4:20 My child, pay attention to my words;
listen attentively 1 to my sayings.
4:21 Do not let them depart 2 from your sight,
guard 3 them within your heart; 4
4:22 for they are life to those who find them
and healing to one’s entire body. 5
1 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.”
2 tn The Hiphil form יַלִּיזוּ (yallizu) follows the Aramaic with gemination. The verb means “to turn aside; to depart” (intransitive Hiphil or inner causative).
3 tn Or “keep” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV and many others).
4 sn The words “eyes” and “heart” are metonymies of subject representing the faculties of each. Cf. CEV “think about it all.”
5 tn Heb “to all of his flesh.”