“My son, do not forget my teaching”: As in chapter 2 the teacher of wisdom is speaking to the learner. For “My son” see 1.8. “Do not forget” is a negative way of saying “Remember!” What is to be remembered is the content of the instruction: “Do not forget all that I have taught you.” “Teaching” renders the Hebrew word torah, as used in 1.8 where the learner was advised not to forsake his mother’s “teaching.” The term should not be translated as “law” in these contexts, even though the law lies behind and supports the teaching given by the wise ones.

“But let your heart keep my commandments”: “Heart”, as in 2.2 and 2.10, refers to the mind. “My commandments” was used in 2.1 to refer to the instruction given by the teacher of wisdom. The two lines of this verse are parallel, with the same meaning expressed in a negative way in the first line and then in a positive way in the second line. “Keep” is equivalent to “do not forget”, that is, it means “remember.” The Hebrew term basically means “guard” or “preserve.” Good News Translation has “remember,” Revised English Bible “treasure.” In other parts of the Old Testament to “keep . . . commandments” (in mind) often has the sense of “practice,” “obey,” “put [them] to use,” and some take that to be the meaning here also (“and obey them”, Contemporary English Version).

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .