1.8 KiB
General Information:
Verse 17 begins the introduction to a new section of the Book of Proverbs.
Incline your ear and listen
Here the word "ear" represents the person who is listening. The writer speaks of listening attentively to someone as if it were leaning forward so that the ear is closer to the one speaking. See how you translated "incline your ear" in Proverbs 4:20. AT: "Pay attention and listen" or "Listen attentively" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche and rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
the words of the wise
"what wise people say"
apply your heart to
This is an idiom. AT: "do your best to understand and remember" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom)
my knowledge
The person speaking is probably the same as the father from Proverbs 1:8. He may be speaking of "the words of the wise" as "my knowledge." The abstract noun "knowledge" can be stated as "know." AT: "the knowledge I have, which I am sharing with you" or "what I know" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns)
all of them are ready on your lips
The person being ready to speak is spoken of as if it were the words that were ready. AT: "you are able to speak of them at any time" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy)
today—even to you
"today. Yes, I am teaching you," The speaker is emphasizing that it is the hearer, not someone else whom he is teaching, and he is teaching the hearer because the hearer needs to learn. If it is awkward in your language to emphasize in this way, you can emphasize in another way or the words "even to you" can be left untranslated.