Proverbs 7:2
New International Version
Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

New Living Translation
Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes.

English Standard Version
keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

Berean Standard Bible
Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

King James Bible
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

New King James Version
Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye.

New American Standard Bible
Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye.

NASB 1995
Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye.

NASB 1977
Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye.

Legacy Standard Bible
Keep my commandments and live, And my law as the apple of your eye.

Amplified Bible
Keep my commandments and live, And keep my teaching and law as the apple of your eye.

Christian Standard Bible
Keep my commands and live, and guard my instructions as you would the pupil of your eye.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Keep my commands and live; protect my teachings as the pupil of your eye.

American Standard Version
Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.

Contemporary English Version
Obey me, and you will live! Let my instructions be your greatest treasure.

English Revised Version
Keep my commandments and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Obey my commands so that you may live. Follow my teachings just as you protect the pupil of your eye.

Good News Translation
Do what I say, and you will live. Be as careful to follow my teaching as you are to protect your eyes.

International Standard Version
Keep my commands and you'll live. Guard my teaching as you do your eyesight.

Majority Standard Bible
Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

NET Bible
Keep my commands so that you may live, and obey my instruction as your most prized possession.

New Heart English Bible
Keep my commandments and live. Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.

Webster's Bible Translation
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thy eye.

World English Bible
Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Keep my commands, and live, "" And my law as the pupil of your eye.

Young's Literal Translation
Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of thine eye.

Smith's Literal Translation
Watch my commands, and live; and my law as the pupil of thine eyes.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Son, preserve my commandments, and you shall live. And keep my law as the pupil of your eye.

New American Bible
Keep my commands and live, and my teaching as the apple of your eye;

New Revised Standard Version
keep my commandments and live, keep my teachings as the apple of your eye;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Keep my commandments and live, and my law as the pupil of your eye.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Keep my commandments and live, and my law like the pupil of the eye.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of thine eye.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
keep my commandments, and thou shalt live; and keep my words as the pupils of thine eyes.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Warnings about the Adulteress
1My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you. 2Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. 3Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. / And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. / Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ...

Psalm 119:11
I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.

John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

James 1:22-25
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. / For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, / and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ...

Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. / The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. / But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ...

Psalm 119:97
Oh, how I love Your law! All day long it is my meditation.

John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.

Psalm 119:9
How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word.

1 John 2:3-5
By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. / If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. / But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:

Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Psalm 19:7-11
The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple. / The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. / The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous. ...

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, / so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. / But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. / He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.


Treasury of Scripture

Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of your eye.

keep

Proverbs 4:13
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Leviticus 18:5
Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

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.

as the

Deuteronomy 32:10
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

Psalm 17:8
Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

Zechariah 2:8
For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

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Proverbs 7
1. Solomon persuades to a sincere and kind familiarity with wisdom
6. In an example of his own experience he shows
10. the cunning of a harlot
22. and the desperate simplicity of a young wanton
24. He detests such wickedness














Keep my commandments and live;
This phrase emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's commandments as a means of obtaining life. In the biblical context, "life" often refers not only to physical well-being but also to spiritual vitality and eternal life. The call to "keep" suggests a diligent and active effort to adhere to God's laws. This echoes the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, where obedience to the law was central (Deuteronomy 30:15-16). The idea of commandments leading to life is also seen in the New Testament, where Jesus affirms the importance of keeping God's commandments (John 14:15). The connection between obedience and life is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, highlighting the belief that true life is found in alignment with God's will.

guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
The phrase "apple of your eye" is a metaphor for something precious and to be protected. In ancient Near Eastern culture, the eye was considered one of the most sensitive and valuable parts of the body, symbolizing careful protection and value. This imagery is used elsewhere in Scripture to describe God's care for His people (Deuteronomy 32:10; Psalm 17:8). The call to "guard" suggests vigilance and careful attention, indicating that the teachings of wisdom are to be treasured and protected from corruption or neglect. This reflects the broader biblical theme of wisdom as a precious gift from God, to be sought after and preserved (Proverbs 4:7). The teachings here can be seen as a type of Christ, who is the embodiment of divine wisdom and whose words are to be cherished and followed (Colossians 2:3).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
Traditionally considered the author of Proverbs, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom. He wrote Proverbs to impart wisdom and understanding.

2. The Father/Speaker
In the context of Proverbs, the speaker often takes on the role of a father figure imparting wisdom to a son or young person, emphasizing the importance of adhering to wisdom and instruction.

3. The Son/Listener
Represents the recipient of wisdom, often depicted as a young person or disciple who is encouraged to embrace and live by the teachings provided.

4. The Apple of Your Eye
A metaphorical expression used to describe something precious and highly valued, indicating the importance of guarding wisdom and commandments.

5. Wisdom Literature
Proverbs is part of the wisdom literature in the Bible, which includes books like Job and Ecclesiastes, focusing on practical and moral teachings.
Teaching Points
The Value of Obedience
Obedience to God's commandments is not just a duty but a path to life. Embracing God's teachings leads to spiritual vitality and protection.

Guarding Wisdom
Just as we protect our physical eyes from harm, we should diligently guard the wisdom and teachings of God. This involves active engagement and prioritization of God's Word in our lives.

The Preciousness of God's Word
Viewing God's commandments as the "apple of your eye" suggests they should be cherished and held in the highest regard. This perspective encourages us to meditate on and internalize Scripture.

Living by God's Commandments
The call to "live" by keeping commandments implies that true life, both abundant and eternal, is found in adherence to God's ways. This challenges us to align our daily actions with biblical principles.Verse 2. - Keep my commandments, and live (see on Proverbs 4:4). As the apple of thine eye; literally, the little man (ishon, diminutive of ish) of the eye; so called from the miniature reflection of objects seen in the pupil, specially of the person who looks into another's eye. It is a proverbial expression for anything particularly precious and liable to be injured unless guarded with scrupulous care (comp. Psalm 17:8, Zechariah 2:8). Similarly the Greeks called this organ κόρη, "damsel" or "puppet," and the Latin, pupilla.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Keep
שְׁמֹ֣ר (šə·mōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

my commandments
מִצְוֺתַ֣י (miṣ·wō·ṯay)
Noun - feminine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4687: Commandment

and live;
וֶחְיֵ֑ה (weḥ·yêh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive

guard my teachings
וְ֝תוֹרָתִ֗י (wə·ṯō·w·rā·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8451: Direction, instruction, law

as the apple
כְּאִישׁ֥וֹן (kə·’î·šō·wn)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 380: The little man of the eye, the pupil, ball, the middle

of your eye.
עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ (‘ê·ne·ḵā)
Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 7:2 Keep my commandments and live! (Prov. Pro Pr)
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