Proverbs 22:17
“Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching.”
What does Proverbs 22:17 mean?
The writer is inviting you into something worth your full attention, not just a glance. "Turning your ear" and "applying your heart" both describe the kind of focused, humble listening that actually changes us, as opposed to the halfhearted kind where words go in one ear and out the other. This is wisdom literature, so the speaker is essentially saying: if you want to grow and make better choices in life, you have to be willing to really hear what people who've walked ahead of you have learned. There's an openness and readiness in this verse that suggests growth isn't something that happens to us, but something we actively choose by deciding what we'll pay attention to.