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Proverbs 3:21

New American Standard Bible (NASB ©1995) [2]
— My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
King James Version (KJV 1769) [2]
— My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
English Revised Version (ERV 1885)
— My son, let not them depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion;
American Standard Version (ASV 1901) [2]
— My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
Webster's Revision of the KJB (WEB 1833)
— My son, let not them depart from thy eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
Darby's Translation (DBY 1890)
— My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion:
Rotherham's Emphasized Bible (EBR 1902)
— My son, let them not depart from thine eyes, guard thou counsel, and purpose:
Young's Literal Translation (YLT 1898)
— My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,
Douay-Rheims Challoner Revision (DR 1750)
— My son, let not these things depart from thy eyes: keep the law and counsel:
Geneva Bible (GNV 1560)
— My sonne, let not these things depart from thine eyes, but obserue wisdome, and counsell.
Original King James Bible (AV 1611) [2]
— My sonne, let not [them] depart from thine eyes: keepe sound wisedome and discretion.
Lamsa Bible (1957)
— My son, let not my commandments depart from your eyes; keep my doctrine, and my counsels;
Brenton Greek Septuagint (LXX, Restored Names)
— [My] son, let [them] not pass from [thee], but keep my counsel and understanding:
Full Hebrew Names / Holy Name KJV (2008) [2] [3]
— My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

Strong's Numbers & Hebrew NamesHebrew Old TestamentColor-Code/Key Word Studies
My son, 1121
{1121} Prime
בֵּן
ben
{bane}
From H1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like H0001, H0251, etc.).
let not x408
(0408) Complement
אַל
'al
{al}
A negative particle (akin to H3808); not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing.
them depart 3868
{3868} Prime
לוּז
luwz
{looz}
A primitive root; to turn aside (compare H3867, H3874 and H3885), that is, (literally) to depart, (figuratively) be perverse.
z8799
<8799> Grammar
Stem - Qal (See H8851)
Mood - Imperfect (See H8811)
Count - 19885
from thine eyes: 5869
{5869} Prime
עַיִן
`ayin
{ah'-yin}
Probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy a fountain (as the eye of the landscape).
x4480
(4480) Complement
מִן
min
{min}
For H4482; properly a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses.
keep 5341
{5341} Prime
נָצַר
natsar
{naw-tsar'}
A primitive root; to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.).
z8798
<8798> Grammar
Stem - Qal (See H8851)
Mood - Imperative (See H8810)
Count - 2847
sound wisdom 8454
{8454} Prime
תּוּשִׁיָּה
tuwshiyah
{too-shee-yaw'}
From an unused root probably meaning to substantiate; support or (by implication) ability, that is, (direct) help, (in purpose) an undertaking, (intellectual) understanding.
and discretion: 4209
{4209} Prime
מְזִמָּה
m@zimmah
{mez-im-maw'}
From H2161; a plan, usually evil (machination), sometimes good (sagacity).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary

Proverbs 3:21

_ _ sound wisdom — (compare Proverbs 2:7).

_ _ let ... eyes — that is, these words of instruction.

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Proverbs 3:21-26

_ _ Solomon, having pronounced those happy who not only lay hold on wisdom, but retain her, here exhorts us therefore to retain her, assuring us that we ourselves shall have the comfort of doing so.

_ _ I. The exhortation is, to have religion's rules always in view and always at heart, Proverbs 3:21. 1. To have them always in view: “My son, let them not depart from thy eyes; let not thy eyes ever depart from them to wander after vanity. Have them always in mind, and do not forget them; be ever and anon thinking of them, and conversing with them, and never imagine that thou hast looked upon them long enough and that it is time now to lay them by; but, as long as thou livest, keep up and cultivate thy acquaintance with them.” He who learns to write must always have his eye upon his copy, and not let that be out of his sight; and to the words of wisdom must those, in like manner, have a constant respect, who will walk circumspectly. 2. To have them always at heart; for it is in that treasury, the hidden man of the heart, that we must keep sound wisdom and discretion, keep to the principles of it and keep in the ways of it. It is wealth that is worth keeping.

