PROV 23:12 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Make continual learning part of your values,
⇔ and use your ears for gaining knowledge.

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Δὸς εἰς παιδείαν τὴν καρδίαν σου, τὰ δὲ ὦτά σου ἑτοίμασον λόγοις αἰσθήσεως.
(Dos eis paideian taʸn kardian sou, ta de ōta sou hetoimason logois aisthaʸseōs. )

BrTr Apply thine heart to instruction, and prepare thine ears for words of discretion.

UST Consider carefully what people say when they correct you.
⇔ Indeed, listen carefully to what people teach you.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE ⇔ Apply your heart to instruction,
⇔ and your ears to the words of knowledge.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Apply your heart to instruction
⇔ and your ears to the words of knowledge.

LSV Bring your heart to instruction,
And your ear to sayings of knowledge.

FBV Focus your mind on instruction; listen intently to words of knowledge.

T4T Pay attention to what your teachers teach you,
⇔ and try to learn from the wise things that they say.

LEB • Apply your heart[fn] to instruction, and your ear to sayings of knowledge.

23:? Or “mind”

BBE Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.

Moff Apply your mind to instruction
⇔ attend to words of knowledge;
¶ 

JPS Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

ASV Apply thy heart unto instruction,
⇔ And thine ears to the words of knowledge.

DRA Let thy heart apply itself to instruction: and thy ears to words of knowledge.

YLT Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.

Drby Apply thy heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

RV Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
(Apply thine/your heart unto instruction, and thine/your ears to the words of knowledge. )

SLT Bring thy heart to instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

Wbstr Apply thy heart to instruction, and thy ears to the words of knowledge.

KJB-1769 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
(Apply thine/your heart unto instruction, and thine/your ears to the words of knowledge. )

KJB-1611 Apply thine heart vnto instruction, and thine eares to the words of knowledge.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps Applye thyne heart vnto correction, and thyne eare to the wordes of knowledge.
(Applye thine/your heart unto correction, and thine/your ear to the words of knowledge.)

Gnva Apply thine heart to instruction, and thine eares to the wordes of knowledge.
(Apply thine/your heart to instruction, and thine/your ears to the words of knowledge. )

Cvdl Applie thine herte vnto lernynge, and thine eare to the wordes of knowlege.
(Applie thine/your heart unto learning, and thine/your ear to the words of knowledge.)

Wycl Thin herte entre to techyng, and thin eeris `be redi to the wordis of kunnyng.
(Thin heart enter to teaching, and thin ears be ready to the words of cunning.)

Luth Gib dein Herz zur Zucht und deine Ohren zu vernünftiger Rede.
(Give your(s) heart to/for culture/discipline and your ears to/for reasonable speech.)

ClVg [Ingrediatur ad doctrinam cor tuum, et aures tuæ ad verba scientiæ.
([Ingrediatur to teaching heart your(sg), and ears yours to words of_knowledge. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 22:17–24:22: Here are thirty sayings of wise people

This section follows the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs (10:1–22:16). It differs in significant ways from this preceding section:These differences were summarized from a number of commentaries, including UBS (page 472), Waltke (2004, page 22), and Hubbard (page 351).

The preceding section has mostly two-line proverbs that are one verse in length. This section has proverbs of a different form. They are sayings that range from one to seven verses. Most of the sayings are two or three verses in length. Each saying will be marked as a separate paragraph in the Notes.
Many of the proverbs in the preceding section express a general principle. They are not addressed specifically to the readers. Most of the sayings here contain direct commands. They advise the reader or listener either to follow wise behavior or avoid foolish behavior. Most of the sayings also give a reason or motive for following the command.
As in chapters 1–9, the author addresses his reader or listener as a father who advises his son. He uses second person commands and pronouns (you^(sing)). See the note on 23:15 for a list of verses where the words “my son” occur.

Some other headings for this section are:

Thirty Wise Sayings (CEV)

Words of the Wise (ESV)

Thirty Sayings of the Wise (NIV11)

