¹ sn The etymology of the noun “proverb” points to a basic idea of “likeness.” It is from the root lvm. The Niphal verb has the meaning “to be like, be comparable with”; e.g., in Psalm 49:12 it says that the one who only lives for this life is “like (lv^m=n!) the beasts that perish.” The word also occurs in 1 Samuel 10:12 to explain how a proverb might come into existence: “Is Saul also among the prophets.” His prophesying invited comparison with the prophets. The noun, then, can mean an object lesson based on or using some comparison or analogy. It may be a short pithy statement (Ezek. 16:44), an object lesson drawn from experience (Ps. 78:2-6), a saying or by-word (Deut. 28:37), or an oracle of future blessing (Ezek. 21:1-5). Here it means an object lesson setting out courses of action, what to avoid and what to follow. It helps one choose the best course of action to follow.
²tn The name hm)l)v= is a genitive of authorship. The name also forms a phonetic word play on the sounds of the word for “proverbs,” as if to say the name is almost synonymous with proverbs.
sn The title is probably meant to be a title for the entire book, and may be the title for an earlier composition of the collection, for the heading would not fit Proverbs 1-9, which does not include “proverbs” per se, but introductory admonitions. The commentaries debate the authorship of Proverbs 1-9, since the collection of short pithy sayings starts in chapter 10. There is no reason why Solomon could not have written this section; but there is no compelling reason why he should have either. It could have been added by someone in his court, or even later in the days of Hezekiah.
³tn The designation “son of David” is in apposition to the name, as are the following nouns, offering further explanation of the name.
⁴tn The form is the Qal infinitive construct; with the preposition it designates the purpose. This verse records the purpose of the collection. The verb “to know” (from udy) means experiential knowledge; it includes the intellectual assimilation along with the practical use of that which is acquired.
⁵sn The noun “wisdom,” hmk=?, basically means “skill.” It is used with this sense for the “wits”—skill—of seamen (Ps. 107:27), the abilities of weavers (Exod. 35:26), capabilities of administrators (1 Kgs. 3:28), or skill of craftsmen (Exod. 31:6). In the realm of the spiritual, the word means skill in living—one lives life skillfully so that in the final analysis something valuable has been produced for the community and for God.
⁶tn This is a second object for the infinitive. “Discipline” (Hebrew rsWm from rsy) refers to the development of character along with acquisition of knowledge. The LXX uses the word for “child training” at this point. The word “discipline” accompanies the word for wisdom because one cannot develop biblical wisdom without controlling the natural inclination to folly.
⁷sn The form is the Hiphil infinitive construct of /yB!. The word may be illustrated by its derivatives; for example, the preposition is “between” and a noun is “space between.” The verb may be defined as making distinctions between things, discerning, perceiving. The idea is the second purpose statement of the heading—to compare ideas and sayings and make proper assessments and evaluations of the sayings of the wise.
⁸tn This construction uses the construct “words of” with the noun that is cognate to the preceding infinitive, “discernment.” “To discern words of discernment” emphasizes the ability of the wise person to distinguish truth from falsehood.
⁹tn The form is the Qal infinitive construct from the root ?ql. The statement now views the purpose of the book from the perspective of the student. In 2:1 the verb is parallel to the verb “treasure up”; the student will receive or acquire something worth having.
¹⁰sn The form lK@C=h^ is the Hiphil infinitive absolute of the root lkC. The word means “to be prudent, circumspect.” It is a synonym of the prior word for wisdom, but its emphasis is on acting prudently more than on skillfully. It may be illustrated by the actions of Abigael over her foolish husband Nabal (1 Sam. 25). The word can also focus on the results of acting wisely or prudently, i.e., to have success (Isa. 52:12). In this sentence the form is functioning as a genitive of result, that is, the discipline will produce this result.
¹¹tn The three nouns that follow are adverbial accusatives of manner describing the ways in wich the disciplined prudent activity will be manifested.
sn The first word, “righteousness,” qd#X#, describes conduct that conforms to a standard, in this case, the Law. The idea of conforming to a standard can be illustrated nicely with weights and measures that must be “right” (see Deut. 25:15). So in the spiritual realm it refers to right conduct, living according to God’s law.
¹²sn The noun for “justice, judgment” has the basic idea of making a decision that is just (see Deut. 16:18; 1 Kgs. 3:28). In view of its legal uses, the term also came to mean one’s right, or the precedent established, and hence its use for “custom.” The person with prudence will make the decisions that are just and right.
¹³sn The third word is “equity” (from rvy). The basic idea is “upright, straight, right.” It can be illustrated from 1 Samuel 6:12 where the Piel is used to describe cows going straight. An additional nuances develops in that what is right, smooth, straight, is therefore “pleasing” (see Jud. 14:3,7). Here it denotes activity that is pleasing because it is right.
¹⁴tn Now the Qal infinitive construct shows the purpose from the perspective of the teacher; it is what the wise instructor wants to give to the naive youths.
¹⁵sn The word is “shrewdness”; it is used in Genesis 3:1 for the serpent being more “shrewd” than all animals of the field. The term has the idea of “being wary”—knowing where the traps are. There is no virtue for simpletons to be in this world and unaware. They need to be wise as serpents. Proverbs will give that to the young—will make them aware of where the traps are.
¹⁶sn The translation “simpleton” fits the term well enough. The word is yt!P=. It is derived from the verb meaning “be enticed, persuaded, seduced”—naive and gullible. This is the “wide-eyed youth” that is headed for trouble..
¹⁷tn Heb “young man” or “youth”
¹⁸sn The noun hMz!m= is from a verb (<mz) that means “to devise, to purpose.” The word describes one’s ability to make plans or formulate the best course of action for gaining a goal (Toy, Proverbs, p. 7). It is knowledge with a purpose to carry out the plans. It is used this way in Genesis 11:6, which says that nothing “they devise will be withheld from them.” In this passage the noun may very well form a hendiadys with “knowledge”—the knowledge of how to formulate and carry out plans.
¹⁹sn This verse functions as a parenthesis in the purpose statements of the introduction. There are two purposes statements in verse 2, “to know wisdom” and “to discern sayings.” The first is explained in greater detail in verses 3 and 4, first from the student’s perspective, and then from the teacher’s. Verse 6 will explain further the second purpose of verse 2. But in between the two sections the text adds that even the wise and discerning can add to their instruction. This book is not just for the young and the naive; it is for all who wish to develop knowledge and discernment.
²⁰tn The verb is a Qal jussive giving advice or counsel in view of the parallel form which is a Hiphil jussive. A classification of the form as a regular imperfect would not fit this section as well, for in a section that is giving the purpose of the book, advice for the wise to listen and add more instruction is certainly in place.
²¹sn The form is the Niphal participle from /yB!; this is the person with the capacity for discernment and understanding. The verse forms a striking contrast to the preceding verse: there was the simpleton and the youth, here the wise and discerning. Both need this book.
²²sn The noun comes from a verb lb?, which means “to bind.” The cognate noun is lb#?#, “rope, cord.” BDB suggest that our noun originally referred to steering by pulling ropes on board ship (lb@?)). The LXX translates it with a word that can mean “steerage, pilotage, administration.” The term, then, would mean the ability to steer a right course through life (Cohen, Proverbs, p. 2).
²³sn The word translated here “parable” comes from Jyl!, which in Arabic has the idea of “turn aside.” It may have included the idea of “spokesman,” for in Genesis 42:23 Jyl!m@ means “interpreter.” Here the word has the idea of a satire, a mocking poem, or a saying that has another sense to the words (see H. Neil Richardson, “Some Notes on Jyl and Its Derivatives,” VT 5 [1955]:163-179).
²⁴sn The sayings of the wise often take the form of riddles that must be discerned. If the word tOdy?! is related to the Arabic hada, “to turn aside, avoid,” then riddles here would mean sayings that are obscure or indirect, such as the riddles of Samson (Jud. 14:13-14), or of the Queen of Sheba (1 Kgs. 10:1).
²⁵sn The word is the common word for fear in the OT, from the root ory. It can describe dread (Deut. 1:29), being terrified (Jon. 1:10), standing in awe (1 Kgs. 3:28), or having reverence (Lev. 19:3). With the LORD as the object (and here it is the objective genitive) the noun captures both aspects of shrinking back in fear and drawing close in awe and adoration. The fear of the LORD ultimately expresses reverential submission to the LORD’s will and thus characterizes the true worshiper. Elsewhere in the book the fear of the LORD is the foundation for wisdom (9:10), or the discipline leading to wisdom (15:33); it is expressed in hatred of evil (8:13), and it results in a prolonged life (10:27).
²⁶sn Verse 7b is the antithesis of 7a. The term for fool or the foolish is lyw!o$; it always describes folly that is morally bad (BDB, p. 17). They are the stubborn or the thick-brained (Greenstone, Proverbs, p. 6); they lack understanding (10:21), do not store up knowledge (10:14), fail to attain wisdom (24:7), talk loosely (14:3), are filled with pride (26:5), and are contentious (20:3). They are morally unskilled and refuse any correction (15:5; 27:22).
²⁷tn The verb is the Qal perfect from hzB. The nuance for this tense should be either characteristic perfect, describing what they have done and currently do, or gnomic perfect, describing what they always do, in the past, present, and future. The latter is more compelling since the description is put forth here as a trait, and the book will say that they do not change.
sn The word means that they treat these values with contempt, as if they were worthless to them. The classic example is Esau who despised his birthright and sold it for the lentil stew (Gen. 25:34). Another example is Nehemiah 4:4, where Sanballat and Tobiah belittled the Jews. Fools do the same to wisdom and instruction.
²⁸tn The form um^v= Is the imperative, forming an immediate exhortation. The use of the word would naturally call to mind Deuteronomy 6:4, and expect immediate compliance with parental instruction in the Law.
²⁹tn The Hebrew term is literally “my son.” It may very well be that collections of proverbs grew up in the royal courts and were designed for the training of the youthful prince (for which see the commentaries and introductions). But once the collection was included in the canon, the term “son” would be expanded to mean a disciple, for all the people were to learn the Law when young. It would not have been limited to sons alone, but to all children—as the common expression “the children of [yn@B=] Israel,” meaning the males and females of Israel, would clearly show. Several passages in the Mishnah and Talmud record instructions to teach daughters the law so that they will be righteous and avoid sin as well. The translation “child,” although not entirely satisfactory, will be used here.
³⁰tn Heb “discipline” (1:2)
³¹sn The noun is the common word for “law, Law, “instruction”—Torah. It is probably cognate to the verb hry, which in the Hiphil has the meaning of “point, show the way” (see BDB, pp. 434-45). The teaching might then have the sense of pointing in the right direction (see Gen. 46:28).
³²sn The word “grace” [/?@] means in this passage those qualities that make a person pleasant and agreeable, e.g., a gracious and charming person. The metaphor compares the teachings that produce these qualities to an attractive wreath.
³³sn This is the common word for sinner, from the root oF?. It often has the idea of missing the way or the goal; but it is not to be restricted to the idea of a sin of ignorance, for it is too common and too general for that. Here it is a gang of robbers that is so described as sinners.
³⁴tn This is the verb from which the word “simpleton” (1:4) is derived.
³⁵tn The verb is hbo, “to be willing, consent”; some manuscripts read it from the verb owB—”do not go [with them].” The majority of manuscripts and the versions support the reading “consent,” which is the less common word.
³⁶tn The cohortative could be interpreted as request, resolve, or exhortation (in the plural). In this context the sinners seem to have a plan that they are resolved to carry out, although a translation of exhortation works as well.
sn The verb bro means “to lie in wait”; it is used for planning murder (Deut. 19:11), kidnaping (Jud. 21:20), or seduction (Prov. 23:28). The action planned is vicious—here it is bloodshed (“blood” is a metonymy of effect, meaning the person whose blood will be spilled).
³⁷sn Two words here show how malicious the endeavor is. The first is “innocent” and the second is “without a reason.” The first carries the idea that the person to be attacked is harmless; and the second shows that it is completely unwarranted.
³⁸sn Hebrew lOov= can mean death, the grave, the realm of departed spirits [hades or Hell] and extreme danger. In this verse it is parallel to rOB, “pit”; the point of the verse is that as the grave swallows people, so will they.
³⁹sn This word is often translated “blameless” in the Bible. It means “whole, perfect, blameless.” Parallel to “life,” it must have the sense of those who are full of health. The challenge to these cutthroats seems to be to attack and destroy a person who is full of vigor. The words “life” and “whole” are accusatives describing the condition and state of the object.
⁴⁰tn Heb “find”
⁴¹sn The word “plunder” (from the root llv) is used elsewhere for the spoils of war (see especially in the name of Isaiah’s son, Isa. 8:1-4). The use here suggests that their life was a life of crime (Cohen, Proverbs, p. 4). So the enticement is for the youth to join a gang for a life of ill-gotten gain. While one might think that this was usually young men in the ancient Near East, in the modern world young women in gangs is also rather common. So the passage has a wide application.
⁴²tn Hiphil imperfect of injunction; also possible to translate it as imperfect of permission—”you may throw in with us.”
⁴³sn The word “lot” has a wide range of usages. It is used for decision-making processes, such as choosing the scapegoat (Lev. 16:8), discovering the guilty party (Jon. 1:7), or allocating property (Josh. 18:6). By metonymy it also means one’s lot or allotment (Josh. 15:1), fate, portion in life. So here the sinners call for the naive to share their life and destiny.
⁴⁴tn Heb “there will be to all of us”
⁴⁵sn The word “path” like the word “way” has the literal meaning of a road or a way; but in the idiomatic sense (developed from a hypocatastasis, a figure of comparison) they mean conduct or course of life.
⁴⁶sn The figure is a synecdoche of the part for the whole, stressing the swiftness or eagerness of the robbers.
⁴⁷sn The word for “evil” is ur^, a word that can mean pain or harm (3:30), calamity or disaster (13:21), as well as evil (8:13). Here it must mean harm or injury because of the parallelism.
⁴⁸tn The two verbs are imperfect tenses, the first Qal and the second Piel. They may be classified as habitual or progressive imperfects, for this is their ongoing activity.
⁴⁹tn The fact that this verse is not in the B manuscript of the LXX, the Coptic, or the Arabic, and is very similar to Isaiah 59:7a, has led many commentators to delete it from the current passage. It is possible that this verse was a scribal gloss, maybe one that was copied into the margin from Isaiah. But this does not adequately explain the difference. And the verse does fit the present context well enough to be seen as original. The writer is arguing that these men’s hardness to evil is a reason to avoid being with them.
⁵⁰tn The form of the verb is the Pual participle of hrz, which means “scatter, disperse, winnow.” The verb refers to that which is scattered ; it is futile for the net to be spread out in plain view of the birds.
⁵¹sn There are a couple of ways that this verse can be taken. The view here is that spreading a net in view of the birds is futile because the bird will avoid the trap; then, by contrast, the wicked are so blind and confident that they fail to see the danger. The other way is to say that it does not matter if the net is spread because birds are so greedy they will eat anyway and be trapped; in a similar way do the wicked act.
⁵²sn They think that they are going to shed innocent blood, but in their blindness they do not realize that it is their own blood they shed. Their greed will lead to their destruction.
⁵³tn This is a conclusion by way of exclamation (BDB, p. 485). The word connects their destruction in v. 17 with this statement in v. 18.
⁵⁴tn The participle u^X@B) follows and qualifies the substantive “all”; it is followed by a cognate noun to underscore the idea: “all who unjustly gain unjust gain.”
sn The verb followed by the cognate noun usually means seeking gain in an unjust way (1 Sam. 8:3), or for selfish purposes (Gen. 37:26), or gaining by violence. The word may have the sense of covetousness.
⁵⁵sn The subject of the verb is the ill-gotten gain; this gain is also the referent for “its owners.” Greed takes away the life of those who live by greed (see 15:27; 26:27). See further on this passage G. R. Driver, “Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” Biblica 32 (1951):173-174.
⁵⁶tn Heb “its owners”
⁵⁷tn The form is the abstract feminine plural of the noun. It probably is to be taken as a plural of intensity, stressing the all-embracing, elevated wisdom (McKane, Proverbs, p. 272).
⁵⁸sn The verb “cries out” is from /nr, which means “give a ringing cry.” It always expresses excitement, whether of joyful praise or the lamentable sorrow. Here it is an excited summons.
⁵⁹tn Heb “she gives her voice”; see BDB p. 679)
⁶⁰sn The word tOb?)r= refers to the wide plazas or broad open spaces near the gate where all the people assembled. The personification of wisdom as a woman crying out in this place would be a vivid picture of the public appeal to all who pass by.
⁶¹tn The LXX has “She proclaims on the summits of the walls.” It then expands the verse to read, “sits at the gates of the princes, at the gates of the city she boldly says.” Besides the expansion, the LXX apparently read tOYm!?) as tOm?), “walls,” when it is the feminine plural active participle of hmh, “to murmur, roar.” This more difficult form refers to the busy, bustling place where the street branches off from the gate complex.
⁶²sn The phrase “in the city” further defines the area of the entrance just inside the gate complex, the business area.
⁶³tn Three types of people are addressed in this rhetorical question: the simpleton (cf. 1:4), the scoffers, and the fools. The scoffers (from Jyl!; so there must be some link with speaking indirectly) are the cynical and defiant freethinkers, the ones who ridicule the righteous and all they stand for cf. Ps. 1:1); the fool here is the morally insensitive fool, the dullard (lys!K=). Each of these three types of people is satisfied with the life being led and will not listen to reason. See J. A. Emerton, “A Note on the Hebrew Text of Proverbs 1:22-23,” JTS 19 (1968):609-614.
⁶⁴sn The verb (dm?) is often translated “take pleasure, delight,” but it frequently has the meaning of a selfish desire, a coveting of something (see its use in the commandment about coveting in Exod. 20:17; Deut. 5:21; see also Jos. 7:21). Here the form is followed by the ethical dative, stressing that they want this for themselves.
⁶⁵tn The invitation takes the form of a conditional clause; the imperfect tense is in the conditional protasis without the conditional particle, followed by the clause beginning with hN@h!. The verb is the imperfect from bWv, “to return, respond, repent.”
⁶⁶sn The noun “rebuke” is derived from the root ?ky; it is used in all kinds of disputes including rebuking, arguing, reasoning, admonishing and chiding. The term is broad enough to include here the warnings and the rebukes.
⁶⁷tn Since the form is the Hiphil cohortative (of ubn), wisdom is portrayed as being resolved to pour out her spirit on those who respond.
⁶⁸sn The word “spirit” here carries the same force as in passages where the Spirit of God gives gifts to people, skills and abilities to perform well. The “spirit of wisdom” produces in the recipients all the capacities necessary for success. For similar ideas, see Isaiah 11:2 and John 7:37-39.
⁶⁹tn Here too the form is the cohortative, stressing the resolution of wisdom to reveal herself to the one who responds.
⁷⁰tn Heb “my words”
⁷¹tn The particle /u^y^ introduces a causal clause which forms part of an extended protasis; the apodasis is 1:26.
⁷²sn This expression is a metonymy of adjunct; it is a gesture that goes with the appeal for some to approach.
⁷³tn The construction uses the particle /yo@ with the Hiphil participle from bvq. The verb in this stem means “give attention to, hear, obey.” There was no one obeying.
⁷⁴sn The term urP is used with the sense of letting things go, like the hair of the head (Lev. 10:6), or of letting things run free (Exod. 32:25; Prov. 28:19). Here it has the meaning of neglecting or avoiding the call of wisdom.
⁷⁵tn The verbs here are either characteristic perfects or indefinite past tenses. For the word “comply, consent,” see 1:20.
⁷⁶tn The conclusion or apodasis is now introduced with “also I.”
⁷⁷sn The idea of personified wisdom laughing at the outcome of the rejection is not intended to convey a hardness against the fool, but to reveal the folly of the rejection of wisdom. It expresses the vindication of wisdom and the fitness of the disaster (Kidner, Proverbs, p. 60).
⁷⁸sn The two words that describe the result of rejecting wisdom are “disaster” and “dread thing [i.e., a calamity].” The first in 26a often refers to final disaster (6:15). The suffix could be a genitive of worth—disaster due you. The second word is “dread, dread thing.” It refers to what the fools dread. The suffix on this word is the subjective genitive—that which you dread. For the idea of mocking at such calamity, see Ps. 2:4.
⁷⁹sn The simile uses the word for a devastating storm, the noun related to a verb that means “crash into ruins” (s.v. hov in BDB, p. 981). The idea is that the disaster—what they dread—will come swiftly and crushingly.
⁸⁰sn This word “storm” is parallel to the word “whirlwind” in the preceding colon. It is used frequently in similes describing coming chariots (Isa. 5:28), armies (Am. 1:14), or divine judgment (Hos. 8:7). The two similes underscore the sudden devastation that will come.
⁸¹tn Since the two nouns “distress and trouble” mean almost the same thing, both having to do with binding or pressing in or constraint, they together may form a hendiadys. Thus, the disaster that comes on them will be pressing trouble.
⁸²sn The verb has the idea of an intense looking from out of trouble (as in Hos. 5:15). It does not usually have the idea of seeking early, as is popularly taught through etymological connections.
⁸³tn The causal particle yK! t?^T^ (“for the reason that”) introduces a second charge that will be the basis for punishment (1:31).
⁸⁴sn The verb “spurned” (Jon) or “contemned” is now paralleled to “comply, accede to, be willing” (see 1:10) to complete the protasis. This is the way that the morally stubborn fool acts (15:5).
⁸⁵sn The expression “eat the fruit of” is an implied comparison (a hypocatastasis) signifying receiving the the consequences of their actions. It compares that to growth that culminates in produce. The figure may also make an allusion to the events in the garden.
⁸⁶sn The word “way” (Er#D#) and “counsel” (hXu@Om) are intended to stand in strong contrast to the instruction of wisdom which gave counsel and rebuke to encourage a better way. Since these folk refused, then they will bear the consequences of the course they follow and the advice they take (for that wrong advice, see Ps. 1:1).
⁸⁷sn The “turning away” (tb^Wvm=) is a strong term; it is used elsewhere of defection and apostasy (BDB, p. 1000). But here they have never embraced the teaching in the first place; so it simply conveys the idea of turning from the advice as opposed to turning to it. This is the foundation of the retribution.
⁸⁸sn The verb “kill” (grh) is the end of the naive who refuse to change. The word is broad enough to include murder, massacre, killing in battle, and execution. Here it is judicial execution by God, using their own foolish choices as the means to ruin.
⁸⁹sn The noun means “quiet, peace, ease” in the good sense, and “self-sufficiency, complacency, and careless security” in the negative sense, which is the sense here. It is “repose gained by ignoring or neglecting the serious responsibilities of life” (Toy, Proverbs, p. 29).
⁹⁰tn lys!K=
⁹¹tn The participle is used substantivally here, indicating whoever listens will enjoy the benefits of the instruction.
⁹²sn To “live in security” means to live in a permanent settled condition without fear of danger (see Deut. 33:12) or the sense of it (Ps. 16:9). It is the antithesis of the dread of disaster facing the fool and the simple.
⁹³tn /n^o&v^ is a Pa`lel perfect of /ov. This stem stresses the intensity of the idea; and this tense comes in the apodasis of the sentence—if this, then this will happen. In Jeremiah 30:10 it is paralleled with the verb for “be undisturbed.” So it has that idea of resting undisturbed and quiet.
<sup>94</sup>sn The chapter begins with an admonition to receive wisdom (1-4) and then traces the benefits: the knowledge of God and his protection (5-8), moral discernment for living (9-11), protection from evil men (12-15) and women (16-19), and enablement for righteous living (20-22).
<sup>1</sup>tn Heb “my son”
<sup>2</sup>sn The verb “store up” (/pX) in the second colon qualifies the plain word “receive” of the first, just as “commands” intensifies “words.” This pattern of intensification through parallelism will follow in the next three verses as well. The verb “store up, treasure” is used for many things—wealth, dainties for the bride, spies, words for future use. Since proverbs will be useful throughout life and not always immediately applicable, the idea of storing up the sayings is fitting. They will form the way people think, which in turn will influence attitudes (see Plaut, Proverbs, p. 43).
<sup>3</sup>sn The word “ear” is a metonymy of cause; the word is used as the instrument of hearing. But in parallelism with “heart” it indicates one aspect of the mental process of hearing and understanding. A hearing ear is an obedient or responsive person (BDB, p. 24).
<sup>4</sup>tn The form is the Hiphil infinitive construct, serving epexegetically to explain how one will receive the instruction.
<sup>5</sup>tn The Hiphil imperfect continues the nuance introduced by the infinitive construct in the first colon (see GKC, par. 114r). The verb normally means “stretch out” and only occasionally “turn” or “incline,” as here, turning one’s heart to something.
<sup>6</sup>tn Or, “mind” (the center of the will, the choice)
<sup>7</sup>tn Both particles retain their individual meanings, otherwise the verse would begin with a strong adversative and be a contrast to what has been said.
<sup>8</sup>tn Idiom: “summon”
<sup>9</sup>sn The noun recalls the second purpose of the book (1:2). It is also cognate to the last word of 2:2, forming a transition. The two objects of the prepositions in this verse are actually personifications, as if they could be summoned.
<sup>10</sup>tn “and” supplied
<sup>11</sup>tn The expression “give” with “your voice” is idiomatic for raising or lifting the voice, indicating a sound that carries further (see Jer. 2:15). Such a deliberate expression usually indicates something significant is being called.
sn Greenstone says, “If it [understanding] does not come at your first call, raise your voice to a higher pitch, put forth greater efforts” (Proverbs, p. 17)
<sup>12</sup>tn The conditional particle now reiterates the initial conditional clause of this introductory section (1-4); the apodasis will follow in verse 5.
sn The verb vQ@B! means “to search for, seek, investigate.” The instruction calls for the same diligence and interest one would have in looking for silver.
<sup>13</sup>sn The two similes in this verse affirm that the value placed on the object will influence the eagerness and the diligence of the study and development of wisdom. The point is illustrated in Job 28:9-11. The emphasis of this verse is not only that the object sought is valuable, but that the effort will be demanding.
<sup>14</sup>sn The verb Cp? means “to dig, search.” The Arabic cognate means “dig for water.” It is used literally of Joseph’s searching his brothers’ sacks (Gen. 44:12), and figuratively in Psalm 64:7 for searching the soul. This is a more emphatic word than the one used in the first colon, and so gives the indication that acquiring wisdom will be demanding.
<sup>15</sup>sn This verb /yB! has already been defined as perceiving or understanding or distinguishing differences between things. The point here is not so much one’s ability to take in mentally the fear of the LORD, but to discern it, to perceive it, to be spiritually sensitive to it.
<sup>16</sup>sn The “knowledge of God” (tu^D^) is the knowledge about God (objective genitive) as the “fear of the LORD” is reverential fear of Him. The expression goes beyond knowledge about God to include obedience (cf. BDB, p. 395; and Prov. 3:6, “in all your ways acknowledge Him”). This verse means that the disciple will follow God’s moral code, for to know God is to react ethically and spiritually to His will (see Greenstone, Proverbs, p. 18).
<sup>17</sup>tn This is a causal clause. The reason one must fear and know the LORD is that He is the source of true, effectual wisdom.
