10/07/2025
3 Things to Consider When Considering Prov 4:23
πProverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
(1) Start looking up the words of the verses/passages you are reading in the original language... to better understand the word they are using and the actual meaning that was intended.
For example, here is what I found on this scripture:
(a) https://biblehub.com/interlinear/proverbs/4-23.htm
(b) https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3820.htm
(2) Prov 4 is a father's advice to his son. He is imploring him to keep wisdom and get insight. The father has taught his son the path of wisdom and led him in the paths of uprightness... and says this gives life and is healing to the flesh. He implore his son to stick to what he was taught, not veer even a little, and to keep away from wicked. He tells him to guard his heart and mind strongly and intentionally... because from this, will be the type of life that flows. The father wants his son to have a good path in life. ... So, Fathers: Teach... and sons: Listen! Follow the ways your wise and upright parents taught you.
(3) Heart and mind can be interchangeable here. Check out the Hebrew meanings I found on the links listed above. The idea of keeping your heart and mind guarded here with all "vigilence: or "diligence," is that you guard it like a guard of a prison would or watch it like you would if you were in charge of the safety of important boundary walls. Guarding, both, your heart and mind is VERY important.
Questions to consider:
ππ½Have you thought of this scripture to be talking about your feelings only? Does anything change when you include the mind?
ππ½Are we seeing, today, that even when fathers teach their sons well, that their children sometimes veer off path? If they haven't, would you say there is a significant risk that they might?
ππ½If you are the son... Are there current ways in which your wise parents who live uprightly have taught you but culture has taught you differently?... And, you believe culture more? What does this passage encourage you to do?