Proverbs 4:5
New International Version
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them.

New Living Translation
Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.

English Standard Version
Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Berean Standard Bible
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.

King James Bible
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

New King James Version
Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

New American Standard Bible
Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

NASB 1995
Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

NASB 1977
Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

Legacy Standard Bible
Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget and do not turn away from the sayings of my mouth.

Amplified Bible
“Get [skillful and godly] wisdom! Acquire understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

Christian Standard Bible
Get wisdom, get understanding; don’t forget or turn away from the words from my mouth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Get wisdom, get understanding; don’t forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.

American Standard Version
Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Get wisdom and get understanding, and do not turn aside from the sayings of my mouth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.

Contemporary English Version
Be wise and learn good sense; remember my teachings and do what I say.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.

English Revised Version
Get wisdom, get understanding; forget it not, neither decline from the words of my mouth:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Acquire wisdom. Acquire understanding. Do not forget. Do not turn away from the words that I have spoken.

Good News Translation
Get wisdom and insight! Do not forget or ignore what I say.

International Standard Version
Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget or turn aside from the words of my mouth!

JPS Tanakh 1917
Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;

Literal Standard Version
Get wisdom, get understanding, | Do not forget, nor turn away | From the sayings of my mouth.

Majority Standard Bible
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.

New American Bible
Get wisdom, get understanding! Do not forget or turn aside from the words of my mouth.

NET Bible
Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding; do not forget and do not turn aside from the words I speak.

New Revised Standard Version
Get wisdom; get insight: do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

New Heart English Bible
Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.

Webster's Bible Translation
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

World English Bible
Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.

Young's Literal Translation
Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Father's Instruction
4he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live. 5Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them. 6Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.…

Cross References
Proverbs 3:1
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;

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

Proverbs 16:16
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.


Treasury of Scripture

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

get wisdom

Proverbs 1:22,23
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? …

Proverbs 2:2-4
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; …

Proverbs 3:13-18
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding…

neither

2 Chronicles 34:2
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

Job 23:11
My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

Psalm 44:18
Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;

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Proverbs 4
1. persuades to wisdom
14. and to show wickedness
20. He exhorts to sanctification














(5) Get wisdom, get understanding.--Like the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46).

Verse 5. - After the general exhortation given above, the father's instruction becomes more specific, and deals with the acquirement of wisdom. This subject seems to be continued in ver. 13, where the second and concluding branch of the instruction begins, which consists mainly of warning, as the first part does with exhortation. We are thus furnished with an example how to teach. In our teaching it is not sufficient simply to point out what is to be done, but we must show what is to be avoided. Get wisdom, get understanding. The father urges the acquirement of wisdom in the same way and with the same importunity as the trader or merchant presses his goods upon buyers. Wisdom and understanding are put forward as objects of merchandise; for the verb kanah, from which the imperative k'neh, signifies not only "to acquire for one's self," or "to possess," but especially "to buy." The verb occurs again in the same sense in ver. 7, "Get [k'neh, i.e. buy] wisdom;" and in Proverbs 23:23, "Buy (k'neh) the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding" (cf. also Proverbs 15:22: 16:16; 19:9, where we also meet with the same verb). The reiteration of the word "get," as Umbreit remarks, is "an imitation of the exclamation of a merchant who is offering his wares." The importunity of the father measures the value he sets upon wisdom as an inestimable treasure, a pearl of great price (see Proverbs 3:14). Forget it not, etc.; rather, forget not, neither turn from the words of my mouth, - so Zockler, Delitzsch, Hodg., and others; Vulgate, ne obliviscaris, neque declines a verbis oris mei. There is no need to supply "it" after the verb al-tish'-kakh, "forget not," as Holden states, and as appears in the Authorized Version, since shakakh is found with min (מִן), "of" or "from," in Psalm 12:4 (5), "I forgot to eat (shakakh'ti meakol)," and the same construction may obtain here. The two verbs, "forget" and "decline from," are not so very wide in meaning, since the former, shakakh, is to "leave" something from forgetfulness, and the latter, natah, rendered here "decline from," is "to turn away" from something. The words of my mouth represent as it were the means by which wisdom may be purchased.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Get
קְנֵ֣ה (qə·nêh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7069: To erect, create, to procure, by purchase, to own

wisdom,
חָ֭כְמָה (ḥāḵ·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2451: Wisdom

get
קְנֵ֣ה (qə·nêh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7069: To erect, create, to procure, by purchase, to own

understanding;
בִינָ֑ה (ḇî·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 998: An understanding

do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

forget
תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח (tiš·kaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7911: To mislay, to be oblivious of, from want of memory, attention

my words
מֵֽאִמְרֵי־ (mê·’im·rê-)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 561: Something said

or turn from them.
תֵּ֝֗ט (têṭ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom (Prov. Pro Pr)
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