PROV 4:1 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=important (All still tentative.)

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 Ἀκούσατε, παῖδες, παιδείαν πατρὸς, καὶ προσέχετε γνῶναι ἔννοιαν.
(Akousate, paides, paideian patros, kai proseⱪete gnōnai ennoian. )

BrTr Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

ULT Hear, sons, the instruction of a father,
⇔ and listen attentively in order to know understanding.

UST Children, listen carefully to what I, your father, am teaching you.
⇔ Pay attention in order to learn what you should understand.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction.
⇔ Pay attention and know understanding;

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Listen, children, to a father’s instruction,
⇔ and pay attention so that you may gain discernment.

LSV Hear, you sons, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding.

FBV Listen, sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and discover what makes sense,

T4T My children, listen to what I am teaching you.
⇔ If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.

LEB No LEB PROV 4:1 verse available

BBE Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:

Moff Listen, my children, to a father’s instruction,
⇔ attend and learn intelligence:

JPS Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

ASV Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father,
⇔ And attend to know understanding:

DRA Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.

YLT Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.

Drby Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;

RV Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding:

SLT Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Wbstr Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

KJB-1769 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
(Hear, ye/you_all children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. )

KJB-1611 ¶ Heare, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know vnderstanding.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Heare O ye chyldren a fatherly instruction, & take good heede, that ye may learne vnderstanding.
(Hear Oh ye/you_all children a fatherly instruction, and take good heed, that ye/you_all may learn understanding.)

Gnva Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
(Hear, Oh ye/you_all children, the instruction of a father, and give ear to learn understanding. )

Cvdl Heare (O ye children) the fatherly exortacio, & take good hede, that ye maye lerne wy?dome.
(Hear (Oh ye/you_all children) the fatherly exortacio, and take good heed, that ye/you_all may learn wisdom.)

Wycl Sones, here ye the teching of the fadir; and perseiue ye, that ye kunne prudence.
(Sons, here ye/you_all the teaching of the father; and perceive ye/you_all, that ye/you_all can prudence.)

Luth Höret, meine Kinder, die Zucht eures Vaters; merkt auf, daß ihr lernet und klug werdet!
(Hear, my children, the culture/discipline yours(pl) father; notices on/in/to, that you(pl)/their/her learnt and wise/clever become!)

ClVg [Audite, filii, disciplinam patris, et attendite ut sciatis prudentiam.[fn]
([Listen, children, discipline of_the_father, and pay_attention as you(pl)_know prudence. )

4.1 Audite, filii. Hinc exhortaturus ad philosophiam, qualiter ipse sapientiam sit a patre edoctus, explicat.

4.1 Listen, children. Hence exhortaturus to philosophersam, how/as exactly_that/himself wisdom be from to_his_father edoctus, explains.

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–9: Fifth lesson: You will gain many benefits if you acquire and value wisdom

This lesson begins with an introduction (4:1–4a) that exhorts the listeners to pay attention to their father’s words. It is followed by the main part of the lesson (4:4b–9) about the benefits of acquiring wisdom. This main part is unusual, because it quotes the words that the speaker’s father taught him when he was a boy.

Some other headings for this section are:

A Father’s Wise Advice (NLT)

The Benefits of Wisdom (GNT)

Wisdom Is Important (NCV)

4:1

Notice the parallelism. The first two commands are similar in meaning. The phrase “gain understanding” gives the purpose or result of these commands.

^1a Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;

^1b pay attention and gain understanding.

4:1a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ My sons, listen carefully as I, your father, advise you^(plur), so that your ability to understand the meaning of ideas will increase.
¶ My children, listen to my advice and obey it. If you do this, you will be able to understand things.

Listen…pay attention: These parallel commands have almost the same meaning. The Hebrew word that the BSB translates here as pay attention means to listen carefully. It implies that the person who listens will heed or obey what he hears. Different forms of this word also occur in 1:24b and 2:2a.

4:1a

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;

¶ My sons, listen to the advice that I, your^(plur) father/teacher, give you.
¶ My children, I am your father. Listen to what I teach you.

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction: This command is very similar to 1:8a. The command in 1:8a has “my son” (singular) and “your father’s instruction.”

my sons: This is the first lesson that is addressed to plural sons. Notice that the preceding and following lessons are addressed to a singular “son.” (See 5:7–8 and 7:24a–b for other instances where plural sons occurs in a similar context.)

Most scholars think that the change from singular to plural does not imply an actual change in the audience. It may be the author’s way to remind us that when he instructs his “son,” he is actually instructing all of his readers.See Fox (pages 172, 194) and Murphy (page 27).

If a change from singular to plural will confuse your readers, some translation options are:

Use singular forms throughout this chapter, as the CEV has done. If you follow this option, you may want to add a footnote that says:
In Hebrew, it says, “my sons.” This phrase probably refers to the same person(s) as “my son” in 3:1, 3:11, 3:21, 4:10, and 4:20. When the writer speaks like a father who is advising his son, he is also advising all who read the book of Proverbs.
Use the plural, as the BSB has done, and add an explanation in a footnote. A suggested footnote is:
In Hebrew, the writer used the words “my son” in chapter 3 and in the rest of chapter 4. Here in 4:1, he used the words “my sons.” Some scholars think that he did this to remind us that his “son” represents all who read the book of Proverbs.

a father’s instruction: The speaker himself is clearly the father who is referred to here. See the notes on 1:8a–b and 1:8a. In some languages, it may be necessary to use a first person pronoun to make explicit that the father is the one who is speaking. For example:

My children, listen to me. Listen to your father’s instruction. (NLT96)

My child, listen closely to my teachings (CEV)

instruction: The word musar, which the BSB translates here as instruction, refers to moral teaching or advice (see the note on 1:2a). See discipline in the Glossary.

4:1b

pay attention and gain understanding.

Pay close attention so that you^(plur) will gain insight.
Heed/Obey what I say, and then your understanding will increase.

and gain understanding: The phrase that the BSB translates as and gain understanding is literally “to know understanding.” It may introduce either the purpose or the result of the preceding commands.

Some ways to introduce this phrase as a purpose are:

in order to gain understanding (GW)

so you will understand (NCV)

Some ways to introduce this phrase as a result are:

and then you will gain understanding

If you do this, you will gain understanding.

You may introduce this phrase as a purpose or a result in your language. Both fit the context well.

understanding: The Hebrew word binah, which the BSB translates here as understanding, refers to the ability to interpret and comprehend concepts, to draw conclusions, and to understand the relationship between things. Other ways to translate this word are:

discernment (NJPS)

insight (RSV)

See understanding (insight) in the Glossary.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

שִׁמְע֣וּ

listen

See how you translated Hear in [1:8](../01/08.md).

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

בָ֭נִים

children

Although the term sons is masculine, Solomon is using the word in a generic sense that could refer to both male and female children. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that makes this clear. Alternate translation: “young people”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מ֣וּסַר & בִּינָֽה

instruction_of & understanding

See how you translated the abstract nouns instruction and understanding in [1:2](../01/02.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

אָ֑ב

father's

Here Solomon is speaking about himself in the third person. If this would not be natural in your language, you could use the first person form. Alternate translation: “me, your father”

Parallel PROV 4:1

Section 4:1–9: Fifth lesson: You will gain many benefits if you acquire and value wisdom

4:1

4:1a–b

4:1a

4:1b