Proverbs 1:4
New International Version
for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—

New Living Translation
These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young.

English Standard Version
to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—

Berean Standard Bible
To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,

King James Bible
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

New King James Version
To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion—

New American Standard Bible
To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,

NASB 1995
To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,

NASB 1977
To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,

Legacy Standard Bible
To give prudence to the simple, To the youth knowledge and discretion;

Amplified Bible
That prudence (good judgment, astute common sense) may be given to the naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], And knowledge and discretion (intelligent discernment) to the youth,

Christian Standard Bible
for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to a young man —

Holman Christian Standard Bible
for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to a young man—

American Standard Version
To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
To give children cunning and to boys knowledge and intelligence.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
that he might give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man discernment and understanding.

Contemporary English Version
From these, an ordinary person can learn to be smart, and young people can gain knowledge and good sense.

Douay-Rheims Bible
To give subtilty to little ones, to the young man knowledge and understanding.

English Revised Version
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
to give insight to gullible people, to give knowledge and foresight to the young-

Good News Translation
They can make an inexperienced person clever and teach young people how to be resourceful.

International Standard Version
for giving prudence to the na�ve, and knowledge and discretion to the young.

JPS Tanakh 1917
To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion;

Literal Standard Version
For giving to simple ones—prudence, | To a youth—knowledge and discretion.

Majority Standard Bible
To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,

New American Bible
That resourcefulness may be imparted to the naive, knowledge and discretion to the young.

NET Bible
To impart shrewdness to the morally naive, and a discerning plan to the young person.

New Revised Standard Version
to teach shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and prudence to the young—

New Heart English Bible
To give shrewdness to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to the young man.

Webster's Bible Translation
To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

World English Bible
to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man—

Young's Literal Translation
For giving to simple ones -- prudence, To a youth -- knowledge and discretion.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Beginning of Knowledge
3and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity. 4To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young, 5let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel…

Cross References
Psalm 116:6
The LORD preserves the simplehearted; I was helpless, and He saved me.

Proverbs 1:22
"How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?

Proverbs 2:10
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul.

Proverbs 2:11
Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,

Proverbs 3:21
My son, do not lose sight of this: Preserve sound judgment and discernment.

Proverbs 8:5
O simple ones, learn to be shrewd; O fools, gain understanding.

Proverbs 8:12
I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.


Treasury of Scripture

To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

subtilty

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 8:5
O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

Proverbs 9:4-6
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, …

to the

Proverbs 7:7-24
And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, …

Proverbs 8:17,32
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me…

Psalm 34:11
Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

discretion

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Proverbs 1
1. The use of the proverbs
7. An exhortation to fear God, and believe his word
10. to avoid the enticing of sinners
20. Wisdom complains of her contempt
24. She threatens her contemners














(4) Subtilty ('Ormah).--Used in a bad sense (Exodus 21:14) for "guile." For the meaning here, comp. Matthew 10:16 : "Be ye wise as serpents;" comp. also the reproof of Luke 16:8, that "the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light;" and St. Paul's advice to "redeem the time "(Ephesians 5:16), i.e., seize opportunities for good.

Simple.--Literally, those who are open to good impressions and influences, but who also can be easily led astray. (Comp. Proverbs 8:5; Proverbs 14:15.) . . .

Verse 4. - To give subtilty to the simple. In this verse and the following we are introduced to the classes of persons to whom the proverbs will be beneficial The ל with the infinitive, לָתֵת (latheth) shows that in construction this proposition is so ordinate with those in vers. 2 and 3, and not dependent as represented by ἵνα δῷ (LXX.)and iut detur (Vulgate). Subtilty; Hebrew, עַרְמָה (ar'mah), from the root עָרַם, (aram), "to be crafty or wily," properly means "nakedness" or "smoothness;" hence in a metaphorical sense it expresses "the capacity for escaping from the wiles of others" (Umbreit). We have this idea expressed as follows in Proverbs 22:3, "The prudent man (עָרוּם, arum) foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself." In the Arabic Version it is rendered by calliditas, "shrewdness," in a good sense. The Hebrew ar'mah, like the Latin calliditas, also means "craftiness," as appears in the use of the cognate adjective arum in Genesis 3:1, where we read, "The serpent was more subtle," etc. For "subtilty" the LXX. has πσνουργία, a Greek word which appears to be employed altogether in a bad sense, as "trickery," "villainy," "knavery;" but that scarcely appears to be the meaning of the Hebrew here, since the aim of the Proverbs is ethical and beneficial in the highest degree. The Vulgate astutia, the quality of the astutus, beside the bad sense of craftiness, also boars the good sense of shrewdness, sagacity, and so better represents the Hebrew. "Subtilty may turn to evil, but it also takes its place among the highest moral gifts" (Plumptre). The simple; Hebrew, פְתָאִים (ph'thaim), plural of פְתִּי (p'ti) from the root פָתַח (pathakh), "to be open," properly means the open-hearted, i.e. those who are susceptible to external impressions (Zockler), and so easily misled. The word occurs in Proverbs 7:7; Proverbs 8:5; Proverbs 9:6; Proverbs 14:18; and Proverbs 27:12. The LXX. properly renders the word ἄκακοι, "unknowing of evil." The same idea is indirectly expressed in the Vulgate parvuli, "the very young;" and the term is paraphrased in the Arabic Version, iis in quibus non est malitia ("those who are without malice"). The Hebrew here means "simple" in the sense of inexperienced. To the young man knowledge and discretion. The Hebrew naar (נַעַר) is here used representatively for "youth" (cf. LXX., παῖς νέος; Vulgate, adolescens) in general, which stands in need of the qualities here mentioned. It advances in idea beyond "the simple." Knowledge; Hebrew, דַּעַת (daath), i.e. experimental knowledge (Delitzsch); insight (Gesenius); knowledge of good and evil (Plumptre). The LXX. has αἴσθησις, which clasically means perception by the senses and also by the mind. Discretion; Hebrew, מְזִמָּה (m'zimmah), properly "thoughtfulness," and hence "circumspection" or "caution" (Zockler), or "discernment," that which sets a man on his guard and prevents him being duped by others (Plumptre). Αννοια was probably adopted by the LXX. in its primary sense as representing the act of thinking; intellectus (Vulgate), equivalent to "a discerning" (see the marginal "advisement").

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
to impart
לָתֵ֣ת (lā·ṯêṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

prudence
עָרְמָ֑ה (‘ā·rə·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6195: Trickery, discretion

to the simple,
לִפְתָאיִ֣ם (lip̄·ṯā·yim)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6612: Simple, perhaps open-minded

knowledge
דַּ֣עַת (da·‘aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1847: Knowledge

and discretion
וּמְזִמָּֽה׃ (ū·mə·zim·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4209: A plan, evil, sometimes good

to the young—
לְ֝נַ֗עַר (lə·na·‘ar)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 1:4 To give prudence to the simple knowledge (Prov. Pro Pr)
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