Proverbs 4

Listen, children, to a father's instruction. Pay attention, so that you can gain understanding.

1Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Note"Hear, ye children" translates a Hebrew word meaning "sons." In the wisdom writings of the ancient Near East, "my son" was the standard way a teacher addressed a pupil as well as the way a father addressed a child, and the chapters that follow use it in both senses at once. "Instruction" here is Hebrew *musar*, which covers training, discipline and correction, not just information passed on.

2I am giving you good teaching, so do not abandon what I teach you.

2For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

NoteThe KJV's "law" translates Hebrew *torah*, which at root means teaching or instruction given by an authority. It does not necessarily mean legislation; here it is the father's own body of teaching, set in parallel with "doctrine" in the first half of the line.

3I too was once my father's son, young and tender, and the only child my mother had.

3For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

NoteThe Hebrew word behind "only" (*yachid*) can mean an only child in the literal sense, or a child who is uniquely precious; both readings are possible here. The speaker is presenting himself as someone who once sat where his listeners now sit, receiving from his own father what he is now passing on.

4He taught me and said to me: hold on to my words with all your heart. Keep my commands, and you will live.

4He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

5Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget it, and do not turn away from what I tell you.

5Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6Do not abandon wisdom, and she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you.

6Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

NoteWisdom is "she" throughout this section because the Hebrew noun for wisdom, *chokmah*, is grammatically feminine, and Proverbs builds on that to speak of wisdom as a woman, one to be loved, embraced, and held on to. The pronoun is a feature of the Hebrew language and the poetic figure, not a statement that wisdom is female.

7Wisdom is the most important thing of all, so get wisdom. Whatever else you get, get understanding.

7Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

NoteThis verse is difficult in the Hebrew and is translated in more than one way. The word rendered "the principal thing" (*reshith*) can mean "first" in rank (wisdom is supreme) or "first" in sequence ("the beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom"). "With all thy getting" uses a commercial word for property or acquisitions: whatever else you may acquire, acquire understanding.

8Prize her highly, and she will lift you up. If you hold her close, she will bring you honor.

8Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

9She will set a wreath of grace on your head; she will hand you a crown of beauty.

9She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

NoteBoth images come from public honor rather than royalty. A garland or wreath was placed on the head of a victor, a guest of honor at a banquet, or a bridegroom; the Hebrew word for "crown" (*ateret*) is used for a king's crown but also for any ornamental circlet marking distinction.

10Listen, my son, and take in what I say, and the years of your life will be many.

10Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

11I have taught you the way of wisdom. I have led you along straight paths.

11I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

12When you walk, nothing will block your steps, and when you run, you will not trip.

12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

Note"Straitened" in 1611 English meant hemmed in, cramped, or narrowed, not distressed in the modern sense. The picture is of a road wide and clear enough that your stride is never shortened or blocked.

13Take firm hold of instruction and do not let it go. Guard it, because it is your life.

13Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

14Do not set foot on the path of wicked people, and do not walk in the way of evil men.

14Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

15Stay away from that path. Do not travel on it. Turn away from it and keep going.

15Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

16They cannot sleep unless they have done something evil. Sleep is taken from them until they make someone fall.

16For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

17Wickedness is the bread they eat, and violence is the wine they drink.

17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

NoteThe Hebrew allows two readings, and translators divide over them: either wickedness and violence are what these people live on, their food and drink; or the bread and wine they consume are what they got by wickedness and violence.

18But the path of those who do right is like the first light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until the day is at its fullest.

18But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Note"The perfect day" in 1611 English means the day fully established, noon, when the light has reached its full strength. The image is a single sunrise brightening steadily from first gleam to midday, not a day free of fault.

19The way of the wicked is like deep darkness. They do not know what it is that makes them trip.

19The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

NoteThe Hebrew word here is a strong one for thick or gloomy darkness, deeper than ordinary night. The second line is ambiguous in Hebrew: it may mean they cannot see what they trip over, or that they do not realize what it is they are stumbling into.

20My son, pay attention to my words. Turn your ear toward what I say.

20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21Do not let them out of your sight. Keep them deep inside your heart.

21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

22They are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.

22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Note"Flesh" here is the Hebrew word for the body as a physical whole, with no negative sense attached to it. "Health" translates a word meaning healing or remedy.

23Guard your heart with everything you have, because the springs of life flow out of it.

23Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Note"Heart" in Hebrew usage is the inner self as the seat of thought, memory, will and decision, closer to what English calls the mind, rather than the seat of emotion alone. The phrase behind "with all diligence" is literally "above all guarding," which can mean guard it very carefully or guard it more than anything else you guard. "The issues of life" translates a word for outgoings, used of the sources from which water flows.

24Put crooked speech out of your mouth, and keep twisted talk far away from your lips.

24Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

Note"Froward" and "perverse" both mean crooked or twisted in 1611 English, bent away from straight, in keeping with the chapter's imagery of straight and crooked paths. "Froward" is not related to "forward" and does not mean bold.

25Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze on what is in front of you.

25Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

NoteHebrew poetry pairs "eyes" with "eyelids" as two ways of saying the same thing; "eyelids" here simply means the gaze. The picture is a traveler keeping his eyes on the road ahead rather than glancing off to the side.

26Think carefully about the path your feet take, and all your ways will be steady.

26Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

NoteThe Hebrew verb behind "ponder" means to weigh or to make level, and both senses are defensible here: either weigh up carefully where your feet are going, or make the road level for them. Translations divide between the two.

27Do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Keep your foot away from evil.

27Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

NoteTurning neither right nor left is a set Hebrew idiom for keeping exactly to an assigned road or instruction without deviating in any direction. It carries no sense of political left and right.