Proverbs 23:19
in Proverbs 23Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And guide thy heart in the way.
KJV
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
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This verse in Proverbs 23
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Listen, my son, and be wise
on Proverbs 23:19-21
"Listen, my son, and be wise" opens a fresh appeal that runs into the chapter's long drunkard poem. These verses give its first, plainer form: "Do not join those who drink too much wine." The line "the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty" names two appetites at once.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
This will be an evidence that thou art wise and a means to make thee wiser." Wisdom, as faith, comes by hearing.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Hear thou, my son, and be wise,....
It is the heart that must be taken care of and directed aright; the motions and affections of the soul must be towards right objects and under a steady guidance.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
THE words are very direct and personal—and that is what I wish my sermon to be. My soul is more and more set upon immediate conversions. I have no voice with which to play the orator—I have only enough strength to be an earnest pleader with your souls. I want to come to close quarters with you and to plead with each man and woman here as if there were but one. Specially would I press my entreaties upon the young, that they may immediately begin that blessed walk which will lead them to the right hand of God. Here and now I desire your salvation! I may never preach again and you may never hear me again. "Now is the accepted time." Solomon, in this verse, gave forth three precepts. I am not very careful as to what limited meaning he personally attached to his words. I am going to baptize his precepts into the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. I shall put into them a fullness of Gospel meaning and I shall press them home upon the heart, praying the Holy Spirit to lead every unconverted person to whom these words shall come to obey these three precepts at once. My voice is to each one. I think I have a message from God for you. Be not disobedient to the heavenly summons. The first precept in my text is, "Hear." The second is, "Be wise" and the third is, "Guideyours heart in the way." I. We will begin with the first precept, which is contained in the word, "HEAR." Perhaps you will say, "We are all here ready to hear and do not, therefore, need the exhortation." That you are in this great audience-chamber in the posture of attention is a matter in which I rejoice. So far, so good. But let me say to you this exhortation to hear is not only given in this verse, but it is often repeated in Holy Scripture. "Hear, O Israel!" is the voice of the Law and of the Prophets. This is not optional—it is a matter of command and promise.
THE words are very direct and personal—and that is what I wish my sermon to be. My soul is more and more set upon immediate conversions. I have no voice with which to play the orator—I have only enough strength to be an earnest pleader with your souls. I want to come to close quarters with you and to plead with each man and woman here as if there were but one. Specially would I press my entreaties upon the young, that they may immediately begin that blessed walk which will lead them to the right hand of God.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Hear you, my son, and grow wise, and walk in the way of your heart Since you will grow wise, you will be able to walk in the ways of your heart, for the heart of a wise man will not entice you to sin.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
for because of this, there is a future Heb. כי אם. This [word] אם is used as an expression of “that”; i.e., for because of this there is a future and hope for you.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שְׁמַע־ | shema'- | listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אַתָּ֣ה | ʾatah | O you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| בְנִ֣י | veni | son my | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וַחֲכָ֑ם | vachakham | and be wise | H2449 → | 27 times |
| וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר | veasher | and guide | H833 → | 16 times |
| בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ | baderekh | in the way | H1870 → | 707 times |
| לִבֶּֽךָ׃ | libekha | heart your | H3820 → | 595 times |
שְׁמַע־listen
shema'-H8085 →1159 times
אַתָּ֣הO you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
בְנִ֣יson my
veniH1121 →4930 times
וַחֲכָ֑םand be wise
vachakhamH2449 →27 times
וְאַשֵּׁ֖רand guide
veasherH833 →16 times
בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְin the way
baderekhH1870 →707 times
לִבֶּֽךָ׃heart your
libekhaH3820 →595 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
Proverbs 23:26My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.
it leads to
- Psalms 119:2
Blessed are those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with all their heart.
- Psalms 119:9–11
How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word.
- Deuteronomy 6:5
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
- Psalms 119:2
Through
Proverbs 6:6Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
it leads to
- Proverbs 20:4
The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.
- Proverbs 18:9
Whoever is slothful in his work is brother to him who destroys.
- Proverbs 13:4
The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.
- Proverbs 6:9
How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
- Proverbs 20:4
Through
Proverbs 23:12Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
it leads to
- Proverbs 5:1–2
My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my insight,
- Proverbs 5:1–2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2152: “Three Important Precepts” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.