2 Chronicles 15:2

15:2 He met ¹  Asa and told him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! The Lord is with you when you are loyal to him. ²  If you seek him, he will respond to you, ³  but if you reject him, he will reject you.

Proverbs 2:1-6

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom ⁴ 

2:1 My child, ⁵  if ⁶  you receive my words,

and store up ⁷  my commands within you,

2:2 by making ⁸  your ear ⁹  attentive to wisdom,

and ¹⁰  by turning ¹¹  your heart ¹²  to understanding,

2:3 indeed, if ¹³  you call out for ¹⁴  discernment ¹⁵  –

raise your voice ¹⁶  for understanding –

2:4 if ¹⁷  you seek ¹⁸  it like silver, ¹⁹ 

and search for it ²⁰  like hidden treasure,

2:5 then you will understand ²¹  how to fear the Lord, ²² 

and you will discover ²³  knowledge ²⁴  about God. ²⁵ 

2:6 For ²⁶  the Lord gives ²⁷  wisdom,

and from his mouth ²⁸  comes ²⁹  knowledge and understanding.

Isaiah 45:19

45:19 I have not spoken in secret,

in some hidden place. ³⁰ 

I did not tell Jacob’s descendants,

‘Seek me in vain!’ ³¹ 

I am the Lord,

the one who speaks honestly,

who makes reliable announcements. ³² 

Isaiah 55:6-7

55:6 Seek the Lord while he makes himself available; ³³ 

call to him while he is nearby!

55:7 The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle ³⁴ 

and sinful people their plans. ³⁵ 

They should return ³⁶  to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them, ³⁷ 

and to their God, for he will freely forgive them. ³⁸ 

Jeremiah 29:13

29:13 When you seek me in prayer and worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart and soul, ³⁹ 

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, Seek, Knock

7:7 “Ask ⁴⁰  and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door ⁴¹  will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks ⁴²  receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

James 4:8-11

4:8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. ⁴³  4:9 Grieve, mourn, ⁴⁴  and weep. Turn your laughter ⁴⁵  into mourning and your joy into despair. 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

4:11 Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. ⁴⁶  He who speaks against a fellow believer ⁴⁷  or judges a fellow believer speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge. ⁴⁸ 

[15:2]  ¹ tn Heb “went out before.”

[15:2]  ² tn Heb “when you are with him.”

[15:2]  ³ tn Heb “he will allow himself to be found by you.”

[2:1]  ⁴ sn The chapter begins with an admonition to receive wisdom (1-4) and then traces the benefits: the knowledge of God and his protection (5-8), moral discernment for living (9-11), protection from evil men (12-15) and immoral women (16-19), and enablement for righteous living (20-22).

[2:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “my son.”

[2:1]  ⁶ sn Verses 1-11 form one long conditional sentence in the Hebrew text: (1) the protasis (“if…”) encompasses vv. 1-4 and (2) the apodosis (“then…”) consists of two parallel panels in vv. 5-8 and vv. 9-11 both of which are introduced by the particle אָז (’az, “then”).

[2:1]  ⁷ sn The verb “to store up” (צָפַן, tsafan; cf. NAB, NLT “treasure”) in the second colon qualifies the term “receive” (לָקַח, laqakh) in the first, just as “commands” intensifies “words.” This pattern of intensification through parallelism occurs throughout the next three verses. The verb “to store up; to treasure” is used in reference to things of value for future use, e.g., wealth, dowry for a bride. Since proverbs will be useful throughout life and not always immediately applicable, the idea of storing up the sayings is fitting. They will form the way people think which in turn will influence attitudes (W. G. Plaut, Proverbs, 43).

[2:2]  ⁸ tn The Hiphil infinitive construct לְהַקְשִׁיב (lÿhaqshiv, “by making attentive”) functions as an epexegetical explanation of how one will receive the instruction.

[2:2]  ⁹ sn The word “ear” is a metonymy of cause; the word is used as the instrument of hearing. But in parallelism with “heart” it indicates one aspect of the mental process of hearing and understanding. A “hearing ear” describes an obedient or responsive person (BDB 24 s.v. אֹזֶן 2).

[2:2]  ¹⁰ tn The conjunction “and” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.

[2:2]  ¹¹ tn The Hiphil imperfect (“by turning”) continues the nuance introduced by the infinitive construct in the first colon (GKC 352 §114.r). The verb נָטָה (natah) normally means “to stretch out” and only occasionally “to turn” or “to incline” one’s heart to something, as is the case here.

[2:2]  ¹² tn Or “mind” (the center of the will, the choice).

[2:3]  ¹³ tn Both particles retain their individual meanings, otherwise the verse would begin with a strong adversative and be a contrast to what has been said.

[2:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “summon.”

[2:3]  ¹⁵ sn The noun recalls the second purpose of the book (1:2). It is also cognate to the last word of 2:2, forming a transition. The two objects of the prepositions in this verse are actually personifications, as if they could be summoned.

