Proverbs 4:21

Proverbs 4:21

Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

a. ASV: Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Let them not depart from your eyes; guard them within your heart. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]

e. NLT: Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

1.”Let them not depart from thine eyes;…”

a. [Let them] not [Strong: 408 ʼal, al; a negative particle (akin to H3808); not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing:—nay, neither, + never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.]

b. depart [Strong: 3868 lûwz, looz; a primitive root; (compare H3867, H3874 and H3885) to turn aside, i.e. (literally) to depart, (figuratively) be perverse:—depart, froward, perverse(-ness).]

c. [from thine] eyes [Strong: 5869 ʻayin, ah'-yin; probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape):—affliction, outward appearance, before, think best, colour, conceit, be content, countenance, displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), × him, humble, knowledge, look, (+ well), × me, open(-ly), + (not) please, presence, regard, resemblance, sight, × thee, × them, + think, × us, well, × you(-rselves).]

1). Memorize

a). In Numbers 21:4-9 there is an incident where because of Israel’s sin of murmuring and complaining against God, many Israelites were bitten by serpents and many died. Realizing their sin, they went to Moses and asked if he would pray for them that God would remove the serpents. The LORD in response gave Moses the following instructions.

(1) Numbers 21:8, 9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that is a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

(2) Amplified Bible Note under Numbers 21:9: Jesus said that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, “that everyone who believes in Him-who cleaves to Him, trusts and relies on Him – may not perish, but have eternal life and actually live forever!” (John 3:14, 15). Obviously this implies that the look that caused the victim of a fiery serpent to be healed was something far more than a casual glance. A “look” would save, but what kind of look? The Hebrew text here means “look attentively, expectantly, with a steady and absorbing gaze.” The look that saves [and the look that heals] is not just a fleeting glance; it is a God-honoring…fixed and absorbing gaze.

(3) F. F. Bosworth, Christ the Healer: “If healing was not to be in the Atonement, why were these dying Israelites required to look at the type of the Atonement for bodily healing? Since both healing and forgiveness came through the type of the Atonement, why not to us through Christ, the Anti-type. If we cannot, then the type is placed in higher ground than Christ Himself, and the type becomes a false prophecy.”

2. “…keep them in the midst of thine heart.” 

a. keep [them] [Strong: 8104 shâmar, shaw-mar'; a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:—beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).]

1). Meditation

a). Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

a). meditate (1897 * hagah) to murmur (in  pleasure or anger) by implication to ponder,  inquire, meditate, mutter.

2). The purpose of meditating the word in Joshua 1:8 is to “observe to do” the written 

Word. The Hebrew word for “observe” in Joshua 1:8 is the same word for “keep” in

Proverbs 4:21. If we receive the word as truth, as the word of God it will work inside of us.

a). 1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

b.) Psalm 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

c.) Philippians 2:13 For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

b. Meditation by definition is speaking the word in faith, during the day, every day, during prayer, during the living of our life. Saying about our selves and our circumstances what God says about us.

1). 2 Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken.; we also believe, and therefore speak;

2). Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;

c. The Hebrew word for “keep” in Proverbs 4:21 is the same word used in Genesis when God listed Adams responsibilities. 

1). Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

2). This links us with the parable of the sower in this respect. If we meditate the word it will enable us to keep and to observe to do. In respect to the parable, three of the soils had hindrances in them that stifled the growth of the word in their soil. When the word is meditated upon, the growth of the seed becomes possible because it promotes the keeping of the garden.

a). Illumination produces faith.

(1). Psalm 119: 130 The entrance of thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

(2). Romans 10:17 Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

b). Not sinning against God.

(1). Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

(2). Psalm 17:4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

(3). Psalm 116:8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, my feet from falling.