Proverbs 2:2 if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,

◄ Proverbs 2:2 ►

New International Version
turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—

New Living Translation
Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.

English Standard Version
making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;

Berean Standard Bible
if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,

King James Bible
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

New King James Version
So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;

New American Standard Bible
Make your ear attentive to wisdom; Incline your heart to understanding.

NASB 1995
Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;

NASB 1977
Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;

Legacy Standard Bible
To make your ear pay attention to wisdom, Incline your heart to discernment;

Amplified Bible
So that your ear is attentive to [skillful and godly] wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding [seeking it conscientiously and striving for it eagerly];

Christian Standard Bible
listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding;

American Standard Version
So as to incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thy heart to understanding;

Contemporary English Version
Keep in tune with wisdom and think what it means to have common sense.

English Revised Version
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
if you pay close attention to wisdom, and let your mind reach for understanding,

Good News Translation
Listen to what is wise and try to understand it.

International Standard Version
making your ear attentive to wisdom, and turning your heart to understanding—

Majority Standard Bible
if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,

NET Bible
by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding,

New Heart English Bible
So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

Webster's Bible Translation
So that thou incline thy ear to wisdom, and apply thy heart to understanding;

World English Bible
so as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
To cause your ear to attend to wisdom, "" You incline your heart to understanding,

Young's Literal Translation
To cause thine ear to attend to wisdom, Thou inclinest thy heart to understanding,

Smith's Literal Translation
To attend to wisdom thou wilt incline thine ear, thy heart to understanding;

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: Incline thy heart to know prudence:

Catholic Public Domain Version
so that your ears may listen to wisdom, then bend your heart in order to know prudence.

New American Bible
Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding;

New Revised Standard Version
making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And you will incline your ear to wisdom and turn your heart to understanding

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
So that thou make thine ear attend unto wisdom, And thy heart incline to discernment;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
thine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Benefits of Wisdom
1My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you, 2if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding, 3if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.

Proverbs 1:5
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel

Proverbs 8:1-5
Does not wisdom call out, and understanding raise her voice? / On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads she takes her stand. / Beside the gates to the city, at the entrances she cries out: ...

Proverbs 18:15
The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it out.

Proverbs 22:17
Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise—apply your mind to my knowledge—

Colossians 1:9
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Ephesians 1:17-18
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. / I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,

Psalm 119:34
Give me understanding that I may obey Your law, and follow it with all my heart.

Psalm 119:125
I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

1 Kings 3:9
Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”

2 Timothy 2:7
Consider what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all things.

Psalm 119:27
Make clear to me the way of Your precepts; then I will meditate on Your wonders.

Psalm 119:73
Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding to learn Your commandments.

Treasury of Scripture

So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

thou

Proverbs 18:1
Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

Psalm 119:111,112
Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart…

Isaiah 55:3
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

apply

Psalm 22:17-21
I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me…

Psalm 25:12
What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.

Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

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Proverbs 2

1. wisdom promises godliness to her children
10. and safety from evil company
20. and direction in good ways

Berean Study Bible

turn your ear
The phrase "turn your ear" suggests an intentional act of listening and paying attention. In the Hebrew context, the word for "turn" (natah) implies a deliberate inclination or bending towards something. This is not passive hearing but an active, conscious decision to focus on wisdom. In ancient Israel, wisdom was often passed down orally, so listening was a crucial skill. This phrase encourages believers to be proactive in seeking wisdom, much like a student who leans in to catch every word of a teacher.

to wisdom
The Hebrew word for "wisdom" (chokmah) encompasses not just knowledge but also the skillful application of knowledge in daily life. In the biblical context, wisdom is deeply connected to the fear of the Lord and living in accordance with His will. It is both a divine gift and a human pursuit. The book of Proverbs often personifies wisdom as a woman calling out to those who will listen, emphasizing its accessibility and desirability. This phrase invites believers to pursue wisdom as a precious treasure that guides righteous living.

and apply your heart
"Apply your heart" involves more than just intellectual assent; it requires a deep, heartfelt commitment. The Hebrew word for "heart" (leb) refers to the inner self, including mind, will, and emotions. To apply one's heart is to engage fully and sincerely, aligning one's innermost being with the pursuit of understanding. This phrase underscores the importance of sincerity and dedication in the quest for spiritual insight, urging believers to invest their whole selves in the process.

to understanding
The term "understanding" (binah) in Hebrew signifies discernment and insight. It involves the ability to see beyond the surface and grasp the deeper meaning of things. Understanding is closely linked to wisdom, as it enables one to make sound judgments and decisions. In the biblical narrative, understanding is often portrayed as a divine gift that leads to righteous living and the avoidance of folly. This phrase calls believers to seek a deeper comprehension of God's ways, encouraging them to cultivate a discerning spirit that aligns with His truth.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - This verse is dependent on the preceding. So that thou incline. The literal translation is "to incline;" but the inclination of the ear and the application of the heart follow as a consequence upon the precepting ideas (cf. the Vulgate, ut audiat sapientiam auris tua). The root idea of the original (קָשַׁב kashav) is "to sharpen," viz. the ear as expressed, and so to give diligent attention to the precepts of Wisdom. In Proverbs 1:24 it is rendered "to regard." To apply thine heart is to turn the heart with the whole scope of its powers, in the spirit of humility and eagerness, to understanding. As the ear represents the outward vehicle of communication, so the heart (לִב, lev) represents the inward, the intellectual faculty, the mind, or it may mean the affections as suggested by the LXX. καρδία and Vulgate cor. Understanding (תְּבוּנָה, t'vunah) is here interchanged with "wisdom," which must determine its meaning to some extent. The LXX. interpreters take it as σύνεσις, the faculty of comprehension." Like בִינָה (vinah) in Proverbs 1:2, the word describes the faculty of distinguishing or separating: but it does not appear to be here used as representing this "as a faculty of the soul, but as a Divine power which communicates itself as the gift of God" (Delitzsch). A second and perhaps simpler sense may be given to the sentence. It may mean the turning or applying of the heart in an affectionate and loving way, i.e. with full purpose, to the discrimination of what is right and what wrong. The ideas of wisdom and understanding seem to some extent to be brought forward as personifications. They are things outside of ourselves, to which we have to give attention. Religion appeals not only to the affections, but also to the intellect, as this satisfies all the yearnings of our nature.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

if you incline
לְהַקְשִׁ֣יב (lə·haq·šîḇ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7181: To prick up the ears, hearken

your ear
אָזְנֶ֑ךָ (’ā·zə·ne·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 241: Broadness, the ear

to wisdom
לַֽחָכְמָ֣ה (la·ḥā·ḵə·māh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2451: Wisdom

and direct
תַּטֶּ֥ה (taṭ·ṭeh)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

your heart
לִ֝בְּךָ֗ (lib·bə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

to understanding,
לַתְּבוּנָֽה׃ (lat·tə·ḇū·nāh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8394: Intelligence, an argument, caprice

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OT Poetry: Proverbs 2:2 So as to turn your ear (Prov. Pro Pr)