Proverbs 4:10 (ASV)

Passage

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:8 Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.

Proverbs 4:9 She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; A crown of beauty will she deliver to thee.

Proverbs 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many.

Proverbs 4:11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.

Proverbs 4:12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hear", "receive", "sayings", "years", "life", and "shall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hear" and "receive", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "She will give to thy head a..." into verse 11's "I have taught thee in the way...", so "hear" and "receive" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "hear" and "receive" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.