yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;
if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:
then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.
Parallel Translations
-
yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;
if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:
then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.
-
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
Show all 3 translations
-
Yea, if thou call for understanding, and lift up thy voice for discernment;
If thou seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (43)
- James 1:5 (v3) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
- Proverbs 1:7 (v5) The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
- Matthew 13:44 (v4) “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he…
- Ephesians 1:17-18 (v3) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him,…
- Proverbs 3:6 (v3) In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Show all 43 cross-references
- Proverbs 16:16 (v4) How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
- Matthew 19:29 (v4) Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, will…
- Job 3:21 (v4) Who long for death, but it doesn’t come; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
- Job 28:12-20 (v4) “But where will wisdom be found? Where is the place of understanding? Man doesn’t know its price; Neither is it found in the land of the…
- Proverbs 8:18-19 (v4) With me are riches, honor, enduring wealth, and prosperity. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, my yield than choice silver.
- Jeremiah 24:7 (v5) I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Yahweh. They will be my people, and I will be their God; for they will return to me with…
- 2 Chronicles 1:10-12 (v5) Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of yours?” God said…
- Psalms 119:14 (v4) I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies, as much as in all riches.
- Psalms 119:72 (v4) The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.
- Psalms 119:127 (v4) Therefore I love your commandments more than gold, yes, more than pure gold.
- Proverbs 3:14-15 (v4) For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies. None of the…
- Proverbs 23:23 (v4) Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
- Ecclesiastes 4:8 (v4) There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with…
- Jeremiah 32:40-41 (v5) I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good. I will put my fear in their…
- Matthew 6:19-21 (v4) “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for…
- Matthew 19:21-22 (v4) Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and…
- Luke 10:22 (v5) Turning to the disciples, he said, “All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and…
- Luke 11:9-13 (v5) “I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. For…
- Luke 16:8 (v4) “His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are, in their own generation, wiser…
- 1 John 5:20 (v5) We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in…
- 1 Kings 3:9-12 (v3) Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge…
- Psalms 25:4-5 (v3) Show me your ways, Yahweh. Teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth, and teach me, For you are the God of my salvation, I wait for you…
- Jeremiah 9:24 (v5) But let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am Yahweh who exercises loving kindness, justice,…
- Matthew 11:27 (v5) All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father, except the…
- Psalms 19:10 (v4) They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb.
- Psalms 119:125 (v3) I am your servant. Give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies.
- Psalms 119:169 (v3) Let my cry come before you, Yahweh. Give me understanding according to your word.
- Proverbs 9:10 (v5) The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- Jeremiah 31:34 (v5) They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh;’ for they will all know me, from their…
- Hosea 6:3 (v5) Let’s acknowledge Yahweh. Let’s press on to know Yahweh. As surely as the sun rises, Yahweh will appear. He will come to us like the rain,…
- Matthew 7:7-8 (v5) “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks…
- 1 Chronicles 22:12 (v3) May Yahweh give you discretion and understanding, and put you in charge of Israel; that so you may keep the law of Yahweh your God.
- Job 28:28 (v5) To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’ ”
- Psalms 119:34 (v3) Give me understanding, and I will keep your law. Yes, I will obey it with my whole heart.
- Psalms 119:73 (v3) Your hands have made me and formed me. Give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments.
- Luke 11:13 (v3) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to…
- Proverbs 8:17 (v3) I love those who love me. Those who seek me diligently will find me.
- John 17:3 (v5) This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (16 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Meaning, that we must seek the knowledge of God…
Meaning, that we must seek the knowledge of God with care and diligence.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Pro 2:3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and]…
Pro 2:3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding;
Ver. 3. If thou criest after knowledge.] Bene orasse est bene studuisse, said Luther. Knowledge is God’s gift (Jas 1:5; Jas 1:17), and must be sought at his hand, since he is "the Father of lights," and sells us "eye salve," Rev 3:17.
