God’s Word Translation
Proverbs 4:5
5Acquire wisdom. Acquire understanding. Do not forget. Do not turn away from the words that I have spoken.
Proverbs 4:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
- New International Version (NIV)Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
Context of Proverbs 4:5
3When I was a boy ⌞learning⌟ from my father, when I was a tender and only child of my mother, 4they used to teach me and say to me, “Cling to my words wholeheartedly. Obey my commands so that you may live. Acquire wisdom. Acquire understanding. Do not forget. Do not turn away from the words that I have spoken. 6Do not abandon wisdom, and it will watch over you. Love wisdom, and it will protect you. 7The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom. Acquire understanding with all that you have.
Read all of Proverbs 4Proverbs 4:5 word by word
קְנֵ֣ה חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה בִינָ֑ה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח וְאַל־תֵּ֝֗ט מֵֽאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 4:5
- Proverbs 1:22“How long will you gullible people love being so gullible? How long will you mockers find joy in your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge?
- Proverbs 2:2if you pay close attention to wisdom, and let your mind reach for understanding,
- Proverbs 3:13Blessed is the one who finds wisdom and the one who obtains understanding.
- Proverbs 8:5You gullible people, learn how to be sensible. You fools, get a heart that has understanding.
- Proverbs 17:16Why should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he doesn’t have a mind to grasp anything?
- Proverbs 18:1A loner is out to get what he wants for himself. He opposes all sound reasoning.
- Proverbs 19:8A person who gains sense loves himself. One who guards understanding finds something good.
- Proverbs 23:23Buy truth (and do not sell it), ⌞that is,⌟ buy wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
- James 1:5If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them.
- 2 Chronicles 34:2He did what the Lord considered right. He lived in the ways of his ancestor David and never stopped living this way.
- Job 23:11I have followed his footsteps closely. I have stayed on his path and did not turn from it.
- Psalms 44:18Our hearts never turned away. Our feet never left your path.
- Psalms 119:51Arrogant people have mocked me with cruelty, yet I have not turned away from your teachings.
Commentaries on Proverbs 4:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Get wisdom - True religion is essential to thy happiness; never forget its teachings, nor go aside from the path it prescribes.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4-20Verses 4-20 The counsel which has come to him, in substance, from his father. Compare it with 2 Samuel 23:2 etc.; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 1 Chronicles 29:17; Psalm 15:1-5; Psalm 24:1-10; Proverbs 4:7 Or, “The beginning of wisdom is - get wisdom.” To seek is to find, to desire is to obtain. Proverbs 4:12 The ever-recurring parable of the journey of life. In the way of wisdom the path is clear and open, obstacles disappear; in the quickest activity (“when thou…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5In the Old Testament, forgetting means more than just not remembering; it also means failing to obey.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Get--as a possession not to be given up. neither decline--that is, from obeying my word.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 4:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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