Proverbs 2:2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;
Read these additional translations of this verse in the King James and Revised Standard versions of the Bible.
Proverbs 2:2 (KJV) So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, [and] apply thine heart to understanding;
Proverbs 2:2 (RSV) making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;
A result of following Proverbs 2:1 will cause you to regard the wisdom in God’s word and to yield to the understanding of it. Meeting the conditions of accepting and guarding God’s commands will lead to being attentive to His wisdom and growing in your understanding of God’s word. What a great example of cause and effect! We don’t have to figure it all out, we are responsible to accept and treasure what God says – He will then make it clear to us what He wants us to see. This truth reminds me of the importance of prayer and time spent reading and studying His truths.
Mt 13:9 “He who has ears, let him hear.”
The words Jesus shared in Matthew 13 were for those with understanding. Consider the precious gift you have been given to understand the truths in the Bible. This is not because of your own doing but because of God’s grace.
Proverbs 2:2 uses the word attentive. Think about what it means to be attentive to something. This word is translated from the Hebrew word <qashab> which means to prick up the ears, hearken, give heed, incline, regard.
If you own a dog, you have seen their ears prick up when they hear something unusual or different. They may even cock their head to one side as they are intently listening. Our sweet little Boston Terrier Rosie use to do this when we would talk to her. As if to say, “I’m listening”!
Most likely, you have heard the saying, “I’m all ears”. Think about what this phrase means. It means ‘I’m listening’, ‘You have my attention’. How about applying this simple thought by turning off your phone, radio, etc. and finding a quiet place out of distractions when you spend time reading the Bible? Picture this – individuals at a nice restaurant, eyes fixed on their mobile phones, no conversation between them. What might this convey about the attention being given to their companions? How do you feel when you are trying to communicate to someone and they have their eyes on something else?
The picture of gently turning a child’s face toward you when it is important to communicate to them comes to mind. I know I have said ‘let me see your eyes’ when communicating something important to my children when they were young. I have done the same with my grandchildren.
Do we give God our full attention? Do we genuinely seek to know Him? He wants to give us His wisdom and cause us to be skillful in understanding His word! This is a gift!
Have you ever asked someone why they do a certain thing and you get a response like ‘I don’t know’ or ‘someone else said to do it’ or ‘because this is what I was taught’ or ‘I’ve always done it this way and never really thought about it’? These answers all lack true understanding. It is impossible to defend or explain something you do not understand yourself. Consider that as God’s child, you are under the tutelage of perfect wisdom, truth, and holiness.
Proverbs 22:17-21 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge; for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, that they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, to make you know the certainty of the words of truth that you may correctly answer to him who sent you?
Acts 17:11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.
Look closely at the word ‘heart’ in Proverbs 2:2. It means our feelings, will and intellect. This word also carries the idea of being willing. This is an intentional desire to understand. I have tried to make someone who is unwilling understand something. Trust me, this never has good results! God wants us to come to Him with our full attention and a willing desire to understand His truths. This means having a genuine heart for God. Words alone, or acknowledging His deity and truths do not suffice. Our diligent efforts to know Him speak of our love for Him.
Pr overbs 23:12 Apply your heart to discipline, and your ears to words of knowledge.
Psalm 119:111-112 I have inherited Thy testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Thy statutes forever, even to the end.
Isaiah 55:3 “Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.
Do we give our full attention to God’s instructions so that we may apply it with understanding?
