Proverbs 3:3

3:3 Do not let truth and mercy ¹  leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart. ² 

Luke 1:80

1:80 And the child kept growing ³  and becoming strong ⁴  in spirit, and he was in the wilderness ⁵  until the day he was revealed ⁶  to Israel.

Luke 2:40

2:40 And the child grew and became strong, ⁷  filled with wisdom, ⁸  and the favor ⁹  of God ¹⁰  was upon him.

Luke 2:52

2:52 And Jesus increased ¹¹  in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people.

Acts 2:47

2:47 praising God and having the good will ¹²  of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day ¹³  those who were being saved.

Romans 14:18

14:18 For the one who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people. ¹⁴ 

¹ 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.”

² 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.

³ tn This verb is imperfect.

⁴ tn This verb is also imperfect.

⁵ tn Or “desert.”

⁶ tn Grk “until the day of his revealing.”

⁷ tc Most mss (A Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï) read πνεύματι (pneumati, “in spirit”) after “became strong,” but this looks like an assimilation to Luke 1:80. The better witnesses (א B D L N W pc lat co) lack the word.

⁸ sn With the description grew and became strong, filled with wisdom Luke emphasizes the humanity of Jesus and his growth toward maturity.

⁹ tn Or “grace.”

¹⁰ sn On the phrase the favor of God see Luke 1:66.

¹¹ tn Or “kept increasing.” The imperfect tense suggests something of a progressive force to the verb.

¹² tn Or “the favor.”

¹³ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.

¹⁴ tn Grk “by men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is generic here (“people”) since the contrast in context is between God and humanity.