Deuteronomy 4:15

The Nature of Israel’s God

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.

Deuteronomy 4:23

4:23 Be on guard so that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he has made with you, and that you do not make an image of any kind, just as he ²  has forbidden ³  you.

Proverbs 3:1

Exhortations to Seek Wisdom and Walk with the Lord ⁴ 

3:1 My child, ⁵  do not forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep ⁶  my commandments,

Proverbs 3:3

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 

Proverbs 4:20-23

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.

Luke 8:18

8:18 So listen carefully, ¹⁶  for whoever has will be given more, but ¹⁷  whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has ¹⁸  will be taken from him.”

Hebrews 2:3

2:3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him,

James 2:22

2:22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works.

[4:15]  ¹ tn Heb “give great care to your souls.”

[4:23]  ² tn Heb “the Lord your God.” See note on “he” in 4:3.

[4:23]  ³ tn Heb “commanded.”

[3:1]  ⁴ 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).

[3:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “my son” (likewise in vv. 11, 21).

[3:1]  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.”

[3:3]  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.”

[3:3]  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.

[4:20]  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.”

[4:21]  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).

[4:21]  ¹¹ tn Or “keep” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV and many others).

[4:21]  ¹² sn The words “eyes” and “heart” are metonymies of subject representing the faculties of each. Cf. CEV “think about it all.”

[4:22]  ¹³ tn Heb “to all of his flesh.”

[4:23]  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).

[4:23]  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.

[8:18]  ¹⁶ tn Or “Therefore pay close attention”; Grk “Take heed therefore how you hear.”

[8:18]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[8:18]  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.