<sup>18</sup>tn The verb is the Qal imperfect; it has the nuance of habitual imperfect because this is a universal truth.
<sup>19</sup>sn This expression is an anthropomorphism; it indicates that the LORD is the immediate source or author of the wisdom. It is worth noting that in the incarnation many of these “anthropomorphisms” become literal in the person of the Logos, the Word, Jesus, who reveals the Father.
<sup>20</sup>tn “come” supplied
<sup>21</sup>tc The form is a Kethib Qere reading. The Kethib is a Qal perfect with a waw consecutive, continuing the sequence of the last verse which stresses the origin of wisdom. It is supported by the LXX and the Syriac. The Qere is the Qal imperfect, supported by the Aramaic and Latin, would be parallel to the main verb of 6a. The thought changes in verse 7 slightly to the function of wisdom, and so the imperfect tense probably makes more sense here.
<sup>22</sup>sn The word hYv!WT is difficult to define; it occurs eleven times in the Bible, and of those the LXX (Greek) text uses several different words to translate the term. BDB define the word as “sound, efficient wisdom” (p. 444). It may carry the idea of the ability or achievement of wisdom, or, the power or capacity or competence of wisdom (McKane, Proverbs, p. 80)..
<sup>23</sup>sn The “upright” (from rvy) is one of the terms used for the righteous. It points to the right conduct of the believer—that which is right or pleasing in the eyes of God. It stresses that the life of the individual is upright, straightforward, and just. It is paralleled here (by synthetic parallelism which intensifies the aspect) with “those who walk in integrity.” The noun with its preposition denote the state of integrity in which the individual lives and moves. The “walk” (an idiom for living) is “blameless” or “whole.”
<sup>24</sup>tn The word can be taken as in apposition explaining the subject of the first colon—the LORD is a shield, the LORD stores up. The word then is a metaphor for the protection afforded by the LORD.
<sup>25</sup>tn The word “integrity” is here a genitive after the active participle; it indicates the manner of their walk.
<sup>26</sup>tn The infinitive construct beginning the verse shows purpose; it is continued by the imperfect tense in the second colon.
sn The verb rXn is used for watching or guarding a number of things, such as a vineyard (Isa. 27:3), a fort (Nah. 2:2), the law (Ps. 78:7). Here what is guarded is the way of the just, that is, the course and conduct of life.
<sup>27</sup>tn The word “just” is a possessive genitive, signifying the ways that the just take.
<sup>28</sup>sn The noun describes those who exhibit ds#?#, covenantal faithful love, or loyal love, to God and His people. The description of the righteous as the pious, or the saints, indicates their active participation in the covenant, for which God has promised His protection.
<sup>29</sup>tn /yB!
<sup>30</sup>sn The noun is related to the verbal root lgu, meaning “be round” and in the Niphal “to roll” in LH. There is a feminine noun “cart” that is cognate. The word in the text then probably means “tracks of a wagon wheel,” but is, of course, used metaphorically for the course of life. In Proverbs the paths of the righteous are characterized by uprightness and integrity, which the attributive genitive “good” embraces.
<sup>31</sup>sn In this verse bl@ is parallel to vp#n# and so will probably not have its common meaning of “mind.” “Heart” represents the center of the inner life, where the volition and emotions join to bring about actions; “soul” represents the seat of the emotions and passions. The two words together show that wisdom will control the thoughts and passions of the individual.
<sup>32</sup>sn The word “pleasant” describes what is attractive to the soul. It is used for what attracts someone to a lover (Song 7:7), what attracts to forbidden things (Prov. 9:17), or the attractiveness of a friend in a close friendship (2 Sam. 1:26). It seems to convey the same senses and range of meanings that go with our word attract.
<sup>33</sup>sn As pointed out in 1:4, this word has to do with the ability to know the best course of action for achieving one’s goal. It is knowledge and understanding with a purpose. The presence of this kind of knowledge, as well as the kind of understanding that enables one to make the right choices, that will protect the individual from the consequences of blunders.
<sup>34</sup>tn The form is the Hiphil infinitive construct of lXn, expressing the purpose. One of the purposes of understanding right conduct is to be delivered from the wicked.
sn The verb means “to save, deliver, rescue,” as in snatching away prey from an animal , rescuing from enemies, plucking a brand from the fire, retrieving property, or the like. Here it portrays a rather dramatic rescue from the course of action of the wicked that is bad, harmful, or painful (ur^).
<sup>35</sup>tn The word “wicked” is taken here to refer to the wicked person because of the parallelism with those who speak perverse things.
<sup>36</sup>tn Heb “man”
<sup>37</sup>sn The noun tOkP%h=T^ is an abstract plural intensifying the idea—truly perverse things. It is related to the verb Eph which means “to overthrow, overturn” (as in destroying Sodom and Gomorrah [Gen. 19:21], or tipping over a bowl [2 Kgs. 21:13]). Perverse things, then, are things that are upside down. There are people who speak contrary to what is right, sensible, or logical.
<sup>38</sup>tn The form is the active participle in the plural with the article, serving as the attributive adjective for vyo! in the previous verse (indicating that that noun was collective).
<sup>39</sup>sn The noun rv#y means “uprightness, straightness”; here it is the attributive genitive. The moral life is described in Proverbs as the smooth, even, straight way (2:13; 4:11). The image is that of a clear straight path being abandoned for an evil, uncertain way.
<sup>40</sup>sn The use of “darkness” in the OT is often metaphorical for sinfulness, ignorance, or oppression. Their way of life is here described as lacking any spiritual illumination.
<sup>41</sup>tn The Qal infinitive construct expresses the direct object of the participle; and the participle functions as another attributive adjective for “man” in 12b.
<sup>42</sup>tn Or, “harm”
<sup>43</sup>tn The noun in this relative clause is an accusative of specification: the evil people are twisted with respect to their paths/conduct.
<sup>44</sup>sn The adjective vQ@u! follows the pattern of adjectives that depict bodily defects. They make crooked or twisted whatever they do. The word is paralleled by the Niphal participle of zWl, “devious, crooked.” It describes their conduct as crafty and cunning (Isa. 30:12).
<sup>45</sup>sn The form parallels that in verse 12; there it introduced the deliverance from the evil man, and now from the evil woman.
<sup>46</sup>sn The expression is “from the strange woman.” The adjective describes the woman as outside the framework of the covenant community (see L. A. Snijders, “The Meaning of rz in the Old Testament: An Exegetical Study,” OTS 10 [1954]:85-86). The term does not necessarily mean that she is a foreigner, but that she is estranged from the community with its social and religious values (McKane, Proverbs, p. 285). Here an Israelite woman is in view because her marriage is called a covenant and she will offer sacrifices (7:5, 14). The context here and its use in subsequent passages make it clear that she is an adulterous, acting outside the legal bounds of the marriage contract.
<sup>47</sup>sn The description of the woman as a “strange woman” and now a “loose [lit. foreign] woman” is within the context of the people of Israel. She is a “foreigner” in the sense that she is a non-conformist, wayward, and loose. It does not necessarily mean that she is not ethnically Israelite.
<sup>48</sup>tn The phrase is a relative clause that does not have the relative pronoun; it describes the loose woman as “[one who] makes smooth her words.”
sn For descriptions of seductive speech, see 5:3 where it is compared to oil, and 7:14-20 where it is recorded.
<sup>49</sup>tn The construction is the active participle of bzu with the article, serving as an attributive adjective. The verb means “forsake, leave, abandon.”
<sup>50</sup>sn [WLo^ is related to a verbal root that means “become familiar with.” The noun follows the passive adjectival formation and so signifies one who is well-known. BDB list here and Jeremiah 3:4 as samples of the husband as the intimate companion.
<sup>51</sup>tn The noun is in the plural for abstract nouns. The time of youth indicates all that goes on in that formative period, especially within the marriage.
<sup>52</sup>sn The expression “the covenant of her God” could mean the covenant made before God, i.e., marriage, or the covenant from God that prohibits adultery. BDB list this and Malachi 2:14 as uses where the word “covenant” refers to marriage. The idea would then be that there had been a covenant made between the woman and her husband in which God was invoked as witness. Her sin is against her solemn pledge to her husband.
<sup>53</sup>tn The difficulty of this verse is the relationship of “her house” to the rest of the line. The MT has “she sinks down to death her house.” The verb is the perfect tense, third feminine singular of ?W^v, “to sink, bow down.” The word house, ty!B^ is normally masculine, and so cannot be the subject of the verb. The editors suggest emending the text to “her path” in comparison with 7:27. But the versions support the reading of house. The LXX assumed the verb was from tyv!, “place, put,” and rendered it, “she established her house near death.” But the MT preserves the more difficult verb. Delitzsch suggests taking the noun as a permutative noun that qualifies the subject: “she together with all that belongs to her [her house] sinks down to death” (Proverbs, I:83; see GKC par. 131k). Kidner suggests that “her house” is simply in apposition to “death” meaning that death is her house (Proverbs, p. 62; see Job 30:23, 17:13; Eccles. 12:5; and Prov. 9:18).
<sup>54</sup>sn The word Rephaim is often translated “shades.” The “shades” are the inhabitants of Sheol; the designation describes a shadowy existence of those who have lost their vitality and strength (see R. F. Schnell, IDB, 4:35, s.v., “Rephaim”). So the inevitable fate of her course of life is to be among the departed in the realm of the dead. The expressions are probably intended to be figurative: if anyone gets involved with her he will find himself estranged from the community, a moral leper living a shadowy existence in the land of no return (McKane, Proverbs, p. 288).
<sup>55</sup>tn Heb “all who go in to her will not return”
<sup>56</sup>tn The particle /u^m^l= here introduces the concluding purpose or result (result is rare for this form) for heeding the admonition to attain wisdom and avoid the evil men and women and their destructive ways.
<sup>57</sup>tn The word “way” is masculine singular, but the word “good” is masculine plural and functions as a substantive. So the construction is formed with the noun in the construct state followed by the absolute, a genitive of possession: “the way of the good people.”
<sup>58</sup>sn The term “blameless” (mym!ym!T=) describes those who live with integrity; they are blameless in that they live above reproach according to the requirements of the Law.
<sup>59</sup>sn The word for the “wicked” actually describes the guilty, the criminal. This is the person who is probably not a covenant member, and ho manifests that in the way he lives. The old translation of “ungodly: was more accurate than the term “wicked” which conveys something of the idea of a moral reprobate.
<sup>60</sup>tn The verb is the Niphal imperfect of the root trK, “cut off.” The usage of this word allows for the interpretations that the guilty could die prematurely, be excommunicated from the community, or be separated eternally in judgment. A tractate devoted to this topic is found in the Jewish Mishnah (see under Kerithoth). The context in this section strongly suggests that the guilty will be removed from the land where the righteous dwell in security. That would probably be death, but could be expulsion.
<sup>61</sup>sn The word could also be translated “treacherous, traitors.” In the Malachi 2 passage dgB describes the treachery of the husbands who divorced their wives and married “daughters of strange gods,” foreign women. That was treachery, not just unfaithfulness, because it violated the covenant. This passage seems to finish on that stronger tone.
<sup>62</sup>tn The verb in the MT is the Qal imperfect from ?sn, “to pull or tear away.” That would give the meaning, “they shall tear away from the land.” But that is clearly not the sense required. In view of the parallelism, most would change the text and read it as a Niphal. But that also involves an additional letter in the text—W?s=Ny! instead of W?S=y!, and so an alternative would be W?s=y%, a Hophal form (unless it is taken as an old Qal passive).
<sup>63</sup>sn The chapter begins with an introductory exhortation (1-4), followed by an admonition to be faithful to the LORD (5-12). Wisdom is then commended as the most valuable possession (13-18), as essential to creation (19-20), and the way to a long and safe life (21-26). There then follows a warning to avoid unneighborliness (27-30) and emulating the wicked (31-35).
<sup>1</sup>tn Heb “my son”
<sup>2</sup>tn The expression “your heart “ is an adverbial accusative: “let one keep your heart” is “keep in your heart.”
<sup>3</sup>tn “they will bring” added
<sup>4</sup>sn “Length of days” refers to a prolonged life; and “years of life” signifies a long time full of life, a life worth living (Perowne, Proverbs, p. 51). BDB explains “life” as consisting of earthly felicity combined with spiritual blessedness (p. 313).
<sup>5</sup>sn The noun means “peace” normally, but often more of the idea of welfare, well-being, wholeness, health. It can be used of personal health and well-being, or of national peace and security. Here it includes the idea of being free from harm and catastrophe.
<sup>6</sup>tn tm#o$w# ds#?# is “mercy and truth” or more specifically “loyal [covenant] love and faithfulness.” Frequently the two words form a nominal hendiadys, the second word becoming an adjective: faithful covenant love.
<sup>7</sup>sn The verse uses two implied comparisons (hypocatastases in Bullinger’s, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible). One is a comparison of living out the duties and responsibilities taught with binding a chain around the neck, and the other is a comparison of the inward appropriation of the teachings with writing them on a tablet. So the teachings are not only to become the life style of the disciple but the nature as well.
<sup>8</sup>tn The form is the imperative; with a waw on the form and after the imperatives this construction introduces a volitive sequence expressing purpose or result.
<sup>9</sup>tn The noun lk#C@ means “understanding”; it seems not to make a good parallel with /?@, “favor.” The LXX attaches the first two words to verse 3, and then renders verse 4: “and devise excellent things in the sight of the LORD and of men” (cf. Rom. 12:17; 2 Cor. 8:21). The Targum and the Peshitta list all three words separately: “favor and good and understanding.” Some have followed Toy and changed the word to “name.” Kidner suggests the meaning of the word is more of “success” than “understanding” (a category attested elsewhere that comes by way of metonymy). It is also possible to take the two words as a hendiadys: the favor of good understanding, meaning, a reputation for good understanding.
<sup>10</sup>tn Heb “man”
<sup>11</sup>sn The word ?F^B# means “rely on” someone, feel secure or unconcerned. The verb is often used with false securities, people trusting in things that prove to be worthless. But here the object of the secure trust is the LORD.
<sup>12</sup>sn The “heart” is the seat of the will and the emotions (and is usually classified as a metonymy of subject). The call in this line is for total commitment in the trust, and is carried forward in the next with “all your ways.” What these beautiful expressions call for is “absolute obedience and surrender in every realm of life” (Fritsch, IBC, 4:799).
<sup>13</sup>sn The figure used here is hypocatastasis: relying on one’s own understanding is compared to leaning on something for support (see Isa. 10:20).
<sup>14</sup>tn The text has “your understanding” which is different than the understanding gained from the instructions in Proverbs.
<sup>15</sup>tn The imperative is Heb “know Him.” The verb udy includes both the mental awareness as well as the experience of faith that comes from it. To know Him is to trust Him. The sage is here calling for a life of trust in which the disciple sees the LORD in every event and relies on Him. To acknowledge the LORD in every event has the practical value of guiding in the right conduct.
<sup>16</sup>sn The verb rV@y^y= means “make smooth, straight; lead straight; approve” (BDB, p. 444). BDB explains that this passage is figurative, meaning “to make the way free from obstacles,” make it successful (as in Isa. 40:3). The straight, even road is the right road; God will make the way smooth for the believer.
<sup>17</sup>sn The second colon clarifies the first. If one fears the LORD and turns away from evil, then he is depending on the LORD and not wise in his own eyes. There is a higher source of wisdom.
<sup>18</sup>tn The form is the Qal jussive of hyh; this is one of the rare uses of the volitive, to express purpose or result, even though there is no waw prefixed to it. Verse 8 is the outcome of verse 7.
<sup>19</sup>tc The MT has “to your navel” instead of “to your body.” The word rv, “navel,” is not used for “body” in the OT. The editors of BHS suggest a change to either rCB, “flesh,” or ro@v, “body.” Such changes run counter to the canons of textual criticism, for they prefer a common or smooth reading to the difficult. Since “navel” occurs only twice in the Bible, it is hard to conclude what its common uses would have been. And since the words used here would have to be synecdoches anyway (making the Greek evidence irrelevant since it would be an interpretation of such figures), there is no reason to make the change.
<sup>20</sup>sn The word is “drink,” a figure (a metonymy giving the cause when the effect is intended) for refreshment (BDB, p. 1052).
<sup>21</sup>sn Scripture often uses the physical body to describe inner spiritual or psycichal feelings (see A. R. Johnson, The Vitality of the Individual in the Thought of Ancient Israel [Cardiff: The University of Wales Press, 1949], pp. 67-8).
<sup>22</sup>tn The form dB@K^ is the Piel imperative; to honor God means to give Him the rightful place of authority. One way to acknowledge God in one’s ways is to render the gifts of tribute to Him.
<sup>23</sup>tn Or: “crops, harvest”
<sup>24</sup>tn The word ubC adds the idea of “plenty, satiety.”
<sup>25</sup>sn If the upper receptacle is filled with grapes, the lower one that catches the juice will overflow. The expressions in this verse are metonymies of effect, the cause being the great harvest God will honor them with when they honor Him.
<sup>26</sup>tn Heb “my son”
<sup>27</sup>sn The verb JWq is a strong word; it means “feel a loathing, abhorrence, sickening dread” (BDB, p. 880). This word and the parallel one reflect the common response one has to suffering; but the sage will say that there is another side to suffering, a side that comes to the righteous in the place of and as a means to the blessing.
<sup>28</sup>sn The verse is quoted in Hebrews 12:5-6 to show that suffering in the service of the LORD is a sign of membership in the covenant community (i.e., sonship).
<sup>29</sup>tn The simile used here is slightly difficult in that it is the only place in Proverbs that identifies God as a father. The LXX assumed a Hiphil here (bo!k=y^w=), “and scourges every son whom He receives.” This fits the parallelism; however, it is an unnecessary change in that “like a father” makes perfectly good sense. The fact that the Greek Bible was used by NT writers, and that this reading found its way into the Book of Hebrews and became part of the inspired text does not mean that it had to be the original Hebrew reading here.
<sup>30</sup>sn The word yr@v=o^ has a loftier meaning than “happy”—“happiness” depends on what happens. This word reflects that inner joy and heavenly bliss that comes to the person who is pleasing to God, whose way is right before God.
<sup>31</sup>tn Heb “the man”
<sup>32</sup>tn Heb “the man”
<sup>33</sup>tn In the parallelism of this verse there is a perfect tense in the first colon and an imperfect in the second, which could be classified as a characteristic or gnomic perfect followed by the progressive or habitual imperfect.
<sup>34</sup>tn The noun r?^s^ is “traffic, gain”; it is related to the verb that means “go around, travel, travel about” usually as a merchant. The suffix probably is a genitive of source.
<sup>35</sup>sn The noun is usually used with crops and harvests, i.e., “ingathering, yield.” Here it is figurative for the gain of wisdom (BDB, p. 100).
<sup>36</sup>tn The verb Wwv=y! is the Qal imperfect from hwv, which means “agree with, be like, resemble.” The verb could be given a potential nuance here—“can be compared.”
<sup>37</sup>tn Heb “length of days”
<sup>38</sup>sn The idea of the right hand and the left hand dispensing the treasures of wisdom indicates that wisdom uses both hands (a personification), i.e., the gifts are many so that both hands are employed.
<sup>39</sup>sn The metaphor compares wisdom to a tree of life, the symbol of vitality and fullness of life. The figure, drawing upon Genesis 2—3 (cf Gen. 3:22) signifies that wisdom is the source of a long and beneficial life (see Ralph Marcus, “The Tree of Life in Proverbs,” JBL 62 [1943]:117-120).
<sup>40</sup>sn The verbs used in the conclusion of this section are stronger than those used at the beginning: qz? in the Hiphil means “grasp, take hold of,” and EmT means “grasp, attain.”
<sup>41</sup>tn The participle is singular; it is a distributive singular for a plural subject (GKC par. 145 l)—each and everyone will be blessed.
<sup>42</sup>sn The Polel of /WK means “to set up, establish”; the parallelism of the line presents God’s use of wisdom in the creation of the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1), a theme that Proverbs 8 will address in depth.
<sup>43</sup>sn The word alludes to the chaos of Genesis 1, the “deep” that in the ancient world was a force to be reckoned with. But this passage shows that God in His wisdom, understanding, and knowledge not only formed it but controls it. See further Proverbs 8:22-23; see also J. Emerton, “Spring and Torrent in Ps. 74:15,” VT Supp 15 (1965):125.
<sup>44</sup>sn The reference may very well be to the breaking up of the fountains of the deep at the flood, for the word uqB, meaning “cleave, break open,” occurs in Genesis 7:11.
<sup>45</sup>sn The two halves of this verse form a merism of sorts: the knowledge of God is behind all forces of nature, whether the violent breaking forth of its forces, or the gentle rain and dew (see Perowne, Proverbs, p. 55).
<sup>46</sup>tn Heb “my son”
<sup>47</sup>tn The subject of the verb “escape, slip away” is most likely wisdom, knowledge and understanding discussed in the previous verses. NIV takes the subject from the second colon and reverses the clauses to clarify that.
<sup>48</sup>tn Or: “purpose,” “power of devising”
<sup>49</sup>tn Heb “for your soul”
<sup>50</sup>tn Heb “grace for your neck” (see 1:9)
<sup>51</sup>sn The verb [gn means “to strike, smite.” A similar use is found in Psalm 91:12, where the psalmist might dash his foot against a stone. In this passage the object is implied, for the meaning would be the same—stumble. The figure is hypocatastasis, comparing stumbling on a path to making mistakes in life.
<sup>52</sup>sn The verb d?P is a stronger word than “fear”—it means “dread.”
<sup>53</sup>tn The construction used in the second colon is a perfect tense with a waw consecutive to carry forward the tense in the first colon; it then is followed by another perfect with the waw consecutive. For these two perfect tenses, the first is subordinated as a temporal clause.
<sup>54</sup>tn Heb “the dread thing of suddenness”; the genitive is attributive—“sudden disaster.” The “dread thing” is a metonymy of effect or adjunct for the disaster.
<sup>55</sup>tn This is probably an objective genitive meaning the ruin that comes suddenly on the wicked, although some interpret it as a genitive of source, meaning the devastation they bring.
<sup>56</sup>tn The form ;l#s=k!b= has a beth essentiae (GKC, par. 119i), a preposition that introduces the predicate noun and is not translated.
sn The word lsK means “be or become stupid.” BDB suggest an Arabic cognate with the idea of “thick, plump, fat” (p.492), giving a good sense of confidence, and a bad sense of stupidity. In this verse the word is a metonymy of adjunct, for “confidence” is put for the object of the confidence.
<sup>57</sup>tn The MT has “from its possessors” and the LXX simply has “from the poor.” Toy suggests emending the text to read “neighbor” (changing wylub to iyur), but that is gratuitous. The idea can be explained as being those who need to possess it, or as BDB have it with an objective genitive, “the owner of it” = the one to whom it is due.
<sup>58</sup>tn The construction uses an infinitive construct with a preposition to express the temporal clause idea.
<sup>59</sup>tn Heb “to the power of your hand.” The word for power is lo@; this may be a case of metonymy of subject, the person—El, the strong One— put for His attribute.
<sup>60</sup>tn “it” is added
<sup>61</sup>tn The text has “and it is with you” which forms a circumstantial clause with the waw.
<sup>62</sup>sn The verb vr? means “cut in, engrave, plough, devise.” The idea of plotting is a metaphorical use of the verb, the idea of devising being that of working in or practicing or fabricating (BDB, p. 360).
<sup>63</sup>tn The waw on the pronoun at the beginning of the clause signals a disjunctive clause, here a circumstantial clause.
<sup>64</sup>sn The verb is byr!; it is used for quarreling and legal accusations (BDB, p. 936). Both ideas would work here, but the more technical or legal accusation fits the context better. The warning would be not to bring legal accusation against anyone without a legitimate reason.
<sup>65</sup>tn Heb “a man”
<sup>66</sup>tn Or: “harm”
<sup>67</sup>tn Heb “a man of violence”
<sup>68</sup>sn The word means “violence, wrong” in a wide range of arenas. In general it refers to the rude wickedness of people, social injustice, injurious words and harsh actions.
<sup>69</sup>tn The form is the Niphal participle of zWl, meaning a “devious, crooked, perverse individual.”
<sup>70</sup>sn The noun tb^u&Ot, “abomination of/to,” is in construct with hwhy; the idea of the word is that it is loathsome, or detestable, to the LORD. Things that are thus repugnant to the LORD are usually the most heinous of crimes and gross violations of rituals. Saying it this strongly and in this way means that the righteous are to avoid it.
<sup>71</sup>sn The noun means “council, counsel, secret counsel.” The implication is that of a friendly, confidential association. Psalm 25:14 also asserts that those who fear the LORD have such an intimate relationship with Him (see also Job 29:4). The contrast then is that the perverse person is repugnant to the LORD, but the upright He takes into His confidence.
<sup>72</sup>sn The noun tr^o@m= is a feminine noun in construct from the verbal root rro. It means a “curse,” that is, banishment or separation from the place of blessing. The word “bless” (ErB) used in the second colon is its antithesis. A blessing is a gift, an enrichment or endowment. The blessing of God empowers one with the ability to succeed; the curse of God interferes with that ability and brings ruin and failure, whether it is the crops, the trees, the human, or the nation that is the object of the curse.
<sup>73</sup>tn Or: “household”
<sup>74</sup>sn The term “wicked” is singular; the term “righteous” in the second half of the verse is plural. In Scripture such changes often hint at God’s reluctance to curse, but eagerness to bless (see Gen. 12:3).
<sup>75</sup>sn The word means “habitation” or “abode,” usually of a shepherd, or usually in the country. The word is poetic; here it is parallel to “house.” BDB suggest “habitation” in the country (p. 627). It too represents more than the location or the buildings; it represents the people in the habitation and all that they possess.
<sup>76</sup>tn Heb “He mocks mockers”
sn The Greek version (LXX) reads “The LORD resists the proud.” That is the softened rendering of the verse that is reflected in James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5.
<sup>77</sup>tn Hebrew lys!K=
<sup>78</sup>sn The term /Olq is from hlq, a bi-form of llq. The noun means “ignominy, dishonour.” The verbal idea that informs this means to treat something lightly, with contempt, with little esteem, or curse. Here the noun indicates personal disgrace or shame. While the wise will inherit honor, the fools will be made a public display of dishonor. The text does not indicate how this will be done; but Proverbs in general indicates that God lets the fools entangle themselves in their folly—in a way for all to see.
<sup>79</sup>sn The chapter includes the following material: an exhortation to acquire wisdom (1-4a), a listing of the benefits of acquired wisdom (4b-9), a call to pursue a righteous life style (10-13), a warning against a wicked life style (14-19), and an exhortation to and concentration on righteousness (20-27).
<sup>1</sup>tn Heb “sons”
<sup>2</sup>tn Heb “discipline”
<sup>3</sup>tn tu^d^ here is the Qal infinitive construct, and with the preposition l= indicates the purpose or result of the preceding imperative.
<sup>4</sup>tn The perfect tense has the nuance of instantaneous perfect because the sage is now calling the disciples to listen. It could possible be a perfect of resolve, indicating what he is determined to do.
