CHAPTER 4 Mar. 26 
The Supremacy of Wisdom
Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding; 2for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law. 3For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother. 4He taught me, and said to me: Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live. 5Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth. 6Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you. 7Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding. 8Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honour when you embrace her. 9She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendour to you.  10 O my son, receive my sayings; and the years of your life shall be many. 11I have taught you in the way of wisdom, I have led you in straight paths. 12When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble. 13Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life. 14Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men. 15Avoid it, and don’t pass by it; turn from it, and pass on. 16For they don’t sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall. 17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. 18But the path of the righteous is like the light of the dawn, that shines more and more until the perfect day. 19The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.  20My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings. 21Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. 22For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body. 23Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life. 24Put away from yourself a perverse mouth,  put corrupt lips far from you. 25Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. 26Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established. 27Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left, remove your foot from evil. 

Commentary

4:4-9 This is Solomon quoting to his children what his father David had taught him about wisdom. He was raising his children as he had been raised, which is what all parents inevitably tend to do by default. But Solomon himself lived without personally applying the wisdom to himself; all he says is true, but the lesson is that we can accept theoretical truth, pass it on to others with great conviction, and yet be unmoved by it ourselves.
4:16 Doing evil is defined as making another fall. The sinfulness of sin is especially in the negative effect we have upon others.
4:23 The heart is used in the Bible as a metaphor for the mind. To be spiritually minded is the essence of Christianity. How we think now will affect our eternal future.
4:26 Make the path of your feet level- Quoted in Heb. 12:13 about the need to do this so that others don’t stumble in the way of life. Our personal life path must be straight not only for ourselves to reach the Kingdom, but so that others can follow us there. Again we see that spirituality is never limited to ourselves; it always affects others.