---
title: "Wesley"
description: "Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. A father — Of me, who have paternal authority over you and affection for"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/wesleys-explanatory-notes/proverbs/4"
---

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
*A father* — Of me, who have paternal authority over you and affection for you.

For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
*Tender* — Young and tender in years, and tenderly educated.
*Only beloved* — Beloved above all the rest.

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
*Said* — The following verses, at least as far as the tenth verse, are the words of David.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
*With all* — Even with the price of all.

Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
*Exalt* — Let her have thine highest esteem and affection.

She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
*Grace* — A beautiful ornament, such as they used to put upon their heads.

For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
*For* — They cannot sleep with quietness.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
*For* — Wickedness is as pleasant to them as their bread.

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
*But* — Just men daily grow in knowledge, and grace, and consolation, 'till all be perfected and swallowed up in glory.

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
*Darkness* — Full of ignorance and error, of uncertainty and confusion, of danger and misery.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
*Heart* — Thy thoughts, will, and affections.
*For* — From thence proceed all the actions, as of the natural, so of the spiritual life, which lead to eternal life.

Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
*Mouth* — All sorts of sinful words.

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
*Right on* — Direct all thine actions to a right end, and keep thy mind fixed upon that way which leads to it, and neither look or turn aside to the right-hand or the left.

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
*Ponder* — Consider thine actions before thou dost them, and see that they agree with the rule.
*And* — Let thine actions be uniformly and constantly good in spite of all temptations.

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