Proverbs 2:10

For wisdom will enter your heart, ¹  and moral knowledge ²  will be attractive ³  to you. ⁴ 

For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.

Lady Wisdom will be your close friend, and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion.

For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul;

for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,

For wisdom will enter your heart, ¹  and moral knowledge ²  will be attractive ³  to you. ⁴ 

¹ tn The noun לֵב (lev, “heart”) functions as a metonymy of association for “mind” and “thoughts” (BDB 524 s.v. 3). It represents the center of the inner life where the volition and emotions join to bring about actions. It is used here in parallelism with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”), for which see note.

² tn Heb “knowledge.” For the noun דַּעַת (da’at), see the note on 1:7.

³ tn Heb “pleasant.” The verb יִנְעָם (yin’am, “to be pleasant”) describes what is attractive. It is used of being physically attracted to one’s lover (Song 7:7) or to a close friendship (2 Sam 1:26). Here wisdom becomes attractive to the righteous, that is, the righteous desires to acquire it.

⁴ tn Heb “your soul.” The term נַפְשְׁךָ (nafshÿkha, “your soul”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= soul) for the whole person (= you); see BDB 660 s.v. 4.a.2. It also might function as a metonymy of association for emotions and passions (BDB 660 s.v. 6) or mental cognition (BDB 660 s.v. 7).