Amsal 4:10

4:10 Listen, my child, ¹  and accept my words,

so that ²  the years of your life will be many. ³ 

Amsal 7:17

7:17 I have perfumed my bed

with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

Amsal 23:16

23:16 my soul ⁴  will rejoice

when your lips speak what is right. ⁵ 

[4:10]  ¹ tn Heb “my son” (likewise in v. 20).

[4:10]  ² tn The vav prefixed to the imperfect verb follows an imperative; this volitive sequence depicts purpose/result.

[4:10]  ³ tn Heb “and the years of life will be many for you.”

[23:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “my kidneys”; in biblical Hebrew the term was used for the innermost being, the soul, the central location of the passions. Cf. NASB, NIV “my inmost being.”

[23:16]  ⁵ sn This twelfth saying simply observes that children bring joy to their parents when they demonstrate wisdom. The quatrain is arranged in a chiastic structure (AB:B'A'): The first line (A) speaks of wisdom in the child, and it is paired with the last line (A') which speaks of the child’s saying what is right. In between these brackets are two lines (B and B') concerning joy to the parent.