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And liftest up thy voice.] As resolved to "give God no rest" till thou hast it. A dull suitor begs a denial. "Then shall men know if they follow on to know the Lord," Hos 6:3. "Teach me," "teach me," saith David often. "Lord, show me thy glory," said Moses, newly come from the mount.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv3–5 If thou criest, to wit, unto God, the only…
If thou criest, to wit, unto God, the only giver of it, Pro 2:5, Heb. if thou callest; invitest it to come unto thee; earnestly desirest its conduct.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge,.... Of God, Christ,…
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge,.... Of God, Christ, and the Gospel; not only bow the ear and bend the mind to these things, but importunately and fervently pray for them; not only attend the ministry of the word by men, but cry to God to give the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of divine and spiritual things; which supposes some sense of a want of it, an hearty desire for it, having some apprehension of the worth and value of it; and that it is to be had, as there is indeed great reason to hope for and expect it, Jam 1:5;
and liftest up thy voice for understanding; for Christ, who is understanding as well as wisdom, Pro 8:14; or rather for an understanding of the Gospel and the mysteries of it, which men do not naturally understand; and for which there must be an understanding given, or the eyes of the understanding must be enlightened; or Christ, by his spirit and grace, must open the understanding, that it may understand these things; which is granted to those who lift up their voice in prayer for it.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv3–4 Criest - To God, the only giver of it.
Criest - To God, the only giver of it.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v4 Verse 4. If thou seekest her as silver] How…
Verse 4. If thou seekest her as silver] How do men seek money? What will they not do to get rich? Reader, seek the salvation of thy soul as earnestly as the covetous man seeks wealth; and be ashamed of thyself, if thou be less in earnest after the true riches than he is after perishing wealth.
Hid treasures] The original word signifies property of any kind concealed in the earth, in caves or such like; and may also mean treasures, such as the precious metals or precious stones, which are presumptively known to exist in such and such mines. And how are these sought? Learn from the following circumstance: In the Brazils slaves are employed to scrape up the soil from the bed of the Rio Janeiro, and wash it carefully, in order to find particles of gold and diamonds; and it is a law of the state, that he who finds a diamond of so many carats shall have his freedom. This causes the greatest ardour and diligence in searching, washing out the soil, picking, c., in order to find such diamonds, and the greatest anxiety for success so precious is liberty to the human heart. This method of searching for gold and precious stones is alluded to in Pr 3:13-15. In this way Solomon wishes men to seek for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding; and he who succeeds finds the liberty of the children of God, and is saved from the slavery of sin and the empire of death.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv4–5 Note the illustrations.
Note the illustrations.
(1) Contact with Phoenician commerce, and joint expeditions in ships of Tarshish (see Psa 72:10 note), had made the Israelites familiar with the risks and the enterprise of the miller’s life. Compare Job 28:
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(2) The treasure hidden in a field, is the second point of comparison. Such treasure-seeking has always been characteristic of the East. Compare Mat 13:44.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Yea, if--literally, "When if," that is, in such a…
Yea, if--literally, "When if," that is, in such a case.
knowledge--or, "discrimination."
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understanding--as in Pro 2:2.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv3, 5 3, 4. If thou… liftest up thy voice —…
3, 4. If thou… liftest up thy voice — Callest aloud; denoting eagerness of desire.
Seekest… searchest — And that as for things that men value most, as silver, and hid, or concealed, treasures. For an effective, practical commentary on this verse, one should go to the gold mines or the oil regions. The intensity with which men seek the treasures concealed in the earth is a study for a philosopher. (See Land and Book, vol. i, p. 197.) So, my son, seek after wisdom, divine and human, for all wisdom is divine, when sought and used for divine purposes.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv3–4 3. knowledge] Rather, discernment, R.V. See Pro_1:2, note.
3. knowledge] Rather, discernment, R.V. See Pro_1:2, note.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv4–5 (4) If thou seekest her as silver.—That the process…
(4) If thou seekest her as silver.—That the process of mining was understood long before the time of Solomon, is proved by the remains of copper mines discovered in the peninsula of Sinai, and the gold mines in the Bisháree desert of Egypt. Rock inscriptions have been found near the former, dating from a great age, in the opinion of Lepsius from 4000 B.C. (See the article “Mines,” in Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible; comp. also the description in Job_28:1-11.) Silver was brought to Solomon from Arabia (2Ch_9:14) and Tarshish (2Ch_9:21), probably Tartessus, in Spain.
