4:15 Be very careful, 1 then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire.
3:1 My child, 5 do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep 6 my commandments,
3:3 Do not let truth and mercy 7 leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart. 8
4:20 My child, pay attention to my words;
listen attentively 9 to my sayings.
4:21 Do not let them depart 10 from your sight,
guard 11 them within your heart; 12
4:22 for they are life to those who find them
and healing to one’s entire body. 13
4:23 Guard your heart with all vigilance, 14
for from it are the sources 15 of life.
1 tn Heb “give great care to your souls.”
2 tn Heb “the
3 tn Heb “commanded.”
4 sn The chapter begins with an introductory exhortation (1-4), followed by an admonition to be faithful to the
5 tn Heb “my son” (likewise in vv. 11, 21).
6 tn The verb יִצֹּר (yitsor) is a Qal jussive and the noun לִבֶּךָ (libbekha, “your heart”) functions as the subject: “let your heart keep my commandments.”
7 tn The two words חֶסֶד וֶאֶמֶת (khesed ve’emet, “mercy and truth”) form a nominal hendiadys, the second word becoming an adjective: “faithful covenant love” or “loyal [covenant] love and faithfulness.”
8 sn This involves two implied comparisons (hypocatastasis). One is a comparison of living out the duties and responsibilities taught with binding a chain around the neck, and the other is a comparison of the inward appropriation of the teachings with writing them on a tablet. So the teachings are not only to become the lifestyle of the disciple but his very nature.
9 tn Heb “incline your ear.” The verb הַט (hat) is the Hiphil imperative from נָטָה (natah, Hiphil: “to turn to; to incline”). The idiom “to incline the ear” gives the picture of “lean over and listen closely.”
10 tn The Hiphil form יַלִּיזוּ (yallizu) follows the Aramaic with gemination. The verb means “to turn aside; to depart” (intransitive Hiphil or inner causative).
11 tn Or “keep” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV and many others).
12 sn The words “eyes” and “heart” are metonymies of subject representing the faculties of each. Cf. CEV “think about it all.”
13 tn Heb “to all of his flesh.”
14 tn Heb “more than all guarding.” This idiom means “with all vigilance.” The construction uses the preposition מִן (min) to express “above; beyond,” the word “all” and the noun “prison; guard; act of guarding.” The latter is the use here (BDB 1038 s.v. מִשְׁמָר).
15 sn The word תּוֹצְאוֹת (tots’ot, from יָצָא, yatsa’) means “outgoings; extremities; sources.” It is used here for starting points, like a fountainhead, and so the translation “sources” works well.
16 tn Or “Therefore pay close attention”; Grk “Take heed therefore how you hear.”
17 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
18 sn The phrase what he thinks he has is important, because it is not what a person thinks he has that is important but whether he actually has something or not. Jesus describes the person who does not heed his word as having nothing. The person who has nothing loses even that which he thought was something but was not. In other words, he has absolutely nothing at all. Jesus’ teaching must be taken seriously.