Chapter
Verse

Proverbs 2:1

ESV My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
NIV My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
NASB My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you,
CSB My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
NLT My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.
KJV My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
NKJV My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,

What does Proverbs 2:1 mean?

In the book of Proverbs, knowledge is defined as the simple consumption and retention of information. Here, Solomon is instructing his son with the first "if" statement of this section. Two steps are required: to both receive and to treasure knowledge. Solomon's instruction bonds those two parts of knowledge acquisition. True wisdom requires both accepting what is taught, as well as considering it of value. A treasure is not something you forget; rather, it is something you dwell upon and recall with gratitude and longing.

In the New Testament, Jesus compares heaven to a treasure found buried in a field (Matthew 13:44). To gain this treasure, the man in the parable sells all of his possessions and buys the field. One must wonder: how many walked past the field and did not perceive the treasure that was hidden there? However, once the man found the treasure, he did everything within his power to obtain it. This is the appropriate approach to truth and wisdom: to recognize its value and act accordingly.

Solomon's description in this chapter is that of a comprehensive, unified, practical approach to moral living. This is what later philosophers such as Plato would define as virtue. In the upcoming verses, the relationship between living virtuously—by pursuing these positive qualities—and one's outcomes will be explored.
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