1 Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
2 For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.
3 For, a son I have been to my father -- tender, And an only one before my mother.
4 And he directeth me, and he saith to me: `Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.
7 The first thing `is' wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.
9 She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life `are' multiplied to thee.
11 In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.
12 In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.
13 Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she `is' thy life.
14 Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.
15 Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
16 For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not `some' to stumble.
17 For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.
18 And the path of the righteous `is' as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,
19 The way of the wicked `is' as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
20 My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,
21 Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.
22 For life they `are' to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.
23 Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it `are' the outgoings of life.
24 Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,
25 Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways `are' established.
27 Incline not `to' the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 4
Commentary on Proverbs 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
When the things of God are to be taught precept must be upon precept, and line upon line, not only because the things themselves are of great worth and weight, but because men's minds, at the best, are unapt to admit them and commonly prejudiced against them; and therefore Solomon, in this chapter, with a great variety of expression and a pleasant powerful flood of divine eloquence, inculcates the same things that he had pressed upon us in the foregoing chapters. Here is,
So plainly, so pressingly, is the case laid before us, that we shall be for ever inexcusable if we perish in our folly.
Pro 4:1-13
Here we have,
Pro 4:14-19
Some make David's instructions to Solomon, which began v. 4, to continue to the end of the chapter; nay, some continue them to the end of the ninth chapter; but it is more probable that Solomon begins here again, if not sooner. In these verses, having exhorted us to walk in the paths of wisdom, he cautions us against the path of the wicked.
Pro 4:20-27
Solomon, having warned us not to do evil, here teaches us how to do well. It is not enough for us to shun the occasions of sin, but we must study the methods of duty.