New King James Version
Proverbs 22:17
17Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge;
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 Living Translation (NLT)Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction.
Context of Proverbs 22:17
15Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. 16He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty. Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge; 18For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips, 19So that your trust may be in the Lord; I have instructed 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 2:2So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;
- Proverbs 5:1My son, pay attention to my wisdom; Lend your ear to my understanding,
- Proverbs 1:3To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity;
- Proverbs 3:1My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
- Proverbs 4:4He also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live.
- Proverbs 8:33Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it.
- Isaiah 55:3Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David.
- Matthew 17:5While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
- Proverbs 23:12Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge.
- Psalms 90:12So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
- Ecclesiastes 7:25I applied my heart to know, To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, To know the wickedness of folly, Even of foolishness and madness.
- Ecclesiastes 8:9All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries