Joshua 1:18

1:18 Any man who rebels against what you say and does not obey all your commands will be executed. ¹  But ²  be strong and brave!”

Psalms 119:11

119:11 In my heart I store up ³  your words, ⁴ 

so I might not sin against you.

Proverbs 3:1-3

Exhortations to Seek Wisdom and Walk with the Lord ⁵ 

3:1 My child, ⁶  do not forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep ⁷  my commandments,

3:2 for they will provide ⁸  a long and full life, ⁹ 

and they will add well-being ¹⁰  to you.

3:3 Do not let truth and mercy ¹¹  leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart. ¹² 

Proverbs 3:21

3:21 My child, do not let them ¹³  escape from your sight;

safeguard sound wisdom and discretion. ¹⁴ 

Proverbs 4:4

4:4 he taught me, and he said to me:

“Let your heart lay hold of my words;

keep my commands so that ¹⁵  you will live.

Proverbs 7:1

Admonition to Avoid the Wiles of the Adulteress ¹⁶ 

7:1 My child, ¹⁷  keep my words

and treasure up my commands in your own keeping. ¹⁸ 

Hebrews 2:1

Warning Against Drifting Away

2:1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

Revelation 3:3

3:3 Therefore, remember what you received and heard, ¹⁹  and obey it, ²⁰  and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never ²¹  know at what hour I will come against ²²  you.

¹ tn Heb “any man who rebels against your mouth and does not listen to your words, to all which you command us, will be put to death.”

² tn Or “Only.” Here and in v. 17 this word qualifies what precedes (see also v. 7).

³ tn Or “hide.”

⁴ tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural, “your words.”

⁵ sn The chapter begins with an introductory exhortation (1-4), followed by an admonition to be faithful to the Lord (5-12). Wisdom is commended as the most valuable possession (13-18), essential to creation (19-20), and the way to a long and safe life (21-26). There then follows a warning to avoid unneighborliness (27-30) and emulating the wicked (31-35).

⁶ tn Heb “my son” (likewise in vv. 11, 21).

⁷ 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.”

⁸ tn The phrase “they will provide” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.

⁹ tn Heb “length of days and years of life” (so NASB, NRSV). The idiom “length of days” refers to a prolonged life and “years of life” signifies a long time full of life, a life worth living (T. T. Perowne, Proverbs, 51). The term “life” refers to earthly felicity combined with spiritual blessedness (BDB 313 s.v. חַיִּים).

¹⁰ tn The noun שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) here means “welfare, health, prosperity” (BDB 1022 s.v. 3). It can be used of physical health and personal well-being. It is the experience of positive blessing and freedom from negative harm and catastrophe.

¹¹ 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.”

¹² 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.

¹³ tn The object of the verb “escape” is either (1) wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in vv. 13-20 or (2) “wisdom and discretion” in the second colon of this verse. Several English versions transpose the terms “wisdom and discretion” from the second colon into the first colon for the sake of clarity and smoothness (e.g., RSV, NRSV, NIV, TEV, CEV).
NIV takes the subject from the second colon and reverses the clauses to clarify that.

¹⁴ tn Or: “purpose,” “power of devising.”

¹⁵ tn The imperative with the vav expresses volitional sequence after the preceding imperative: “keep and then you will live,” meaning “keep so that you may live.”

¹⁶ sn The chapter begins with the important teaching of the father (1-5), then it focuses on the seduction: first of the victim (6-9), then the temptress (10-12), then the seduction (13-20), and the capitulation (21-23); the chapter concludes with the deadly results of consorting (24-27).

¹⁷ tn Heb “my son.”

¹⁸ tn Heb “within you” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, ASV, NRSV “with you.” BDB 860 s.v. צָפַן Qal.1 suggests that “within you” means “in your own keeping.”

¹⁹ tn The expression πῶς εἴληφας καὶ ἤκουσας (pw" eilhfa" kai hkousa") probably refers to the initial instruction in the Christian life they had received and been taught; this included doctrine and ethical teaching.

²⁰ tn Grk “keep it,” in the sense of obeying what they had initially been taught.

²¹ tn The negation here is with οὐ μή (ou mh, the strongest possible form of negation in Koine Greek).

²² tn Or “come on.”