Proverbs Chapter 2 verse 3 Holy Bible
Yea, if thou cry after discernment, And lift up thy voice for understanding;
read chapter 2 in ASV
Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge;
read chapter 2 in BBE
yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;
read chapter 2 in DARBY
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
read chapter 2 in KJV
read chapter 2 in WBT
Yes, if you call out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding;
read chapter 2 in WEB
For, if for intelligence thou callest, For understanding givest forth thy voice,
read chapter 2 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 3. - Yea, if thou criest after knowledge. The endeavour after Wisdom is not only to be sincere, it is also to be earnest, as appears from the "yea, if," and the verbs "crying" and "lifting up the voice," both of which frequently occur in Scripture as indicating earnestness. This earnestness is the counterpart of that which Wisdom herself displays (see Proverbs 1:20, 21). Knowledge; i.e. insight. In the original there is practically little difference between "knowledge" and "understanding" (בִּינָה and תְּבוּנָה). They carry on the idea expressed in "understanding" in the preceding verse, and thus throw the emphasis on the verbs. The LXX. and Vulgate, however, take "knowledge" as equivalent to σοφία, sapientia, "wisdom." The reading of the Targum, "If thou tallest understanding thy mother," arises from reading אִם for אֵם, but is not to be preferred to the Masoretic text, as it destroys the parallelism.