if you accept
The word "accept" (תִּקַּח, tiqqach) implies an active choice and willingness to receive. In the Hebrew tradition, wisdom is not passively absorbed but must be actively pursued and embraced. This conditional "if" sets the stage for a promise of understanding and knowledge, emphasizing that the acquisition of wisdom requires a deliberate and open heart.

my words
Here, "words" (אֲמָרַי, amarai) refers to the teachings and instructions that are divinely inspired. In the biblical context, words are powerful and carry the weight of authority and truth. The emphasis on "my" indicates that these are not just any words, but those that come from a place of divine wisdom and insight, meant to guide and shape the moral and spiritual life of the listener.

and hide
The term "hide" (תִּצְפֹּן, titzpon) suggests treasuring or storing up something valuable. In ancient times, valuable items were hidden for protection and safekeeping. Similarly, the commandments of God are to be cherished and safeguarded within one's heart, indicating their preciousness and the need for internalization.

my commandments
"Commandments" (מִצְוֹתַי, mitzvotai) refers to the divine laws and decrees given by God. In the Jewish tradition, commandments are not merely rules but are seen as a path to holiness and a reflection of God's character. They are meant to guide the believer in righteous living and to foster a relationship with God.

within you
This phrase emphasizes the internalization of wisdom and commandments. It is not enough to merely hear or know them; they must reside within one's heart and mind, influencing thoughts, actions, and decisions. The Hebrew concept of the heart (לֵב, lev) encompasses the mind, will, and emotions, indicating that true wisdom transforms the entire being.

(c) Third Discourse:--An Exhortation to follow after Wisdom (Proverbs 2).

(1) Hide--i.e., store up. (Comp. Proverbs 2:4.)

(1) Vers. 1-9: a statement of the conditions which, if fulfilled, result in the highest knowledge of Jehovah - the fear of Jehovah and the knowledge of God, who is the Source of wisdom and the Protection and Ensurer of safety to the righteous.

(2) Vers. 10-19: the negatively beneficial results of Wisdom, in delivery from the paths of evil, from destructive lusts and passions, from the temptations of wicked men and wicked women.

(3) Vers. 20-22: the epilogue, or conclusion, combining encouragement on the one hand, and warning on the other. Verse 1. - The teacher here reverts to the original form of his address, as appears from the employment of the term, my son. It seems clear that it is no longer Wisdom personified who is the speaker, from the fact that the words, "wisdom and understanding" in ver. 2 are used without the possessive pronoun "my," which would have been undoubtedly inserted if this address had been a continuation of the discourse in the preceding chapter. Some of the ideas of that address, however, are restated, as the crying and lifting up the voice after Wisdom, and the conclusion, wherein the respective destinies of the pious and wicked are portrayed. The particle "if" (אֵם) is conditional, and serves to introduce the series of clauses (vers. 1-4) which lay down the conditions upon which the promises depend, and which form the protasis to the double apodosis in vers. 5 and 9. De Wette, Meyer, and Delitzsch regard it as voluntative, as expressing a wish on the part of the teacher, and translate, "Oh that thou wouldst!" and אִם, "if," is used in this way in Psalm 139:19; but the LXX. (ἐάν) and Vulgate (si) make it conditional. It is repeated in an emphatic form in ver. 3. Receive. The verbs "receive" and "hide" show that the endeavour after Wisdom is to be candid and sincere. "To receive" (לָקַה) seems to be here used, like the LXX. δεχέσθαι in the sense of "to receive graciously," "to admit the words of Wisdom." It is noticeable that there is a gradation in emphasis in the various terms here used by the teacher. Just as "commandments" is stronger than "words," so "hide" is stronger than "receive." The emphasizing is carried on in the following verses in the same way, and at length culminates in ver. 4, which sums up the ardent spirit in which the search after Wisdom is to be prosecuted in presenting it to us in its strongest form. Hide. The original (צַפַן, tsaphan) is here used in a different sense to that in which it occurs in Proverbs 1:11 and 18. It here refers, as in Proverbs 7:1; Proverbs 10:14; and Proverbs 13:22, to the storing or laying up, as of treasure, in some secret repository, and means "to lay up." The Divine commands of the teacher are to be hidden in safe custody in the memory, in the understanding, in the conscience, and in the heart (cf. Proverbs 4:21; Proverbs 7:1). The psalmist expresses the same idea in Psalm 119:11, "Thy words have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Parallel Commentaries ...