Proverbs 22:17
in Proverbs 22Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise—apply your mind to my knowledge—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, And apply thy heart unto my knowledge.
KJV
Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
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This verse in Proverbs 22
Commentary
4 notes on this verseBow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise,.... Here begins a new part or division of this book. According to some, the "third"; the "first" ending with Pro 9:18, the "second" at Pro 22:16, and a "third", beginning here, and ending with Pro 24:
This site's exposition
Incline your ear and hear the words
on Proverbs 22:17-21
"Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise" opens the book's third named section, after 1:1 and 10:1. Part of the section runs close to an Egyptian text, the Instruction of Amenemope. The traditional position holds these sayings as inspired wisdom in their own right.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
This is the commencement of a new and entirely distinct section, opening, after the fashion of Pro 3:1, Pro 3:21; Pro 4:1; Pro 7:1; with a general exhortation Pro 22:17-21 and passing on to special precepts. The “words of the wise” may be a title to the section: compare Pro 24:23. The general characteristics of this section appear to be (1) a less close attention to the laws of parallelism, and (2) a tendency to longer and more complicated sentences. Compare the Introduction to Proverbs.
Bow down thine ear - From this to the end of Pro 22:21 are contained, not proverbs, but directions how to profit by that which wisdom has already delivered; the nature of the instruction, and the end for which it was given. I shall give a paraphrase of this very important passage: - I. Solomon addresses his pupils on the use of his past teachings. See on Pro 22:6 (note). 1. The wise man speaks; and all his words, not merely his sentiments, are to be carefully heard. 2. He speaks knowledge - gives doctrines true in themselves, and confirmed by observation and experience. 3. These are to be heard with humility and deep attention: “Bow down thine ear.” 4. They must not only be heard, but meditated and pondered: “Apply thine heart to my knowledge.”
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַ֥ט | hat | incline | H5186 → | 214 times |
| אָזְנְךָ֗ | ʾazenekha | ear your | H241 → | 187 times |
| וּ֭שְׁמַע | ushema' | and hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֣י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| חֲכָמִ֑ים | chakhamim | wise [people] | H2450 → | 138 times |
| וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ | velibekha | and heart your | H3820 → | 595 times |
| תָּשִׁ֥ית | tashit | you will set | H7896 → | 83 times |
| לְדַעְתִּֽי׃ | leda'ti | to knowledge my | H1847 → | 92 times |
הַ֥טincline
hatH5186 →214 times
אָזְנְךָ֗ear your
ʾazenekhaH241 →187 times
וּ֭שְׁמַעand hear
ushema'H8085 →1159 times
דִּבְרֵ֣י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
חֲכָמִ֑יםwise [people]
chakhamimH2450 →138 times
וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗and heart your
velibekhaH3820 →595 times
תָּשִׁ֥יתyou will set
tashitH7896 →83 times
לְדַעְתִּֽי׃to knowledge my
leda'tiH1847 →92 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 90:12So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom.
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:16–17
redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
- Psalms 39:4
“Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is.
- John 9:4
While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
- Deuteronomy 32:29
If only they were wise, they would understand it; they would comprehend their fate.
- Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
- Ephesians 5:16–17
Through
Proverbs 3:1My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
it leads to
- John 14:21–24
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
- Proverbs 4:5
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
- Deuteronomy 6:6–9
These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts.
- John 14:21–24
Where this verse is studied
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Proverbs of Solomon and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).