_ _ II. The argument to enforce this exhortation is taken from the unspeakable advantage which wisdom, thus kept, will be of to us. 1. In respect of strength and satisfaction: “It will be life to thy soul (Proverbs 3:22); it will quicken thee to thy duty when thou beginnest to be slothful and remiss; it will revive thee under thy troubles when thou beginnest to droop and despond. It will be thy spiritual life, an earnest of life eternal.” Life to the soul is life indeed. 2. In respect of honour and reputation: It shall be grace to thy neck, as a chain of gold, or a jewel. Grace to thy jaws (so the word is), grateful to thy taste and relish (so some); it shall infuse grace into all thou sayest (so others), shall furnish thee with acceptable words, which shall gain thee credit. 3. In respect of safety and security. This he insists upon in four verses, the scope of which is to show that the effect of righteousness (which is the same with wisdom here) is quietness and assurance for ever, Isaiah 32:17. Good people are taken under God's special protection, and therein they may have an entire satisfaction. They are safe and may be easy, (1.) In their motions by day, Proverbs 3:23. If our religion be our companion, it will be our convoy: “Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely. The natural life, and all that belongs to it, shall be under the protection of God's providence; the spiritual life, and all its interests, are under the protection of his grace; so that thou shalt be kept from falling into sin or trouble.” Wisdom will direct us into, and keep us in, the safe way, as far as may be, from temptation, and will enable us to walk in it with holy security. The way of duty is the way of safety. “We are in danger of falling, but wisdom will keep thee, that thy foot shall not stumble at those things which are an offence and overthrow to many, but which thou shalt know how to get over.” (2.) In their rest by night, Proverbs 3:24. In our retirements we lie exposed and are most subject to frights. “But keep up communion with God, and keep a good conscience, and then when thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid of fire, or thieves, or specters, or any of the terrors of darkness, knowing that when we, and all our friends, are asleep, yet he that keeps Israel and every true-born Israelite neither slumbers nor sleeps, and to him thou hast committed thyself and taken shelter under the shadow of his wings. Thou shalt lie down, and not need to sit up to keep guard; having lain down, thou shalt sleep, and not have thy eyes held waking by care and fear; and thy sleep shall be sweet and refreshing to thee, being not disturbed by any alarms from without or from within,” Psalms 4:8; Psalms 116:7. The way to have a good night is to keep a good conscience; and the sleep, as of the labouring man, so of the wise and godly man, is sweet. (3.) In their greatest straits and dangers. Integrity and uprightness will preserve us, so that we need not be afraid of sudden fear, Proverbs 3:25. The harms that surprise us, unthought of, giving us no time to arm ourselves by consideration, are most likely to put us into confusion. But let not the wise and good man forget himself, and then he will not give way to any fear that has torment, be the alarm ever so sudden. Let him not fear the desolation of the wicked, when it comes, that is, [1.] The desolation which the wicked ones make of religion and the religious; though it comes, and seems to be just at the door, yet be not afraid of it; for, though God may make use of the wicked as instruments of his people's correction, yet he will never suffer them to be the authors of their desolation. Or rather, [2.] The desolation which wicked men will be brought into in a moment. It will come, and timorous saints may be apprehensive that they shall be involved in it; but let this be their comfort, that though judgments lay waste generally, at least promiscuously, yet God knows who are his and how to separate between the precious and the vile. Therefore be not afraid of that which appears most formidable, for (Proverbs 3:26) “the Lord shall be not only thy protector to keep thee safe, but thy confidence to keep thee secure, so that thy foot shall not be taken by thy enemies nor ensnared by thy own fears.” God has engaged to keep the feet of his saints.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Proverbs 3:21

Eyes — The eyes of thy mind. Constantly and seriously meditate upon them.

Geneva Bible Translation Notes

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Cross-Reference Topical ResearchStrong's Concordance
let:

Proverbs 3:1-3 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: ... Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Deuteronomy 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: ... And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;
John 15:6-7 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned. ... If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip. ... How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard [him];
1 John 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

keep:

Proverbs 2:7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: [he is] a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
Deuteronomy 32:46-47 And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. ... For it [is] not a vain thing for you; because it [is] your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong [your] days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
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Chain-Reference Bible SearchCross References with Concordance

Dt 4:9; 6:6; 32:46. Jsh 1:8. Pv 2:7; 3:1. Jn 8:31; 15:6. He 2:1. 1Jn 2:24, 27.

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