Proverbs 4:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

NIV: Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

NASB: Listen, my sons, to the instruction of a father, And pay attention so that you may gain understanding,

CSB: Listen, sons, to a father's discipline, and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,

NLT: My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment,

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

NKJV: Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding;

Solomon has been addressing his son or student, using singular terms. Now he addresses more than one person; scholars think this might meant the intended audience has shifted to students. If "sons" refers to Solomon's students, the term shows a filial relationship between teacher and students.

Tenderly, like a father, Solomon appeals to his "sons" to hear his instruction. By being attentive to his words, his "sons" would gain insight. Someone has said, "as the branch is bent, so grows the tree." The time to shape a person's life is when he or she is young. Good habits, learned in youth, are much easier to maintain than it is to break and replace sinful habits later in life.

Jesus put a high value on children. When Jesus was teaching, His disciples rebuked those who were bringing children to Him. However, Jesus was angry with the disciples and said, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:14). Then "he took them in his arms and blessed them" (Mark 10:16). Timothy received instruction in God's Word from childhood, and this instruction made him wise for salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). By instructing his sons, Solomon was obeying the Lord's command to the fathers in Israel to teach His words diligently to their children (Deuteronomy 6:7).

Proverbs 4:1–9 looks back on Solomon's childhood and the wise instruction he received from his father David. He rehearses that instruction and passes it along to his young students. Echoing David, Solomon credits wisdom with the power to protect, honor, and grace the life of whoever acquires it. ''Wisdom,'' used in these passages, means the ability to act according to godly knowledge.

Common for the first nine chapters of Proverbs, Solomon urges his sons—possibly also other students—to listen to his words. He recalls his early years, when he heard some of these words from his father, David. Wisdom is upheld as the most beneficial thing a person can acquire in life. It brings honor and safety. In contrast, the wicked are perpetual wrongdoers whose goal is to lead others astray. They live for wickedness and violence, and they stumble in the darkness. Solomon urges his sons not to deviate from the path of godly wisdom, either ''to the right or to the left.''

The first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs focus on extolling the value of godly wisdom. In this chapter King Solomon continues to pass along this message to his son. His advice to his sons—possibly also meaning his students—in chapter 4 is similar to what he says in Proverbs 1:8–9; 2:1–6; 3:1–2, 21–26; 5:1–2; 6:20–22; 7:1–3, 24; and 8:22–36. The words of this chapter are partly taken from advice Solomon recalls hearing from his own father, David.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.