Proverbs 4:4 (ASV)

Passage

And he taught me, and said unto me: Let thy heart retain my words; Keep my commandments, and live;

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:2 For I give you good doctrine; Forsake ye not my law.

Proverbs 4:3 For I was a son unto my father, Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

Proverbs 4:4 And he taught me, and said unto me: Let thy heart retain my words; Keep my commandments, and live;

Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;

Proverbs 4:6 Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "taught", "said", "heart", "retain", "words", "keep", "commandments", and "live". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "taught" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "For I was a son unto my..." into verse 5's "Get wisdom get understanding Forget not neither...", so "taught" and "said" 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 "taught" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.