New English Translation
Proverbs 22:17
17Incline your ear and listen to the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my instruction.
Proverbs 22:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
- New International Version (NIV)Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach,
- English Standard Version (ESV)Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge;
Context of Proverbs 22:17
15Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. 16The one who oppresses the poor to increase his own gain and the one who gives to the rich – both end up only in poverty. Incline your ear and listen to the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my instruction. 18For it is pleasing if you keep these sayings within you, and they are ready on your lips. 19So that your confidence may be in the Lord, I am making them known to you today – even you.
Read all of Proverbs 22Proverbs 22:17 word by word
הַ֥ט אָזְנְךָ֗ וּ֭שְׁמַע דִּבְרֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֑ים וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ תָּשִׁ֥ית לְדַעְתִּֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 22:17
- Proverbs 2:2by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding,
- Proverbs 5:1My child, be attentive to my wisdom, pay close attention to my understanding,
- Proverbs 1:3To receive moral instruction in skillful living, in righteousness, justice, and equity.
- Proverbs 3:1My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
- Proverbs 4:4he taught me, and he said to me: “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands so that you will live.
- Proverbs 8:33Listen to my instruction so that you may be wise, and do not neglect it.
- Isaiah 55:3Pay attention and come to me! Listen, so you can live! Then I will make an unconditional covenantal promise to you, just like the reliable covenantal promises I made to David.
- Matthew 17:5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!”
- Proverbs 23:12Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to the words of knowledge.
- Psalms 90:12So teach us to consider our mortality, so that we might live wisely.
- Ecclesiastes 7:25I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly.
- Ecclesiastes 8:9While applying my mind to everything that happens in this world, I have seen all this: Sometimes one person dominates other people to their harm.
Commentaries on Proverbs 22:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Bow down thine ear - From this to the end of Proverbs 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 Proverbs 22:6; (note). The wise man speaks; and all his words, not merely his sentiments, are to…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17This is the commencement of a new and entirely distinct section, opening, after the fashion of Proverbs 3:1, Proverbs 3:21; Proverbs 4:1; Proverbs 7:1; with a general exhortation Proverbs 22:17-21 and passing on to special precepts. The “words of the wise” may be a title to the section: compare Proverbs 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-21Verses 17-21 To these words, to this knowledge, the ear must be bowed down, and the heart applied by faith and love. To live a life of delight in God and dependence on him, is the foundation of all practical religion. The way to know the certainty of the word of truth, is to make conscience of our duty.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-21Like the prologue in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:2–7) and the introductions to the individual discourses (see Proverbs 1:8–9; 2:1–11), this section starts by encouraging listening. This wisdom goes beyond practical advice; it aims to inspire trust in the Lord.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Here begins another division of the book, marked by those encouragements to the pursuit of wisdom, which are found in the earlier chapters. It will be observed that at Pr 22:22-24:12, the proverbs are generally expressed in two verses instead of one (see Introduction).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 22:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 22
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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