<sup>5</sup>tn The word for instruction is ?q^l#; its emphasis can be subjective, as in instruction acquired, or objective, as the thing being taught. The latter is what fits best here; “good teaching” is comparable to “sound doctrine.”
<sup>6</sup>tn Or: “a boy with my father”
<sup>7</sup>tc The LXX introduces the ideas of “obedient” and “beloved” for these two terms. This seems to be a free rendering, if not a translation of a different Hebrew text. The Hebrew makes good sense and requires no emendation.
tn Er^ is an adjective that means “tender, delicate” (BDB, p. 940). The term describes a lad who is young and undeveloped in character (see 2 Sam. 3:39). The term dy?!y means “only one”; it calls for the tender care and concern that one would give to an only child (see Gen. 22:2).
<sup>8</sup>tn The imperative with the waw expresses volitional sequence after the preceding imperative—keep and then you shall live, meaning keep so that you may live.
<sup>9</sup>sn The verse uses repetition for the imperative “acquire” to underscore the importance of getting wisdom; it then uses two verb forms for the one prepositional phrase to stress the warning.
<sup>10</sup>tn i.e., “wisdom”
<sup>11</sup>tn The noun tyv!or@ is here in the absolute state functioning as the predicate: wisdom is the first/best/chief thing.
<sup>12</sup>tn The noun /yn=q! means “thing got or acquired, acquisition” (BDB, p. 889). With the preposition that denotes price, it means “with (or at the price of) all that you have acquired.” The point is that no price is too high for wisdom—give everything for it (see Delitzsch, Proverbs, I:108).
<sup>13</sup>tc The verse is not in the LXX; Toy, therefore, deletes the verse as an impossible gloss that interrupts verses 6 and 8 (p. 88).
<sup>14</sup>tn The verb is the Pilpel imperative from lls, “lift up, cast up.” So the imperative here means “exalt her, esteem her highly, prize her.”
<sup>15</sup>sn The personification of wisdom continues with the bestowal now of a wreath for the head (see 1:9). The point is that grace will be given to the individual, and that grace will be like a wreath about the head.
<sup>16</sup>tn The verb is a Piel (denominative) verb from the noun “shield.” It means “deliver up” to adversaries; but it also means simply “deliver, give.”
<sup>17</sup>sn The imagery in verse 9 is that of a wedding. The wife (wisdom) who is embraced by the disciple will then place the crown on the head of the new bridegroom. Wisdom, like a virtuous wife, will crown the individual with honor and grace—unlike the adulterous wife who betrays the covenant (see 2:16-19).
<sup>18</sup>tn Heb “my son”
<sup>19</sup>tn Heb “and the years of life will be many for you”
<sup>20</sup>tn The form ;yt!r@h) is the Hiphil perfect with a suffix from the root hry. This and the parallel verb should be taken as instantaneous perfects, the translation being an English present tense because he is now instructing or pointing the way.
sn The verb means “teach, instruct, guide.” This is from the same root as the word for “Law”—torah. See further G. R. Driver, “Hebrew Notes,” VT 1 (1951):241-250; and James L. Crenshaw, “The Acquisition of Knowledge in Israelite Wisdom Literature,” Word and World 7 (1986):9.
<sup>21</sup>sn Heb “in the tracks of uprightness.” Both the verb and the object of the preposition make use of the idiom—the verb is the Hiphil perfect from ErD (related to “road, way”) and the object is “wagon tracks, paths.”
<sup>22</sup>sn ;d#u&X^ is “your steps”; this, and the temporal infinitive ;T=k=l#B= continue the idiom of walking representing the course of life. On that course the sage says there will be no obstacles, but the “path” will be straight—morally and practically.
<sup>23</sup>sn The verb rX^y@ is the imperfect tense from rrX. The word means “to be narrow, strait.” In Hebrew that which is narrow or strait often signifies distress, trouble, adversity; but that which was wide-open or broad represents freedom and deliverance.
<sup>24</sup>sn The elevation from walking to running in the idiom suggests that as greater and swifter progress is made there will be nothing to impede the progress. Note the reverse from mounting up to running to walking in Isaiah 40:31 where the point is the growing confidence and strength for the journey of the returning exiles.
<sup>25</sup>tn Heb “discipline”
<sup>26</sup>tn On the form with the strengthened letter, see GKC, par. 20h.
<sup>27</sup>tn The verb rV@o^T= is not to be confused with “pronounce happy” as in BDB; the words are identical but distinct homonyms.
<sup>28</sup>sn The same verb (rbu, “to cross over, travel through”) ends both cola. In the first it would warn against going on the wrong paths; in the second it simply means to go your own way, but may hint that that way will cross over the wrong way. The rapid sequence of commands in these two verses stresses the urgency of the matter.
<sup>29</sup>sn The verb is uur, which means “do evil, harm.” The verse is using the figure of hyperbole to stress the preoccupation of some people with causing trouble. Alden says, “How sick to find peace only at the price of another man’s misfortune” (Proverbs, p. 47).
<sup>30</sup>sn Heb “their sleep is robbed/seized”; these expressions are metonymical for their restlessness in plotting evil.
<sup>31</sup>sn The verb is the Hiphil imperfect (Kethib reading), meaning “cause to stumble.” BDB explain that this idiom (from a hypocatastasis) means “bring injury of ruin to someone” (p. 505).
<sup>32</sup>tn The noun is a cognate accusative stressing that they consume wickedness.
<sup>33</sup>tn There are two ways to take the the genitives in this verse: genitives of apposition, in which case the wickedness and the violence are their food and drink, or genitives of source, in which case they derive their livelihood from the evil they do (Toy, Proverbs, p. 93).
<sup>34</sup>tn The construction is “light of brightness,” which involves an attributive genitive, “bright light.” The word “light” (rOo) here refers to the early morning light, or the dawn (BDB, p. 21). Hg^n) is “brightness.”
sn The point of the simile in this verse is that the course of life that the righteous people follow, i.e., righteousness, is like a the clear, bright morning light. The connotations are that it is illumined, clear, easy to follow, and healthy and safe—all the opposites of what darkness represents.
<sup>35</sup>tn The construction uses the Qal active participle of Elh in a metaphorical sense to add the idea of continuance or continually to the participle rOo. Here the path was growing light, but the added participle signifies continually.
<sup>36</sup>tn The verb is the Niphal participle from /WK, “to be established.” The expression is literally “until the day is established.” It either means the coming of the full day, or the time of high noon.
<sup>37</sup>sn The simile has the connotations of ignorance or spiritual blindness, sinfulness, calamity, despair.
<sup>38</sup>tn Heb “in what they stumble” (Niphal)
<sup>39</sup>tn Heb “my son”
<sup>40</sup>tn The verb Fh^ is the Hiphil imperative from hFn, “to turn to, incline” in this stem. The idiom “to incline the ear” gives the picture of “lean over and listen closely.”
sn The commentators have noted the use of the body in this next section: ear (v. 20), eyes (v. 21), flesh (v. 22), heart (v. 23), lips (v. 24), eyes (v. 25), feet (v. 26) and hands and feet (v. 27). Each are parts representing the whole or a whole capacity; and the total accumulation signifies the complete person involved in the process.
<sup>41</sup>tn The Hiphil form in this place follows the Aramaic with gemination: WzyL!y^; the verb means “turn aside, depart,” and so the verb is intransitive Hiphil or inner causative.
<sup>42</sup>tn Or: “keep”
<sup>43</sup>sn The words “eyes” and “heart” are metonymies of subject representing the faculties of each.
<sup>44</sup>tn Heb “to all of his flesh”
<sup>45</sup>tn The construction uses the preposition /m! to express “above, beyond” and then the word “all” and the noun “prison, guard, act of guarding.” The latter is the use here according to BDB (p. 1038)—“more than any act of guarding.”
<sup>46</sup>sn The word tOoX=OT (from oXy) means “outgoings, extremities, sources”; it is used here for starting points, like a fountainhead, and so the translation “sources: works well.
<sup>47</sup>sn tWvQ=u! means “crookedness” in the sense of twisted, perverted. Here it refers to things that are said, the mouth being a metonymy of cause. Such perverse talking could be subtle or blatant.
<sup>48</sup>tn Heb “crookedness of mouth”
<sup>49</sup>tn Heb “make far from you deviousness of your lips”
<sup>50</sup>tn The jussives in this verse are both Hiphil, the first from the verb “to gaze, look intently, carefully,” (Fbn) and the second from the verb “to be smooth, straight” (rvy).
<sup>51</sup>sn “Eyelid” is often a poetic synonym for “eye” (it is a metonymy of adjunct, something connected with the eye put for the eye that sees); it may intensify the idea as one might squint to gain a clearer look.
<sup>52</sup>sn The verb is a denominative Piel from the word sl#P#, “balance, scale.” So in addition to telling the disciple to keep focused on a righteous life, the sage tells him to keep his path level, which is figurative for living the righteous life.
<sup>53</sup>tn Heb “foot”
<sup>54</sup>tn The verb is the Niphal jussive from /WK, “to be fixed, established, steadfast.” The use here continues the idiom of walking and ways for the moral sense in life.
<sup>55</sup>sn The two verbs in this verse are from different roots. The first verb is FT@ a jussive from hFn, which in the Hiphil means “turn aside”; the second verb is the Hiphil imperative of rWs, which in this stem means “cause to turn to the side.” The disciple is not to leave the path of righteousness, but to stay on the path he must leave evil.
<sup>56</sup>tc The LXX adds, “For the way of the right hand God knows, but those of the left hand are distorted; and He Himself will make straight your paths and guide your goings in peace.” The ideas presented here are not out of harmony with Proverbs, but the section clearly shows an expansion by the translator. For a brief discussion of whether this addition is Jewish or early Christian, see Toy, Proverbs, p. 99.
<sup>57</sup>sn The chapter unfolds with this development: in warning about deadly seduction, the father first exhorts discretion (1,2) and then explains that with wisdom seduction can be avoided (3-6); this is followed by a second exhortation to prevention (7,8) and then an explanation that obedience will avoid ruin and regret (9-14); and then finally there is the practical advice to avoid sharing love with strangers (15-17) but to find it at home (18-19) because otherwise it is sinful folly (20-23). For an analysis of the chapter, see John E. Goldingay, “Proverbs V and IX,” RB 84 (1977):80-93.
<sup>1</sup>sn The text again has “my son.” In this passage perhaps “son” would be the most fitting because of the warning against going to the adulterous woman. However, since the image of the adulterous woman probably represents all kinds of folly (through personification), and since even in this particular folly the temptation works both ways, the general address to either young men or women should be retained. The text certainly did not intend to convey that only women could seduce men.
<sup>2</sup>tn Heb “keep, protect, guard”
<sup>3</sup>sn This “discretion” is the same word found in 1:4; it is wise, prudential consideration, careful planning, or the ability to devise plans with a view to the best way to carry them out. The parallel “knowledge” adds the idea that this ability to devise plans is the kind of knowledge attained. If that ability is retained then temptations to digress will not interfere.
<sup>4</sup>sn “Lips” is a metonymy of cause, referring to what she says. The idea of dripping honey is an implied comparison between the product and what she says—her words are flattering and smooth (cf. Song of Songs, 4:11; M. Dahood, “Honey That Drips. Notes on Proverbs 5:2-3,” Biblica 54 [1973]:65,66).
<sup>5</sup>sn The word E?@ (s.v. En?) is “palate, roof of the mouth, gums.” So this too is a metonymy of cause, an organ of speech put for what is said.
<sup>6</sup>sn Heb “her end” or “after”; Kidner notes that Proverbs does not allow us to forget that there is an afterward (Proverbs, p. 65).
<sup>7</sup>sn The verb “to be bitter” (rrm) describes things that are harmful and destructive for life, such as the deaths of the members of the family of Naomi (Ruth 1:20), or the finding of water that was undrinkable (Exod. 15:22-27). The word indicates that the sweet talking will turn out badly.
<sup>8</sup>tn The word means “wormwood.” It refers to the aromatic plant that contrasts with the sweetness of honey. Some follow the LXX text and translate it with “gall.” The point, Plaut explains, is that there was sweetness when the tryst had alluring glamor, but afterwards it had an ugly ring (Proverbs, p. 74).
<sup>9</sup>sn The Hebrew actually has “like a sword of [two] mouths,” meaning a double-edged sword that devours/cuts either way. There is no movement without damage. There may be a word play here with this description of the sword with two mouths, and the subject of the passage being the words of her mouth which also have two sides. The irony is cut by the idiom.
<sup>10</sup>sn In this verse lOov= Is paralleled to “death” and so it does not refer here to the realm of the unblessed. In fact, the two words are juxtaposed in the line for stronger emphasis on the point. Although these words could be hyperbolic of a ruined life, they probably also include a note of the real consequences of a life of debauchery.
<sup>11</sup>tn The particle /P# means “lest” (probably from “for the aversion of”). BDB says that it occurs this once, unusually, preceding the principal clause (p. 814). It means that some action has been taken to avert or avoid what follows. She avoids the path of life, albeit ignorantly.
<sup>12</sup>sn The verb uW^n means “to quiver, wave, waver, tremble.” BDB suggests the idea here is being unstable, a figure for the ways of the adulteress woman (p. 631).
<sup>13</sup>sn The sadder part of the description is that this woman does not know how unstable her life is, or how uneven. But for another view of the verb “know,” see D. Winton Thomas, “A Note on lo’ teda` in Proverbs 5:6,” JTS 37 (1936):59; he suggests “she is not tranquil.”
¹⁴tn Heb “sons”
¹⁵sn There is a nice contrast made between “keep far away” (q?@r=h^) and “do not draw near” (br^q=T! lo^).
¹⁶sn dOh is “vigor, splendor, majesty.” In this context it means the best time of one’s life, the full manly vigor that will be wasted with licentiousness. It is paralleled by “years” in this verse, which would refer to the best years of that vigor, the prime of life. The idea is that either the life would be ruined by living this way, or the revenge of the husband would cut it short.
¹⁷tn Or: “are sated, satisfied”
¹⁸sn This word ?O^K means “strength,” but in the sense of what that laborious toil would produce (so a metonymy of cause). Everything that this person worked for could become the property for others to enjoy.
¹⁹tn “labor, painful toil”
²⁰tn “benefit” added
²¹tn The form is the perfect tense with the waw consecutive; it is equal to a specific future within this context.
sn The verb means “to growl, groan”; the first meaning is of a lion when it devours its prey, and the second of a sufferer in pain or remorse (see also Ezek. 24:23).
²²tn The construction uses the Qal infinitive construct of hlK in a temporal clause; the verb means “be complete, at an end, finished, spent.” It says literally: “in the finishing of your flesh and your body.”
²³tn yr^Om is the nominal form based on the Hiphil plural participle with a suffix, from the root hry. The verb is “teach,” the common noun is “instruction, law [torah],” and this participle form is teacher (“my teachers”).
²⁴tn The form is the Piel plural participle of dml used substantivally.
²⁵sn The idioms are vivid: this expression is “incline the ear”; the one in the first line is “listen to the voice” or obey. Such detailed description emphasizes the importance of the material.
²⁶tn The expression Fu^m=K! is “like a little”; BDB explain that that means “almost,” and is used of unrealized action (p. 590, no. 2).
²⁷tn Heb “I was in all evil”
²⁸tn The text uses the two words “congregation and assembly” to form a hendiadys, meaning the entire assembly.
²⁹sn Paul Kruger develops this section as an allegory consisting of a series of metaphors. He contends that what is at issue is private versus common property. The images of the cistern, well, or fountain are used of a wife (see Song 4:15) because she, like water, satisfies desires. Channels of water in the street would then mean sexual contact with a lewd woman. According to 7:12 she never stays home but is in the streets and is the property of many (“Promiscuity and Marriage Fidelity? A Note on Prov. 5:15-18,” JNSL 13 [1987]:61-68).
³⁰tn The verb means “to be scattered, dispersed”; here the imperfect takes a deliberative nuance in a question.
³¹tn The l preposition is used here for the possessive: “let them be for you” = “let them be yours. ;D#b^l= is then in apposition, underscoring the possession as exclusive.
³²sn The point is that what is private is not to be shared with strangers; it belongs in the home and in the marriage. The water from that cistern is not to be channeled to strangers or to the public.
³³sn The positive instruction is now given: find pleasure in a fulfilling marriage. The “fountain” is another in the series of implied comparisons with the sexual pleasure that must be fulfilled at home. That it should be blessed (the passive participle of ErB) indicates that sexual delight is God-given; having it blessed would mean that it would be endowed with fruitfulness, that it would fulfill all that God intended it to do.
³⁴tn The form is a Qal imperative with a waw of sequence; after the jussive of the first half this colon could be given an equivalent translation or logically subordinated.
³⁵tn The expression uses a construct relationship: “a doe of loves.” The genitive is attributive, describing the doe with the word “loves,” which may be an abstract plural of intensification (except this rare noun only occurs in the plural). The same construction follows with a “deer of grace”—a graceful deer.
sn The imagery for intimate love in marriage is now employed to stress the beauty of sexual fulfillment as it was intended. The doe and the deer, both implied comparisons, exhibit the grace and love of the wife. Women were frequently named after graceful and beautiful animals anyway, and so this use of imagery was natural.
³⁶sn The verb hgv means “swerve, meander, real” as in drunkenness; it signifies a staggering gait expressing the ecstatic joy of a captivated lover. It may also mean “be always intoxicated with her love.”
³⁷tn In the interrogative clause the imperfect has a deliberative nuance.
³⁸tn Heb “my son”
³⁹tn The word is actually “foreigner”; but it should not be concluded that the woman is non-Israelite. As discussed above, the term describes a woman who is outside the moral boundaries of the covenant community—she is another man’s wife, but since she acts with moral abandonment she is called “foreign.”
⁴⁰tn Heb “man”
⁴¹tn BDB suggest that the meaning of the participle sL@p^m= is “make level, straight.” That would means that as one’s ways are in front of the eyes of the LORD the effect would be that they become straight or right. The verb could also be translated “weighs” since it is a denominative from the noun for “balance, scale”; this would indicate that the LORD weighs or examines the actions.
⁴²tn The word is the subject of the clause, but the pronominal suffix has no clear referent. The suffix is proleptic, referring to the wicked.
⁴³tn The suffix on the verb, unless a corruption (GKC), is the formal object; “the wicked” is a second object by apposition: they capture him, the wicked. Since “the wicked” is not found in the LXX text, it could be an old scribal error; or the Greek translator may have simply smoothed out the sentence. Toy suggests turning the sentence into a passive idea: “The wicked shall be caught in his iniquities” (Proverbs, p. 117).
⁴⁴sn The lack of discipline and control in the area of sexual gratification is destructive. The one who plays with this kind of sin will become ensnared by it and led to ruin.
⁴⁵tn This is the causal use of the preposition B=.
⁴⁶sn The word “his folly” is OTl=W^o!. BDB list it under a root lWo (p. 17) and cognate to the noun lyw!o$, “foolish, fool.” The noun tl#W#o! folly describes foolish and destructive activity. It lacks all understanding, destroys what wisdom builds, and can only lead to destruction if it is not corrected.
⁴⁷sn The verb hgv is now repeated in a negative sense. If the young man is not captivated by his wife but becomes captivated with a stranger in sinful acts, then his own iniquities will captivate him and he will be led to ruin. The verb actually means “swerve, reel” either by intoxication, love, or judgment.
⁴⁸sn The chapter advises release from foolish indebtedness (1-5), admonishes avoiding laziness (6-11), warns of the danger of poverty (9-11) and deviousness (12-15), lists conduct that the LORD hates (16-19), and warns about immorality (20-35).
¹sn It was fairly common for people to put up some kind of financial security for someone else, that is, to underwrite another’s debts. Here the guarantee of the pledge was signaled by a handshake (cf. 11:15; 17:18; 22:26). But the pledge in view here was foolish because the debtor was a neighbor who was not well-known (zar), perhaps a misfit in the community. The one who pledged security for this one was simply gullible.
²tn “and” supplied
³sn As with the use of the word for the “strange woman” in the last chapter, the use of rz here probably indicates that the person is living outside the norms of convention, a misfit in the community. At best one could say that this “stranger” is a high risk in any financial arrangement.
⁴tn “and” supplied
⁵sn The word vqy means “lay a bait, lure, lay snares.” In the Niphal it means “be caught by bait, be ensnared”—here in a business entanglement.
⁶tn The form is the Niphal imperative of lXn; with the conjunction and following the initial imperative of the verse it may be subordinated logically as purpose. The verb means “to strip, plunder” in the Piel, “to deliver oneself, be delivered” in the Niphal, and “to deliver, snatch away” in the Hiphil. The image is one of being snatched or plucked quickly out of some danger or trouble, in the sense of a rescue, as in a “brand snatched [Hophal] from the fire” (Zech. 3:2).
⁷tn Heb “come”
⁸sn The idiom using the “hand” means that the individual has come under the control or the power of someone else. This particular word for hand is used to play ironically on its first occurrence in verse 1.
⁹sn The verb spr means “to stamp, tread, foul by stamping” and so in the Hithpael “to stamp oneself down” or “humble oneself.” BDB interpret it here to mean basically “become a suppliant” (p. 952). Gesenius translated it “prostrate yourself” (Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon [London: Samuel Bagster and Son, 1847], p. 777). G. R. Driver related it to the Akkadian cognate rapasu, “trample,” and interpreted it in the sense of trampling oneself, swallowing pride, with the implication of being unremitting in the effort (“Some Hebrew Verbs, Nouns, and Pronouns,” JTS 30 [1929]:374).
¹⁰sn bhr means “to act stormily, boisterously, arrogantly.” The idea here is a strong one: storm against, beset, importune your neighbor. The meaning is that he should be bold and not take no for an answer.
¹¹tn The Hebrew text simply has “from the hand.” Most translations supply “of the hunter.” The word “hand” can signify power, control; so the meaning is that of a gazelle freeing itself from a snare or a trap that a hunter set.
¹²tn The text has “hand” here as well. Some manuscripts and versions have it as “trap,” which may very well be an interpretation too.
¹³sn The sluggard (lX@u) is the lazy or sluggish person. Derek Kidner has a helpful survey of the character of this lazy person in Proverbs in the introduction to his commentary on the book.
¹⁴tn The conjunction waw here has the classification of alternative, “or” (see Williams, Hebrew Syntax, par. 433).
¹⁵tn “but” added
¹⁶tc The LXX adds a lengthy section at the end of the verse on the lesson from the bee: “Or, go to the bee and learn how diligent she is and how seriously she does her work—her products kings and private persons use for health—she is desired and respected by all—though feeble in body, by honoring wisdom she obtains distinction.” Toy surmises that the Greek translator thought the other insect should be mentioned and so elaborated on the point (Proverbs, p. 124).
tn Heb “its food.”
sn The classic example of human foresight and industry is in the story of Joseph, especially in Genesis 41. For a treatment of wisdom motifs in that story, see Gerhard von Rad, God at Work in Israel, tr. John Marks (Nashville: Abingdon, 1980), pp. 19-35.
¹⁷sn The use of the two rhetorical questions is designed to rebuke the lazy person in a forceful manner. The sluggard is spending too much time reposing.
¹⁸sn The writer might in this verse be imitating the words of the sluggard who just wants to take “a little nap.” The use is ironic, for in indulging in this little rest the lazy one comes to ruin.
¹⁹tc The expression “like a robber” is EL@h^m=k!. The reading in the MT suggests something like a wayfarer or a traveler. The LXX has “swiftness like a traveler.” It has also been interpreted as a “highwayman” or a “dangerous assailant.” McKane suggests a meaning of “vagrant” (Proverbs, p. 324). The impliction in the MT is that one traveling swiftly would likely be a robber.
²⁰sn The word for armed is probably connected to the word for “shield” and “deliver” (s.v. /ng). G. R. Driver connects it to the Arabic word for “bold, insolent,” interpreting is use here as a beggar or insolent man (“Studies in the Vocabulary of the Old Testament, IV,” JTS 33 [1933]:38-47).
²¹sn The subject matter is now “a worthless [lu^Y^l!B=] man and a wicked [/w#o] man.” The terms describe one who is both worthless and wicked. Gesenius, followed by BDB, analyzes the first word as a compound of the negative yl!B= and a noun lu^y^ “profit, worth.” But there are a number of other suggestions for the etymology as well, such as a compound with lu^B^ (e.g., “lord [of goats]”), or a derivative of ulB with reduplication (“confusion” or “engulfing ruin”), or a proper name from Babylonian Bililu. See lu^Y^l!B= In TDOT 2:131-136, by Benedikt Otzen; and see D. Winton Thomas, “lu^Y^l!B= in the Old Testament,” in Biblical and Patristic Studies in Memory of Robert Pierce Casey, edd. J. Neville Birdsall and Robert W. Thomson (New York: Herder, 1963), pp. 11-19. Whatever the etymology, usage shows that the word describes people who violate the Law (Deut. 15:9; Judg. 19:22; 1 Kgs. 21:10,13; Prov. 16:27; et al.) or act in a contemptuous and foolish manner against cultic observance or social institutions (1 Sam. 10:27; 25:17; 30:22). The present instruction will focus on the devious practice of such wicked and worthless folk.
²²sn The word tWvQ=u! means “crooked, twisted, perverse.” The term “mouth” is a metonymy of cause, an organ of speech put for what is said. This one says perverted or twisted things.
²³sn The sinister sign language and gestures of the perverse individual seem to indicate any kind of look or gesture that is put on and therefore a form of deception if not a way of making insinuations. McKane suggests from the presence of vr@?) in verse 14 that there may be some use of magic here (Proverbs, p. 325).
²⁴tn The noun is an adverbial accusative of manner, explaining the circumstances that inform his evil plans.
²⁵sn The word “contention” is from the root /yD!; the noun means “strife, contention, quarrel.” The normal plural form is represented by the Qere, and the contracted form by the Kethib.
²⁶tn This word is a substantive that is used here as an adverbial accusative—with suddenness, at an instant.
²⁷tn The conjunction has the explicative use here (Williams, Hebrew Syntax, par. 434).
²⁸sn The verse exhibits what is known as a numerical ladder, paralleling six things with seven things (see also 30:15, 18, 21, 24, 29). The point of such a numerical arrangement is that the number does not exhaust the list (see W. M. Roth, “The Numerical Sequence x / x +1 in the Old Testament,” VT 12 [1962]:300-311; id., “Numerical Sayings in the Old Testament,” VT 13 [1965]:86).
²⁹tn Heb “His soul”
³⁰sn The expression “high/lofty [tOmr] eyes refers to a proud look suggesting arrogant ambition. The use of “eyes” is a metonymy of adjunct, the look in the eyes accompanying the attitude. This term “high” is used in Numbers 15:30 for the sin of the “high hand,” i.e., willful rebellion or defiant sin. The usage of “haughty eyes” in the Bible may be illustrated by its use with the pompous Assyrian invader (Isa. 10:12-14) and the proud king of Daniel (11:12). God does not tolerate anyone who thinks so highly of himself and who has such ambition.
³¹sn Literally “a tongue of deception” (using an attributive genitive on the noun that is also a metonymy). The term is used in Jeremiah 14:14 for the false prophets who deceive people, and in Psalm 109:2 for the deceiver who betrays—a passage that is applied to Judas in Acts 1:20. Deception in speech the LORD hates because it is destructive (26:28); but in the end truth will win out (12:19).
