Proverbs 22:17

My son, bow down thine ear, and hear thou the words of wise men; but set thou the heart to my teaching. (My son, bow down thy ear, and listen thou to the words of the wise; yea, set thou thy heart unto my teaching, or my instruction.)

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

In Context

16He that falsely challengeth a poor man, to increase his own riches, (or He who oppresseth the poor, to increase his own riches), shall give to a richer man, and he shall be needy.

18That shall be fair to thee, when thou hast kept it in thine heart, and it shall flow again in thy lips. (It shall please thee when thou hast kept it in thy heart, and it shall flow freely from thy lips.)

Read all of Proverbs 22

Cross References

Psalms 90:12Make thy right hand so known; and make men learned in heart by wisdom. (Make thy right hand, or thy power, known to us, or Teach us that our days be short; and so make people learned in their hearts with thy wisdom.)

Proverbs 2:2(so) that thine ear hear wisdom, bow (down) thine heart to know prudence.

Proverbs 4:4And my father taught me, and said, Thine heart receive my words; keep thou my behests (or obey my commands), and thou shalt live.

Proverbs 8:33Hear ye teaching, and be ye wise men; and do not ye cast it away. (Listen ye to my teaching, and be ye wise; and do not ye throw it away.)

Ecclesiastes 7:25I compassed all things with my soul (or I put my mind upon everything, yea), to know, and to behold, and (to) seek (out) wisdom, and reason, and to know the wickedness of a fool, and the error of unprudent men.

Ecclesiastes 8:16And I setted mine heart to know wisdom, and to understand the parting, which is turned in earth. A man is, that by days and nights, taketh not sleep with his eyes. (And I set my heart to know wisdom, and to understand what is done on the earth. And in trying to understand this, a person might not close his eyes in sleep for many days and nights.)

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 22:17

16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. This shows what evil courses rich men sometimes take, by which, in the end, they will impoverish themselves and provoke God, notwithstanding their abundance, to bring them to want; they oppress the poor and give to the rich. 1. They will not in charity relieve the poor, but withhold from them, that by saving that which is really the best, but which they think the most needless part of their expenses,… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Proverbs 22:17