Chapter
Verse

Proverbs 23:26

ESV My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
NIV My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways,
NASB Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways.
CSB My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
NLT O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.
KJV My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
NKJV My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways.

What does Proverbs 23:26 mean?

Solomon urges his son to emulate him. This appeal is a call for Solomon's son to pattern his ethics after those of his father. Solomon wanted his son to lead a godly lifestyle like his own. To do that, the son would need to carefully notice how Solomon lived; this is the meaning of the phrase about his eyes. The need for careful observation is directly tied to Solomon's warning about sexual sin (Proverbs 23:27), which begins with a term meaning "because" or "since," most often translated as "for." The importance of this advice—to "look" at a godly lifestyle—counters the way sexual temptation often begins with one's eyes (Proverbs 6:25; Matthew 5:28). Tragically, Solomon himself was tempted into sin by intimate relationships (1 Kings 11:4).

In the New Testament we read Jesus' command to His disciples to follow Him. He said, "If anyone serves me, he must follow me" (John 12:26). In other words, Jesus' followers must take the same path through life that Jesus took. They must imitate Jesus' righteous life of service. The apostle Paul urged the Philippian believers to follow the example Jesus set, He writes: "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5).
Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app: