Proverbs 2:1

My child, ²  if ³  you receive my words, and store up ⁴  my commands within you,

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,

My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you,

My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions.

Good friend, take to heart what I'm telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life.

My son, if you will take my words to your heart, storing up my laws in your mind;

My child, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments within you,

My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,

My child, ²  if ³  you receive my words, and store up ⁴  my commands within you,

¹ sn The chapter begins with an admonition to receive wisdom (1-4) and then traces the benefits: the knowledge of God and his protection (5-8), moral discernment for living (9-11), protection from evil men (12-15) and immoral women (16-19), and enablement for righteous living (20-22).

² tn Heb “my son.”

³ sn Verses 1-11 form one long conditional sentence in the Hebrew text: (1) the protasis (“if…”) encompasses vv. 1-4 and (2) the apodosis (“then…”) consists of two parallel panels in vv. 5-8 and vv. 9-11 both of which are introduced by the particle אָז (’az, “then”).

⁴ sn The verb “to store up” (צָפַן, tsafan; cf. NAB, NLT “treasure”) in the second colon qualifies the term “receive” (לָקַח, laqakh) in the first, just as “commands” intensifies “words.” This pattern of intensification through parallelism occurs throughout the next three verses. The verb “to store up; to treasure” is used in reference to things of value for future use, e.g., wealth, dowry for a bride. Since proverbs will be useful throughout life and not always immediately applicable, the idea of storing up the sayings is fitting. They will form the way people think which in turn will influence attitudes (W. G. Plaut, Proverbs, 43).