Verse 22:20 mentions “thirty sayings,” but the Hebrew text itself does not number the sayings. Some versions that use the word “thirty” in the section heading also give a number as a separate heading for each saying. The GNT and CEV start numbering the sayings at 22:22. They have a total of thirty-one paragraphs. In these versions, the first paragraph (22:17–21) serves as an introduction to the thirty sayings (22:22–24:22).Scholars who identify 22:17–21 as the first saying include Hubbard (page 352), Fox (page 707), and Waltke (2004, page 22). Scholars who identify these verses as an introduction to the sayings that follow include Whybray (page 325) and Murphy (page 170). See also the NET footnote (b) on 22:16. Whether these introductory verses form the first saying or simply introduce the following sayings, all scholars agree that they function as an introduction to the whole section. Other versions, such as the NIV, NCV, and NLT, divide the paragraphs in the same way but do not have separate headings for each section. You may use either option in your translation.The NIV11 gives a number as a separate heading for each saying. But it counts the first paragraph as the first saying, and has a total of thirty paragraphs. Other versions have more or fewer paragraphs. For example, the ESV and NRSV have fifteen paragraphs. The NJB has thirty-four. Still other versions, such as the RSV, NET, and NJPS, do not group the verses into sayings or paragraphs.

For the convenience of those who decide to identify the number of each saying in their translation, the Notes will put the number in the paragraph headings, using the same numbering system as the GNT or CEV. These numbers will not be used in the Display.

23:12

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^12aApply your heart to instruction

^12band your ears to words of knowledge.

There is an ellipsis (a deliberately omitted word) in 23:12b. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the verb “apply” from 23:12a. For example:

^12band apply your ears to words of knowledge.

This verse serves as an introduction to the rest of the sayings in Section 22:17–24:22. It exhorts the listener (the “son” of 23:15) to pay close attention to the instruction that follows. This introduction is similar to 22:17, which introduces the entire section. It also uses the terms “heart” and “ears,” but the expressions used here are different.

23:12a

Apply your heart to instruction

¶ Use your^(sing) mind to think about what I will advise you.
¶ Carefully think about what I will teach you^(sing) in order to obey it.

Apply your heart to instruction: In Hebrew, this command is literally “Bring your heart to instruction.” The verb “bring” is different from the verb used in 22:17b, but it has the same meaning. The BSB translates both Hebrew verbs the same way.

It means that the listener should carefully think about what the teacher instructs him to do. It implies that the listener intends to obey what he hears and understands. See the notes on 22:17b, including the note on “mind,” for more information.

instruction: In Hebrew, this word refers to moral instruction or training. In this context, it probably refers to the advice that the teacher is about to give. See discipline in the Glossary.

23:12a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ Pay attention to what I teach you^(sing) and try hard to learn.

23:12b

and your ears to words of knowledge.

Use your^(sing) ears to listen carefully to the knowledge that I make known to you.
Listen attentively to what I have learned.

and your ears to words of knowledge: The command that is literally (in Hebrew) to “bring your ears” has the same meaning as “turn your ears” in 22:17a. See the notes and translation advice there.

words of knowledge: This phrase refers to what the teacher knows and is going to teach. It has the same meaning as the phrase “my knowledge” in 22:17b. See the notes there.

General Comment on 23:12a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 23:12b before 23:12a. For example:

Pay attention to your teacher and learn all you can. (GNT)

Listen to instruction and do your best to learn. (CEV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

[23:12](../23/12.md) is Saying 11 of the 30 “words of the wise ones.”

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

הָבִ֣יאָ⁠ה לַ⁠מּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑⁠ךָ וְ֝⁠אָזְנֶ֗⁠ךָ לְ⁠אִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת

bring, to,discipline heart_of,your and,your_two's_of,ear to,words_of knowledge

The writer is leaving out a word in the second clause that in many languages a clause would need in order to be complete. You could supply the word from the first clause if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “Bring your heart to correction and bring your ear to words of knowledge”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

הָבִ֣יאָ⁠ה לַ⁠מּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑⁠ךָ וְ֝⁠אָזְנֶ֗⁠ךָ לְ⁠אִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת

bring, to,discipline heart_of,your and,your_two's_of,ear to,words_of knowledge

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the phrases with a word other than and in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “Bring your heart to correction; yes, bring your ear to words of knowledge”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

הָבִ֣יאָ⁠ה לַ⁠מּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑⁠ךָ

bring, to,discipline heart_of,your

Here, bring your heart to is an idiom that means “think carefully about.” The word heart here refers to a person’s mind, as in [2:2](../02/02.md). If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. See how you translated the same use of the phrase “set your heart to” in [22:17](../22/17.md). Alternate translation: “Think carefully about correction”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

לַ⁠מּוּסָ֣ר

to,discipline

See how you translated the abstract nouns correction in [3:11](../03/11.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ֝⁠אָזְנֶ֗⁠ךָ

and,your_two's_of,ear

See how you translated the same use of ear in [22:17](../22/17.md).

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

לְ⁠אִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת

to,words_of knowledge