Proverbs 4:12
New International Version
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.

New Living Translation
When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble.

English Standard Version
When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.

Berean Standard Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.

King James Bible
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

New King James Version
When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble.

New American Standard Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; And if you run, you will not stumble.

NASB 1995
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not stumble.

NASB 1977
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not stumble.

Legacy Standard Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not stumble.

Amplified Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded [for your path will be clear and open]; And when you run, you will not stumble.

Christian Standard Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be hindered; when you run, you will not stumble.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be hindered; when you run, you will not stumble.

American Standard Version
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

Contemporary English Version
Your road won't be blocked, and you won't stumble when you run.

English Revised Version
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When you walk, your stride will not be hampered. Even if you run, you will not stumble.

Good News Translation
Nothing will stand in your way if you walk wisely, and you will not stumble when you run.

International Standard Version
When you walk, your step will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble.

Majority Standard Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.

NET Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, and when you run, you will not stumble.

New Heart English Bible
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

Webster's Bible Translation
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

World English Bible
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
In your walking your step is not restricted, "" And if you run, you do not stumble.

Young's Literal Translation
In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.

Smith's Literal Translation
In thy going, thy steps shall not be pressed; and if thou shalt run thou shalt not be weak.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.

Catholic Public Domain Version
When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.

New American Bible
When you walk, your step will not be impeded, and should you run, you will not stumble.

New Revised Standard Version
When you walk, your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be unsteady; and when you run, you will not stumble.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And when you walk, your walking will not quake, and if you run, you will not stumble.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not be distressed.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Father's Instruction
11I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths. 12When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble. 13Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.…

Cross References
Psalm 37:23-24
The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey. / Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.

Isaiah 30:21
And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 91:11-12
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. / They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on unfamiliar paths. I will turn darkness into light before them and rough places into level ground. These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.

Psalm 121:3
He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; / in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Psalm 18:36
You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.

Isaiah 26:7
The path of the righteous is level; You clear a straight path for the upright.

Psalm 25:4-5
Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. / Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You.

John 16:13
However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

Hebrews 12:13
Make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

2 Peter 1:10-11
Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble, / and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.


Treasury of Scripture

When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not stumble.

thou goest

Proverbs 6:22
When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

2 Samuel 22:37
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.

Job 18:7,8
The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down…

thou shalt

Proverbs 4:19
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

Proverbs 3:23
Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

Psalm 91:11,12
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways…

she

Proverbs 3:22
So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

1 Peter 2:8
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

1 John 2:10,11
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him…

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Proverbs 4
1. persuades to wisdom
14. and to show wickedness
20. He exhorts to sanctification














When you walk
The Hebrew word for "walk" is "halak," which implies a continuous, habitual action. In the context of Proverbs, walking often symbolizes living one's life or conducting oneself in daily activities. This phrase suggests a life journey guided by wisdom. Walking in wisdom means making choices aligned with God's principles, leading to a life of purpose and direction. Historically, walking was the primary mode of transportation, symbolizing a steady, deliberate progress through life.

your steps
The term "steps" in Hebrew is "ashur," which can refer to one's course of life or the decisions and actions taken. Each step represents a choice or action in life. In a biblical context, steps are often associated with divine guidance, as seen in Psalm 37:23, "The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD." This implies that a life guided by wisdom is one where each decision is underpinned by divine insight and moral clarity.

will not be impeded
The phrase "will not be impeded" comes from the Hebrew "yatsar," meaning to be narrow or restricted. In this context, it suggests that a life lived in wisdom will not be hindered by obstacles or difficulties. The path of wisdom is portrayed as a clear and open road, free from the hindrances that often accompany foolish choices. Historically, this reflects the ancient understanding of wisdom as a protective force, ensuring smooth progress through life's challenges.

when you run
"Run" in Hebrew is "ruts," indicating a more urgent or accelerated pace compared to walking. Running can symbolize times of urgency or moments when quick decisions are necessary. In the biblical narrative, running often signifies eagerness or zeal, as seen in the account of the prodigal son, where the father runs to meet his returning son. This phrase suggests that even in times of urgency, wisdom provides stability and assurance.

you will not stumble
The word "stumble" is translated from the Hebrew "kashal," meaning to totter or fall. Stumbling is often used metaphorically in Scripture to describe moral or spiritual failure. The assurance that one "will not stumble" when guided by wisdom is a powerful promise of stability and security. In the broader biblical context, this reflects the belief that wisdom, rooted in the fear of the Lord, provides a firm foundation that prevents moral and spiritual missteps.

Verse 12. - In this verse the father depicts the benefits and advantages which shall follow from "receiving his words" (ver. 10), i.e. from attending to his counsels and imbibing the principles of wisdom. The whole course of life shall be freed from obstacles or impediments, from anxiety, perplexity, or difficulty, or from vacillation. When thou goest may refer to the daily walk, to the common and ordinary events or circumstances incidental to life, just as the corresponding when thou runnest may refer to cases of emergency when promptness and decisive action are called for. In both cases Wisdom, by inspiring unity of principle, gives freedom of movement; in ordinary cases it removes embarrassment and perplexity arising from conflicting interests drawing now in one direction, now in another, and in extraordinary cases it supplies a rule of conduct which prevents our falling into mistakes and errors. Or the verse may refer to the prosperity which shall attend all the undertakings of those who are in Wisdom's ways, whether they advance slowly or rush forward with the impetuosity of youth, whether they act with deliberation or with haste. Shall not be straitened (lo-yetsar); i.e. shall not be narrowed or confined; Vulgate, non arctabuntur; LXX., οὑ συγκλεισθήσεται, The future yetsar only occurs four times in the Scriptures - here, and Job 18:7; Job 20:22; Isaiah 49:19. It is usually derived from the root yatsar, which, however, is not found, cognate with tsur, "to straiten," "to be narrow." Yetsar, however, always occurs in the passive sense, though an active signification is given it by the Rabbi Nathan ben Jechiel, quoted by Delitzsch, in loc., who renders, "Thou shall not need to bind together, or hedge up thy way." The roots yatsar and tsur partake more or less of the idea of binding up, oppressing, putting into narrow and confined circumstances and limits. By the expression that "the steps are straitened" we may understand, therefore, that there is a want of freedom for their movements, and consequently that they are impeded or cramped. The Arabic expression. "to contract the feet," signifies the diminishing of good fortune. Compare the similar expression in Job 18:7, "The steps of his strength shall be straitened." The psalmist presents the idea of the verse under a different form, "Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, so that my feet did not slip" (Psalm 17:36). Thou shalt not stumble; lo-thik-kashel, hiph. future. The niph. nikshal, equivalent to the kal kadshal, signifies properly "to totter," "to sink down," used of one about to fall. The primary idea, however, usually disregarded, of kashal, is "to totter in the ankles," equivalent to the Latin talipedare. It occurs again in Proverbs 4:16, and is a different verb from "stumble" in Proverbs 3:23 (which see).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When you walk,
בְּֽ֭לֶכְתְּךָ (bə·leḵ·tə·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

your steps
צַעֲדֶ֑ךָ (ṣa·‘ă·ḏe·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6806: A pace, regular step

will not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

be impeded;
יֵצַ֣ר (yê·ṣar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3334: Be distressed, be narrow, be straitened in straits, be vexed

when
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

you run,
תָּ֝ר֗וּץ (tā·rūṣ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7323: To run

you will not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

stumble.
תִכָּשֵֽׁל׃ (ṯik·kā·šêl)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3782: To totter, waver, to falter, stumble, faint, fall


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 4:12 When you go your steps will not (Prov. Pro Pr)
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