³²sn The hands are the instruments of murder (metonymy of cause), and God hates bloodshed. Genesis 9:6 prohibited shedding blood because people are the image of God. Even David being a man of blood (in war mostly) was not permitted to build the Temple (1 Chr. 22:8). But shedding innocent blood was a greater crime—it usually went with positions of power, such as King Manasseh filling the streets with blood (2 Kgs. 21:16), or princes doing it for gain (Ezek. 22:27).
³³sn The fourth description is that of a “heart that devises plans of wickedness” (the latter being an attributive genitive). The heart (metonymy of subject) represents the will; here it plots evil schemes. God had early on declared the heart capable of doing this (Gen. 6:5); and Proverbs elaborates on the theme, showing that the heart that does this is also deceitful (12:20; 14:22).
³⁴tc The MT has literally “make haste to run,” the idea being to make haste to begin to run, i.e., eager to seize the opportunity. The LXX omits “run,” yielding the idea of feet hastening to do evil. It must have appeared to the translator that the verb was unnecessary since in the other cola only one verb occurs.
sn The word “feet” is here a synecdoche, a part for the whole. Being the instruments of movement, they represent the swift and eager actions of the whole person to do some harm.
³⁵sn The sixth thing hated by the LORD is perjury, a lying witness. This is a direct violation of the Law (Exod. 20). This person pours out lies, a term found in Psalm 40:4; Amos 2:4; and Micah 1:4 (where the wordplay on the city Achzib [also from bzK, suggesting a mirage; see also Jer. 15:18 and Job 6:15-20] carries the idea of a false expectation).
³⁶sn Dissension is attributed in Proverbs to contentious people (21:9; 26:21; 25:24) who have a short fuse (15:8).
³⁷sn These seven things the LORD hates. To discover what the LORD desires, one need only list the opposite ideas: humility, truthful speech, preservation of life, pure thoughts, eagerness to do good, honest witnesses, and peaceful harmony. There is something of a contrasting parallel arrangement with the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. It has seven blessed things to match these seven hated things; moreover, the first contrasts with the first here (“poor in spirit” of 5:5 with “haughty eyes”), and the seventh (“peacemakers” of 5:7) contrasts with the the seventh here (“sows dissension”).
³⁸sn The figures used here are hypocatastases, implied comparisons. There may also be an allusion to Deuteronomy 6 where the people were told to bind the Law on their foreheads and their arms. Just as one would tie something to something, the point here is that the disciple will never be without these instructions. See further, P. W. Skehan, Studies in Israelite Poetry and Wisdom: Proverbs 5:15-19 and 6:20-24 (Washington: Catholic Biblical Association of America, 1971), pp. 1-8.
³⁹tn The verbal form is the Hithpael infinitive construct with a preposition and a suffixed subjective genitive to form a temporal clause. Elh in this verbal stem means “to go about, to and fro.” The use of these terms in verse 22 also alludes to Deuteronomy 6:7.
⁴⁰tn The verb is singular; the instruction is the subject.
⁴¹tn In both of the preceding cola an infinitive construct was used for the temporal clauses; now the construction uses a perfect tense with waw consecutive. The verb would then be equivalent to an imperfect tense, but subordinated as a temporal clause here.
⁴²sn The verb ?y^C! means “talk” in the sense of “muse, complain, meditate.” Here the instructions that are bound to the heart will speak to the disciple upon awaking.
⁴³tn The form is singular.
⁴⁴sn The terms “lamp,” “light,” and “way” are all metaphors. The positive teachings and commandments will illumine or reveal to the disciple the way to life; the disciplinary correctives will provide guidance into fullness of life.
⁴⁵sn “Life” is a genitive following the construct “way.” It could be an attributive genitive modifying the kind of way/course of life that instruction provides, but it could also be objective in that the course of life followed would produce and lead to life.
⁴⁶tn The infinitive construct is epexegetical here, explaining how these teachings function as lights: “by keeping you.” This verse is the transition from the general admonition about heeding the teachings to the practical application.
⁴⁷tc Now the word for woman is modified by ur^, “evil” in the sense of violating the codes of the community and inflicting harm on others. The editors propose changing it to read “strange woman” as before, but there is not support for that. Some commentaries follow the LXX and read it “wife of a neighbor” (u^r@), but that seems to be only a clarification.
⁴⁸tn The word “tongue” is not in construct; the word “foreign woman” is in apposition to “smooth of tongue,” specifying whose it is. The word “smooth” then is the object of the preposition, “tongue” is the genitive of specification, and “foreign woman” in apposition.
⁴⁹tn The negated jussive gives to the young person an immediate warning. The verb dm? means “to desire,” and here in the sense of lust. The word is used in the Decalogue of Deuteronomy 5:21 for the warning against coveting.
sn Lusting after someone in the heart, according to Jesus, is a sin of the same kind as the act, not just the first step toward it (Mt. 5:28). Playing with temptation in the heart—the seat of the will and the emotions—is only the heart reaching out after the sin.
⁵⁰sn The text uses “eyelids” (in this passage it would be a synecdoche) to represent both the painted eyes and the luring glances that are the symptoms of seduction (see 2 Kgs. 9:30).
⁵¹tn The word du^b= may be taken either as “on account of” (= by means of a) prostitute, or “for the price of” a prostitute. Most expositors take the first reading, though that use of the preposition is unattested, and then must supply “one is brought to.” The verse would then say that going to a prostitute can bring a man to poverty, but going to another man’s wife can lead to death. If the second view were taken, it would mean that one had a smaller price than the other. It is not indicating that one is preferable to the other; both are to be avoided.
⁵²tn Heb “the wife of a man”
⁵³tn The Qal imperfect (with the interrogative) here has a potential nuance—is it possible to do this? The sentence is obviously a rhetorical question making an affirmation that it is not possible.
⁵⁴sn “Fire” provides the analogy for the sage’s warning: fire represents the sinful woman (hypocatastasis) drawn close, and the burning of the clothes the inevitable consequences of the liaison. See James L. Crenshaw, “Impossible Questions, Sayings, and Tasks,” Semeia 17 (1980):19-34. The word “fire” (vo@) plays on the words “man” (vyo!) and “woman” (hVo!); a passage like this probably inspired R. Gamaliel’s little explanation that what binds a man and a woman together in a holy marriage is y and h, the two main letters of the holy name Yah. But if the LORD is removed from the relationship, that is, if these two letters are removed, all that is left is the vo@—the fire of passion. Since Gamaliel was the teacher of Paul, this may have influenced Paul’s advice that it was better to marry than to burn.
⁵⁵tn The second colon begins with the waw disjunctive on the noun, indicating a disjunctive clause; here it is a circumstantial clause.
⁵⁶tn The particle indicates that this is another rhetorical question like that in verse 27.
⁵⁷tn Heb “thus is the one”
⁵⁸sn The verb oOB, “to go in, enter,” is used throughout Scripture as a euphemism for the act of sexual intercourse.
⁵⁹tn Heb “anyone who touches her will not”
⁶⁰sn The verb “touches” is intended here to be a euphemism for illegal sexual contact, such as in Genesis 20:6)..
⁶¹sn The verb is hq#Ny!, the Niphal imperfect from hqn, “be empty, clean.” From it we get the adjectives “clean, free from guilt, innocent.” The Niphal has the meanings (1) “be cleaned out (of a plundered city) (Isa. 3:26), (2) be clean, free from guilt, innocent (Ps. 19:14), (3) be free, exempt from punishment [here], and (4) be free, exempt from obligation (Gen. 24:8).
⁶²tn Heb “they do not despise”
⁶³tn The text has Ovp=n^, “himself, his life.” Since the word vp##n# refers to the whole person, body and soul, and since it has a basic idea of the bundle of appetites that make up a person, the use here for satisfying his hunger is appropriate.
⁶⁴tn “yet” added
⁶⁵tn The perfect tense with the waw consecutive is equivalent to the imperfect nuances. Here it introduces either a conditional or a temporal clause before the imperfect.
⁶⁶tn The imperfect tense has an obligatory nuance. The verb in the Piel means to “repay, make restitution, recompense.”
⁶⁷tn This final clause in the section is somewhat cryptic. It is meant to say that the guilty thief must pay back sevenfold what he stole, even if it means he must use the substance of his whole house. The simplest way to communicate this is to give a nuance of possibility to the imperfect tense: “he might even give.”
⁶⁸tn Heb “heart”—the ability to use discernment
⁶⁹tn Heb Ovp=n^
⁷⁰sn Even though the text has said that he ruins his life, it does not mean that he was put to death, although that could have happened. He seems to live on in ignominy, destroyed socially and spiritually. He might receive blows and wounds from the husband and shame and disgrace from the spiritual community. Kidner observes that in a morally healthy society the adulterer would be a social outcast (Proverbs, p. 75).
⁷¹tn The word “kindles” was added; both “rage” and “jealousy” have meanings connected to heat.
⁷²sn The verb lm? means “to show mercy, compassion, pity,” usually with the outcome of sparing or delivering someone. The idea here is that the husband will not spare the guilty man any of the punishment.
⁷³tn Heb “lift up the face of” meaning “regard”
⁷⁴sn The word rendered “compensation” is rp#K); it is essentially a ransom price, a sum to be paid to deliver another from debt, bondage, or crime. The husband cannot accept payment as a ransom for a life, since what has happened cannot be undone so easily.
⁷⁵sn BDB suggest the meaning of d?^v) as “hush money,” although Toy takes it as legal compensation. The word means a “present,” i.e., a bribe (p. 1005).
⁷⁶sn After the chapter begins with the important teaching of the father (1-5), it focuses on the description of the seduction, first of the victim (6-9), then the temptress (10-12), then the seduction (13-20), and then the capitulation (21-23); the chapter concludes with the deadly results of consorting (24-27).
¹tn Heb “my son”
²sn BDB suggest that “within you” means “in our own keeping” (p. 860).
³tc Before verse 2 the LXX inserts: “My son, fear the LORD and you shall be strong, and besides him, fear no other.” Although this addition has the precedent of 3:7 and 9 and harmonizes with 14:26, it does not fit here. The advice is to listen to the teacher.
⁴tn The form hy@?=w# is the Qal imperative with the waw of sequence after the initial imperative. This form would then be given a logical sequence of purpose or result: “that you may live,” or “and you will live.”
⁵sn The “apple of your eye” is literally “the little man in your eye” (;yn#yu@ /Ovyo!). The word for “man” has the diminutive ending on it. It refers to the pupil, where the object focused on—a man—is reflected in miniature. The point is that the teaching must be the central focus of the disciple’s vision and attention.
⁶sn Verse 3 strengthens the admonition by alluding to Deuteronomy 6:8. Binding the teachings on the fingers and writing them on the tablets here are implied comparisons for preserving the teaching in memory so that it can be recalled and used with ease..
⁷sn The metaphor is meant to signify that the disciple will be closely related to and familiar with wisdom and understanding. Wisdom will be personified in the next two chapters, and so referring to it as a sister in this chapter certainly prepares for that personification.
⁸tn The infinitive construct with the preposition shows the purpose of associating closely with wisdom: wisdom will obviate temptations, the greatest being the sexual urge.
⁹tn Heb “strange”
¹⁰sn This can be interpreted as a “wayward wife.” As discussed earlier, the designations “strange woman” and “foreign woman” could refer to Israelites who stood outside the community in their lawlessness and loose morals—an adulteress or wayward woman. Helmer Ringgren and Walther Zimmerli, however, suggest that she is also a promoter of a pagan cult, but that is not entirely convincing (Spruche/Prediger [Goettingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, 1980], p. 19).
¹¹tn The last two words of the verse form a relative clause without the relative pronoun. The expression “she makes smooth her words” means “she flatters with her words.”
¹²tn Heb “sons”
¹³tn Hebrew ru^n^, “lad, youth”
¹⁴sn Heb he is lacking in “heart.” He is one of the simpletons, lacking keen judgment, one void of common sense or understanding. He is young, inexperienced, featherbrained (as Kidner puts it, Proverbs, p. 75).
¹⁵tn The verb duX means “to step, march.” It suggests that the youth was intentionally making his way to her house. The verb is the imperfect tense; it stresses continual action parallel to the active participle that began the verse, but within a context that is past time.
¹⁶tn The text simply has HtyB@ Er#d#w=; the word “way” is an adverbial accusative of location, telling where he was marching along, and “house” is the genitive of location, giving the goal.
¹⁷tn Heb “in the middle of the night, and dark”
¹⁸tn The particle hN@h!w= introduces a dramatic sense of the immediate to the narrative; it has a deictic force, “and look!—there was a woman,” or, “all of a sudden this woman . . . ”.
¹⁹tn The noun tyv!, “garment,” is an adverbial accusative specifying the appearance of the subject of the sentence.
²⁰sn The text has literally “kept secret of heart,” the verbal form being the passive participle from rXn in construct. Toy lists the suggestions of the commentators: false, malicious, secret, subtle, excited, hypocritical (Proverbs, p. 149). The LXX has “causes the hearts of the young men to fly away.” The verb means “guard, watch, keep”; to be guarded of heart means to be wily, to have secret intent—she has locked up her plans and gives nothing away (see Isaiah 48:6 as well). Interestingly enough, this contrasts with her attire which gives everything away.
²¹sn “Her feet” is a synecdoche, a part for the whole; the point is that she never stays home, but is out and about all the time.
²²tn Heb “dwell, settle”
²³tn The repetition of the noun “time, step,” usually translated “now, this time” signifies here “at one time . . . at another time” (BDB, p.822e).
²⁴tn The Hebrew sentence here has a verbal form in the sequence of verbs: “she makes bold her face.” The verb is the Hiphil perfect of zzu, “to be strong.” She has an impudent face, meaning a bold or brazen expression.
²⁵tn Heb “with me”
²⁶sn The peace offerings refer to the meat left over from the votive offering made at the sanctuary (see Lev. 7:11-21). Apparently the sacrificial worship meant as little to her spiritually as does Christmas to modern hypocrites who follow in her pattern. By expressing that she has peace offerings, she could be saying nothing more than that she has fresh meat for a meal at home, or that she was ceremonially clean, perhaps after her period. At any rate, it is all probably a ruse for winning a customer.
²⁷tn Heb “to look diligently (r?@v^l=) for your face.”
²⁸tn The sentence begins with the cognate accusative: “with spreads I have spread my bed.” The construction enhances the idea—she has covered her bed.
²⁹tn The feminine noun is defined by BDB as “dark-hued stuffs” (p. 310). The form is a passive participle from a supposed root II. bF?, which in Arabic means to be of a turbid, dusky color mixed with yellowish red. Its Aramaic cognate means “variegated.” BDB translate this colon: “with dark hued stuffs of yarn from Egypt.” This rendering leaves much to be desired.
³⁰tn The form hw#r=n! is the plural cohortative; following the imperative “come” the form expresses the hortatory “let’s.” The verb means “be saturated, drink one’s fill,” and can at times mean “be intoxicated with.”
³¹sn The word dOD means physical love. It is found frequently in the Song of Solomon for the loved one, the beloved. Here the form is plural to stress the idea of love.
³²tn The form is the Hithpael cohortative of slu, which means “to rejoice.”
³³tn The Hebrew text has “the man.” The LXX interpreted it as “my husband,” taking the article no doubt as the possessive.
³⁴tn Heb “in his house”
³⁵tn Heb “in his hand”
³⁶sn Judging from the fact that he took a purse of money and staying away until the next full moon, she implies that they would be safe in their escapade. If verse 9 and verse 20 are any clue, he could be gone for a fortnight—from an early dark evening to a time when the moon is full.
³⁷tn WTF^h! is the Hiphil perfect of hFn with a 3msg pronominal suffix. The idea that “she turned him aside” means that she persuaded him. This section now begins the description of the capitulation, for the flattering speech is finished.
³⁸sn There is irony in the fact that ?q^l# (used earlier for wise instruction) is now used for enticement. D. Winton Thomas interprets this as the adulteress’s taking ways (“Textual and Philological Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” VT Supp 3 [1955]:280-292).
³⁹tn The text has “smooth of her lips”; “lips” is a metonymy of cause representing what she says.
⁴⁰tn Wn?#yD!T^ is the Hiphil imperfect of ?dn with a 3msg suffix. The verb means “to impel, thrust, banish,” but in this stem in this context “to compel, force” into some action. The imperfect tense has the nuance of progressive imperfect to parallel the characteristic perfect of the first colon.
⁴¹tn The participle with “suddenly” gives a more vivid picture, almost as if to say “there he goes.”
⁴²tn The translation is Scott’s (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, p. 64). This third colon of the verse would usually be rendered, “fetters to the chastening of a fool.” But there is no support that sk#u# means “fetters.” It appears in Isaiah 3:16 as anklets. The parallelism here suggests that some animal imagery is required. Thus, the versions have “as a dog to the bonds.” Scott takes the emendation of lyw!o$ rs^Wm lo# sk#u#k=W to lYo^ rs@m) lo# sK@u^K=.
⁴³sn The figure of an arrow piercing the liver (an implied comparison) may refer to the pangs of a guilty conscience that the guilty must reap along with the spiritual and physical ruin (see on these expressions H. W. Wolf, Anthropology and the Old Testament).
⁴⁴sn The expression that it is “for/about/over his life” means that it could cost him his life (see Num. 16:38). The meaning of the line could refer to moral corruption and social disgrace rather than a physical death—but this would not rule out physical death too.
⁴⁵tn The literal translation of “sons” works well here in view of the warning.
⁴⁶tn Heb “she has caused to fall”
⁴⁷tn Heb “numerous, countless” (an adjective)
⁴⁸tn The noun is lOov=, which in parallelism to “the chambers of death” probably means the grave. The noun is a genitive of location, indicating the goal of the road(s). Her house is not the grave; it is, though, the sure way to it. The young man’s life is not destroyed in one instant; it is taken from him gradually as he enters into a course of life that will leave him as another victim of the wages of sin. The point of the warning is to prevent such a course from starting. Sin can certainly be forgiven, but the more involvement in this matter the greater the alienation from the healthy community.
⁴⁹tn The Qal active participle modifies “ways” to Sheol. The “road,” as it were, descends to the place of death.
⁵⁰sn “Chambers” is a hypocatastasis, comparing the place of death or the grave with a bedroom in the house. It plays on the subtlety of the temptation.
⁵¹sn In this chapter we have a personification of wisdom. It combines 1:20-33 in which wisdom proclaims her value, and 3:19-26 in which wisdom is the agent of creation. Such a personification has affinities with the wisdom literature of the ancient Near East, and may have drawn on some of that literature, albeit with appropriate safeguards (see Claudia Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs [Sheffield: JSOT, 1985], pp. 23-70). Wisdom in Proverbs 8, however, is not a deity like Egypt’s Ma`at or the Assyrian-Babylonian Ishtar. It is simply presented as if it were a self-conscious divine being distinct but subordinate to God; but in reality it is the personification of the attribute of wisdom displayed by God (see further, Scott, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, pp. 69-72; and Ralph Marcus, “On Biblical Hypostasis of Wisdom,” HUCA 23 [1050-51]:157-171). Many have equated wisdom in this chapter with Jesus Christ. This connection works only in so far as Jesus reveals the nature of the Father, just as Proverbs presents it as an attibute of God. Jesus’ claims included wisdom (Matt. 12:42) and a unique knowledge of God (Matt. 11:25-27). He even personified wisdom in a way that was similar to Proverbs (Matt. 11:19). Paul saw the fulfillment of wisdom in Christ (Col. 1:15-20; 2:3) and affirmed that Christ became our wisdom in the crucifixion (1 Cor. 1:24, 30). So this personification in Proverbs provides a solid foundation for the similar revelation of wisdom in Christ. But because wisdom is here presented as a creation of God, it is unlikely that wisdom here is Jesus Christ. The chapter unfolds in three cycles: after an introduction (1-3), wisdom makes an invitation (4,5) and explains that she is noble, just, and true (6-9); she then makes another invitation (10) and explains that she is valuable (11-21); and finally, she tells how she preceded and delights in creation (22-31) before concluding with the third invitation (32-36).
<sup>1</sup>sn The word vor) in this context would refer to the highest area of the elevated place, or the most important place in the elevated area. The contrast of this verse with chapter 7 is striking. There the wayward woman was lurking at the corners in the street at night; here wisdom is in the open places in view of all.
<sup>2</sup>sn The text has “at the house of the paths”; house is not literal here, but refers to where the paths meet.
<sup>3</sup>tn Heb “mouth of”
<sup>4</sup>sn The cry is a very loud ringing cry that could not be missed. /nr means “to give a ringing cry.” It is often only a shrill sound that might come with a victory in battle; but its use in the psalms for praise shows that it also can have clear verbal content, as it does here. For wisdom to stand in the street and give such ringing cry would mean that it could be heard by all. It was a proclamation.
<sup>5</sup>tn Heb “men”
<sup>6</sup>tn “calls” added
<sup>7</sup>tn Heb “sons of man”
<sup>8</sup>tn The form is the Hiphil imperative of /yb which means “understand” in that stem. The call is for the simple to understand what wisdom is, not just to gain it.
<sup>9</sup>tn See the discussion in 1:4.
<sup>10</sup>tn Heb “heart,” which means discernment, understanding, judgment
<sup>11</sup>sn Wisdom begins the first motivation by claiming to speak noble things. The word is “noble, princely,” meaning excellent things.
<sup>12</sup>sn ?T^p=m! is a masculine noun in construct meaning “opening, utterance”; BDB says it means “that with which my lips open” in this passage (p. 836). “Lips” is a metonymy of cause, being the organ of speech put for what is said.
<sup>13</sup>tn See 1:3, fn 13.
<sup>14</sup>sn “Mouth” is literally “roof of the mouth, palate, gums”; as part of the operation of speaking it is a metonymy of cause.
<sup>15</sup>sn The word “truth” (tm#o$) is derived from the verbal root /mo, which means “to support.” There are a number of derived nouns that have the sense of reliability—“pillars,” “master craftsman,” “nurse,” “guardian.” Modifiers related to this group of words includes things like “faithful, “surely, “truly” (amen). In the derived stems the verb develops various nuances: the Niphal has the meanings of “reliable, faithful, sure, steadfast,” and the Hiphil has the meaning “believe” (consider something dependable).. The noun “truth” would then have the meaning of that which is reliable or dependable, firm or sure.
<sup>16</sup>sn The “lips of wisdom” detest wickedness, meaning that wisdom hates speaking wicked things. In fact, speaking truth results in part from detesting wickedness.
<sup>17</sup>tn The phrase could be rendered with an understood ellipsis: “all the words of my mouth [are said] in righteousness”; or the preposition could be interpreted as a beth essentiae: “all the words of my mouth are righteousness.”
<sup>18</sup>sn The verb ltp means “to twist.” In the Niphal it means “to wrestle” (to twist oneself). It was used in Genesis 30:8 for the naming of Naphtali, with the motivation for the name from this verb: “with great struggling.” Here it will describe speech that is twisted . It is a synonym for the last word, which we have seen means “twisted, crooked, perverse.”
<sup>19</sup>sn ?k^n) means “front, in front of”; in this passage the idea of the sayings being right in front means they are open, obvious, and clear, as opposed to words that might be twisted or perverse. The parallel word “upright” means “straight, smooth, right.” Wisdom’s teachings are in plain view and intelligible for those who find knowledge.
<sup>20</sup>tn Heb “discipline”—instruction that trains with discipline (see 1:2, fn 6).
<sup>21</sup>tn The verb Wwv=y! (<hwv) can be rendered “are not comparable” or in a potential nuance “cannot be compared” with her.
<sup>22</sup>sn The noun is “shrewdness,” i.e., the right use of knowledge in special cases (see also the discussion in 1:4). The word in this sentence is an adverbial accusative of specification.
<sup>23</sup>tn This verb form is an imperfect, whereas the verb in the first colon was a perfect tense. The perfect should be classified as a gnomic perfect, and this form a habitual imperfect, because they describe the nature of wisdom.
<sup>24</sup>tn ton)C= is the Qal infinitive construct of the verb “to hate.” In this sentence it functions nominally as the predicate. Fearing the LORD is hating evil.
sn The verb “hate” (onC) has the basic idea of rejecting something spontaneously. For example, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Mal. l:2b,3a). It frequently enough has the idea of disliking or loathing as English does, but almost always with an aspect of rejection. To hate evil is not only to dislike it, but to reject it and have nothing to do with it.
<sup>25</sup>sn Since both hoG@, “pride,” and /OoG, “arrogance, pride,” are both from the same verbal root (hog, “to rise up”), they should here be interpreted as one idea. Thus, they may be taken to form a nominal hendiadys: “arrogant pride.”
<sup>26</sup>sn The phrase is literally “and a mouth of perverse things.” The word “mouth” is a metonymy of cause for what is said; and the noun tOkP%h=t^, “perverse things,” means destructive things (the related verb is used for the overthrowing of Sodom).
<sup>27</sup>tc In the second half of verse 14 instead of yn!o& the editors propose reading simply yl! as the renderings in the LXX, Latin, and Syriac suggest. Then, in place of the yl! that comes in the same colon, read yl!w=. While the MT is a difficult reading, it can be translated as it is. It would be difficult to know exactly what the versions were reading, because their translations could have been derived from either text. They represent an effort to smooth out the text.
sn In verses 14-17 the pronouns come first in the verses and should receive greater prominence—although it is not always easy to do this with English. Verse 14 literally has: “To me [belong] counsel and sound wisdom.” The second colon in the verse has: “I, understanding, to me and might.”
<sup>28</sup>sn The verb /zr means “to be weighty, judicious, commanding.” It only occurs in the Qal active participle in the plural as a substantive, meaning “potentates, rulers” (see also Psalm 1:1-3).
<sup>29</sup>sn This verb Wqq=?)y= is related to the noun q?), which is a “statute, decree.” The verb is defined by BDB as “cut in, inscribe, decree.” The point the verse is making is that when these potentates decree righteousness, it is by wisdom. History records all too often that these rulers acted as fools and opposed righteousness (cf. Ps. 2:1-3). But people in power need wisdom to govern the earth (see Isa. 11:1-4 which predicts how Messiah will use wisdom to do this very thing). The point is underscored with the paronomasia in verse 15 with “kings” and “will reign” from the same root, and then in verse 16 with both “princes” and “rule” being cognate. The repetition of sounds and meanings strengthens the statements.
<sup>30</sup>tc Many of the MT manuscripts read “sovereigns [princes], all the judges of the earth.” The LXX has “sovereigns…rule the earth.” But the MT manuscript in the text has “judges of righteousness.” Toy suggests that the Hebrew here has assimilated Psalm 148:11 in its construction (p. 167). The expression “judges of the earth” is what one would expect, but the more difficult and unexpected reading, the one scribes might change, would be “judges of righteousness.” If that reading stands, then it would probably be interpreted as using an attributive genitive.
<sup>31</sup>sn In contrast to the word for “hate” (onC) the verb “love” (bho) includes within it the idea of choosing spontaneously. So in this line loving and seeking point up the means of finding wisdom.