[2:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “give your voice”; the expression is idiomatic for raising or lifting the voice to make a sound that carries further (e.g., Jer 2:15). This deliberate expression indicates that something significant is being uttered. J. H. Greenstone says, “If it [understanding] does not come at your first call, raise your voice to a higher pitch, put forth greater efforts” (Proverbs, 17).

[2:4]  ¹⁷ tn The conditional particle now reiterates the initial conditional clause of this introductory section (1-4); the apodosis will follow in v. 5.

[2:4]  ¹⁸ tn The verb בָּקַשׁ (baqash) means “to search for; to seek; to investigate” (BDB 134 s.v.). This calls for the same diligence one would have in looking for silver.

[2:4]  ¹⁹ sn The two similes affirm that the value placed on the object will influence the eagerness and diligence in the pursuit and development of wisdom (e.g., Job 28:9-11). The point is not only that the object sought is valuable, but that the effort will be demanding but rewarding.

[2:4]  ²⁰ sn The verb חָפַשׂ (khafas) means “to dig; to search” (BDB 344 s.v.; cf. NCV “hunt for it”). The Arabic cognate means “to dig for water.” It is used literally of Joseph searching his brothers’ sacks (Gen 44:12) and figuratively for searching the soul (Ps 64:7). This is a more emphatic word than the one used in the first colon and again emphasizes that acquiring wisdom will be demanding.

[2:5]  ²¹ tn The verb בִּין (bin, “to perceive; to understand; to discern”) refers to ability to grasp, discern or be sensitive to what it means to fear the Lord.

[2:5]  ²² tn Heb “the fear of the Lord.” The noun is an objective genitive; the Lord is to be the object of fear and reverence.

[2:5]  ²³ tn Heb “find” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[2:5]  ²⁴ tn The term דַּעַת (da’at, “knowledge”) goes beyond cognition; it is often used metonymically (cause) for obedience (effect); see, e.g., Prov 3:6, “in all your ways acknowledge him,” and BDB 395 s.v. This means that the disciple will follow God’s moral code; for to know God is to react ethically and spiritually to his will (e.g., J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 18).

[2:5]  ²⁵ tn Heb “knowledge of God.” The noun is an objective genitive.

[2:6]  ²⁶ tn This is a causal clause. The reason one must fear and know the Lord is that he is the source of true, effectual wisdom.

[2:6]  ²⁷ tn The verb is an imperfect tense which probably functions as a habitual imperfect describing a universal truth in the past, present and future.

[2:6]  ²⁸ sn This expression is an anthropomorphism; it indicates that the Lord is the immediate source or author of the wisdom. It is worth noting that in the incarnation many of these “anthropomorphisms” become literal in the person of the Logos, the Word, Jesus, who reveals the Father.

[2:6]  ²⁹ tn The verb “comes” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.

[45:19]  ³⁰ tn Heb “in a place of a land of darkness” (ASV similar); NASB “in some dark land.”

[45:19]  ³¹ tn “In vain” translates תֹהוּ (tohu), used here as an adverbial accusative: “for nothing.”

[45:19]  ³² tn The translation above assumes that צֶדֶק (tsedeq) and מֵישָׁרִים (mesharim) are adverbial accusatives (see 33:15). If they are taken as direct objects, indicating the content of what is spoken, one might translate, “who proclaims deliverance, who announces justice.”

[55:6]  ³³ tn Heb “while he allows himself to be found.” The Niphal form has a tolerative force here.

[55:7]  ³⁴ tn Heb “Let the wicked one abandon his way.” The singular is collective.

[55:7]  ³⁵ tn Heb “and the man of evil his thoughts.” The singular is collective.

[55:7]  ³⁶ tn Heb “let him return.” The singular is collective, meaning “let them.”

[55:7]  ³⁷ tn The imperfect with vav (ו) conjunctive after the jussive indicates purpose/result.

[55:7]  ³⁸ sn The appeal and promise of vv. 6-7 echoes the language of Deut 4:25-31; 30:1-10; and 1 Kgs 8:46-53, all of which anticipate the exile and speak of the prerequisites for restoration.

[29:13]  ³⁹ tn Or “If you wholeheartedly seek me”; Heb “You will seek me and find [me] because you will seek me with all your heart.” The translation attempts to reflect the theological nuances of “seeking” and “finding” and the psychological significance of “heart” which refers more to intellectual and volitional concerns in the OT than to emotional ones.

[7:7]  ⁴⁰ sn The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask…seek…knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.

[7:7]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation here and in v. 8 for clarity.

[7:8]  ⁴² sn The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 7 with the encouragement that God does respond.

[4:8]  ⁴³ tn Or “two-minded” (the same description used in 1:8).

[4:9]  ⁴⁴ tn This term and the following one are preceded by καί (kai) in the Greek text, but contemporary English generally uses connectives only between the last two items in such a series.

[4:9]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “let your laughter be turned.”

[4:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[4:11]  ⁴⁷ tn See note on the word “believer” in 1:9.

[4:11]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “a judge.”