Proverbs

Proverbs 4:6–10

6Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you;

love her, and she will guard you.

7Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom.

And whatever you may acquire,a gain understanding.

8Prize her, and she will exalt you;

if you embrace her, she will honor you.

9She will set a garland of grace on your head;

she will present you with a crown of beauty.”

10Listen, my son, and receive my words,

and the years of your life will be many.

Footnotes

  • a 4:7 Or And whatever else you acquire

Read all of Proverbs 4

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Proverbs 4:6

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Do notאַל־’al-AdverbH408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
forsakeתַּעַזְבֶ֥הָta·‘az·ḇe·hāVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; third person feminine singularH5800 leave, forsake, loose
and she will preserve youוְתִשְׁמְרֶ֑ךָּwə·ṯiš·mə·re·kāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular; second person masculine singularH8104 keep, watch, preserve
love herאֱהָבֶ֥הָ’ĕ·hā·ḇe·hāVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singularH157 love
and she will guard youוְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃wə·ṯiṣ·ṣə·re·kāConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular; second person masculine singularH5341 watch, guard, keep

Proverbs 4:7

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Wisdomחָ֭כְמָהḥāḵ·māhNoun - feminine singularH2451 wisdom
is supremeרֵאשִׁ֣יתrê·šîṯNoun - feminine singularH7225 beginning, chief
so acquireקְנֵ֣הqə·nêhVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH7069 get, acquire
wisdomחָכְמָ֑הḥāḵ·māhNoun - feminine singularH2451 wisdom
And whateverוּבְכָל־ū·ḇə·ḵālConjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
you may acquireקִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗qin·yā·nə·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH7075 thing got or aquired, acquisition
gainקְנֵ֣הqə·nêhVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH7069 get, acquire
understandingבִינָֽה׃ḇî·nāhNoun - feminine singularH998 understanding

Proverbs 4:8

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Prize herסַלְסְלֶ֥הָsal·sə·le·hāVerb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singularH5549 lift up, cast up
and she will exalt youוּֽתְרוֹמְמֶ֑ךָּū·ṯə·rō·wm·me·kāConjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular; second person masculine singularH7311 be high, exalted, rise
ifכִּ֣יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
you embrace herתְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃ṯə·ḥab·bə·qen·nāhVerb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; third person feminine singularH2263 clasp, embrace
she will honor youתְּ֝כַבֵּ֗דְךָtə·ḵab·bê·ḏə·ḵāVerb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular; second person masculine singularH3513 be heavy, weighty, burdensome, honoured

Proverbs 4:9

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
She will setתִּתֵּ֣ןtit·tênVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singularH5414 give, put, set
a garlandלִוְיַת־liw·yaṯ-Noun - feminine singular constructH3880 wreath
of graceחֵ֑ןḥênNoun - masculine singularH2580 favour, grace
on your headלְ֭רֹאשְׁךָlə·rō·šə·ḵāPreposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH7218 head
she will present youתְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃tə·mag·gə·ne·kāVerb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular; second person masculine singularH4042 deliver up, deliver
with a crownעֲטֶ֖רֶת‘ă·ṭe·reṯNoun - feminine singular constructH5850 crown, wreath
of beautyתִּפְאֶ֣רֶתtip̄·’e·reṯNoun - feminine singularH8597 beauty, glory

Proverbs 4:10

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Listenשְׁמַ֣עšə·ma‘Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH8085 hear
my sonבְּ֭נִיbə·nîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH1121 son
and receiveוְקַ֣חwə·qaḥConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH3947 take
my wordsאֲמָרָ֑י’ă·mā·rāyNoun - masculine plural construct; first person common singularH561 something said
and the yearsשְׁנ֣וֹתšə·nō·wṯVerb - Qal - Infinitive constructH8141 year
of your lifeחַיִּֽים׃ḥay·yîmNoun - masculine pluralH2416 alive, living
will be manyוְיִרְבּ֥וּwə·yir·būConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH7235 be, or become, much, many, great

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Proverbs 4:6 2 Thessalonians 2:10 · Proverbs 4:21–22 · Ephesians 3:17 · Proverbs 2:10–12

Proverbs 4:7 Ecclesiastes 7:12 · Ecclesiastes 9:16–18 · Proverbs 23:23 · Proverbs 16:16 · Philippians 3:8 · Mark 8:36–37 · Matthew 13:44–46

Proverbs 4:8 Daniel 12:3 · 1 Samuel 2:30 · Proverbs 3:35 · 1 Kings 3:5–13 · Proverbs 22:4

Proverbs 4:9 Proverbs 1:9 · 1 Peter 5:4 · Hebrews 2:7–9 · Proverbs 16:31 · Isaiah 28:5 · Revelation 3:21

Proverbs 4:10 1 Thessalonians 2:13 · Proverbs 3:2 · Jeremiah 9:20 · Deuteronomy 6:2 · Proverbs 3:16 · John 3:32–33 · 1 Timothy 1:15 · Proverbs 8:10

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.