Proverbs 4:4

4:4 he taught me, and he said to me:

“Let your heart lay hold of my words;

keep my commands so that ¹  you will live.

Proverbs 6:22

6:22 When you walk about, ²  they ³  will guide you;

when you lie down, they will watch over you;

when you wake up, ⁴  they will talk ⁵  to you.

Proverbs 8:34

8:34 Blessed is the one ⁶  who listens to me,

watching ⁷  at my doors day by day,

waiting ⁸  beside my doorway. ⁹ 

Proverbs 22:18

22:18 For it is pleasing if ¹⁰  you keep these sayings ¹¹  within you,

and ¹²  they are ready on your lips. ¹³ 

[4:4]  ¹ tn The imperative with the vav expresses volitional sequence after the preceding imperative: “keep and then you will live,” meaning “keep so that you may live.”

[6:22]  ² tn The verbal form is the Hitpael infinitive construct with a preposition and a suffixed subjective genitive to form a temporal clause. The term הָלַךְ (halakh) in this verbal stem means “to go about; to go to and fro.” The use of these terms in v. 22 also alludes to Deut 6:7.

[6:22]  ³ tn Heb “it will guide you.” The verb is singular and the instruction is the subject.

[6:22]  ⁴ tn In both of the preceding cola an infinitive construct was used for the temporal clauses; now the construction uses a perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive. The verb would then be equivalent to an imperfect tense, but subordinated as a temporal clause here.

[6:22]  ⁵ sn The Hebrew verb means “talk” in the sense of “to muse; to complain; to meditate”; cf. TEV, NLT “advise you.” Instruction bound to the heart will speak to the disciple on awaking.

[8:34]  ³ tn Heb “the man.”

[8:34]  ⁴ tn The form לִשְׁקֹד (lishqod) is the infinitive construct serving epexegetically in the sentence. It explains how the person will listen to wisdom.

[8:34]  ⁵ tn Heb “keeping” or “guarding.”

[8:34]  ⁶ tn Heb “at the posts of my doors” (so KJV, ASV).

[22:18]  ⁴ tn Or “when” (so NIV).

[22:18]  ⁵ tn Heb “keep them,” referring to the words of the wise expressed in these sayings. The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:18]  ⁶ tn The term “and” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation.

[22:18]  ⁷ sn If the teachings are preserved in the heart/mind of the disciple, then that individual will always be ready to speak what was retained.