Searchest for her as for hid treasures.—From the great insecurity of life and property in Eastern countries, the hiding of treasures in the earth has always been of frequent occurrence. It would often, no doubt, happen that the owner would die without disclosing the place of concealment to any one else, and the treasure thus be lost. Hunting after such hoards has in consequence been always of the keenest interest to Orientals, and as such furnishes the groundwork for one of our Lord’s parables (Mat_13:44).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge. The endeavour after…
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge. The endeavour after Wisdom is not only to be sincere, it is also to be earnest, as appears from the "yea, if," and the verbs "crying" and "lifting up the voice," both of which frequently occur in Scripture as indicating earnestness. This earnestness is the counterpart of that which Wisdom herself displays. (see Pro_1:20, Pro_1:21) Knowledge; i.e. insight. In the original there is practically little difference between "knowledge" and "understanding" (hnyBi and hnWbT). They carry on the idea expressed in "understanding" in the preceding verse, and thus throw the emphasis on the verbs. The LXX and Vulgate, however, take "knowledge" as equivalent to sofia , sapientia, "wisdom." The reading of the Targum, "If thou tallest understanding thy mother," arises from reading for but is not to be preferred to the Masoretic text, as it destroys the parallelism.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge.
Pro_2:3
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge.
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All knowledge is good
No kind of knowledge is to be despised. The bee gathers honey from every flower. What shore so bleak, what moor so barren, what rocks so naked from which we may not carry home some interesting object, in the shape of plant or mineral? So there are no circumstances in which we are placed, or persons, the humblest, with whom we can associate, without learning something we did not know before; something of value which, while interesting, may not one day prove useful, an example of the familiar proverb, Keep a thing for seven years, and you will find the use of it. (T. Guthrie, D.D.)
Earnest seeking for virtues
A man has lost a title-deed, or some paper that would decide a suit in his favour rather than against him. And with what alacrity does he search for it! How does he go through the house in quest of it! My dear, have you seen that roll of paper with a great red seal on it? What was it? A newspaper? No, no! not a newspaper. I shall lose a suit if I cannot find it. And she searches in every drawer and every trunk, and every closet, and even under the carpets. Both of them search night and day, going over the same place twenty times, saying, Maybe I did not look thoroughly. And they cannot give it up. The man almost cries, he wants it so much. He will have it, so much depends upon it. And at last he finds it, and he says, I would rather have had my house burned than not to have found this paper. Now, when men search for victorious virtues in their souls as they would search for an important legal document, do you suppose they will be saying, Perhaps others may be able to live a good Christian life, but I cannot? You can. And when you want true religion, when your soul hungers for it, you will find it. (H. W. Beecher.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v5 Also; Pro 3:7, (See Scofield "Psa 19:9").
fear
Also; Pro 3:7, (See Scofield "Psa 19:9").
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v3 If you cry out for understanding and raise your…
If you cry out for understanding and raise your voice for it
Both of these phrases have the same meaning. It is implied that the person is strongly asking Yahweh for understanding. AT: "If you urgently ask God and plead for understanding" (See: Parallelism and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
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raise your voice
This is an idiom that means to speak loudly or to shout. (See: Idiom)
if you seek it like you would seek silver and search for understanding as you would seek hidden treasures
Both phrases have the same meaning. These similes emphasize the great effort a person should make to understand what is wise. AT: "if you seek understanding with as much effort as you search for a valuable object" (See: Parallelism and Simile)
you seek it ... search for understanding
Trying very hard to understand what is wise is spoken of as if understanding were an object for which a person must search. (See: Metaphor)
you will find the knowledge of God
To succeed in knowing God is spoken of as if the knowledge of God were an object that a person finds after searching. (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
cry
understand
voice
seek
silver
fear
Yahweh
God
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv4–5 2:4 Searching for silver or hidden treasures would be…
2:4 Searching for silver or hidden treasures would be undertaken with urgency, excitement, and anticipation of reward (cp. Matt 13:44; Luke 15:8-10).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.