<sup>32</sup>tn The two synonyms, “than gold, than fine gold” probably form a hendiadys here to express “than very fine gold.”
<sup>33</sup>sn The language of the text with “fruit” and “ingathering” is the language of the harvest—what the crops yield. So the figure is hypocatastasis, comparing what wisdom produces to such crops.
<sup>34</sup>tn The verse begins with ly?!n=h^l=, “to cause to inherit,” the Hiphil infinitive construct expressing the purpose of the preceding “walk” in the way of righteousness. These verses say that wisdom is always on the way of righteousness for the purposes of bestowing the same to those who find her. If sin is involved, then wisdom has not been followed.
<sup>35</sup>tn The verb form oL@m^o& is the Piel imperfect; even though it does not have the waw on the form, it continues the verbal idea that the infinitive began in the parallel colon.
<sup>36</sup>tc The LXX adds at the end of this verse: If I declare to you the things of daily occurrence, I will remember to recount the things of old.”
<sup>37</sup>tn There are two roots hnqin Hebrew, one meaning “to possess,” and the other meaning ”to create.” The older translations did not know of the second root, but suspected in certain places that a meaning like that was necessary (see Gen. 4:1; 14:19; Deut. 32:6). Ugaritic confirmed that it was indeed another root. The older versions have the translation “possess” because otherwise it sounds like God lacked wisdom and therefore created it at the beginning. They wanted to avoid saying that wisdom was not eternal. Arius liked the idea of Christ as the wisdom of God and so chose the translation “create.” Athanasius translated it, “constituted me as the head of creation.” The verb occurs twelve times in Proverbs with the meaning of acquire; but the Greek and the Syriac versions have the meaning “create.” Although the idea is that wisdom existed before creation, the parallel ideas in these verses (“appointed,” “given birth”) argue for the translation of “create” or “establish” (see R. N. Whybray, “Proverbs 8:22-31 and Its Supposed Prototypes,” VT 15 [1965]:504-14; and W. A. Irwin, “Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?” JBL 80 [1961]:133-142).
<sup>38</sup>tn Verbs of creation often involve double accusatives; here the double accusative involves the person (i.e., wisdom) and an abstract noun in construct (see Waltke and O’Connor, Biblical Hebrew Syntax, pp. 174,175).
<sup>39</sup>sn The word “way” is an idiom (implied comparison) for the actions of God. The claim of wisdom in this passage is that she was foundational to all that God would do.
<sup>40</sup>tn The first parallel verb is yT!k=S^n!, “I was appointed.” It is not a common word; it occurs here and in Psalm 2:6 for the coronation of the king. It means “installed, set.”
<sup>41</sup>tn “existed” has been supplied from the context.
<sup>42</sup>sn The summary statements just given are now developed in a lengthy treatment of wisdom as the agent of all creation. This verse singles out “watery deeps” (tOmh)T=) in its allusion to creation because the word in Genesis signals the condition of the world at the very beginning, and because in the ancient world this was something no one could control. Chaos was not there first—wisdom was.
<sup>43</sup>tn The third parallel verb is yT!l=l^Oh, “I was given birth.” Some translate it “brought forth”—not in the sense of being presented, but in being “begotten, given birth to.” Here is the strongest support for the translation of hnq as “created” in verse 22. The verb is not literal; it continues the perspective of the personification.
<sup>44</sup>tn Heb “made heavy” from abundance
<sup>45</sup>tn Heb “open places”
<sup>46</sup>tn Here vor) means “beginning” with reference to time (BDB, p. 911, 4b).
<sup>47</sup>sn The infinitive construct qW? (“to cut, engrave, mark”) and the noun gW? (“horizon, circle”) form a paronomasia in the line.
<sup>48</sup>tn To form a better parallel in the verse, some commentators read this infinitive zOzu&B^, “when [they] grew strong,” as a Piel causative, “when He made firm, fixed fast.” But the verse itself implies this meaning.
<sup>49</sup>tn Heb “his mouth”
<sup>50</sup>tn The verb form is a preterite with waw consecutive, although it has not been apocopated. It provides the concluding statement for the temporal clauses as well as the parallel to verse 27.
<sup>51</sup>tn Critical to the interpretation of this line is the meaning of /Omo. Several suggestions have been made: “master craftsman,” “nursing child,” “foster father.” R. B. Y. Scott chooses “faithful”—a binding or living link (“Wisdom in Creation: The ‘Amon of Proverbs 8:30,” VT 10 [1960]:213-223). The image of child does fit the previous figure of “give birth to.” But “craftsman” has the most support (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, Targum, Song of Songs 7:1; Jer. 52:15; see also Patrick W. Skehan, “Structures in Poems on Wisdom: Proverbs 8 and Sirach 24,” CBQ 41 [1979]:365-379).
<sup>52</sup>tn The word is a plural of intensification for “delight”; it describes wisdom as the object of delight. The Greek has the suffix; the Hebrew does not.
<sup>53</sup>tn The two words are synonymous in general and so could be taken to express a superlative idea—the whole world. But lb#T@ also means the inhabited world, and so the construct may be interpreted as a partitive genitive.
<sup>54</sup>tn Heb “and my delights” [were] with/in”
<sup>55</sup>tn Heb “the sons of man”
<sup>56</sup>sn The word that is used here and in verse 34 is yr@v=o^; it is the word that describes the heavenly bliss or joy of one who is right with God.
<sup>57</sup>tn Heb “discipline”
<sup>58</sup>tn Heb “the man”
<sup>59</sup>tn The form dq)v=l! is the infinitive construct serving epexegeticlly in the sentence. It explains how the person will listen to wisdom.
<sup>60</sup>tn Heb “keeping, guarding”
<sup>61</sup>tn The Kethib reads plurals: “those who find me are finders of life”; this is reflected in the LXX and Syriac. But the Qere is singular: “whoever finds me finds life.”
<sup>62</sup>tn The form is the preterite with the waw consecutive; it carries the same nuance as the perfect tense that came before it, setting out the timeless principle.
<sup>63</sup>tn The form yo!F=?) is the active participle, singular, with the pronominal suffix that is the object, meaning literally “the one sinning [against] me.” The word forms a contrast with “find” in the previous verse, and so has its basic meaning of “failing to find, miss.” So it is talking about the one who misses wisdom, as opposed to the one who finds it.
<sup>64</sup>tn The verb is the Qal active participle, serving verbally in the sentence. The word stresses both social and physical harm and violence. Whoever tries to live without wisdom is inviting all kinds of disaster into his life.
<sup>65</sup>tn Heb “his soul”
<sup>66</sup>tn The form is the Piel active participle in the plural with a pronominal suffix attached. The basic idea in the word “hate” is that of rejection. Its antonym is also used in the line, “love,” which has the idea of choosing. So not choosing (i.e., hating) wisdom is choosing (i.e., loving) death.
<sup>67</sup>sn Chapter 9 forms the conclusion of the lengthy introduction to the book. Both wisdom and folly will make their final appeals; and both appeal to the simpletons. Wisdom offers life with no mention of pleasure; folly offers pleasure with no mention of death. The first twelve verses concern accepting wisdom: the invitation of wisdom (1-6), the description of the responses (7-11), and the consequence (12). Verses 13-18 concern accepting folly: the invitation (13-17) and the consequence (18),
<sup>1</sup>sn Now wisdom is portrayed on the human level. She has prepared a house and established it on seven pillars. This is a reference to the habitable world (see 8:31). For the equation of the house and the world, see 8:29; Job 38:6; and Psalm 104:5 (see also Gustav Bostrom, Proverbia Studien: die Weisheit und des fremde Weib in Spr. 1-9 [Lunds Universitets Arsskrift, N.F., 1935], Aud. I, Bd. 30, Nr. 3, pp. 1-14). The seven pillars have been variously interpreted (Bostrom suggests even the seven planets). But since seven is a number for completeness and sacredness, the idea seems to be that wisdom produced a perfect world.
<sup>2</sup>tn Heb “she has killed her killing”
<sup>3</sup>sn Wisdom has prepared a sumptuous banquet in this house and sends out her maids to call the simple to come and eat (M. Lichtenstein, “The Banquet Motif in Keret and in Proverbs 9,” JANES 1 [1968,69]:19-31). The figures of meat and wine represent the good teaching of wisdom that will be palatable and profitable (implied comparisons). Compare Isaiah 55:1-2 and John 6:51,55 for similar uses of the figures. The idea of mixing wine could refer to the practice of mixing wine with spices or with water (as the LXX text assumes); cf. Prov. 23:30 and Isa. 5:22). All the imagery lets the simple know that what wisdom has to offer is marvelous.
<sup>4</sup>tn The text uses two synonymous terms in construct to express the superlative degree.
<sup>5</sup>tn The second colon reads “lacking of heart she says to him”; the pronominal suffix is a resumptive pronoun, meaning, “she says to the lacking of heart.”
<sup>6</sup>tn Heb “him”
<sup>7</sup>tn Heb “heart”
<sup>8</sup>tn The text uses the verb Wm?&l^ with its cognate accusative ym!?&l^; this reflects the same construction uses in verse 2 with the verb for slaughtering meat. The preposition b= here has the partitive use “some” (GKC, par. 119m).
<sup>9</sup>tn The final verb actually stands in a relative clause although the relative pronoun is not present; it modifies “wine.”
sn The expressions “eat” and “drink” carry the implied comparison forward; they mean that the simple are to appropriate the teachings of wisdom.
<sup>10</sup>tn There are two ways to take this word: either as “fools” or as “foolish ways.” The spelling for “foolishness” in verse 13 differs from this spelling, and so some have taken that as a key that this should be “fools.” But this could still be an abstract plural here as in 1:22. Either the message is to forsake fools (i.e., bad company) or forsake foolishness.
<sup>11</sup>tn The verse uses two imperatives joined with the waw; this is a volitive sequence in which result or consequence is being expressed.
<sup>12</sup>sn The verb is Wrv=o!, the Qal imperative from the verb meaning “go straight, go on, advance.” BDB have it, “go straight on in the way of understanding” (p. 80). It is the verb that is related to the frequently repeated “blessed”—yr@v=o^.
<sup>13</sup>sn The active participle rs@y) describes one who tries to correct by means of instruction and discipline; it is paralleled by the Hiphil participle ?^yk!Om, the one who rebukes or reproves another. The warning of the verse is that anyone trying this on these types of people would be inviting trouble.
<sup>14</sup>tn Heb “receives for himself’”
<sup>15</sup>sn The word means “dishonor” or “disgrace.” It is paralleled with OmWm, translated “abuse.” The latter term means “blemish,” although some would emend the text to read “reproach.” The MT is figurative but not impossible to interpret: whoever tries to rebuke a wicked person will receive only insults and perhaps physical attack.
<sup>16</sup>tn “receives” supplied
<sup>17</sup>tn In view of the expected response for reproof, the text now uses a negated jussive to advise against the attempt. This is paralleled antithetically by the imperative in the second colon. This imperative is in an understood conditional clause: “if you reprove a wise person.”
<sup>18</sup>tn The text has “lest he hate you,” the particle /P# expressing fear or precaution (Williams, Hebrew Syntax, par. 476). The two halves of the verse contrast “love” and “hate,” the latter including the meaning “reject” and the former including the meaning of “choosing and embacing.”
<sup>19</sup>tn “instruction” added
<sup>20</sup>sn The parallelism shows what Proverbs will stress, that the wise person is the righteous person.
<sup>21</sup>tn The verb is the Hiphil imperative, meaning “cause to know, make known”; but in this context the translation “teach” fits the emphasis in the verse.
<sup>22</sup>tn “his” supplied
<sup>23</sup>sn The difference between tL^h!T= here and tyv!or@ of 1:7, if there is any substantial difference, is that this term refers to the starting point of wisdom, and the earlier one indicates the primary place of wisdom (see Delitzsch, Proverbs, p. 202).
<sup>24</sup>tn The word is in the plural in the MT. It was translated “holy men” in the Targum. But it probably was meant to signify the majestic nature of the LORD. As Greenstone says, He is “all-holy” (Proverbs, p. 94).
<sup>25</sup>tn The preposition B= here may have the causal use (Williams, Hebrew Syntax, par . 247), although means could work as well (par. 243).
<sup>26</sup>tn The verb Wpys!Oyw= is the Hiphil imperfect, third masculine plural; but because there is no expressed subject the verb may be taken as a passive.
<sup>27</sup>tn The text simply has the preposition l= with a suffix; but this will be the use of the preposition classified as “interest,” either for advantage or disadvantage (Williams, Hebrew Syntax, par. 271).
<sup>28</sup>tn The perfect tense is here in a conditional clause because of the conjunction following the first colon of the verse that begins with “if.” The perfect tense then lays down the antithetical condition—“if you mock,” or “if you are a mocker.”
<sup>29</sup>tn The imperfect tense here could be the simple future tense translation; but the obligatory nuance is more appropriate—“you must bear it.” These words anticipate James’ warnings that the words we speak will haunt us through life (see James 3:1-12).
<sup>30</sup>tc The LXX has this expansion of the verse: “Forsake folly, that you may reign forever; and seek discretion and direct understanding in knowledge.”
<sup>31</sup>tn The expression tWlys!K= tv#o@, “a woman of foolishness,” could be translated as “foolish woman,” taking the genitive as attributive. But in view of the contrast with the personification of wisdom, this word probably also represents a personification and so can be taken as a genitive of apposition, the woman who is folly, or “the woman, Folly.”
<sup>32</sup>sn The meaning of the word comes close to “riotous.” McKane describes her as restless and rootless (Proverbs, p. 366).
<sup>33</sup>tn The noun means “foolishness.” Here it could be classified as a metonymy of adjunct, or as a predictive apposition (when a substantive is used in place of a noun) (see Williams, Hebrew Syntax, par. 67).
<sup>34</sup>tn The ignorance here must be moral ignorance in Proverbs. But see D. Winton Thomas for the idea of the verb meaning “become still,” “be at rest,” yielding here the idea of restless (“A Note on bal yade`a in Proverbs 10:13,” JTS 4 [1953]:23-24).
³⁵tc The text of verse 13 was difficult for the translators. The MT has, “The foolish woman is boisterous, simplicity, and knows not what.” The LXX reads, “A foolish and impudent woman comes to lack a morsel, she who knows not shame.” The Syriac has, “a woman lacking in discretion, seductive.” The Targum translates it, “a foolish woman and a gadabout, ignorant, and she knows not good.” The Vulgate has, “a woman foolish and noisy, and full of wiles, and knowing nothing at all.”
³⁶tn or)q=l! is the Qal infinitive construct, functioning epexegetically in the sentence.
³⁷tn The noun is a genitive of location after the construct participle. Its parallel word tO?r=o) is an adverbial accusative of location.
³⁸tn The Piel participle modifies the participle in the first colon. To describe the passers-by in this context as those “who go straight” means that they are quiet and unwary.
³⁹tn The verse is almost identical to verse 4, with the exception of the addition of conjunctions in the second colon: “and the lacking of understanding and she says to him.” The parallel is deliberate, of course, showing the competing appeals for the passers-by.
⁴⁰sn The offer is not wine and meat (which represented wisdom), but water that is stolen. The “water” will seem sweeter than wine because it is stolen—the idea of getting away with something exciting appeals to the baser instincts. In Proverbs the water imagery was introduced earlier in 5:15-19 as sexual activity with the adulterous, which would seem at the moment more enjoyable than learning wisdom. Likewise bread will be drawn into this analogy in 30:20. So the calling out is similar, but the offers are very different.
⁴¹tn The text has “bread of secrecies” which is open to a couple of interpretations. It could mean “bread [eaten in] secret places,” a genitive of location; or, it could mean “bread [gained through] secrets,” a genitive of source, the secrecies being metonymical for theft. The latter makes a better parallelism in this verse, for bread (=sex) gained secretly would be like stolen water.
⁴²tn Heb “he does not know”
⁴³sn The “dead” are the Repha’im, the “shades” or dead who lead a shadowy existence in Sheol (see 2:18-19; Job 3:13-19; Ps. 88:5; Isa. 14:9-11). The verse approximates an “as-if” motif of wisdom literature: the ones ensnared in folly are as good as in Hell. See also Ptah-hotep’s sayings (ANET, pp. 412-414).
⁴⁴tc The LXX adds to the end of verse 18: “But turn away, linger not in the place, neither set your eye on her: for thus will you go through alien water; but abstain from alien water, drink not from an alien fountain, that you may live long, that years of life may be added to you.”
sn The text has “in the depths of Sheol” (lOov= yq@m=u!B=). The parallelism stresses that those who turn to this way of life are ignorant and doomed. It may signal a literal death lying ahead in the not too distant future, but it is more likely an analogy. The point is that the life of folly, a life of undisciplined, immoral, riotous living, runs counter to God’s appeal for wisdom and leads to ruin. That is the broad way that leads to destruction.
⁴⁵sn Beginning with chapter ten there is a noticeable difference in the form of the material. Not longer are there the long admonitions to receive wisdom, the lengthy poems, or the personifications; rather, now we find the actual proverbs, the short aphorisms dealing with the right or wrong choices in various areas of life. There is no arrangement to the material as a whole, other than that here and there a few on similar themes are grouped together. It is a long collection of sayings, close to 400 proverbs.
¹tn Heb “son”
²tn The imperfect tense is here given an English present tense translation, reflecting the category of progressive or habitual imperfect. These fit the nature of proverbs which are general maxims, and not necessarily absolutes or universal truths. One may normally expect to find or receive what the proverb notes or promises, and one should live according to its instructions in the light of those expectations; but one should not be surprised if from time to time there is an exception. The fact that there may be an exception does not diminish the need to live by the sayings (any more than the problem of unanswered prayer would lead someone to stop praying).
³tn Hebrew lys!K=
⁴tn Heb “son”
⁵tn “Grief” is in construct; so “mother” is a genitive, possibly objective. The antithetical saying declares that the consequences of wisdom or folly affects the parents.
⁶tn The noun uv^r# is a genitive of source, treasures gathered from wickedness, meaning ill-gotten gain.
⁷sn The term “righteousness” in this context takes on the meaning of honesty. Wealth has limited value even if gained honestly; but honesty delivers from mortal danger.
⁸sn The term “death” could have the literal sense included; but more than likely it is figurative for mortal danger, or ruin.
⁹sn The line makes the general observation that the LORD does not leave unsatisfied the appetite (vp#n#) of the righteous, which here would include the inner urge for success. The word “soul, throat” has as its basic idea the life that includes all the appetites. On the other hand, the wicked live unfulfilled lives—as far as spiritual values are concerned.
¹⁰tn The verb ([dh) means “thrust away, push, drive,” i.e., either depose or reject.
¹¹tn The verse contrasts the “appetite” of the righteous with the “craving” of the wicked. This word “craving,” tW^h^ (s.v., hwh) means “desire” often in a bad sense, as the desire of the wicked, which could not be wholesome (Ps. 52:9). In fact, it is used figuratively for engulfing destruction. (Jb. 6:2, Ps. 5:10).
¹²sn The description of “slack hand” is contrasted to “diligent hand”; the first refers to lazy work or careless work that such hands produce (“hand” being a metonymy of cause), and the second to diligent work. See Norman C. Habel, “Wisdom, Wealth, and Poverty Paradigms in the Book of Proverbs,” Bible Bhashyam 14 (1988):28-49.
¹³tc The MT has to be read as vor@ to obtain a meaning “poor” or “poverty.” Both the Targum and the LXX have this reading, which is required in the antithetical parallelism.
¹⁴sn Hebrew lyK!C=m^ describes the son as prudent, skillful, and hence successful. He would seize the opportunity with keen insight into the importance of the season.
¹⁵sn The idea of “sleeps” is figurative, an implied comparison that has become idiomatic (like our “asleep on the job”). It means that this one is lazy or oblivious to the needs of the hour.
¹⁶sn The word “blessings” has the sense of gifts, enrichments, that is, the rewards or the results of being righteous. The blessings come either from the people the righteous deal with, or from God.
¹⁷sn The point is that behind the speech (“mouth” is a metonymy of cause) of the wicked is aggressive violence, so he cannot be trusted (McKane, Proverbs, p. 422).
¹⁸sn “Memory” [rk#z@] and “name” are often paired as synonyms. “Memory” in this sense has to do with reputation, fame. So the verse is saying that a reputation will be determined as good or bad by righteousness or wickedness respectively.
¹⁹sn The verb “shall rot” means that the name will be obliterated from memory (Exod. 17:14; Deut. 25:19), leaving only a bad memory for a while. The editors of BHS suggest a reading “will be cursed” to make a better parallelism.
²⁰tn The text literally reads, “fool of lips,” a genitive of specification. This is the person who talks foolishness, the idea being that he is too busy talking this way to pay attention to any instructions.
²¹tn The verb is Fbl in the Niphal means “to be thrust down or away”; hence the idea of “be ruined, fall.” It occurs in Hosea 4:14 with the idea of “stumble.” The fool who refuses to listen but abides by his own standards which he freely expresses will have to endure the predicaments that he creates.
²²sn “Integrity” means “blameless” in conduct. Security follows integrity, because the lifestyle is blameless—this one is certain of the course to be followed and does not fear retribution from man of God.
²³tn The form vQ@u^m= is the Piel participle, meaning “make crooked, twisted, perverse.” It is stronger than simply taking crooked paths; it refers to perverting the ways. The point is that one is devious will not get away with it.
²⁴tn Jr@q) is the active participle, the “one winking.” The verb means “nip, pinch”; with the eye it means “to wink” with the sense of doing so maliciously (Prov. 6:13). This would be a shifty sign given to others.
sn In the verse we have a comparison rather than a contrast. Devious gestures are grievous, but not as ruinous as foolish talk. Both are to be avoided.
²⁵sn Again we have the construction as in verse 8, “the fool of lips.” The word for fool in these verses is lyw!o$, the one who despises knowledge and discernment.
²⁶sn The idea of this metaphor, “the fountain of life,” may come from Ps. 36:9 (see also Prov. 13:14; 14:27; 16:22). It indicates that what the righteous say is beneficial to life, or life-giving.
²⁷sn The word “mouth” is metonymy of cause, representing what the righteous say. Their words are life-giving, but the words of the wicked are in reality violent. See R. B. Y. Scott, “Wise and Foolish, Righteous and Wicked,” VT 29 (1972):145-165.
²⁸tn The second colon is identical to verse 6b.
²⁹sn The proverb contrasts the wicked who are motivated by hatred (animosity, rejection) with the righteous who are motivated by love (kind acts, showing favor).
³⁰sn Love then acts like forgiveness. Here is the main thrust of the proverb: hatred would exaggerate and find faults so that there is division and dissension, but love is going to seek ways to make transgressions disappear (see 1 Pet. 4:8).
³¹tn The form “discerning” is the Niphal participle; it describes one who is critically perceptive, one who has understanding. This individual is one who can be relied upon to say things that are wise.
³²sn The “rod” is a metonymy of cause or of adjunct; it signifies the correction necessary for the one who lacks understanding (lit. heart).
³³tn Heb “wise men”
³⁴sn The idea of the verb /pX is “store up, treasure”; this may mean in order that they do not lose or forget it, or it may mean that they do not tell all that they know. They will treasure it up for a time when they will need it. The contrast then is the fool who talks without thinking.
³⁵tn Heb “destruction [that is] near”
sn The words of the fool that are uttered without wisdom or forethought may invite imminent ruin. For the idea see James 3:13-18; see also Ptah-hotep and Amenemope in ANET, pp. 414 and 423.
³⁶sn The metaphor is a “strong city,” meaning that wealth protects its inhabitants against all adversity like a fortified city. Proverbs will stress that such wealth be attained by diligence and righteous means (13:8; 18:23; 22:7).
³⁷tn The word “destruction” or “ruin” is the same word found in the last verse. The implication may be that the poverty mentioned includes the shambles in which the person lives, and this gives no security but only the fear of ruin, which is a constant worry. The verse seems simply to make an observation on life.
³⁸sn Rewards are determined by moral choices. What one receives in life depends on the use of gifts and a righteous character. The text uses “wages” and “ingathering” [i.e., harvest] as the figures for rewards.
³⁹sn The word “sin” does not seem to make clear sense here; so the editors of BHS suggest changing toF?^l= to hT?!m=l!, “destruction, ruin.” However, the word “sin” could be taken as the metonymy of cause, meaning the effect of sin which would be the punishment for sin. See also D. Winton Thomas, “The Meaning of hatta’t in Proverbs 10:16,” JTS 15 (1964):295,6.
⁴⁰tn The colon has no main verb, so the verb “to be” is supplied. However, since the second colon speaks of leading others astray, this colon may indicate that the disciplined person is leading others in the way of life.
⁴¹tn The genitive here is a genitive of location indicating the goal (see Waltke and O’Connor, p. 148).
⁴²sn The contrast with the one who holds fast to discipline is the one who forsakes or abandons reproof or correction. Whereas the first is an example, this latter individual causes people to wander from the true course of life, meaning, cause them to err.
⁴³tn The text has “lips of falsehood,” the genitive being attributive genitive for “lips” which is a metonymy of cause. The one who shows friendliness while concealing hatred is a liar.
⁴⁴sn The word hBD! means “whispering, defamation, evil report.” BDB suggest the meaning of defamation for this passage (p. 179). The one who spreads slander is a fool because it not only destroys others but comes back on the guilty. See also the sayings of Amenemope and Ahiqar on these subjects (ANET, pp. 423, 429).
⁴⁵tn Hebrew is lys!K=
⁴⁶sn The verb means “cease.” The point is that it is impossible to avoid sinning if there is an abundance of words—sooner or later one is bound to say something wrong.
⁴⁷tn Or, “holds his lips under control”
⁴⁸sn This verse contrasts the tongue (metonymy of cause for what they say) with the heart (metonymy of subject for what they intend), to affirm that what the righteous say is infinitely more valuable than what the wicked intend.
⁴⁹sn The point of the metaphor is made clear by the parallelism: silver is valuable and to be treasured. The expression “like little” means the heart of the wicked is of no account. The Targum drew the idea out to say it was full of dross, a contrast with choice silver.
⁵⁰sn The colon affirms that what the righteous say (using a metonymy again) is edifying. The verb hur means “to feed, shepherd” (see Gen. 48:15). What they say will meet the needs of many.
⁵¹tn In what sense the fool (lyw!o$) dies is unclear. At the least it means that such fools by lack of discipline and little knowledge ruin their lives and the lives of others associated with them. The contrast is between enhancing life and ruining life.
⁵²sn The imperfect tense means “make rich”; it provides a reinforcement of the meaning of the noun tK^r=B!, “blessing [of],” which essentially means a gift or enrichment or endowment from the LORD.
⁵³sn The noun bX#u# means “toil, labor” in the negative sense of painful and anxious toil. It is the word used in the curse oracles in Genesis 3 for the man and the woman struggling in life under sin. The verse is affirming that God’s blessing is pure and untarnished—it does not bring with it anxiety and sorrow. Psalm 127:1-3 also stresses how the LORD gives to His beloved prosperity as well as peace of mind.
⁵⁴sn “Sport” is “laughter” (qO?C=); it is what is exhilarating and pleasurable, or as Plaut says, like child’s play (Proverbs, p. 132). For the fool evil brings such enjoyment; for the discerning wisdom does.
