Proverbs 4:5 (YLT)

Passage

Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:3 For, a son I have been to my father--tender, And an only one before my mother.

Proverbs 4:4 And he directeth me, and he saith to me: `Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.

Proverbs 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.

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

Proverbs 4:7 The first thing <FI>is<Fi> wisdom--get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wisdom", "understanding", "forget", "turn", "away", "sayings", and "mouth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wisdom" and "understanding", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "And he directeth me and he saith..." into verse 6's "Forsake her not and she doth preserve...", so "wisdom" and "understanding" 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 "wisdom" and "understanding" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.