Proverbs 1:8
"My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:"

Commentary

Gill's Exposition

My son, hear the instruction of thy father,.... This is not to be understood of God the Father of mankind, and of that law which he has given them, as Jarchi and Gersom interpret it, but of Solomon and his son in a literal sense; and of anyone that came to him for instruction, any pupil, hearer, or reader of his; and it is a direction to all children

to hearken to the instruction of their parents, and obey their commands; so, next to the fear and worship of God, he exhorts to obedience to parents, and proceeds just in the same order and method in which the decalogue or ten commands were written; the first table respects God and his worship, and the second follows, which begins with "honour thy father and thy mother", &c. Exo 20:12 , which, the apostle says, is "the first commandment with promise", Eph 6:1 ; and forsake not the law of thy mother; meaning not the congregation of Israel, the old synagogue, or Jewish church, as Jarchi; and so in the Talmud (p) it is interpreted of the congregation of Israel, as is "thy father" in the former clause of the divine Being; nor the operative faculty of the human understanding, as Gersom; but the mother of Solomon's son; and any and every mother of a child, who having an equal or greater tenderness for her offspring, and a true and hearty regard for their welfare, will instruct them in the best manner she can, give the best rules, and prescribe the best laws she can for their good; and which ought to be as carefully attended to and obeyed as those of a father; and she is particularly mentioned, because the law of God equally enjoins reverence and obedience to both parents, which human laws among the Gentiles did not; and because children are too apt to slight the directions and instructions of a mother; whereas they carry equal authority, and have in them the nature of a law, as those of a father. (p) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 102. 1.

Source: Gill's Exposition (Public Domain)

Hebrew Word Studies (8 words)

H8085 שָׁמַע
Definition:

52+,שָׁמֵ֑עַJeremiah 36:133t.; 2 feminine singularשָׁמַ֫עַתְּ1 Kings 1:112t.; 3 pluralשָׁמֵ֑עוּJudges 2:17+, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularיִשְׁמַעExodus 6:30+, 1 singular cohortativeאֶשְׁמְעָהNumb 52+,שָׁמֵ֑עַJeremiah 36:133t.; 2 feminine singularשָׁמַ֫עַתְּ1 Kings 1:112t.; 3 pluralשָׁמֵ֑עוּJudges 2:17+, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singularיִשְׁמַעExodus 6:30+, 1 singular cohortativeאֶשְׁמְעָהNumb

Possible Meanings:
  • hear (semantic_range)
  • hear (semantic_range)
  • have sense of hearing (semantic_range)
  • shew oneself obedient (semantic_range)
H1121 בֵּן
Definition:

25+;ֵ˜בּןֿEzekiel 18:10; constructבֵּןGenesis 49:22(twice in verse);בֶּןֿGenesis 5:32+;בֶּןEsther 2:5;Nehemiah 6:18, & with prefixGenesis 17:17;Numbers 8:25;1 Chronicles 27:23; 2Chronicles 25:5; 31:16 25+;ֵ˜בּןֿEzekiel 18:10; constructבֵּןGenesis 49:22(twice in verse);בֶּןֿGenesis 5:32+;בֶּןEsther 2:5;Nehemiah 6:18, & with prefixGenesis 17:17;Numbers 8:25;1 Chronicles 27:23; 2Chronicles 25:5; 31:16

Possible Meanings:
  • son (semantic_range)
  • son (semantic_range)
  • children (semantic_range)
  • youth (semantic_range)
  • young men (semantic_range)
H4148 מוּסָר
Definition:

10discipline(of the moral nature),chastening, correction; —׳מJeremiah 2:3031t. (Ezekiel 5:15 strike out Co); constructמוּסַרDeuteronomy 11:214t. (forJob 12:28seeאסר); suffixמוּסָרִיProverbs 8:10;מוּסָ 10discipline(of the moral nature),chastening, correction; —׳מJeremiah 2:3031t. (Ezekiel 5:15 strike out Co); constructמוּסַרDeuteronomy 11:214t. (forJob 12:28seeאסר); suffixמוּסָרִיProverbs 8:10;מוּסָ

H0001 אָב
Definition:

1947t.; constructאַבGenesis 17:4,5; (compare inאַבְרָהָםib.& elsewhere in proper names. On Hal's proposedאֲבִרseeאברהם);אֲבִי(compare Ge§§ 90, 3b, 96)Genesis 4:20+; suffixאָבִיGenesis 19:34+ (MIאבי);א 1947t.; constructאַבGenesis 17:4,5; (compare inאַבְרָהָםib.& elsewhere in proper names. On Hal's proposedאֲבִרseeאברהם);אֲבִי(compare Ge§§ 90, 3b, 96)Genesis 4:20+; suffixאָבִיGenesis 19:34+ (MIאבי);א

Possible Meanings:
  • father (semantic_range)
H0408 אַל
Definition:

a.(a) with a verb, which is then always an imperfect (never an imperative), by preference in the cohortative or jussive mood, where this is in use, and may be of any person or number;Genesis 15:1and o a.(a) with a verb, which is then always an imperfect (never an imperative), by preference in the cohortative or jussive mood, where this is in use, and may be of any person or number;Genesis 15:1and o

Possible Meanings:
  • these (semantic_range)
H5203 נָטַשׁ
Definition:

2, suffix 1pluralנְטָשָׁ֫נוּJudges 6:13; 2masculine singularנָטַשְׁתָּ1 Samuel 17:28,נָטַשְׁתָּהIsaiah 2:6, suffixנְטַשְׁתַּ֫נִיGenesis 31:28,וּנְטַשְׁתָּהּconsecutiveExodus 23:11, etc.;Imperfectיִטּש 2, suffix 1pluralנְטָשָׁ֫נוּJudges 6:13; 2masculine singularנָטַשְׁתָּ1 Samuel 17:28,נָטַשְׁתָּהIsaiah 2:6, suffixנְטַשְׁתַּ֫נִיGenesis 31:28,וּנְטַשְׁתָּהּconsecutiveExodus 23:11, etc.;Imperfectיִטּש

Possible Meanings:
  • leave (semantic_range)
  • forsake (semantic_range)
  • permit (semantic_range)
  • leave (semantic_range)
  • let alone (semantic_range)
H8451 תּוֹרָה
Definition:

5direction, instruction, law(possibly in first instance fromcastinglots, WeG i, 470; H 394(less confidently WeSkizzen iii, 167), SS SmAT Rel. Geschichte. 36BenzArchaeology 408NowArchaeology ii, 97, op 5direction, instruction, law(possibly in first instance fromcastinglots, WeG i, 470; H 394(less confidently WeSkizzen iii, 167), SS SmAT Rel. Geschichte. 36BenzArchaeology 408NowArchaeology ii, 97, op

H0517 אֵם
Definition:

12+; constructGenesis 3:20+; suffixאִמִּיGenesis 20:12+ etc.; plural only suffixאִמֹּתֵנוּLamentations 5:3;אִמֹּתָםJeremiah 16:3;Lamentations 2:12(twice in verse); —1literal (human)mother, as parentG 12+; constructGenesis 3:20+; suffixאִמִּיGenesis 20:12+ etc.; plural only suffixאִמֹּתֵנוּLamentations 5:3;אִמֹּתָםJeremiah 16:3;Lamentations 2:12(twice in verse); —1literal (human)mother, as parentG

Possible Meanings:
  • dam (semantic_range)
  • point of departure (semantic_range)
  • division (semantic_range)

Interlinear data not available for this verse yet.

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