⁵⁵tn The Qal infinitive construct tOCu& functions in this sentence as the subject.
⁵⁶sn The noun hMz! means “wickedness, plan, device.” It is a strong word, used elsewhere for planning lewdness, murder, incest, adultery, idolatry, and licentiousness. Any planned gross impropriety gives the fool pleasure. Moreover, the fool is too thick-headed to see how destructive such things are.
⁵⁷tn The noun tr^Ogm= refers to “the feared thing” [of the wicked], and the noun “wicked” is a subjective genitive. The apprehensions and the anxieties of the wicked will overtake him.
⁵⁸tn The construction is literally “the desire of the righteous,” the “righteous” being a subjective genitive as well.
⁵⁹tn The verb is /T@y! in the MT. Without an expressed subject it may be given a passive translation. This some of the versions did, and the editors of BHS propose.
⁶⁰sn The word for “storm-wind” comes from the root [Ws, “to come to an end, cease.” The noun may then describe the kind of storm that makes an end of things, a whirlwind. It is used in prophetic passages that describe swift judgment and destruction.
⁶¹tn Heb “and the wicked are not”
⁶²sn The metaphor compares the righteous to an everlasting foundation in order to stress that they are secure when the catastrophes of life come along. Matthew 7:24-27 addresses the same point. The believer is settled and fixed in a covenantal relationship and needs not to fear passing misfortunes. The wicked has no such security.
⁶³sn Two similes are used to portray the aggravation in sending a lazy person on a mission. Vinegar to the teeth is an unpleasant, irritating experience; and smoke to the eyes is an unpleasant experience that hinders progress.
⁶⁴tn The participle is plural, and so probably should be taken in a distributive sense: “to each one who sends him.”
⁶⁵tn Heb “days”
⁶⁶sn This general saying has to be qualified with the problem of the righteous suffering and dying young, a problem that perplexed the sages of the entire ancient world. But this is the general principle: the righteous live longer because their life is the natural one and because God blesses them.
⁶⁷sn This is a proverb that contrasts the hopes of the righteous and the wicked. The righteous will see their hopes fulfilled, because they are right. The saying is concerned with God’s justice. The words tl#?#OT (from l?y) and tw^q=T! (from hwq) are synonyms, both emphasizing eager expectations, longings, waiting in hope.
⁶⁸tn meaning “remain unfulfilled”
⁶⁹sn The “way of the LORD” is an idiom for God’s providential administration of life, it is what the LORD does (“way” being a hypocatastasis).
⁷⁰tn Heb “for the one with integrity” (<T)l^)
⁷¹tn Or, “ruin”
⁷²tn See Psalm 125.
⁷³sn This proverb concerns the enjoyment of covenant blessings—dwelling in the land of Israel. It is promised to the righteous for an eternal inheritance, and so the wicked cannot expect to settle there—they will be exiled.
⁷⁴sn The verb bWn means “to bear fruit.” It is used only figuratively of the righteous, drawing upon the image of a tree. They produce wisdom and righteousness.
⁷⁵sn The word describes those who turn things upside down, overthrow, or pervert what is right. This verse says that their tongue will be cut off, a hyperbole meaning to bring to an end the evil that they speak.
⁷⁶sn The verb “know” applied to “lips” is unusual. “Lips” is a metonymy for what the righteous say; and their words “know” (a personification) what is pleasing, i.e., they are acquainted with.
⁷⁷sn The verse contrasts what the two say: the righteous say what is pleasing, acceptable, or delightful; but the wicked say perverse and destructive things.
¹tn Heb “scales of deception,” the genitive being attributive, the reference is to dishonesty in the market place where silver was measured out in the scales.
sn Scripture condemns dishonest business practices (see Deut. 25:13-16; Lev. 10:35-36), as did the ancient Near East (see ANET, pp. 388, 423).
²sn The Hebrew is literally “a perfect stone.” Stones were used for measuring amounts of silver on the scales; here the stone that pleases the LORD is whole, complete, perfect (from <lv). It was one that would give an honest measurement.
³sn “Pride” is the noun “insolence” or “presumptuousness”; it literally has to do with boiling over (from dyz! or dWz, “to boil, seethe, act proudly, presumptuously”). The idea is that of boiling over the edge of the pot, signifying overstepping the boundaries (illustrated by Jacob’s “boiling/acting presumptuously” in Genesis 25:29). The noun in this line is simply the abstract noun, but it could be interpreted as the proud individual. If there is pride there must be a proud person.
⁴tn The verbs show both the sequence and the correlation. The first is the perfect tense of oOB, “to enter, come”; it is followed by the preterite with the waw consecutive from the same verb, showing that one follows or comes with the other. Because the second verb in the colon is sequential to the first, the first may be subordinated as a temporal clause.
⁵sn This proverb does not state how the disgrace will come, but affirms that it will follow pride. It is a general principle from the book that the proud will be brought down.
⁶sn This word <yu!WnX+ is an adjective meaning “modest,” used substantivally here. The verbal root unX means “be modest, humble.” It describes those who are reserved, retiring, modest. The plural form of the word could be stressing the abstract idea of humility; but it might also be referring to those who are humble. The parallelism suggests the former.
⁷tn “comes” supplied from parallelism
⁸sn The contrast is between two lifestyles, affirming the value of integrity. The upright live with integrity—blamelessness—and that integrity leads them in success and happiness. Those who use treachery will be destroyed by it.
⁹tn The form is a Kethib/Qere reading. The Q is an imperfect tense with the pronominal suffix, supported by the versions; the K is a perfect tense with a waw prefixed and a pronominal suffix.
¹⁰sn The “day of wrath” refers to divine punishment in this life (see Whybray, The Book of Proverbs, p. 67; see also Job 21:30; Ezek. 7:19; Zeph. 1:18). Therefore, righteousness and not wealth is more valuable in anticipating judgment.
¹¹tn Heb “his way”
¹²tn Heb “his wickedness”
¹³sn The proverb teaches that the righteous will enjoy security and serenity throughout life. It is righteousness that makes the path straight; and it is wickedness that destroys the wicked.
¹⁴sn The contrast in the verse is between being rescued or delivered (lXn) and being captured (dkl). Righteousness is freeing; [evil] desires are enslaving.
¹⁵tn The verse parallels an imperfect tense in the first colon with a perfect tense in the second. The English present tense should be used in both cases, reflecting the habitual imperfect and the gnomic perfect.
sn The subject of this proverb is the hope of the wicked, showing its consequences—his expectations die with him (Ps. 49). Any hope for long life and success borne of wickedness will be disappointed.
¹⁶tn There are several suggested changes for this word <yn!Oo, which means “vigor, strength.” But Rashi made the word refer to children, a meaning implied from Genesis 49:3. This would mean that even his children would not benefit from his wickedness. The Targum rendered it “who practice crookedness,” deriving it from the first root which means “wickedness.”
¹⁷tc The LXX adds an antithesis to this: “When the righteous dies, hope does not perish.” The translators wanted to see the hope of the righteous fulfilled in the world to come.
¹⁸tn The verb is the Niphal perfect from the first root Jl?, “to draw off, withdraw,” and hence “be delivered.” The verse is not concerned here with the problem of evil and the suffering of the righteous; it is only concerned with the principle of divine justice.
¹⁹tn The verb is masculine singular, so the subject cannot be “trouble.” The intent of the line is that the trouble from which the righteous escape will come on the wicked—but it literally says that the wicked comes in the place of the righteous.
²⁰sn The original meaning of the Hebrew word is “impious, godless, polluted, profane.” But it later developed the idea of a “hypocrite” (Dan. 11:32), one who conceals his evil under the appearance of godliness or kindness. This one is a false flatterer.
²¹sn The verb t?v is a very strong word, meaning “to destroy, ruin.” For example, it is used in Genesis 13:10 in reference to the destruction of Sodom. The imperfect tense need not be taken here as a habitual imperfect, because the second colon will show exceptions. It may be interpreted as progressive imperfect (this goes on), or potential imperfect (they can do this).
²²sn The antithetical proverb states that a righteous person can escape devastating slander through knowledge. The righteous will have sufficient knowledge and perception to see through the hypocrisy and avoid its effect.
²³tn The text has “in the good [bOFB=] of the righteous,” meaning when they do well, when they prosper.
²⁴sn The verse parallels the verb JOlu&T^, “rejoice, exult,” with the noun hNr!, “a ringing cry.” The descriptions are somewhat hyperbolic, except perhaps when the person who dies is one who afflicted society with terrifying evil (see 2 Kgs. 11:20 and Esther 8:15). Kidner says, “However drab the world makes out virtue to be, it appreciates the boon of it in public life” (Proverbs, p. 91).
²⁵sn The construction could be interpreted with either an objective or subjective genitive. It may mean the blessing that God gives the upright (which will then benefit society), or the blessing that the upright are to the city. The latter fits the parallelism best: the blessings are the beneficent words and deeds that the righteous bring to the city.
²⁶sn What the wicked say has a disastrous effect on society, endangering, weakening, demoralizing, and perverting with malicious and slanderous words. But the point may have more application to wicked leaders who by their counsel can bring destruction on a city.
²⁷tn The participle zB (from zWB) means “to despise, show contempt for” someone. It reflects an attitude of pride and judgmentalism. In view of the parallel line, in this situation it would reflect perhaps some public denunciation of another person.
sn According to Proverbs, and the Bible as a whole, how one treats a neighbor is an important part of righteousness. One was expected to be a good neighbor, and to protect and safeguard the life and reputation of a neighbor.
²⁸tn Heb “a man of discernment”
²⁹sn The verb vyr!?&y^ means “keeps silent, holds his peace.” The content of the public denunciation might be another person’s mistake or folly; a wise person will keep quiet about it (e.g., 1 Sam. 10:27). The implication may be that discernment will lead one to realize that the neighbor may become an opponent through this and someday retaliate.
³⁰sn The noun means “slander” and so “tale-bearer, informer.” The expression literally has “going about in slander,” which means as a slanderer. The related verb (lkr) means “to go about” from one person to another, either for trade or for gossip.
³¹sn This is the intent of the person who goes around making disparaging comments about others—he cannot wait to share secrets that should be kept. The participle hL#g^m= means “uncovering, revealing” secrets.
³²tn The description of “trustworthy” is literally “faithful of spirit” (?^Wr /m^o$n#); it describes the inner nature of the person as faithful and trustworthy. This individual will not rush out to tell whatever information he has heard, but will conceal it.
³³sn The proverb teaches that advice is necessary for the success of a nation. The word “guidance” (tOlB%?=T^) is comparable to steering a ship, here the ship of state (see Whybray, Book of Proverbs, p. 67; Prov. 1:5).
³⁴sn The word means “salvation, victory” (from uvy). Here it is the antithesis of the nation falling. The setting could be one of battle or economics; but the principle is that victory or success will be more likely with good advice. The saying assumes that the counselors are wise in their fields.
³⁵sn The “stranger” could refer to a person from another country or culture, as it often does; but it could also refer to an unknown Israelite, with the idea that the individual stands outside the known and respectable community.
³⁶tn The sentence begins with the Niphal imperfect and the cognate ( u^Ory@ ur^), stressing that whoever does this “will suffer hurt.” The hurt in this case will be financial responsibility for a bad risk.
³⁷tn The participle on@C) is literally “hates”; but this has the basic meaning of rejecting, and here avoiding. This participle is substantival, functioning as the subject of the clause. The next participle, <yu!q+t), “striking hands,” is its object, telling what is hated. And the third participle ?^F@OB, “is secure,” functions verbally,
³⁸sn The contrast here is between “a gracious woman” (/?@ tv#o@), a woman who is not only graceful but generous, and the “powerful men,” a term usually having a bad sense, such as tyrants or ruthless men.
³⁹tc The LXX adds: She who hates virtue makes a throne for dishonor; the idle will be destitute of means.” The NEB follows this and inserts the reading. Toy concludes that the MT provides remnants of the original, but that the LXX does not provide the full meaning (Proverbs, p. 229).
sn The implication is that the ruthless men will obtain wealth without honor, and therefore it is not viewed as success by the writer.
⁴⁰sn This contrast is between the “kind person” (Heb “man of kindness”) and the “cruel person” (one who is fierce, cruel), showing the consequences of their dispositions.
⁴¹tn The participle lm@G) functions here as the verb of the clause. This word means ‘to deal fully, or adequately with” someone or something. The kind person will benefit himself.
⁴²tn Heb “his flesh.”
sn There may be a conscious effort by the sage to contrast “soul” and “body”: he contrasts the benefits of kindness for the “soul” (translated “himself”) with the trouble that comes to the “flesh/body” (translated “himself”) of the cruel. The word “trouble” may recall Joshua 7:25,26, where Achan troubled Israel and for that reason was troubled by God—physical death.
⁴³tn The form is the masculine singular adjective used as a substantive.
⁴⁴tn The construction is “wages of deception.” Whatever recompense or reward the wicked receive will not last, hence, it is deceptive (Scott, Proverbs/Ecclesiastes, p. 88).
⁴⁵sn The participle “sowing” provides an implied comparison (figure: hypocatastasis) with the point of practicing righteousness and inspiring others to do the same. What is sown will yield fruit (1 Cor. 9:11; 2 Cor. 9:6; Jas. 3:18).
⁴⁶tn “reaps” has been supplied from context.
⁴⁷sn There is a paronomasia in the verse between “deceptive” (rq#v) and “reward” (rk#C#), underscoring the contrast by the repetition of sounds. The wages of the wicked are deceptive; the reward of the righteous is sure (tm#o$, Heb “true”).
⁴⁸tn The form /K@ is the adjective “right, honest, veritable” (meaning “firm,” from the root /WK). BDB define it in this passage as “the veritable of righteousness” = “true righteousness.” In one Hebrew MS, the LXX, and the Syriac the reading is /B@, “son of righteousness.” The use of that idiom, however, usually introduces bad qualities (“son of worthlessness”). Others interpret the line as “righteousness is the foundation of life.” KB2 identifies the form as a participle and reads it as “steadfast in righteousness”; but the verb does not otherwise exist in the Qal. McKane reads it as /K^ and translates it “strive after” life (Proverbs, p. 435).
⁴⁹tn The text simply has “to life.” The verb supplied must be compatible with the preposition, and while this preposition can introduce a direct object, that is not its common use.
⁵⁰tn “pursues it” has been supplied from context.
⁵¹sn “Life” and “death” describe the vicissitudes of this life but can also refer to beyond the grave. The two courses of action are heading in opposite directions.
⁵²sn Since the word yv@Q=u! means “crooked, twisted, perverted,” we could render this description of the wicked as “those with twisted minds.” Their whole mentality is turned toward evil things.
⁵³tn Heb “blameless of (ym@ym!T=) way.”
⁵⁴sn OnOXr= is “His delight.” The noun means “goodwill, favor, acceptance, will”; it is related to the verb hXr which means “to be pleased with, accept favorably.” These words are used frequently in Scripture to describe what pleases the LORD, meaning, what He accepts. In particular, sacrifices offered properly find acceptance with God (Ps. 51:19). Here the lifestyle that is blameless pleases Him.
⁵⁵tn The initial expression “hand to hand,” means that it is settled, that one can be sure of it for the striking of hands implies a confirmed agreement (see M. Anbar, “Proverbs 11;21; 16:15: yd lyd - sur le champ,” Biblica 53 [1972]:537,38). Some have tried to interpret it differently down through the ages, but with little success: Targum has “he who lifts up his hand against his neighbor shall not go unpunished.”
⁵⁶sn The verb means “be clean, empty.” In the Niphal it means “free of guilt, clean, innocent,” and therefore “exempt from punishment.”
⁵⁷sn The expression is literally “the seed of the righteous.” This is an idiom that describes a class of people—those who share the nature of righteousness (cf. Isa. 1:4; 65:23). The word “seed” (a hypocatastasis) means “offspring.” Some have taken it literally and interpreted it to mean the children of the righteous will escape judgment (Saadia). The LXX has it: “He that sows righteousness shall receive a faithful reward.”
⁵⁸sn The simile makes the point that a beautiful ornament and a pig are as incongruous as a beautiful woman who has no taste.
⁵⁹tn The word is “taste.” The description is of a woman who has abandoned good taste; this can mean physical taste (Exod. 16:31), intellectual discretion (1 Sam. 25:33), or ethical judgment (Ps. 119:66). Here it probably means that she has no moral sensibility, no propriety—she is unchaste. Her beauty will be put to the wrong uses.
⁶⁰sn By supplying the verb “leads to” the line is interpreted to mean that the desire of the righteous ends in good things, whereas the hope of the wicked ends in wrath, i.e., divine judgment on them. If the verb to be was supplied, it would say that the desire is in itself good. Another possibility is to say that the desire is to do good things, but the hope of the wicked is to produce wrath.
⁶¹tn The participle rZ@p^m= means “one who scatters,” but it refers to charity rather than farming or investments (so a hypocatastasis). There is a type of person who is generous, and still prospers.
⁶²sn The verb means that he grows even more wealthy. The verse presents a paradox: generosity determines prosperity in God’s economy.
⁶³sn rv#Y)m! means “more than what is right” and proper for a person to give. In other words, this one is not giving enough, but saving for himself.
⁶⁴sn The word means that the person who withholds will come to the diminishing of his wealth. The verse uses hyperbole to teach that giving to charity does not make anyone poor, and neither does refusal to give ensure prosperity.
⁶⁵sn The giving person is literally “the soul of blessing.” “Blessing” is used elsewhere to signify a gift or a present (Gen. 33:11), or a special favor (Josh, 15:19). Here the genitive serves as an attributive.
⁶⁶sn The word literally means “will grow fat,” drawing on the standard comparison of fatness and abundance (Deut. 32:15). It means “become rich, prosperous.”
⁶⁷tn The verb hw#r=m^ is the Hiphil participle from hwr, “be saturated, drink one’s fill.” The text is making a comparison between providing water for others with providing for those in need (see Jer. 31:25; Lam. 3:15). The kind act will be reciprocated.
⁶⁸tn This verb also means “pour water,” and so continues the theme of the preceding participle: the one who gives refreshment to others will be refreshed. BDB list the form of the verb found here, or#Oy, as a Hophal imperfect of ory, the only occurrence; they translae it “shall himself also be watered.” But the verb looks very much like a Hiphil of the root ory, “to shoot, pour.” So the editors of BHS suggest roWy.
⁶⁹tn The verb is the imperfect tense of bbq, “to utter a curse.” The form has both an object suffix and a direct object: “they will curse him—the one who withholds grain.”
⁷⁰sn The proverbs is referring to a merchant who holds back his grain from the free market in order to raise prices when there is a great need for the produce. Merchants are supposed to have a social conscience as well.
⁷¹sn In this context the meaning of “blessing on the head” will be praise because of the parallelism with cursing. The head represents the whole person, but it is certainly the part that is easily recognized. The idea is that praise is the crowning point.
⁷²sn Two separate words are used here for “seek.” The first is r?@v), usually interpreted to mean “seek early” or “seek diligently” because of the assumed connected with the word for dawn. Such interpretations are not altogether convincing. The second word is vQ@b^y=, “seek after, look for.” Whoever is seeking good is in effect seeking favor—perhaps God’s favor (see Ps. 5:12; Isa. 49:8).
⁷³sn The participle now is vr@D), “to seek, inquire, investigate.” Here is the other side of the equation that one generally receives the consequences of the kind of life being sought.
⁷⁴tn The verb is the imperfect tense, third feminine singular, referring to “evil,” the object of the participle.
⁷⁵sn The implication from the parallelism is that righteous do not trust in their own riches, but in the LORD.
⁷⁶sn The word means “leafage, leaf.” The simile of a leaf is a figure of prosperity and fertility throughout the ancient Near East.
⁷⁷sn The participle rk@Ou, “the one who troubles,” probably refers here to an individual who by his poor management of business affairs makes life difficult for his family.
⁷⁸sn The word “wind” (?^Wr) signifies that which cannot be grasped (see 27:16; Eccl. 1:14,17). The figure is a hypocatastasis, comparing wind to what he inherits—nothing he can put his hands on.
⁷⁹sn The “fool” here is the “troubler” of the first half. The point now made is that the one who mismanages his affairs so badly so that there is nothing for the family may have to sell himself into slavery to the wise. The ideas of the two halves of the verse are complementary.
⁸⁰sn The point of the metaphor is that what the righteous produce (“fruit” being the implied comparison) is like a tree of life—a long and healthy life as well as a life-giving influence and provision for others.
⁸¹tc If the reading in the MT stands the line refers to capturing (“lay hold of, seize, capture”) people with ideas of influence (2 Sam. 15:6). The other reading is “he who takes away souls is violent.” “Violent” in place of “wise” is reflected in the LXX and the Syriac. If the idea of “taking souls” is positive, then “wise” could have easily been read through orthographic confusion (<k? sm?); but if the expression was taken to be negative, then “violent” fits very well. See further Daniel C. Snell, “`Taking Souls’ in Proverbs 11:30,” VT 33 (1083):362-365; he interprets this to mean “comprehends souls.”
<sup>82</sup>tn This construction is one of the “how much more” arguments—if this be true, how much more this (arguing from the lesser to the greater). The point is that if the righteous suffer for their sins, certainly the wicked will as well.
<sup>83</sup>tc The LXX introduces a new idea into the verse: “If the righteous be scarcely saved”; this is recorded in 1 Peter 4:18. The Greek translation “scarcely” could have come from a Vorlage of hrXB^, “deficiency” or “want,” or rX)B^, “to cut off, shorten,” perhaps arising from confusion over the letters. The verb “receive due” could only be translated “saved” by an indirect interpretation. See James Barr, “Jrob—Proverbs 11:31 and 1 Peter 4:18,” JSS 20 (1975):149-164.
<sup>1</sup>sn The point of the line is that those who wish to improve themselves must learn to accept correction; the fool hates/rejects any correction.
<sup>2</sup>sn The word ru^B means brutish, i.e., descriptive of the dumb animal that lacks intellectual sense. So one distinction between the human and the brute is the willingness to learn from correction.
<sup>3</sup>tn Heb “the man”
<sup>4</sup>sn The “man of wicked plans” (tOMz!m=) is the one who makes plans for some evil purpose. In Proverbs 1-9 it had a good connotation; but in 10-24 it has a bad connotation.
<sup>5</sup>tn Heb “a man cannot be”
<sup>6</sup>tn The Niphal imperfect of /WK, “be established,” refers to finding permanent security before God. Only righteousness can do that.
<sup>7</sup>sn The use of the figure “root” (vr#v)) in this verse stresses the security of the righteous; it is as if they are firmly planted and cannot be uprooted. The righteous are often compared to a tree (see 11;30; Ps. 1:3; 92:13).
<sup>8</sup>sn This noble woman (ly!?^ tv#o@) is the subject of Proverbs 31. She is a “virtuous woman” in the sense of “virtuoso”—she is a true aristocrat, a capable woman of noble character. In this verse she is contrasted with the woman who is disgraceful (hvyb!m= meaning “one who causes shame” or lowers his standing in the community).
<sup>9</sup>sn The metaphor of the “crown” emphasizes that such a wife is a symbol of honor and glory.
<sup>10</sup>sn The simile means that the shameful acts of such a woman will eat away her husband’s strength and influence and destroy his happiness.
<sup>11</sup>sn The word is “thoughts,” but it has the sense of what is being planned or devised. The verse shows that the thoughts of good people are directed toward what is right. Advice from the wicked, however, is deceitful and can only lead to trouble.
<sup>12</sup>tn The construction uses an infinitive construct “to lie in wait” (from bro). The infinitive construct only rarely functions as a finite verb, and then usually in sequence; so it may be here that the infinitive expresses the purpose of their conversations.
sn The idea of lying in wait for blood is an implied comparison (hypocatastasis): their words are like an ambush intended to destroy.
<sup>13</sup>sn “Blood” is a metonymy of effect, the cause being the person that they will attack and whose blood they will shed. After the construct “blood” is also an objective genitive.
<sup>14</sup>sn “Mouth” is a metonymy of cause, signifying what the righteous say. The verse affirms that the righteous will be able to make a skillful defense against false accusations that are intended to destroy. The righteous, who by discipline and instruction have gained knowledge and perception, can escape the traps set by the words of the wicked.
<sup>15</sup>sn This is another proverb about the stability of the righteous in times of trouble. The picture of the wicked being “overthrown” is forceful; it recalls the imagery of Genesis 19:21.
<sup>16</sup>tn Heb “and they are not”
<sup>17</sup>tn Heb “a man”
<sup>18</sup>tn The verse says that praise is in proportion to wisdom. The idiom is yp!l=, Heb “to the mouth of” which means “according to.”
<sup>19</sup>sn The expression is literally “crooked heart” (bl@ hw@u&n^), that is, “crooked of or in heart or mind” (genitive of specification). This is the person who lacks the ability to see things as they really are and so makes all the wrong choices. His thinking is all wrong.
<sup>20</sup>sn The verb means “to be lightly esteemed, dishonored, degraded.”
<sup>21</sup>tc The reading “and yet have a servant” is the reading of the LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, and some modern versions. The Hebrew Ol db#u#w= is ambiguous, the preposition being either possessive (“have a servant”) or indirect object (“servant for himself”).
<sup>22</sup>sn Some people live beyond their means in a vain show. The verb is the Hithpael participle from dbk, “to be weighty, honored,” and so honor oneself. If they lived modestly they could have some of the conveniences of life.
<sup>23</sup>sn Heb “knows”; the righteous people pay attention to, care for, or are sympathetic towards the animals. The implication of the line is that people who care for the lower animals will care for other people too—a reasoning from the lesser to the greater.
<sup>24</sup>sn The subject matter of the second colon is the compassion of the wicked. The line can be interpreted in two ways, either it means that when the wicked exhibit a kind act they do it in a cruel way, or even the kindest of their acts is cruel by all assessments. An example that Greenstone cites is stuffing animals with food in order to fatten them for market—their “kindness” is driven by ulterior motives (Proverbs, p. 129).
<sup>25</sup>sn In the biblical period agriculture was the most common occupation for the people; so “tilling the ground” describes a substantial occupation, but also represents working in general. The point of the proverb is that one ensures income through diligent work and not through get-rich-quick schemes.
<sup>26</sup>tn Or, “shall have plenty of food”
<sup>27</sup>sn “Fantasies” is literally “empty things,” “vain things” (<yq!yr@). This refers to unstable pursuits in an effort to make money. The fact that the participle used is “chase after” shows how elusive these are.
<sup>28</sup>tn The first line is difficult to interpret. The MT has “the wicked desire the net of evil men.” The LXX is clearer: “The desires of the wicked are evil.” The Syriac has: “The wicked desire to do evil.” The Latin expands it: “The desire of the wicked is a defense of the worst [things or persons].” Toy emends it to read: “wickedness is the net of bad men.” The verse may be saying that the wicked are dangerous and perhaps get caught in their own devices. The word “net” can be interpreted to mean what the net yields, that is the prey (metonymy).
<sup>29</sup>sn The word “fruit” is not in the text, only the verb “gives.” But in this context where the righteous are identified with the comparison of “root,” what they produce can also be described with a corresponding figure—growth, fruit, or the like. So the Proverb is saying that the wicked want what belongs to others, but the righteous continue to flourish.
