Proverbs 2

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).[5] Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls including 4Q102 (4QProv^a; 30 BCE – 30 CE) with extant verse 1.[6][7][8][9]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^A; 5th century).[10]

My son, if you receive my words

and treasure up my commandments with you,[16]

This verse opens one long conditional sentence comprising:

• (1) the protasis (“if…”) that runs through verse 4 and
• (2) the apodosis (“then…”) consisting of two parallel panels in verses 5-8 and verses 9-11, both of which are introduced by the particle אָז, ʾaz, “then”.[17]
• "Treasure": from Hebrew צָפַן, tsafan, “to store up”, which takes on "the technical meaning of memorizing the commandments of God”, so one can draw on them in need or in preparation for any situations.[18]

The verb "treasure" qualifies the term “receive” (, לָקַח, laqakh, in the first clause, just as “commandments” intensifies “words”.[19] The pattern of 'intensification through parallelism' is found in verses 1 to 4.[19]

to deliver you from the adulterous woman,

from the loose woman who has flattered you with her words[20]

• "To deliver you": from the Hebrew word לְהַצִּילְךָ, l^ehatsil^ekha; the same term used in both verses 12 and 16 for deliverance from the evil man (verses 12–15) and the evil woman (verses 16–19), each with four poetic lines.[21]
• "Adulterous woman": in Hebrew literally "strange woman" (KJV), from the root זוּר, zur, "to be a stranger", which refers to people 'who are ethnically foreign to Israel' (Isaiah 1:7; Hosea 7:9; 8:7) or 'who are morally estranged from God or his covenant people' (Psalm 58:4; 78:30), in particular for a woman, it means "adulteress" or "prostitute" (Proverbs 2:16; 5:3, 20; 7:5; 22:14; 23:33), who may not be a foreigner but that nonetheless is estranged from or outside of the covenant community with its social and religious values.[22]
• "Loose woman": in Hebrew literally "alien woman", from the adjective נָכְרִי, nokhri, “foreign; alien”, which generally refer to "non-Israelite", "ethnically foreign", or "someone who is unknown or unfamiliar" though an Israelite.[23] Here could be used as a technical term for a "harlot" or "promiscuous woman" who is 'morally alienated from God and moral society' (Proverbs 2:16; 5:20; 6:24; 7:5; 23:27) to emphasize the 'danger of being naively taken in by an unknown person.[23]
• "Has flattered": in Hebrew literally "has made smooth", using the Hiphil II of חָלַק, khalaq, "to be smooth; to be slippery", with the meaning
  • (1) “to make smooth” (metal with hammer) and
  • (2) “to use smooth words,” that is, to flatter (Psalm 5:10; 36:3; Proverbs 2:16; 7:5; 28:23; 29:5).[24]

The seductive speech is compared to "olive oil" (Proverbs 5:3) and is recounted (Proverbs 7:14-20).[24][25]