These verses are the prelude to the book of Proverbs. Solomon wrote this from a perspective of Father to Son (particularly chapters 1-9) and as such we can receive it as sons, not from an earthly father, but in the Son from the Father. We are seated in Christ as the New Testament tell us.
Since Solomon wrote them, they come from a royal point of view and influence and point back toward that same code of conduct. As we are now a royal priesthood in the order of Melchizedek we can share in his point of view and take on his code of conduct which is fatherly initiation as men.
Vs. 1 Introduces this text: these are proverbs - parables, pithy maxims. Ultimately they are potent illustrations and comparisons. And the point of the whole book (vs. 2) is to intimately know [yada'] all forms of what I would call the greater wisdom which encompasses wise conduct, the ability to receive chastisement, instruction, attain decisiveness and circumspect understanding, be adroit (much covetted by myself), cunning, visionary, judge rightly, handle authority and wealth well, bear burdens of poverty, strife, and death with understanding and patience, and to seek after lady wisdom.
Vs. 2a Breakdown: To [yada]: (first mention in the Word is with Adam and Eve and how Adam "knew" Eve and she conceived) have experiential knowledge of through intimacy, [choch'mah] wisdom and [Umusar] chastisement/instruction and correction (from the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon it means "to turn the head" in which case it could basically mean this: the laying out of boundaries that you can be within).
The semi colin is correctly translated here as there is an "atnach" in the word [Umusar] in the Westminster Leningrad Codex.
Vs. 2b Breakdown: To [l'haviyn] the seperate mentally (distinguish/discern) so it should be rendered/translated "to the discerning," [im'reiy] words and speech, [viynah] in discernment. The pictographs in the AHLB for both [l'haviyn] and [viynah] are the same, giving us a picture of a continuing household by a wife who works diligently to maintain the house. In the ancient tents they had a wall that "distinguished between" men and women and thats what both of these words mean. So it should say one of the following - "To the perceiving, words of perception," or "To the discerning, words of discernment," or "to the distinguishing, words of distinguishment."
Vs. 3 breakdown (continuation of thought from vs. 2 which is explaining the purpose of the proverbs): [Laqachat] to take [musar] chastisement or intstruction from [has'keil] a circumspect understanding; [tzadeq] straight or right morally and [mish'pat] judging to vindicate or punish and [umeiysharyim] straight and right.
This last thought [tzadeq umish'pat umeiysharyim] essential covers our heart (moral compass of right and wrong), actions and body (legal and social justice), and mind and dreams (figuratively right and straight), there are no commas in the second part of this scripture in the Hebrew because it's all wrapped together like the cord that the AHLB says the background of [umeiysharyim] has. Combined with the background of vs. 2b (which is still that continuing thought "the purpose of these proverbs") for [l'haviyn] and [viynah] (woman who works hard to keep the house together) it is telling us that the purpose of the proverbs with bringing us greater wisdom is to hold our house up, or in the common tongue, to hold our lives together. This is actually the whispers of "Lady Wisdom" who will appear throughout the proverbs.
Vs. 4 Breakdown: [Lateit] to give or put (essential to change hands or places) [lif'ta'yim] to the open minded, easily seduced, naive people (the origins of this word have a sexual background, which could connect the picture God uses to describe His bride as a harlot as in Isaiah and Jeremiah) ['ar'mah] cunning and prudence; [l'na'ar] to the young man (the background of this word is a toddler, someone who tumbles about, back and forth and stumbles often) [da'at] static knowledge [um'zimah] and a plan of action!
Vs. 5a Breakdown: [Yish'ma'] hear intenlligently (associated with a response) [chacham] wisdom [v'yomef] and augment/gather (background is a picture of a bowl to add to and gather things) [leqach] something received (this is a play off of the first word in vs. 4 [lateit] "to take,” because the root of [leqach] is [laqach] which has the same meaning as [lateit] so here he could really be saying receiving what I am giving you. If this is true, then this is a form of Jewish poetry through repetition and parallelism);
Vs. 5b Breakdown: [v'navon] and was distingquished/was discerned [tach'belot] by council (background picture of a binding rope, so more potentially accountability) [yiq'nih] acquired through gathering/accumulating wealth and possessions/erecting (background picture is that of a male bird gathering material to build the nest; again the picture of a how to build a house/your life). The best way I think this last part can be translated is as such: "and what was distinguished by gathering and erecting accountability and council."
Vs. 6 Breakdown: [L'haviyn] to the distinguishing/to the understanding/to the discerning [mashal] a pithy maxim made to rule [um'liytzah] and the aphorism to understand it}(the [mashal] parable); [div'reiy] an arrangement of words (sayings), [chachamiym] wisdoms, [v'chiydotam] and their riddles or dark sayings (the picture of this last one is that of a wall with a door in it. The wall separating those outside and those inside as does a riddle).
Vs. 7 Breakdown: [Yir'at] Fear/Dread/Revere [Y'hvah] self-Existent/Eternal, To Be (our English would say that this is "the I am," this is the Jewish national name of God, and the picture here doesn't seem to be correct, but what is given is an unknown gem that is gazed at/captivating) [rei'shiyt] the beginning of/the starting place of/where you begin [da'at] knowledge about something (first place it is used is in the Garden of Eden in the words: "the tree of knowledge of good and evil," the tree that God told man, "Trust Me with the knowledge of good and evil. Let Me define it for you so that you will not become blind and alone, because if every single man, woman, and child was forced to define for themselves what good and evil were then there would be utter chaos." Therefore Solomon could be making a reference to that same tree, but more specifically to that plea to return to a relationship of trust with the Lord under the banner of [yir'at] fear and reverence of the Lord); [chach'mah] wisdom [umusar] and chastisement/instruction [eviyliym] those silly (the picture is that of someone without anything, one without wisdom, i.e. foolish) [bazu] disrespects/despises (the picture is that of a house under attack as a bird of prey would attack and kill another bird).
Major Picture Theme from the background of each word: building a house
Interpretation: How to hold your life and family together
Translation of Vs. 1-7:
vs. 1 Parables or proverbs, used for ruling, of peace, son of love royal king of the people God has yoked Himself to;
vs. 2 To gain intimate knowledge of wisdom, instruction and chastisement as the boundaries of life; to the distinguishing, words of distinguish-ment to continue the house;
vs. 3 To take instruction and chastisement from a circumspect understanding; to be morally, judicially, and mentally straight and true;
vs. 4 To give the open-minded, easily seduced, naive ones skilfulness and prudence; to the one who stumbles back and forth like a toddler, knowledge and a plan of action;
vs. 5 Hear and respond to wisdom and gather what I’m trying to give you; and what will be distinguished by gathering and erecting will be done by accountability and council;
vs. 6 To the distinguishing a parable or proverb, used for ruling, and the aphorism to understand it; words of the wise and their riddled dark sayings that separate them.
vs. 7 Fear, revere, and dread the everlasting and utterly captivating I AM, where you begin to enter into knowledge and a trusting relationship with Him; wisdom and instruction and chastisement, the silly ones disrespect and tear down their lives.
In summary Solomon has said, “The purpose of Proverbs is to help you hold your life together by gaining wisdom through a reverential and trusting relationship with the real living God. If you don’t like the idea of submission to such a relationship, then you will "tear your life apart.”
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