<sup>30</sup>sn The “transgression of the lips” means sinful talk or sinning by talking, “lips” being a genitive of specification and a metonymy of cause. Greenstone suggests that the situation here could be litigation, and the wicked are attempting to involve the innocent (Proverbs, p. 131).
<sup>31</sup>sn The word “snare” is the figurative meaning of the noun vq@Om that properly means “a bait or lure,” from vqy, “to lay a bait or lure.” The LXX , the Syriac, and the Targum took it as passive verb, “is ensnared,” which gives a clear meaning. But such a clarifying change would be expected in a difficult line.
<sup>32</sup>sn Greenstone suggests that when the wicked become involved in contradictions of testimony, the innocent is freed from the trouble. Another meaning would be that the wicked get themselves trapped by what they say, but the righteous avoid that (Proverbs, p. 131).
<sup>33</sup>sn The “fruit of the lips” refers to what the person says. “Fruit” is the implied comparison, meaning what is produced; and “lips” is the metonymy of cause, referring to speech. Proper speech will result in good things.
<sup>34</sup>tn Heb “the work of the hands of a man”
<sup>35</sup>tn The Kethib has the Qal imperfect, “will return” to him; the Qere preserves a Hiphil imperfect, “he/one shall restore/render” to him. The implication of the latter is that either God or people will reward him in kind. Since there is no expressed subject, it may be translated as a passive voice.
<sup>36</sup>sn The “way of a fool” (lyw!o$) is here a designated for the headlong course of actions (“way” being the idiom for conduct) that is not abandoned even when good advice is offered.
<sup>37</sup>sn The fool believes that his own plans and ideas are perfect, right (rvy); he is satisfied with his own opinion.
<sup>38</sup>tn Or, “a wise person listens to advice.”
<sup>39</sup>tn The construction uses an independent nominative absolute, which is then followed by the formal subject with a suffix: “the fool, his vexation is known….” The construction focuses the reader’s attention on “fools,” and then states what it is that is to be said about them.
<sup>40</sup>sn Heb “on the day” or “the same day”; the fool is impatient and unwise, and so flares up immediately when anything bothers him. McKane says that the fool’s reaction is “like an injured animal and so his opponent knows that he has been wounded” (Proverbs, p. 442).
<sup>41</sup>tn Heb “shrewd” (cf. 1:4)
<sup>42</sup>sn The participle means “covers” in the sense of ignores or bides his time. The point is not that he does not respond at all, but that he is shrewd enough to handle the criticism or insult in the best way—not instinctively and irrationally.
<sup>43</sup>sn The text has “he pours out faithfully”; the word rendered “faithfully” or “reliably” (hnWmo$ ) is used frequently for giving testimony in court, and so here the subject matter is the reliable witness.
<sup>44</sup>tn Heb “righteousness”
<sup>45</sup>sn The false witness (Heb “witness of falsehoods,” the plural being the attributive here), cannot be counted on to help the cause of justice because he deals in deception.
<sup>46</sup>sn hF#OB is the active participle meaning “speak rashly, thoughtlessly” (e.g., Lev. 5:4; Num. 30:7).
<sup>47</sup>tn “brings” added
<sup>48</sup>sn “Healing” is a metonymy of effect, showing the opposite of the cutting, irresponsible words (where the simile was used). What the wise say is faithful and true, gentle and kind, uplifting and encouraging; as a result they bring healing.
<sup>49</sup>tn The contrast is between “the lip of truth” and the “tongue of lying”; lip and tongue are metonymies of cause for what is said, and truth and lying are attributive genitives.
<sup>50</sup>sn The idiom here is “while I would twinkle” (a Hiphil cohortative), meaning “only for a moment.” The twinkling of the eye, the slightest movement, signals the brevity of the effect of the lying tongue (hyperbole). But truth will be established (/WKT!), that is, be made firm, endure.
<sup>51</sup>sn The contrast between the two lines can be highlighted with the word “evil,” which has the idea of pain and calamity in it, and the word “peace,” which means social wholeness and well-being (see Pss. 34:14 and 37:37).
<sup>52</sup>tn “Peace” is the objective genitive after the participle (<Olv yX@u&y)); the phrase describes those who advise or promote peace.
<sup>53</sup>sn The difficulty of this line is the translation of /w#o in the first colon. It is normally interpreted to mean “harm, trouble,” that is, the result or effect of wickedness (see Gen. 50:20 and Romans 8:28, 35-39). But Rashi took it to mean “wickedness,” its primary meaning; in that way the line is saying that the righteous will not be caught up in wickedness, whereas the wicked are “full of evil” (ur^ is the parallel word, which with the verb olm must mean that they do much evil).
<sup>54</sup>tn The construction is the plural participle in construct: “but doers of truthfulness,” truthfulness being the objective genitive. The ones doing truth or truthfully means those who act in good faith. Their words and their works are reliable.
<sup>55</sup>sn The contrast in consequences is very strong: “delight” or “pleasure” versus “abomination”—what God loathes, what is tabu. The proverb affirms that it is truthfulness that pleases the LORD.
<sup>56</sup>sn The text has “a shrewd man.” The “shrewd” one is a prudent person, one who knows how to use knowledge wisely (see 1:4), and so will restrain himself from revealing all he knows.
<sup>57</sup>sn The participle hs#K) means “covers, hides.” It does not mean that he never shares his knowledge; rather, it means that he discerns when it is and when it is not appropriate to say what he knows.
<sup>58</sup>sn This is the type of fool that despises correction and instruction, and so his intent (“the heart of fools”) is to proclaim all that he does—which is folly. McKane comments that the more one speaks the less likely he is able to speak effectively (Proverbs, p. 422).
<sup>59</sup>sn The noun “foolishness/folly” is tl#W#o!. This folly is the work of the fool; it is the antithesis of perception and understanding, it destroys a house, and it has to be removed by the rod of discipline from the lad. It is related to the noun lyw!o$, the “foolish” one, the one who is morally bad because he despise wisdom and discipline, mocks at guilt, is licentious and quarrelsome, and is almost impossible to rebuke.
<sup>60</sup>sn The proverb is saying the diligent rise to the top and the lazy sink to the bottom. The diligent are described as “the hand of the diligent.” The “hand” is a metonymy of cause; it signifies the actions and the industry of the diligent people—what their hand does. So by their diligent work they succeed to management. The verb Jr? means “to cut, sharpen, decide.” It is used figuratively for diligence only in the Book of Proverbs; the idea may be related to that of acting decisively.
<sup>61</sup>sn The word literally means “deceit”; it refers to one who is not diligent, so therefore it must carry the idea of one who tries to deceive his master about his work (which he has neglected).
<sup>62</sup>tn Heb “shall be for slave labor” (sm^ being forced labor from slavery).
<sup>63</sup>sn The picture is one of depression through anxious fears. The word “anxiety” (hgoD=) combines anxiety and fear—anxious fear (see Jer. 49:23; Ezek. 4:16; and for the verb see Ps. 38:18; Jer. 17:8).
<sup>64</sup>tn Heb “the heart of a man”
<sup>65</sup>sn The idea of “bowing down” refers to the heart; it means that anxiety weighs heavily upon the heart, so that there is depression. The spirit has been brought low.
<sup>66</sup>sn The word “good” in the Bible generally refers to what is beneficial for life, promotes life, creates life, or protects life. The “good word” here would include encouragement, kindness, and insight—saying that which the person needs to regain the proper perspective on life and renew his confidence.
<sup>67</sup>sn Note the paronomasia between hN?#v=y^ and hN?#M=C^y= to underscore the contrast.
<sup>68</sup>tn The line has several possible translations. The verb rty can be taken to mean “spy out, examine,” which makes a good contrast to “lead astray” in the parallel colon. Emerton, however, takes ytr to be from ntr in the Hiphil, meaning “to set free”; yuttar in the Hophal would yield a reading: “the righteous is delivered from harm” [reading mera`ah] (J. A. Emerton, “A Note on Proverbs 12:26,” ZAW 76 [1964]:191-193). Another possibility is to read it: “the righteous guides his friend aright.”
⁶⁹sn The verse uses hyperbole to say that the lazy person does not complete a project. The verb Er? is a rare word; it means “roast” in Arabic (“to scorch by burning”). Here it says that the lazy person can’t be bothered cooking what he has hunted. The Midrash sees here an allusion to Jacob and Esau in Genesis 25. But see Mitchell Dahood, “The Hapax harak in Proverbs 12:27,” Biblica 63 (1982):60-62; he translates it: “the languid man will roast no game for himself, but the diligent will come upon the wealth of the steppe.”
⁷⁰tn Heb “the wealth of a man”
⁷¹sn The verse is saying that those who enter a way of righteousness by faith and seek to live righteously are on their way to eternal life (the text has “no death”).. “No death” may be interpreted as “immortality”; but Mitchell Dahood suggests it could also mean permanence and stability (“Immortality in Proverbs 12:28,” Biblica 41 [1960]:176-181). Some MSS and versions read the second half to say, “there is a pathway that leads to death.” McKane takes this reading because he thinks that the MT was prejudiced toward the idea of eternal life (Proverbs, pp. 451,2). Others prefer the antithetical idea as well because they do not find “life” used in the book for eternal life.
¹tn “accepts” added
²tn G. R. Driver suggested reading this word as rSy%m=, “allows himself to be disciplined” (“Hebrew Notes on Prophets and Proverbs,” JTS 41 [1940]:174). But this is not necessary at all. The LXX has “a wise son listens to his father.”
³sn The “scoffer/scorner/mocker” is the highest—or should we say lowest—level of a fool. He has no respect for authority, reviles religion, and is unteachable because he thinks he knows what is best. The change to a stronger word in the second colon—”rebuke” (rug)—shows that this character does not respond to instruction on any level.
⁴tn meaning “because of what he says”
⁵tn Heb “he eats [what is] good”
⁶tn Heb “the soul of the faithless”; the idea of vp#n# having the sense of “appetite”
⁷tn The word “violence” may be interpreted as a metonymy of cause, the word violence put for the substance that violence gains—ill-gotten gain. This proverb does not seem to work very well as a whole. The first line appears to mean that because of what a person says he will eat what is good, meaning receive benefits for proper words. The LXX has for the second line “the souls of the wicked perish untimely.” More likely the second line is saying that the desire of the wicked is for what does not belong to them.
⁸sn The expression “opens wide his lips” means “is talkative” (see BDB, under qCP).
⁹sn The proverb is teaching that a tight control over what one says prevents trouble. For a similar idea, see 10:10; 17:28; James 3:1-12, and Ecclesiasticus 28:25; see also Amenemope (ch. 3, 5:15), who advises to “sleep a night before speaking.” The old Arab proverb is appropriate: “Take heed that your tongue does not cut your throat” (O. Zockler, Proverbs, ed. Charles Aiken, Lange’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, n.d.], p. 134).
¹⁰sn The contrast is between the “soul of the sluggard” (lX@u Ovp=n^) and the “soul of the diligent” (<yX!r%? vp#n#)—what they each desire.
¹¹sn The Hithpael participle means “lust after, crave, desire.” A related verb is used in the Decalogue’s prohibition against coveting. And Numbers 11 uses this stem to describe “the graves of those who craved.”
¹²tn Heb “be made fat”
¹³sn Heb “a word of falsehood,” the phrase could be translated “a false word,” or “a false thing.”
¹⁴tc There is some variety in the translations: the LXX has “is ashamed and without confidence”; the Targum has “is ashamed and put to the blush”; the Latin has “confounds and shall be confounded.” The variety is due in part to the similarity with vOB, “to be ashamed.”
sn The two verbs are graphic: vyo!b=y^ means “cause a stink, emit a stinking odor” (see Exod. 5:21 and Eccl. 10:1); and ryP!?=y^w= means “display shame.” The two verbs could be treated as a verbal hendiadys: “make a shameful smell,” or as McKane has it, “spread the smell of scandal” (Proverbs, p. 460). Plaut says, “Unhappily, the bad odor adheres not only to the liar but also to the one about whom he lies—especially when the lie is a big one” (Proverbs, p. 152).
¹⁵sn “Righteousness” refers to that which conforms to law and order; so it would be natural to expect that the perfect walk would be safe because of such conduct.
¹⁶tn Heb “blameless of way,” meaning living above reproach in their course of life
¹⁷sn “Righteousness” and “wickedness” are personified in this proverb to make the point of security and insecurity for the two courses of life.
¹⁸sn The proverb seems to be a general observation on certain people in life, but it is saying more. Although there are times when such pretending may not be wrong, the proverb is instructing people to be honest. An empty display or a concealing of wealth can come to no good.
¹⁹sn The word “ransom,” rp#K), indicates that the rich are susceptible to kidnapping and robbery; but the second line says that the poor do not heed rebuke—he does not have money to buy off oppressors. So the rich person is exposed to legal and powerful assaults and must use his wealth as ransom. The poor man pays no attention to blackmail.
²⁰tn Heb “the life of a man”
²¹sn The word is hruG=, “a rebuke”; the poor do not hear a rebuke, or possibly the poor do not heed a rebuke. If “rebuke” is the sense in this passage, then it means that the burdens of society fall on the rich as well as the dangers. But the sense of “a threat” fits the context a little better.
²²sn The images of “light” and “dark” are used frequently in Scripture. Here “light” is an implied comparison: “light” represents life, joy, and prosperity; and “dark” signifies adversity and death. So the “light of the righteous” represents the prosperous life of the righteous.
²³sn The verb ?m^C=y! normally would be translated “makes glad, rejoices.” But here with light as the subject it has the connotation of “shines brightly” (see G. R. Driver, “Problems in the Hebrew Text,” p. 180; he shows the relation between bright and joy in Ugaritic as well).
²⁴sn The “lamp” is an implied comparison as well, comparing the life of the wicked to a lamp that is going to be extinguished.
²⁵tc The LXX adds to verse 9 “Deceitful souls go astray in sins, but the righteous are pitiful and merciful.”
sn The verb EuD means “go out, be extinguished.” The idea is that of being made extinct, snuffed out. The imagery may have been drawn from the sanctuary where the flame was to be kept burning perpetually. Not so with the wicked.
²⁶sn In view of the antithetical parallelism, “pride” here describes contempt for the opinions of others. Those who are wise listen to advice rather than argue out of stubborn pride.
²⁷tn The particle qr^, “only,” goes with “contention”—only contention can come from such a person.
²⁸tn The form is the Niphal participle of Juy, “to advise, counsel.” The Niphal means “to consult together, take counsel.” Here it has the sense of being well-advised, having received advice or consultation.
²⁹tn The Hebrew lb#h@m@ is literally “from vanity,” meaning no doubt “from nothing,” or without working for it, which may or may not mean illegally. The Greek and Latin versions (and RSV) preferred “in haste” (changing to lhb)m=). This is an easier reading for the parallelism, but not necessarily the correct one.
³⁰sn The verb Fum means “to become small, diminished, few.” Money gained without work will diminish quickly, because it was come by too easily. The verb forms a precise contrast with the final verb of the verse, hbr, “to become much, many,” but in the Hiphil, “to multiply, make much many, cause increase.”
³¹tn The idiom is “by hand”
³²tn The verb is the Pual participle from Evm, “to draw, drag.” Here the form modifies the hope as one that drags on too long. The word “hope” (tl#?#OT from l?y) also has the implication of a tense if not anxious wait.
³³sn To fail to realize one’s hopes can be depressing or discouraging. Plaut says that people can bear frustration only so long; they must have encouragement (Proverbs, p. 153).
³⁴tn Heb “a desire that comes”
³⁵sn The “word” means teaching in general; its parallel “command” indicates that it is the more forceful instruction that is meant. The fact that both of these terms are used for Scripture—and that Proverbs is part of Scripture—cannot be overlooked in the application of the verse, but that would not be the primary intent of the line,
³⁶tn The vivid point made by this verb is that whoever despises teaching will be treated as a debtor—he will pay for it if he offends against the law. BHS suggests a reading lB?%y= for lb#?y@, changing the meaning to “be broken by” it.
³⁷tn Heb “he” or “that one” will be rewarded
³⁸tc The LXX adds: “A crafty son will have no good thing, but the affairs of a wise servant will be prosperous; and his path will be directed rightly.”
³⁹sn The metaphor means that the teaching of the wise is life-giving. The second colon is the consequence of the first, further explaining this metaphor.
⁴⁰tn The infinitive construct with the l= preposition gives the result (or purpose) of the first statement. It could also be interpreted epexegetically, “by turning.”
⁴¹tn “people” added
⁴²sn The “snares of death” makes an implied comparison with hunting, suggesting that death is like a hunter. McKane compares the idea to the Ugaritic god Mot, the god of death, carrying people off to the realm of the departed (Proverbs, p. 455). The expression could also be interpreted as the snares that lead to death.
⁴³sn The expression “good understanding” is bOF lk#C@; it describes the capacity one has for good sense, sound judgment, or wise opinions. This will add to one’s social standing.
⁴⁴tc The MT actually says “enduring, permanent, perennial” (s.v. /ty, BDB, p. 450,1). But BDB suggest that the text here is corrupt and the reading should be “harsh, hard, firm, rugged.” Driver suggested that yo@ (“not”) was dropped before the word by haplography and so the meaning would have been “not enduring” but “passing away” (“Problems in the Hebrew Text,” p. 181). The LXX, Syriac, and Targum have “are destroyed.” The idea of “harsh” or “hard” could also be drawn from a meaning of the word in the MT meaning “firm,” that is, enduring.
⁴⁵sn The “shrewd” (or prudent, cf. 1:4) person is the one who knows the circumstances, dangers, and pitfalls that lie ahead, and so is able to deal with them wisely. This makes him cautious.
⁴⁶sn Heb “spreads open” his folly; McKane sees here the figure of a peddler displaying his wares (Proverbs, p. 456). If given a chance, a fool will expose himself him public. But the wise study the facts and make decisions accordingly.
⁴⁷tn The RSV changes this to a Hiphil to read, “plunges [men] into trouble.” But the text simply says the wicked messenger falls into trouble, perhaps meaning punishment for his bad service.
⁴⁸tn Or, “evil”
⁴⁹sn The “faithful envoy (ryX!)” suggests that the person is in some kind of government service (see Isa. 18:2; Jer. 49:14). This individual can be trusted to “bring healing”—be successful in the mission. The wisdom literature of the ancient Neat East has much to say about messengers.
⁵⁰sn The verb means “to let go, let alone”; here the idea of letting alone means either neglect or avoid.
⁵¹sn Honor and success are contrasted with poverty and shame, and the key is discipline and correction. McKane comments that it is a difference between a man of weight (power and wealth, from the idea of “heavy” for “honor”) and the man of straw (lowly esteemed and poor) (Proverbs, p. 456).
⁵²sn These two lines are difficult. Toy thinks that each has lost its parallel element (Proverbs, p. 274). But Perowne explains it this way: “In spite of the sweetness of good desires accomplished, fools will not forsake evil to attain it” (Proverbs, p. 103; cf. 13:12; 29:27). One can surely say that Proverbs teaches people to make their desires good so that fulfilling them causes joy.
⁵³tn The form is the active participle El@h); to “walk with the wise” means to stay in close association with them and to be moving in the same direction they do.
⁵⁴tn The verb form u^Ory@ is the Niphal imperfect of uur, meaning “to suffer hurt.” Several have attempted to parallel the repetition in the wordplay of the first colon. A. Guillaume has “he who associates with fools will be left a fool” (“A Note on the Roots uyr, ury, and uur in Hebrew,” JTS 15 [1964]:294). Kidner cites Knox translating the Vulgate as saying, “Fool he ends that fool befriends” (Proverbs, p. 104).
⁵⁵sn “Good” is the general idea of good fortune or prosperity; the opposite, “evil,” is likewise misfortune or calamity.
⁵⁶sn Here is teaching on recompense in absolute terms. It is this principle, without allowing for any of the exceptions that Proverbs records, that Job’s friends applied (incorrectly).
⁵⁷sn In ancient Israel the idea of leaving an inheritance was a sign of God’s blessing; blessings extended to the righteous and not the sinners.
⁵⁸sn See Psalm 49:10,17 for the idea of the wealth of the wicked going to the righteous after death. This idea has to do with the ultimate justice of God.
⁵⁹sn The word ryn! means “the tillable, untilled, or fallow ground.” BDB says this line could be rendered: “abundant food [yields] the fallow ground of poor men” (i.e., with the LORD’s blessing)(p. 644).
⁶⁰tc The Hebrew of this second line is difficult: “and there is what is swept away because [there is] no justice” (FPv=m! ol)B= hP#s=n! vy@w=). The LXX has “the great enjoy wealth many years, but some men perish little by little.” The Syriac has “those who have no habitation waste wealth many years, and some waste it completely.” The Targum has “the great man devours the land of the poor, and some men are taken away unjustly.” The Latin has “there is much food in the fresh land of the fathers, and for others it is collected without judgment.” Toy concludes that the text is corrupt beyond emendation (Proverbs, pp. 277-278). And yet, the line in Hebrew can be translated with some good sense: there is enough food for people from the ground if there were no injustice in the land. There is no need for poverty; the land can produce enough.
⁶¹sn Whybray cites an Egyptian proverb that says that “boys have their ears on their backsides; they listen when they are beaten” (Book of Proverbs, p. 80). See further Hebrews 12:5-11; Ephesians 6:4; and Proverbs 4:3-4, 10-11.
⁶²sn The importance of parental disciplining is stressed by the powerful verbs “hate” and “love.” Hating a child means in essence abandoning or rejecting him; loving a child means embracing and caring for him.
⁶³tn Heb “his son”
⁶⁴sn In this line there are two ways to interpret Or?&v!, which is the Piel perfect with a suffix—“seeks him early [with] discipline” (“discipline” being the adverbial accusative in the double accusative construction. It could be interpreted to mean “be careful to discipline,” or “to be early or prompt in disciplining.” See G. R. Driver, “Hebrew Notes on Prophets and Proverbs,” p. 170.
⁶⁵tn Hebrew Ovp=n^
⁶⁶sn The text simply says “will lack.” This may mean go hungry, or lack all they desire, just as the first colon may mean that what the righteous acquire proves satisfying to them.
¹tn The text has <yv!n tOmk?^, which could mean “wise ones among women” or “wisdom of women,” or taking the plural in the distributive sense, “every wise woman.” The contrast is between the wise woman and the foolish; to see these ideas worked out one must read Proverbs 31:10-31 and 7:10-23. Of course it is the wisdom that brings the prosperity.
²tn The verse parallels a perfect tense in the first colon with an imperfect tense in the second. The first is to be classified as a gnomic perfect, and the second a habitual imperfect.
³sn The probable meaning of “house” would be the household, any household. However, it could also be that the house is the world, i.e., creation (cf. 9:1)—wisdom builds it but folly tears it down.
⁴tn Heb “tears it down”
⁵sn The expression is “crooked [with respect to] his ways,” the genitive being the idiom “ways,” referring to conduct. The evidence that people fear the LORD is uprightness, and the evidence of those who despise Him is the devious ways.
⁶tn The preposition B= in this verse may have the use of exchange, “in exchange for” foolish talk there is a rod; or it could be the causal use of the same preposition, “because of foolish talk.”
⁷tn The text literally says that it is a “rod of pride,” the genitive being objective, viz., “a rod for pride.” What the line says is that because of what the fools says there is punishment. Many commentators emend the text to read hOG@, “his back,” which makes the reading easier (see NIV). But the line can be interpreted well enough without the change.
⁸sn “Lips” like “mouth” is a metonymy of cause, meaning what they say. The wise by their speech will find protection, indicating perhaps that the foolish talk of the first colon is actually harmful talk.
⁹sn The wise farmer knows that oxen are indispensable for a good harvest. Whybray connects the two lines by observing that the farmer has to balance grain consumption with the work that his oxen do (Book of Proverbs, p. 83).
¹⁰sn The saying addresses the age-old problem of false witness in court by making this simple contrast: a faithful witness (“witness of faithfulness”) does not lie, but a false witness (“witness of falsehood”) does lie—naturally. The first colon uses the verb and the second the noun from bzK.
¹¹sn The “scorner” (Jl@@) is intellectually arrogant; he lacks any serious interest in knowledge or religion. One can only guess that he pursues wisdom in a superficial way so that he can have the appearance of being wise. The acquisition of wisdom is conditioned by one’s serious and reverent attitude toward it (Greenstone, Proverbs, p. 149).
¹²tn Heb “and there is not”
¹³sn The Niphal of llq means “to appear light, trifling, easy.”
¹⁴tn Heb “a man, a stupid fellow”
¹⁵tc The translation is difficult; the MT says “you did not know the lips of knowledge.” It must mean that one should leave the fool because he did not receive knowledge from what fools said. The Targum freely interprets the verse: “for there is no knowledge on his lips.” The Greek versions have several variations of the line, including: “wise lips are weapons of discretion.” Toy wants to emend to read: “for his lips do not utter knowledge” as in 15:7 (Proverbs, p. 285). But the Hebrew is workable, even though “know lips” occurs only here.
¹⁶sn “Lips of knowledge” means one who speaks knowledge. “Lips” is the metonymy of cause, and “knowledge” is the genitive, either an objective genitive (speaking knowledge), or attributive (knowledgeable speech).
¹⁷tn Or, “the prudent [person]” (cf. 1:4)
¹⁸tn The form is the Hiphil infinitive construct from /yB! giving the purpose of the wisdom. Those who are shrewd will use it to give careful consideration to all their ways.
¹⁹tn The word means “deception,” but some suggest it might mean “self-deception” in this place (see McKane, Proverbs, p. 466; and D. Winton Thomas, “Textual and Philological Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” VT Supp 3 [1955]: 286). The parallelism of the verse would favor this, but there is little support for it as the word usually means craft that is practiced on others. If the line is saying the fool is deceitful, which it probably is, then there is only a loose antithesis between the cola.
²⁰tn The difficulty with this translation is that “fools” is plural but the verb “mock” is singular. This has led some to reverse the line to say “guilty/guilt offering mocks fools” (Toy, Proverbs, p. 287). Isa. 1:14 and Amos 5:22 support this suggestion. But lack of agreement between subject and verb is not an insurmountable difficulty.
²¹tn The versions have difficulty with this line as well. The LXX has something like “houses of transgressors will owe purification.” The Targum has “guilt has its home among fools” (apparently reading a verb /Wl /yl!).
sn The word (<vo) means “guilt” or “guilt offering”; but the better interpretation for the latter is a reparation offering. According to Leviticus, when someone realized he was guilty he would bring a “reparation offering,” a sin offering with an additional tribute for what was to be made right (Lev. 5:1-6). It would be left up to the guilty to come forward, because it was for the kind of thing that only he would know, for which his conscience would bother him. This verse would be saying that the fool mocks any need or attempt to make things right, to make reparation.
²²sn The word /OXr means “favor, acceptance, pleasing”; it usually means what is pleasing or acceptable to God. In this passage it either means that the upright try to make amends, or that the upright find favor for doing so.
²³tn Heb “bitterness of its soul.”
