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Diligently Seeking Wisdom

Proverbs 8:17 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
¹⁷I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.

I love those who love me: The marginal note in the Masoretic text, the Aramaic Targums, the Septuagint, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Latin Vulgate have “those who love me,” but the main text of the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) has “those who love her.” Almost all English translations follow the marginal note of the Masoretic text, “those who love me.” (e.g., ESV, NASB, UASV, LEB, CSB) While wisdom is offered to all people (8:5), it is not received by all, only those who love wisdom enough to seek her.

And those who seek me diligently find me: The intensified form of the Hebrew verb (meshacha) to seek is qualified with the adverb diligently. We need to earnestly seek wisdom; only then will we receive it. – James 1:5; See Proverbs 2:1-4.

Again, this wisdom is accessible to everyone, yet many turn aside when it is offered. Wisdom is accessible to those with a heart that is rightly disposed to seek it out. We must have love if we are to commit ourselves to the pursuit of wisdom. It is our heart, which is the seat of motivation, which moves us to seek wisdom.