Proverbs 4:20 (LSB)

Passage

My son, pay attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the fullness of day.

Proverbs 4:19 The way of the wicked is like thick darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.

Proverbs 4:20 My son, pay attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.

Proverbs 4:21 Do not let them deviate from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart.

Proverbs 4:22 For they are life to those who find them And healing to all his flesh.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "The way of the wicked is like..." into verse 21's "Do not let them deviate from your...", so "attention" and "words" 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 "attention" and "words" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.