Proverbs 1:6
New International Version
for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

New Living Translation
by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.

English Standard Version
to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

Berean Standard Bible
by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

King James Bible
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

New King James Version
To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.

New American Standard Bible
To understand a proverb and a saying, The words of the wise and their riddles.

NASB 1995
To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.

NASB 1977
To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.

Legacy Standard Bible
To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.

Amplified Bible
To understand a proverb and a figure [of speech] or an enigma with its interpretation, And the words of the wise and their riddles [that require reflection].

Christian Standard Bible
for understanding a proverb or a parable, the words of the wise, and their riddles.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
for understanding a proverb or a parable, the words of the wise, and their riddles.

American Standard Version
To understand a proverb, and a figure, The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
To perceive proverbs and parables and the words of the wise and their riddles.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and will understand a parable, and a dark speech; the saying of the wise also, and riddles.

Contemporary English Version
proverbs and sayings, as well as words of wisdom, and all kinds of riddles.

Douay-Rheims Bible
He shall understand a parable, and the interpretation, the words of the wise, and their mysterious sayings.

English Revised Version
To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
to understand a proverb and a clever saying, the words of wise people and their riddles.

Good News Translation
so that they can understand the hidden meanings of proverbs and the problems that the wise raise.

International Standard Version
in understanding proverbs, clever sayings, words of the wise, and their riddles.

JPS Tanakh 1917
To understand a proverb, and a figure; The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

Literal Standard Version
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, | Words of the wise and their acute sayings.

Majority Standard Bible
by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

New American Bible
To comprehend proverb and byword, the words of the wise and their riddles.

NET Bible
To discern the meaning of a proverb and a parable, the sayings of the wise and their riddles.

New Revised Standard Version
to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.

New Heart English Bible
To understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

Webster's Bible Translation
To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

World English Bible
to understand a proverb and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

Young's Literal Translation
For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Beginning of Knowledge
5let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel 6by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. 7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.…

Cross References
Numbers 12:8
I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?"

Psalm 49:4
I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:

Psalm 78:2
I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,

Proverbs 24:23
These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.

Ecclesiastes 12:11
The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd.

Daniel 8:23
In the latter part of their reign, when the rebellion has reached its full measure, an insolent king, skilled in intrigue, will come to the throne.


Treasury of Scripture

To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

a proverb

Matthew 13:10-17,51,52
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? …

Mark 4:11,34
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: …

Acts 8:30,31
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? …

the interpretation

Ecclesiastes 12:11
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

dark

Psalm 49:4
I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

Psalm 78:2
I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

Matthew 13:34,35
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: …

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Acute Allegory Dark Enigmas Figure Interpretation Parables Proverb Proverbs Riddles Sayings Secrets Sense Sweetness Understand Understanding Wise Words
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Acute Allegory Dark Enigmas Figure Interpretation Parables Proverb Proverbs Riddles Sayings Secrets Sense Sweetness Understand Understanding Wise Words
Proverbs 1
1. The use of the proverbs
7. An exhortation to fear God, and believe his word
10. to avoid the enticing of sinners
20. Wisdom complains of her contempt
24. She threatens her contemners














(6) Interpretation.--Or an obscure thing which needs interpretation, so corresponding to "dark sayings."

Dark sayings.--Literally knots, intricate sayings, like Samson's riddle (Judges 14:12).

Verse 6. - To understand a proverb. This verse carries on the idea which is stated in ver. 5. The end of the wise and intelligent man's increase in learning and prudence is that he may be thus enabled to understand other proverbs. Schultens, followed by Holden, takes the verb לְהָבִין (l'havin) as a gerund, intelligendo sententias. This rendering does not represent the end, but points to the proverbs, etc., as means by which the wise generally attain to learning and prudence. And the interpretation; Hebrew, מְלִיצָה (m'litsah). It is difficult to determine the exact meaning of this word. By Gesenius it is rendered "enigma, riddle;" by Bertheau and Hitzig, "discourse requiring interpretation:" by Delitzsch, "symbol; by Havernick and Keil, "brilliant and pleasing discourse;" and by Fuerst, "figurative and involved discourse." By comparing it with the corresponding words, "dark sayings," it may be regarded as designating that which is obscure and involved in meaning; compare σκοτεινὸς λόγος (LXX.). It only occurs here and in Habakkuk 2:6, where it is rendered "taunting proverb." The marginal reading is "an eloquent speech," equivalent to facundia, "eloquence." Vatablus says that the Hebrews understood it as "mensuram et pondus verbi." The words of the wise; i.e. the utterances of the khakhamim (חֲכָמִים). This expression occurs again in Proverbs 22:17, and also in Ecclesiastes 9:19 and Ecclesiastes 12:11. In the latter they are described as "goads and as nails fastened by the ministers of assemblies" (i.e. "authors of compilations," as Mendelssohn), because they cannot fail to make an impression on everybody good or bad. The expression, as used in Proverbs 22:17, implies that other than Solomonic proverbs are included in this collection. And their dark sayings; Hebrew, וְחִידֹתָם (v'khidotham). The Hebrew khidah (חִידָה), as m'litsah (מְלִיצָה)# its parallel in the preceding hemistich, designates obscure, involved utterances. It plainly has the sense of "enigma" (Fleischer, apud Delitzsch). Compare αἰνίγματα (LXX.), and aenigmata (Vulgate), which latter is followed by the Chaldea Paraphrase and Syriac (see also Psalm 78:2, "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter dark sayings of old"). Gesenius derives it from the root חוּד (khud), "to tie knots," and hence arrives at its meaning as an involved or twisted sententious expression, an enigma.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
to understand
לְהָבִ֣ין (lə·hā·ḇîn)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 995: To separate mentally, understand

the proverbs
מָ֭שָׁל (mā·šāl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4912: A pithy maxim, a simile

and parables,
וּמְלִיצָ֑ה (ū·mə·lî·ṣāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4426: Satire, a mocking poem

the sayings
דִּבְרֵ֥י (diḇ·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

and riddles
וְחִידֹתָֽם׃ (wə·ḥî·ḏō·ṯām)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 2420: A riddle, an enigmatic, perplexing saying or question

of the wise.
חֲ֝כָמִ֗ים (ḥă·ḵā·mîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2450: Wise


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 1:6 To understand a proverb and parables (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 1:5
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