receive my words, And store up my commandments within you;
2 So as to turn your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you call out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures:
5 Then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, And find the knowledge of God.
6 For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
7 He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;
8 That he may guard the paths of justice, And preserve the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the men who speak perverse things;
13 Who forsake the paths of uprightness, To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice to do evil, And delight in the perverseness of evil;
15 Who are crooked in their ways, And wayward in their paths:
16 To deliver you from the strange woman, Even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;
17 Who forsakes the friend of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God:
18 For her house leads down to death, Her paths to the dead.
19 None who go to her return again, Neither do they attain to the paths of life:
20 That you may walk in the way of good men, And keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.
1 My son, if you will take my words to your heart, storing up my laws in your mind;
2 So that your ear gives attention to wisdom, and your heart is turned to knowledge;
3 Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge;
4 If you are looking for her as for silver, and searching for her as for stored-up wealth;
5 Then the fear of the Lord will be clear to you, and knowledge of God will be yours.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; out of his mouth come knowledge and reason:
7 He has salvation stored up for the upright, he is a breastplate to those in whom there is no evil;
8 He keeps watch on the ways which are right, and takes care of those who have the fear of him.
9 Then you will have knowledge of righteousness and right acting, and upright behaviour, even of every good way.
10 For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul;
11 Wise purposes will be watching over you, and knowledge will keep you;
12 Giving you salvation from the evil man, from those whose words are false;
13 Who give up the way of righteousness, to go by dark roads;
14 Who take pleasure in wrongdoing, and have joy in the evil designs of the sinner;
15 Whose ways are not straight, and whose footsteps are turned to evil:
16 To take you out of the power of the strange woman, who says smooth words with her tongue;
17 Who is false to the husband of her early years, and does not keep the agreement of her God in mind:
18 For her house is on the way down to death; her footsteps go down to the shades:
19 Those who go to her do not come back again; their feet do not keep in the ways of life:
20 So that you may go in the way of good men, and keep in the footsteps of the upright.
21 For the upright will be living in the land, and the good will have it for their heritage.
22 But sinners will be cut off from the land, and those whose acts are false will be uprooted.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Proverbs 2
Commentary on Proverbs 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 2
Pr 2:1-22. Men are invited to seek wisdom because it teaches those principles by which they may obtain God's guidance and avoid the society and influence of the wicked, whose pernicious courses are described.
1-5. Diligence in hearing and praying for instruction must be used to secure the great principle of godliness, the fear of God.
hide … with thee—lay up in store (compare Pr 7:1).
2. Listen attentively and reflect seriously (Pr 1:24; Ps 130:2).
understanding—right perception of truth.
3. Yea, if—literally, "When if," that is, in such a case.
knowledge—or, "discrimination."
understanding—as in Pr 2:2.
4. There must be earnest prayer and effort.
5. understand—or, "perceive intelligently."
find—obtain.
6. For—God is ready (Jas 1:5; 4:8).
out of his mouth—by revelation from Him.
7. sound wisdom—literally, "substance," opposed to what is fictitious. According to the context, this may be assistance, as here corresponding with
buckler—or safety, or wisdom, which procures it (compare Pr 3:21; 8:14; 18:1; Job 6:13; 12:13).
layeth up—provides, ever ready.
8. keepeth … way—God defends the right way, and those in it.
saints—objects of favor (compare Ps 4:3, &c.). He guides and guards them.
9. Then—emphatic, in such a case.
righteousness … path—all parts of duty to God and man.
10, 11. Idea of Pr 2:9, amplified; on terms, compare Pr 2:2 and Pr 2:4.
12-15. To deliver—as from great danger (Pr 6:5).
way … man—(Ps 1:1).
froward things—perversity (Pr 6:14; 23:23), what is opposed to truth.
13. paths of uprightness—or, "plainness."
walk—habitually act;
14. and that with pleasure, in ignorance of good and pursuit of evil.
frowardness—Not only their own perversity, but that of others is their delight. They love most the worst things.
15. crooked—tortuous, unprincipled.
froward—literally, (they) are going back, not only aside from right, but opposite to it.
16-19. Deliverance from another danger.
the strange woman—This term is often used for harlot, or loose woman (Jud 11:1, 2), married (Pr 7:5, 19) or not (1Ki 11:1), so called, because such were, perhaps at first, foreigners, though "strange" may also denote whatever is opposed to right or proper, as "strange fire" (Nu 3:4); "strange incense" (Ex 30:9).
flattereth—literally, "smooths."
her words—(Ps 5:9).
17. guide … youth—lawful husband (Jer 3:4).
covenant … God—of marriage made in God's name.
18. inclineth—sinks down (compare Nu 13:31).
the dead—or shades of the departed (Ps 88:10).
19. that is, such as remain impenitent (compare Ec 7:26).
paths of life—(Ps 16:11), opposed to paths unto the dead.
20. That … way of good—that is, Such is the object of these warnings.
21, 22. (Compare Ps 37:3, 9, 22, 27).
22. transgressors—or impious rebels (compare Jer 9:2).
rooted out—utterly destroyed, as trees plucked up by the roots.