Passage
Proverbs 4.3
Book: Proverbs · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT
Immediate context (±2 verses)
ASV
- Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding: 2. For I give you good doctrine; Forsake ye not my law.
3. For I was a son unto my father, Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
- And he taught me, and said unto me: Let thy heart retain my words; Keep my commandments, and live; 5. Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth; (Proverbs 4:1-5, ASV)
WEB
- Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding; 2. for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
3. For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
- He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live. 5. Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth. (Proverbs 4:1-5, WEB)
KJV
- Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 2. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
3. For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
- He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. 5. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. (Proverbs 4:1-5, KJV)
YLT
- Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding. 2. For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.
3. For, a son I have been to my father, tender, And an only one before my mother.
- And he directeth me, and he saith to me: 'Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live. 5. Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth. (Proverbs 4:1-5, YLT)
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Setting
- Speaker: TBD
- Audience: TBD
- Location: TBD
- Time period: TBD
Theological reading
Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.
Key words
Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.
- H3173 - yachid, yachid, Strong's H3173
- H0001 - ab, ab, Strong's H0001
- H1121 - ben, ben, Strong's H1121
Quoted in
Lexicon:
Why these four translations
ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.
The four:
- ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.
See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.