New English Translation
Proverbs 1:4
4To impart shrewdness to the morally naive, and a discerning plan to the young person.
Proverbs 1:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
- New International Version (NIV)for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—
- English Standard Version (ESV)to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
- New King James Version (NKJV)To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion—
Context of Proverbs 1:4
2To learn wisdom and moral instruction, and to discern wise counsel. 3To receive moral instruction in skillful living, in righteousness, justice, and equity. To impart shrewdness to the morally naive, and a discerning plan to the young person. 5(Let the wise also hear and gain instruction, and let the discerning acquire guidance!) 6To discern the meaning of a proverb and a parable, the sayings of the wise and their riddles.
Read all of Proverbs 1Proverbs 1:4 word by word
לָתֵ֣ת לִפְתָאיִ֣ם עָרְמָ֑ה לְ֝נַ֗עַר דַּ֣עַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 1:4
- Proverbs 1:22“How long will you simpletons love naiveté? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
- Proverbs 8:5You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment!
- Proverbs 9:4“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,” she says to those who lack understanding.
- Psalms 19:7The law of the Lord is perfect and preserves one’s life. The rules set down by the Lord are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.
- Psalms 119:130Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines. They give insight to the untrained.
- Isaiah 35:8A thoroughfare will be there – it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it; it is reserved for those authorized to use it – fools will not stray into it.
- Proverbs 7:7and I saw among the naive – I discerned among the youths – a young man who lacked wisdom.
- Proverbs 8:17I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
- Psalms 34:11Come children! Listen to me! I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord.
- Psalms 119:9How can a young person maintain a pure life? By guarding it according to your instructions!
- Ecclesiastes 11:9Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes, but know that God will judge your motives and actions.
- Ecclesiastes 12:1So remember your Creator in the days of your youth – before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
- 2 Timothy 2:22But keep away from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace, in company with others who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Commentaries on Proverbs 1:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4To give subtilty to the simple - The word simple, from simplex, compounded of sine, without, and plica, a fold, properly signifies plain and honest, one that has no by-ends in view, who is what he appears to be; and is opposed to complex, from complico, to fold together, to make one rope or cord out of many strands; but because honesty and plaindealing are so rare in the world, and none but the truly religious man will practice them, farther than the fear…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4This verse points out the two classes for which the book will be useful: (1) the “simple,” literally the “open,” the open-hearted, the minds ready to receive impressions for good or evil Proverbs 1:22; and (2) the “young,” who need both knowledge and discipline. To these the teacher offers the “subtilty,” which may turn to evil Exodus 21:14 and become as the wisdom of the serpent Genesis 3:1, but which also takes its place, as that wisdom does, among the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Simple people are like empty containers. Wisdom and foolishness compete to fill their minds and hearts (see Proverbs 9:1–18).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 1:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 1
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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Commentaries