Proverbs 2:1

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom ¹ 

2:1 My child, ²  if ³  you receive my words,

and store up ⁴  my commands within you,

Proverbs 4:1

Admonition to Follow Righteousness and Avoid Wickedness ⁵ 

4:1 Listen, children, ⁶  to a father’s instruction, ⁷ 

and pay attention so that ⁸  you may gain ⁹  discernment.

Proverbs 4:20

4:20 My child, pay attention to my words;

listen attentively ¹⁰  to my sayings.

Matthew 3:9

3:9 and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

Mark 4:23

4:23 If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!” ¹¹ 

Revelation 2:7

2:7 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, ¹²  I will permit ¹³  him to eat from the tree of life that is ¹⁴  in the paradise of God.’ ¹⁵ 

Revelation 2:11

2:11 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers ¹⁶  will in no way be harmed by the second death.’

Revelation 2:17

2:17 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, ¹⁷  I will give him some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white ¹⁸  stone, ¹⁹  and on that stone will be written a new name that no one can understand ²⁰  except the one who receives it.’

Revelation 2:29

2:29 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3:6

3:6 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3:13

3:13 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3:22

3:22 The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

[2:1]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “my son.”

[2:1]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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).

[4:1]  ⁵ sn The chapter includes an exhortation to acquire wisdom (1-4a), a list of the benefits of wisdom (4b-9), a call to pursue a righteous lifestyle (10-13), a warning against a wicked lifestyle (14-19), and an exhortation to righteousness (20-27).

[4:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “sons.”

[4:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “discipline.”

[4:1]  ⁸ tn The Qal infinitive construct with preposition ל (lamed) indicates the purpose/result of the preceding imperative.

[4:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “know” (so KJV, ASV).

[4:20]  ¹⁰ 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.”

[4:23]  ¹¹ tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8, 14:35).

[2:7]  ¹² tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.” The pendent dative is allowed to stand in the English translation because it is characteristic of the author’s style in Revelation.

[2:7]  ¹³ tn Or “grant.”

[2:7]  ¹⁴ tn Or “stands.”

[2:7]  ¹⁵ tc The omission of “my” (μου, mou) after “God” (θεοῦ, qeou) is well attested, supported by א A C and the Andreas of Caesarea group of Byzantine mss (Ï^A). Its addition in 1611, the Ï^K group, latt, and others, seems to be evidence of a purposeful conforming of the text to 3:2 and the four occurrences of “my God” (θεοῦ μου) in 3:12.

[2:11]  ¹⁶ tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.”

[2:17]  ¹⁷ tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.” The pendent dative is allowed to stand in the English translation because it is characteristic of the author’s style in Revelation.

[2:17]  ¹⁸ tn Or “bright.” The Greek term λευκός (leukos) can refer either to the color white (traditional here) or to an object that is bright or shining, either from itself or from an outside source of illumination (L&N 14.50; 79.27).

[2:17]  ¹⁹ tn On the interpretation of the stone, L&N 2.27 states, “A number of different suggestions have been made as to the reference of ψῆφος in this context. Some scholars believe that the white ψῆφος indicates a vote of acquittal in court. Others contend that it is simply a magical amulet; still others, a token of Roman hospitality; and finally, some have suggested that it may represent a ticket to the gladiatorial games, that is to say, to martyrdom. The context, however, suggests clearly that this is something to be prized and a type of reward for those who have ‘won the victory.’”

[2:17]  ²⁰ tn Or “know”; for the meaning “understand” see L&N 32.4.