Both of these statements have the same meaning. It is implied that the person is strongly asking Yahweh for understanding. AT: "If you urgently ask God and plead for understanding" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])
This continues the series of conditional statements started in [Proverbs 2:1](./01.md). If you translated the statements in 1:1-2 as commands, you should translate these as commands also as in the UDB.
# raise your voice
This is an idiom that means to speak loudly or to shout. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])
# if you seek it like you would seek silver and search for understanding as you would seek hidden treasures
Both statements have the same meaning. These similes emphasize the great effort a person should make to understand what is wise. AT: "if you seek understanding with as much effort as you search for a valuable object" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]])
# you seek it ... search for understanding
Trying very hard to understand what is wise is spoken of as if understanding were an object for which a person must search. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
To succeed in knowing God is spoken of as if the knowledge of God were an object that a person finds after searching. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
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