Psalms 119:4

119:4 You demand that your precepts

be carefully kept. ¹ 

Psalms 119:10-11

119:10 With all my heart I seek you.

Do not allow me to stray from your commands!

119:11 In my heart I store up ²  your words, ³ 

so I might not sin against you.

Psalms 119:27

119:27 Help me to understand what your precepts mean! ⁴ 

Then I can meditate ⁵  on your marvelous teachings. ⁶ 

Psalms 119:33-34

ה (He)

119:33 Teach me, O Lord, the lifestyle prescribed by your statutes, ⁷ 

so that I might observe it continually. ⁸ 

119:34 Give me understanding so that I might observe your law,

and keep it with all my heart. ⁹ 

Psalms 119:44

119:44 Then I will keep ¹⁰  your law continually

now and for all time. ¹¹ 

Proverbs 2:1-5

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom ¹² 

2:1 My child, ¹³  if ¹⁴  you receive my words,

and store up ¹⁵  my commands within you,

2:2 by making ¹⁶  your ear ¹⁷  attentive to wisdom,

and ¹⁸  by turning ¹⁹  your heart ²⁰  to understanding,

2:3 indeed, if ²¹  you call out for ²²  discernment ²³  –

raise your voice ²⁴  for understanding –

2:4 if ²⁵  you seek ²⁶  it like silver, ²⁷ 

and search for it ²⁸  like hidden treasure,

2:5 then you will understand ²⁹  how to fear the Lord, ³⁰ 

and you will discover ³¹  knowledge ³²  about God. ³³ 

Proverbs 3:1

Exhortations to Seek Wisdom and Walk with the Lord ³⁴ 

3:1 My child, ³⁵  do not forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep ³⁶  my commandments,

Isaiah 34:16

34:16 Carefully read the scroll of the Lord! ³⁷ 

Not one of these creatures will be missing, ³⁸ 

none will lack a mate. ³⁹ 

For the Lord has issued the decree, ⁴⁰ 

and his own spirit gathers them. ⁴¹ 

Acts 17:11

17:11 These Jews ⁴²  were more open-minded ⁴³  than those in Thessalonica, ⁴⁴  for they eagerly ⁴⁵  received ⁴⁶  the message, examining ⁴⁷  the scriptures carefully every day ⁴⁸  to see if these things were so.

[119:4]  ¹ tn Heb “you, you commanded your precepts, to keep, very much.”

[119:11]  ² tn Or “hide.”

[119:11]  ³ tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural, “your words.”

[119:27]  ⁴ tn Heb “the way of your precepts make me understand.”

[119:27]  ⁵ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[119:27]  ⁶ tn Heb “your amazing things,” which refers here to the teachings of the law (see v. 18).

[119:33]  ⁷ tn Heb “the way of your statutes.”

[119:33]  ⁸ tn Heb “and I will keep it to the end.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative. The Hebrew term עֵקֶב (’eqev) is understood to mean “end” here. Another option is to take עֵקֶב (’eqev) as meaning “reward” here (see Ps 19:11) and to translate, “so that I might observe it and be rewarded.”

[119:34]  ⁹ tn The two prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) conjunctive indicate purpose/result after the introductory imperative.

[119:44]  ¹⁰ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the negated jussive (see v. 43).

[119:44]  ¹¹ tn Or “forever and ever.”

[2:1]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ tn Heb “my son.”

[2:1]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn The Hiphil infinitive construct לְהַקְשִׁיב (lÿhaqshiv, “by making attentive”) functions as an epexegetical explanation of how one will receive the instruction.

[2:2]  ¹⁷ 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]  ¹⁸ tn The conjunction “and” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.

[2:2]  ¹⁹ 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]  ²⁰ tn Or “mind” (the center of the will, the choice).

[2:3]  ²¹ 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]  ²² tn Heb “summon.”

[2:3]  ²³ 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]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ 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]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ 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]  ³¹ tn Heb “find” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[2:5]  ³² 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]  ³³ tn Heb “knowledge of God.” The noun is an objective genitive.

[3:1]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ tn Heb “my son” (likewise in vv. 11, 21).

[3:1]  ³⁶ 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.”

[34:16]  ³⁷ tn Heb “Seek from upon the scroll of the Lord and read.”

[34:16]  ³⁸ tn Heb “one from these will not be missing.” הֵנָּה (hennah, “these”) is feminine plural in the Hebrew text. It may refer only to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or may include all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).

[34:16]  ³⁹ tn Heb “each its mate they will not lack.”

[34:16]  ⁴⁰ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “for a mouth, it has commanded.” The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a and a few medieval mss have פִּיהוּ (pihu, “his mouth [has commanded]”), while a few other medieval mss read פִּי יְהוָה (pi yÿhvah, “the mouth of the Lord [has commanded]”).

[34:16]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and his spirit, he gathers them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, referring to the birds mentioned in v. 15b or to all of the creatures listed in vv. 14b-15 (all of which are identified with feminine nouns).

[17:11]  ⁴² tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ⁴³ tn Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and BDAG 404 s.v. εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message.

[17:11]  ⁴⁴ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:11]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”

[17:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point.

[17:11]  ⁴⁷ tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.

[17:11]  ⁴⁸ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.