Proverbs 4:20
in Proverbs 4My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings.
KJV
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
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This verse in Proverbs 4
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
incline your ear to my sayings
on Proverbs 4:20-23
The father returns to plain attention before the chapter's central command: “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life”. The heart in Hebrew thought is the whole inner man. The springs of life are everything a person does and becomes, flowing out from that source.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
); humbly bow to them; diligently listen to them." The attentive hearing of the word of God is a good sign of a work of grace begun in the heart and a good means of carrying it on. It is to be hoped that those are resolved to do their duty who are inclined to know it.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
My son, attend to my words,.... Which go before and which follow after, his doctrines, instructions, cautions, and exhortations; incline thine ear unto my sayings; stoop and bow the ear; listen attentively to what is said, as being of the greatest moment and importance.
The words behind it
6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בְּ֭נִי | beni | O son my | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לִדְבָרַ֣י | lidvarai | to words my | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה | hakshivah | be attentive ! | H7181 → | 46 times |
| לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗י | laamarai | to utterances my | H561 → | 49 times |
| הַט־ | hat- | incline | H5186 → | 214 times |
| אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ | ʾazenekha | ear your | H241 → | 187 times |
בְּ֭נִיO son my
beniH1121 →4930 times
לִדְבָרַ֣יto words my
lidvaraiH1697 →1440 times
הַקְשִׁ֑יבָהbe attentive !
hakshivahH7181 →46 times
לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗יto utterances my
laamaraiH561 →49 times
הַט־incline
hat-H5186 →214 times
אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ear your
ʾazenekhaH241 →187 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
Isaiah 55:3Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 32:40
I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will never turn away…
- Matthew 11:28
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
- John 10:27
My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.
- Acts 13:34
In fact, God raised Him from the dead, never to see decay. As He has said: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’
- Jeremiah 32:40
Through
Proverbs 5:1My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my insight,
it leads to
- Proverbs 22:17
Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise—apply your mind to my knowledge—
- Proverbs 22:17
Through
Psalms 78:1Give ear, O my people, to my instruction; listen to the words of my mouth.
it leads to
- Isaiah 51:4
Pay attention to Me, My people, and listen to Me, My nation; for a law will go out from Me, and My justice will become a light to the nations; I will bring it…
- Isaiah 55:3
Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant—My loving devotion promised to David.
- Isaiah 51:4
Through
Proverbs 7:1My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.
it leads to
- Proverbs 1:8
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
- Proverbs 1:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.