Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Proverbs 4:5, TLV
Where is Your Exclamation Point? The title of this pericope in the Tree of Life Version (TLV) is: A Father’s Lesson: Get Wisdom! What stands out to me in the title and today’s proverb are the exclamation marks. Two exclamation points in one verse! So, I thought it might be interesting to take a bit of a detour from this wonderful topic of a father teaching his children and talk about . . . punctuation.
**Yawn** Well, hopefully not.
There is no punctuation in the original Hebrew of the TANAKH (Old Testament). In today’s Bible translations, the punctuation is used at the scholar/translator’s discretion based on a later manuscript, the Masoretic text. It was primarily copied, edited, and distributed by a Jewish group known as the Masoretes between the 7th and 10th centuries of the Common Era (CE) or A.D.
During the Middle Ages, the Jewish scribes developed a system of accents to make the text easier for vocalization and chanting — like a musical notation. Interestingly enough, these accents ended up serving as a kind of punctuation.
In the ancient Greek used for the New Testament, there was some 
punctuation, but it was also confusing because all the letters were capitalized.
Still, as we can see by the various versions of the Bible, punctuation was a matter of choice by the teams who translated. And, while I am a bit biased, I love the choices made by TLV’s team of sixty scholars.
Using the exclamation point
The use of exclamation points express excitement or other strong emotions. They’re intended as additional emphasis of importance.
Here, in today’s proverb, we have the emphasis of “Get wisdom! Get understanding!” The context appears to be a father teaching a child or young adult.
Let’s imagine the scene . . .
As a writer, I can imagine the scene of a father and son standing before an open scroll of the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy). Perhaps the portion they read is an example of their ancestors’ poor choices — say, the Children of Israel worshiping the golden calf.
The young man asks how their relatives could be so foolish after ADONAI (the LORD) performed so many miracles on their behalf? Perchance, the father reminds the child, that wisdom begins with the fear of ADONAI (Proverbs 1:7).
The father turns to his son and places his hands on the boy’s shoulders. He squeezes them as he says, “Get wisdom! Get understanding!” He then points to the scroll and his heart and says, “Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.”
The exclamation points mark the passion of a father 
who hopes and prays that his children will build on the foundation of their forefathers. To not make the same mistakes they did, but live wisdom and faith’s journey. And then, to make a difference in his Heavenly Father’s kingdom.
Think More About It
What is your passion? Or passions? Where do you place your exclamation marks? I would love to hear your — as my friend calls it — pound-your fist-on-the-table passion. Will you share it with us?
