Proverbs 5 · Verse 1

Proverbs 5:1

My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

Proverbs 5:1, King James Version

Proverbs 5:1 in other translations

BSB	My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ear to my insight,
WEB	My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding,
ASV	My son, attend unto my wisdom; Incline thine ear to my understanding:
YLT	My son! to my wisdom give attention, To mine understanding incline thine ear,
DARBY	My son, attend unto my wisdom, incline thine ear to my understanding;
BBE	My son, give attention to my wisdom; let your ear be turned to my teaching:
Webster	My son, attend to my wisdom, and bow thy ear to my understanding:

What does Proverbs 5:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Pr 5:1-23. A warning against the seductive arts of wicked women, enforced by considering the advantages of chastity, and the miserable end of the wicked.

1. This connection of wisdom and understanding is frequent (Pr 2:2; 3:7); the first denotes the use of wise means for wise ends; the other, the exercise of a proper discrimination in their discovery.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Farther exhortations to acquire wisdom, Pro 5:1, Pro 5:2. The character of a loose woman, and the ruinous consequences of attachment to such, Pro 5:3-14. Exhortations to chastity and moderation, Pro 5:15-21. The miserable end of the wicked, Pro 5:22, Pro 5:23. Verse 1 Attend unto my wisdom - Take the following lessons from my own experience.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Proverbs 5:1-14

Solomon cautions all young men, as his children, to abstain from fleshly lusts. Some, by the adulterous woman, here understand idolatry, false doctrine, which tends to lead astray men's minds and manners; but the direct view is to warn against seventh-commandment sins. Often these have been, and still are, Satan's method of drawing men from the worship of God into false religion. Consider how fatal the consequences; how bitter the fruit! Take it any way, it wounds. It leads to the torments of hell. The direct tendency of this sin is to the destruction of body and soul. We must carefully avoid every thing which may be a step towards it. Those who would be kept from harm, must keep out of harm's way. If we thrust ourselves into temptation we mock God when we pray, Lead us not into temptation. How many mischiefs attend this sin! It blasts the reputation; it wastes time; it ruins the estate; it is destructive to health; it will fill the mind with horror. Though thou art merry now, yet sooner or later it will bring sorrow. The convinced sinner reproaches himself, and makes no excuse for his folly. By the frequent acts of sin, the habits of it become rooted and confirmed. By a miracle of mercy true repentance may prevent the dreadful consequences of such sins; but this is not often; far more die as they have lived. What can express the case of the self-ruined sinner in the eternal world, enduring the remorse of his conscience!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 5:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בְּ֭נִיBe.niO son myH1121

לְחָכְמָתִ֣יle.cha.khe.ma.Tito wisdom myH2451

הַקְשִׁ֑יבָהhak.Shi.vahbe attentive !H7181

לִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗יlit.vu.na.Tito understanding myH8394

הַט\־hat-inclineH5186

אָזְנֶֽךָ\׃'a.ze.Ne.khaear yourH241

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 5:1

Proverbs 22:17
Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
Proverbs 4:20
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Revelation 2:11
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Proverbs 2:1
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
Revelation 3:13
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 2:17
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Mark 4:23
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
James 1:19
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Proverbs 4:1
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Revelation 2:7
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Revelation 2:29
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 3:6
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Solomon exhorts to wisdom.
3 He shews the mischief of whoredom and riot.
15 He exhorts to contentedness, liberality, and chastity.
22 The wicked are overtaken with their own sins.

attend.
2:1; 4:1,20; Mt 3:9; Mr 4:23; Re 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22
bow.
22:17; Jas 1:19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Proverbs 5:1
My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:
Proverbs 5:2
That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

Read all of Proverbs 5

Proverbs 5:1 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	HIJO mío, está atento á mi sabiduría, y á mi inteligencia inclina tu oído;
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Mon fils, sois attentif à ma sagesse, incline ton oreille à mon intelligence,
German Elberfelder 1871	Mein Sohn, merke auf meine Weisheit, neige dein Ohr zu meiner Einsicht,
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Fili mi, attende ad sapientiam meam, et prudentiæ meæ inclina aurem tuam: