2:4
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
4a if you seek it like silver
4b and search it out like hidden treasure,
Both lines contain parallel similes. The similes compare looking/searching for wisdom to looking for silver/treasure.
2:4a–b
seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure: The meaning of these parallel similes is that a person should search for wisdom as diligently as he would search for valuable things like silver or hidden treasure. Another way to translate these similes is to make the point of similarity explicit and to combine the parallel verbs seek and search. For example:
Look for it as hard as you would for silver or some hidden treasure. (Good News Translation)
2:4a
silver: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as silver probably refers to silver that has already been mined and refined. It may refer here to silver bars or things that are made from silver and used as a form of money. It is less likely to refer to silver coins. If possible, use a general term for silver. Another way to translate this word is to use a more general term. For example:
if you search for wisdom as if it were money (God’s Word)
2:4b
search it out like hidden treasure: The phrase hidden treasure refers to something that is very valuable, such as money or other riches. This phrase implies that people hid the treasure to keep it safe. They often hid it by burying it in the ground. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
hunt for it as if it were hidden treasure (God’s Word)
-or-
search for it as if you were digging to find valuable things that people have hidden
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