²⁴tn Heb “stranger”
²⁵sn The verb is the Hithpael of bru II, which means “take in pledge, give in pledge, exchange”; so here it means “to share [in].” The proverb is saying that there are joys and sorrows that cannot be shared. No one can truly understand the deepest feelings of another.
²⁶sn The “house” and the “tent” refer to the contents, and so metonymies of subject for the families and their living. The proverb is teaching that personal integrity ensures the domestic stability and prosperity.
²⁷sn The proverb recalls the ways of the adulterous woman in chapters 1-9, and so the translation of “man” is retained. The first line does not say that the “way” that seems right is “vice,” but the second line clarifies that. He can rationalize all he wants, but the result is still the same. The proverb thus warns that any evil activity can take any number of ways (plural) to destruction.
²⁸sn The text literally has “the ways of death,” which mean ways that lead to or end in death. But death here, as before in these contexts, means ruin (see 7:27; 16:25). The LXX adds “Hades,” but the verse seems to be concerned with this life’s events.
²⁹sn The verse says that no joy is completely free of grief. Further, it may also be saying that there is a joy that is superficial and there is underlying pain that will remain after the joy is gone.
³⁰tn The text literally read “and its end, joy, is grief.” The suffix may be regarded as an Aramaism, a proleptic suffix referring to “joy.”
³¹tn “may be” supplied from parallelism with the imperfect of possibility
³²sn The gWs is one who turns away, here in his heart. He is the dissembler, the unreliable person. The one who does not keep his word, backslides, or proves unfaithful.
³³sn The verb means “be satisfied”; in this context it has the idea of being repaid, meaning that he will partake in his own evil ways. His faithlessness will come back to haunt him.
³⁴tn “shall be rewarded” supplied
³⁵sn The contrast is with the simpleton and the shrewd. The simpleton is the young person who is untrained morally or intellectually, and therefore gullible. The shrewd one is the prudent person, the one who has the ability to make critical discriminations.
³⁶tn Heb “his step” where he is heading
³⁷sn Since the holy name is not used, it probably does not here mean the fear of the LORD, but the fear of the consequences of his actions.
³⁸sn The verb rB@u^t=m! means “passing over,” but in this stem “passing over the bounds of propriety,” acting insolently.
³⁹sn This verb usually means “trust, be secure”; but in this context it describes one who is self-assured or overly confident. He of all types of people should be cautious and fear the consequences of his actions.
⁴⁰sn The proverbs seems to be discussing two character traits that are distasteful to others—the quick tempered person (“short of anger” or impatient) and the crafty person (“man of devices”). But Toy thinks that the proverb is antithetical and renders it “but a wise man endures” (Proverbs, p. 292). In other words, the quick-tempered person acts foolishly and loses people’s respect, but the wise man does not.
⁴¹tc The LXX reads “endures” (from oCy!) rather than “is hated.” This change seems to have arisen on the assumption that a contrast was needed. It has: “a man of thought endures.” Other versions have taken tOMz!m= in a good sense as well; but the attempt to see a strong antithetical parallelism is unwarranted.
⁴²sn The proverb anticipates what the simple will receive, assuming they remain simpletons. G. R. Driver, however, proposed reading the verb as “are adorned” from hlh (“Problems in the Hebrew Text,” p. 181).
⁴³tn Or, “prudent” (cf. 1:4)
⁴⁴tn The verb WrT!k=y^ is the Hiphil imperfect of rtK. But the meaning of the verb is a little difficult; it may not mean “are crowned” or “crown themselves” but “encircle” or “embrace.” BDB suggest “throw out crowns,” and so throw out knowledge as a crown; but in this passage they suggest “encompass knowledge,” i.e., possess it (parallel to inherit).
⁴⁵tn The verb is the perfect tense from h?v. It could be given an English present tense translation as many versions do, suggesting a characteristic perfect. But the sense of the proverb would lead one to expect that the reality lies in the future. So the perfect could be classified as a prophetic perfect, and the proverb taken to mean that ultimately the wicked will acknowledge and serve the righteous—a point the prophets make.
⁴⁶sn Greenstone suggests that this means that they are begging for favors (Proverbs, p. 154).
⁴⁷sn The verse is just a statement of fact. The verbs “love” and “hate” must be seen in their connotations: the poor are rejected, avoided, shunned—that is hated; but the rich are sought after, favored, embrace—that is loved.
⁴⁸sn The verb vr? means “to cut in, engrave, plough, devise.” It is a term that describes the work of a craftsman. And so the idea of “devising” is that of one who works in or practices in skilled work. It has in this verse both a good and a bad sense—devising evil and devising good, or, planning what will harm people and planning what will benefit them.
⁴⁹tn “exhibit” supplied
⁵⁰tn The Hebrew text has the two words “loyal love and truth” (tm#o$w# ds#?#) which often are found together forming a hendiadys: “faithful love” or better “faithful covenant love.” Those who plan good both exhibit and find these qualities.
⁵¹sn The term bX#u# is “painful toil, labor,” a term introduced in Genesis 3:19. The line indicates that people should be more afraid of idle talk than of hard labor.
⁵²sn The Hebrew has “word of lips” which certainly needs explanation and interpretation in this line. A word from the lips, or speaking a word, is here contrasted with labor that produces. So the idea is that of talk without work.
⁵³tn “brings” supplied
⁵⁴sn rOs?=m^ is “need, thing needed, poverty.” It comes from the verb “to lack, be lacking, decrease, need.” A person given to idle talk rather than industrious work will still have needs unmet.
⁵⁵sn The entire verse is very difficult, even though both lines can be translated well enough from the Hebrew. The first line could mean that wealth is an ornament to those who use it well (Toy, Proverbs, p. 296). Toy, however, wants to emend the text to read “The crown of the wise is their wisdom” because he finds the idea of the MT farfetched. Greenstone offers another interpretation of the line to mean that the wisdom of the wise , which is their crown of glory, constitutes their wealth (Proverbs, p. 155).
⁵⁶sn The second line seems to be saying that fools only have their folly. Many follow the BHS proposal to change tl#W#o!, “folly,” to ty^w=l!w=, “but the wealth,” to make a better parallel with the first line of the verse. The LXX has a change from “folly” to “wreath.” For additional material on the Hebrew word, see M. Rotenberg, “The Meaning of ‘iwwelet in Proverbs,” Leshonenu 25 (1960/61):201.
⁵⁷sn The setting of this proverb is the courtroom. One who tells the truth “saves” (lyX!m^, rescues, delivers—a Hiphil participle) the lives of those falsely accused.
⁵⁸tn “brings” supplied; also possible, “is deceitful”
⁵⁹sn The contrasting line is that the false witness deceives the court. To make the contrast stronger, several commentators have changed the text from “deception” the noun to “destroys” the participle (hM#r^m=). The change, however, is not necessary since the implication of the line is that a false witness destroys lives.
⁶⁰tn “one has” supplied
⁶¹sn The Hebrew expression is zu) ?F^b=m!, literally “confidence of strength,” the genitive being attributive.
⁶²sn The fear of the LORD will not only provide security for the parent but will also be a refuge for children. The line reminds of Exodus 20:5-6 where children will reap the benefits of the righteous parents. The line could also be read as “he (=God) will be a refuge for the children.
⁶³sn The verse is similar to 13:14 except that “the fear of the LORD” has replaced “the teaching of the wise.”
⁶⁴ The infinitive construct provides the purpose or result of the first line; it could also be taken epexegetically, explaining how the fear is a fountain (“turning”).
⁶⁵tn “people” supplied
⁶⁶tn The preposition serves as the beth essentiae—the glory is the abundant population, not in it.
⁶⁷sn The word means “ruin, destruction,” but in this context it could be understood as the metonymy of effect, the cause being an attack by more numerous people that will bring ruin to the ruler. The proverb is purely practical and secular saying, unlike some of the faith teachings in salvation history passages.
⁶⁸sn The expression is “hasty of spirit,” meaning one who has a quick temper or a short fuse. That rash action lacks understanding—as will be evident to all.
⁶⁹sn The participle “exalts” (<yr!m@) means that this person brings folly to a full measure, lifts it up, brings it to the full notice of everybody.
⁷⁰sn The “heart of healing” is a healthy spirit, a spirit that is not easily agitated but tranquil, bringing peace to the whole body (Greenstone, Proverbs, p. 158).
⁷¹sn “Envy” is passionate zeal or jealousy, depending on whether the object is out of bounds or within one’s rights. In the good sense one might be consumed with zeal to defend the institutions of the sanctuary. But as envy or jealousy the word describes an intense and sometimes violent excitement and desire that is never satisfied.
⁷²sn “Bones” may be a synecdoche representing the entire body; it is in contrast with “flesh” of the first colon. One who is consumed with envy finds no tranquility or general sense of health in body or spirit.
⁷³sn In the Piel this verb has the meaning of “reproach, taunt, say sharp things against” someone. The idea in this line is that by oppressing the poor one is taunting or in general mistreating God. The reason, theologically, is that the person is in the image of God—hence the reference to the “Maker.” To ridicule what God made is to ridicule God Himself. To appreciate what God has made is to praise and acknowledge Him.
⁷⁴sn The participle /n@?), “showing favor,” is in contrast with the first participle, “oppressing.” To show favor means to be gracious to or treat kindly, especially those who do not deserve it or cannot repay it. It is treatment that is gratis. This honors God because He commanded it to be done (14:21; 17:5; 19:17; and Matt. 25:31-46). For a suggestion that qvu might mean “slander,” see J. A. Emerton, “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS NS 20 (1969):202—222.
⁷⁵sn The meaning of this preposition phrase must be “in his time of trouble” or when catastrophe comes. He has nothing to fall back on in such times.
⁷⁶tn The LXX reads this “in his integrity,” as if it were OMWtB=, instead of “in his death” (OtOmB=). Those who do not wish to see a reference to immortality in the verse favor this reading. The problem is usually stated that Proverbs does not have the hope of immortality expressed—but interestingly enough, every time it possibly shows up in the text this argument is repeated by the commentaries.
⁷⁷sn If the verse stands as it is in the MT, and there is no reason it should not, then the verse is saying that the righteous have hope in a just retribution—they have a place of safety even in death.
⁷⁸tn The LXX negates the clause, saying it is “not known in fools.” D. Winton Thomas connects the verb to the Arabic root wd` and translates it “in fools it is suppressed” (“The Root yd` in Hebrew,” JTS 35 [1934]:302-303).
sn The second line may be ironic or sarcastic. The fool, eager to appear wise, blurts out what seems to be wisdom, but in the process turns it to folly. The contrast is that wisdom resides with people who have understanding.
⁷⁹sn The verb <m@OrT=, “exalts,” is the Polel imperfect; the meaning is to lift up, raise up, or elevate. Here the upright dealings of the leaders and the people will lift up the people. In other words, the people’s condition in that nation will be raised.
⁸⁰tn The word ds#?# is not the word for “loyal love, kindness,” although some Rabbis took it that way to say, “even the kindness of some nations is a sin because they do it only for a show” (Rashi). But this word is a homonym, meaning “shame, reproach.”
⁸¹sn The contrast is over the favor or anger given to servants in court, between the wise and the shameful. Two Hiphil participles make the contrast, lyK!C=m^, which modifies “servant,” and vyb!m@ which functions substantivally. The wise servant is a delight and enjoys the favor of the king because he is skillful and clever. The shameful one is the one who botches his duties and whose indiscretions and incapacity expose the master to criticism (McKane, Proverbs, p. 470).
¹sn The “soft answer” (ER^ hn#u&m^) is more than just a gentle response; it is conciliatory, an answer that restores good temper and reasonableness (McKane, Proverbs, p. 477). Gideon illustrates this kind of answer (Judg. 8:1-3) that brings peace.
²sn The “harsh” word is a word that causes pain (Hebrew bX#u#, “painful toil, hard labor” in other passages). Jephthah illustrates the hard answer that leads to war (Judg. 12:1-6).
³sn Literally “raises anger/heat,” this description essentially means that the response to the painful word is the flaring up of tempers.
⁴sn The contrast is between the “tongue of the wise” and the “mouth of fools”; in both expressions we have metonymies of cause indicating that the subject matter is what they say. The proverb is making the point that how wise people are can be determined from what they say.
⁵tn The verb in this colon is byF!yT@, the Hiphil imperfect of bFy, “to be good.” In this stem it can be translated “make good” or “treat in a good or excellent way” (see Toy, Proverbs, p. 303). Mitchell Dahood, however, suggests a change to [Fy, a cognate of [Fn, “drip,” and offers the reading “tongues of the sages drip with knowledge” (“Proverbs and Northwest Semitic Philology,” p. 32ff.). But this change is gratuitous.
⁶sn The verb u^yB!y^ is a rather graphic one, meaning “pour out, emit, cause to bubble, belch forth” in the Hiphil. He bursts out with reckless utterances.
⁷sn The proverb uses anthropomorphic language to describe God’s exacting and evaluating knowledge of all people. The idea is comparable to Amenemope xv:9-12, which says the eye of the deity travels around the land punishing misdeeds..
⁸tn The form tOpX) is the active participle, feminine plural to agree with “eyes.” The idea of God’s eyes watching the good people will be comfort, but watching the evil would be conviction.
⁹sn A healing tongue means speech that is therapeutic or soothing. Such speech will be a source of vitality to others, as the metaphor of the tree of life suggests.
¹⁰sn The text simply has “and deceit in it,” but the referent must be to the tongue. A tongue that is twisted, perverse, or deceitful is a way of describing deceitful speech. Such words will crush the spirit (see Isa. 65:14).
¹¹sn The verb is related to the noun, “prudence, shrewdness.” Anyone who takes correction or rebuke to heart will certainly become prudent in life.
¹²tn The construction simply uses “house” as an adverbial accusative of location.
¹³sn The noun /s#?) means “wealth, treasure,” giving the idea that prosperity is the reward for righteousness. The idea is correct only in so far as a proverb can be carried in its application, allowing for exceptions. The Greek text for this verse has no reference for wealth, but talks about amassing righteousness.
¹⁴sn The Niphal participle, according to BDB, should be treated as an abstract noun with the meaning “disturbance, calamity” (p. 747). They cite Toy’s emendation to trk, however, with the meaning of “the income of the wicked is cut off.” But the MT as it stands could just as easily be read that the income of the wicked is a “thing troubled,” meaning, it will not be useful but cause difficulty.
¹⁵tc The verb of the first colon is difficult because it does not fit the second very well—a heart does not scatter or spread knowledge. So Toy suggests, with the support of the LXX, a change to WrX=y!, “they preserve.” The Greek evidence for this, however, is not strong. For the second line the LXX has “hearts of fools are not safe,” apparently taking /k@ ol) as “unstable” instead of “not so.” So it seems futile to use the Greek version to change the first colon to make a better parallel, when the Greek has such a different reading in the second colon anyway.
¹⁶sn The emphasis on the “heart(s) of the fools” would then indicate that the fools do not comprehend knowledge or the teaching of it.
¹⁷tn Heb “sacrifice”
¹⁸sn The sacrifices of the wicked are hated by the LORD because the worshipers are insincere and blasphemous (see v. 29; 21:3; 28:9; Ps. 40:6-8; Isa. 1:10-17). The spiritual condition of the worshiper in the Bible always determines whether or not the worship is acceptable to God.
¹⁹sn Greenstone notes that if God will accept the prayers of the upright he will accept their sacrifices, for sacrifice is an outer ritual and easily performed even by the wicked, but prayer is a private and inward act and not usually fabricated by unbelievers (Proverbs, p. 162).
²⁰sn The text literally has “[is] His pleasure,” which means that God is pleased with and accepts the prayers of the upright.
²¹sn This proverb sounds simple enough at first reading, but its refinements should not be missed. God hates the way of the wicked, that is, their life style or the things that they do, and not them; and God loves those who pursue righteousness, the Piel signifying a persistent pursuit. Plaut says, “He who loves God will be moved to an active, persistent, and even dangerous search for justice” (Proverbs, p. 170).
²²sn The two lines are parallel synonymously, so that the “severe discipline” of the first colon is parallel to “will die” of the second. The expression ur rsWm indicates a discipline that is catastrophic or harmful to life.
²³sn If the lines are synonymous, then the one who abandons the way also refuses any correction, and so there is severe punishment. To abandon the way means to leave the life of righteousness which has been revealed in this book.
²⁴tn The titles used in the line are /Odb^o&w^ lOov=, “Sheol and Abaddon.” These represent the remote underworld and all the mighty powers that reside there (see 27:20; Job 26:6; Ps. 139:8; Amos 9:2; Rev. 9:11). This whole remote region with its inhabitants is open before the LORD—He knows everything about it.
²⁵tn The construction yK! [o^ signals the argument by reason—“how much more.” It is an argument from the lesser to the greater. If all this is open before the LORD, how much more human hearts. “Hearts” here is a metonymy of subject, meaning the motives and thoughts.
²⁶tn Heb “the hearts of the sons of man”
²⁷sn The verbal statement is an understatement, the opposite being intended (the figure is tapeinosis). A scorner rejects any efforts to reform him.
²⁸tn The form ?^k@Oh is a Hiphil infinitive absolute; in this sentence it could either be taken as a nominal use serving as the object of the verb, or it could be taken as a substitute for a finite verb. The latter has been chosen here because of the prepositional phrase following it, although that is not a strong argument.
²⁹tc The MT has “to the wise,” suggesting seeking the advice of the wise. The LXX, however, has “with the wise.”
³⁰sn The contrast is between the “joyful heart” (lit. “a heart of joy,” using an attributive genitive) and the “painful heart” (lit. “pain of the heart,” using a genitive of specification).
³¹sn The verb bF!yy@ is used here; it in general means “makes good,” but that can be adapted to its various contexts. Here it “makes the face good,” that is, there is a healthy, favorable, uplifted expression. The antithesis is that the pained heart crushes the spirit. Toy observes that the implication is also that a broken spirit is expressed by a sad face and that a cheerful face shows a courageous spirit (Proverbs, p. 308). A good illustration is Genesis 40:6.
³²sn The idea of the second colon does not make a strong parallelism with the first with its emphasis on seeking knowledge. Its poetic image of feeding (a hypocatastasis) would signify the acquisition of folly—he has an appetite for it. D. Winton Thomas suggests the change of one letter, r to d, to obtain a reading hu#d=y!; this he then connects to an Arabic root da`a with the meaning “sought, demanded” to form what he thinks is a better parallel (“Textual and Philological Notes,” p. 285). But even though the parallelism is not as precise as some would prefer, there is insufficient warrant for such a change.
<sup>33</sup>sn The “days” represent what happens on those days (metonymy of subject).
<sup>34</sup>sn The contrast is with the “afflicted” and the “good of heart” (a genitive of specification, “cheerful/healthy heart/spirit/attitude). The parallelism suggests that the afflicted is one afflicted within his spirit, for the proverb is promoting a healthy frame of mind.
<sup>35</sup>tn Or, “evil, catastrophic”
<sup>36</sup>tn “one with” supplied
<sup>37</sup>sn The image of a continual feast signifies the enjoyment of life’s offerings. The figure is a hypocatastasis; among its several implications are joy, fulfillment, abundance, pleasure.
<sup>38</sup>sn One of the characteristics of wisdom literature is the “better” saying; it is a comparison of different but similar things to determine which is to be preferred. These two verses focus on spiritual things being better than troubled material things.
<sup>39</sup>sn “Turmoil” is essentially anxiety; the fear of the LORD alleviates anxiety, for it brings with it contentment and confidence.
<sup>40</sup>sn Not all wealth has turmoil in it. But the proverb is focusing on the comparison of two things—fear of the LORD with little and wealth with turmoil. Between these two, one is definitely better.
<sup>41</sup>tn Literally “and love there,” this clause is a circumstantial clause introduced with the waw, that becomes “where there is love.” The same construction is used in the second colon.
<sup>42</sup>sn Again the saying concerns troublesome wealth: loving relationships are better than a feast where there is hatred. The ideal, of course, would be loving family and friends with a great meal, but this proverb is only comparing two things.
<sup>43</sup>tn The text has “a man of wrath,” wrath being the attributive genitive. This one is contrasted with the “slow of anger,” anger being the genitive of specification—patient and calm..
<sup>44</sup>tn The Hiphil verb Fyq!v=y^ means “cause quietness, or pacify or allay” the strife or quarrel. This type of person goes out of his way to keep things calm and minimize contention; his opposite thrives on disagreement and dispute.
<sup>45</sup>sn The fact that byr! is used for “quarrel, strife” strongly implies that the setting is the courtroom or legal setting (the gates of the city). The hot-headed person is eager to turn every disagreement into a legal case.
<sup>46</sup>sn The point of the simile is that the path of life taken by the lazy person has many obstacles that are painful—it is like trying to break through a hedge of thorns. The LXX has “strewn with thorns.”
<sup>47</sup>sn The contrast to the thorny way is the highway, the Hebrew word signifying a well built-up road (lls “to heap up”). The upright have no reason to swerve, duck, or detour, but may expect “clear-sailing” (if we may mix the metaphor here). For other passages pairing these two, see 28:19, 6:10, and 10:26.
<sup>48</sup>tn Heb “son”
<sup>49</sup>tn Heb “a fool of a man,” a genitive of specification
<sup>50</sup>sn The proverb is almost the same as 10:1, except that “despises” replaces “grief.” This verse adds the idea of the callousness of the one who inflicts grief on him mother (Kidner, Proverbs, p. 116).
<sup>51</sup>tn The Hebrew has bl@ rs^?&l^, “to one who lacks heart.” The “heart” represents the mind, the locus for making proper decisions. The one who has not developed this ability to make proper choices finds great delight in folly.
<sup>52</sup>tn Heb “a man of understanding”
<sup>53</sup>tn The grammatical construction is tk#l rV#y^y=, “makes straight [to] go.” This is a verbal hendiadys, in which the first verb, the Piel imperfect, becomes adverbial, and the second form, the infinitive construct of Elh, becomes the main verb: “ goes straight ahead.”
<sup>54</sup>tn The verb is the Hiphil infinitive absolute from rrP, which means “to break, frustrate.” The plans are made ineffectual, or are frustrated, when there is insufficient counsel.
<sup>55</sup>sn The proverb says essentially the same thing as 11:14, but differently.
<sup>56</sup>tn Heb “joy to the man” or “the man has joy”
<sup>57</sup>sn The text only has “in the answer of his mouth,” the mouth being the metonymy of cause for what he says. But because the parallelism is loosely synonymous, the answer given here must be equal to the good word spoken in season. So with some interpretation to clarify the line, it is an answer that is proper or fitting.
<sup>58</sup>sn The text literally says, “in its season” or “in its time.” To say the right thing at the right time is useful and satisfying; to say the right thing at the wrong time is counterproductive.
<sup>59</sup>sn There is some disagreement over the meaning of “upward.” The verse is usually taken to mean that “upward” is a reference to physical life and well-being, and “going down to Sheol” is a reference to physical death, that is, the grave, because the idea of immortality is said not to be in the book. The proverb then would mean that the wise live long and healthy lives. But McKane argues, correctly, that “upwards” in contrast to Sheol, does not fit the ways of describing the worldly pattern of conduct and that it is only intelligible if taken as a reference to immortality (Proverbs, p. 480). The translations “upwards” and “downwards” are not found in the LXX. This has led some commentators to speculate that these were not found in the original, but added after the idea of immortality became prominent. Such a speculation is also too contrived.
<sup>60</sup>tn Heb “to the wise [man]” because the form is masculine
<sup>61</sup>tn The Hebrew /u^m^l= Indicates a purpose clause; the path leads upward in order to turn the wise away from Sheol.
<sup>62</sup>tn Heb “to turn from Sheol downward”
<sup>63</sup>sn The “proud” have to be understood here in contrast to the widow, and their house has to be interpreted in contrast to the widow’s territory. The implication may be that the “proud” make their gain from the needy, and so God will set the balance right.
<sup>64</sup>sn The LORD administers justice in His time. Scripture amply confirms that the LORD champions the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the needy. These people were often the prey of the proud, who would take and devour their houses and lands (see 1 Kgs. 21; Prov. 16:19; and Isa. 5:8-10).
<sup>65</sup>sn Hebrew tObv=?=m^ are “thoughts,” from the verb bv?, “to think, reckon, devise.” So they are intentions, what is being planned.
<sup>66</sup>tn The word “evil, wicked” (ur^) is probably a genitive of source or subjective genitive, meaning the plans that the wicked devise—wicked plans.
<sup>67</sup>sn The contrast is with the “thoughts” and the “words.” The thoughts that are designed to hurt people the LORD hates; words that are pleasant (<u^n)), however, are pure [to Him]. What is pleasant is delightful, lovely, enjoyable. In Ruth 1:20 and 21 the words “pleasant” (in the name Naomi) and “evil” (ur^) and “bitter” (rm^) are contrasted.
<sup>68</sup>tc The contrasting clause is very difficult. The MT simply has “but pleasant words are pure” (Heb “but pure [plural] are the words of pleasantness”). Usually “to Him” is added to make the connection to the first part. The LXX has: “the sayings of the pure are held in honor.” The Latin has: “pure speech will be confirmed by Him as very beautiful.” The NIV has interpreted it rather loosely: “but those of the pure are pleasing to Him.”
<sup>69</sup>sn The text has uX^B# u^X@OB, a participle followed by its cognate accusative (written in pause). It literally would say “the one who gains gain,” which, of course, means the one who is always making the big deal, getting the larger cut, or in a hurry to get rich. The verb, though, makes it clear that the gaining of a profit here is by violence and usually unjust, since the root has the idea of “cut off, break off, gain by violence.” The line is contrasted with hating bribes, and so the gain in this line may be through bribery.
<sup>70</sup>sn The participle “troubles” (rk@u)) can have the connotation of making things difficult for the family, or completely ruining the family. In Joshua Achan took the “banned thing” and was put to death: because he “troubled Israel” (caused Israel to lose a war because of his selfishness and greed), the LORD would trouble him (take his life).
<sup>71</sup>sn The word is literally “gifts,” a noun from /tn. Gifts can be harmless enough, but in a setting like this the idea is that the gift is in exchange for some “profit, gain.” Therefore they are bribes, and to be hated or rejected. Abram, for example, would not take anything that the king of Sodom had to offer, “lest [he] say, “I have made Abram rich” (Gen. 14:22-24). There is also the story of Elisha’s refusal of Naaman’s gift, and Gehezi’s ruinous greed for it (2 Kgs. 5:16, 20, 27).
<sup>72</sup>sn The verb hG#h=y# means “muse, meditate, consider, study.” It also implies the idea of planning, such as with the wicked “planning” a vain thing (Ps. 2:1, which is contrasted with the righteous who “meditate” in the Law [1:2]).
<sup>73</sup>tn “how” is added
<sup>74</sup>tc The LXX has for this first line: “the hearts of the righteous meditate faithfulness.”
sn The advice of the proverb is to say less but better things. The wise—here called the righteous—are cautious in how they respond to others. They think about it (heart = mind) before speaking.
<sup>75</sup>sn The form is plural. What they say (the “mouth” is a metonymy of cause) is any range of harmful things.
<sup>76</sup>sn To say that the LORD is “far off” from the wicked is to say that He has made Himself unavailable to their appeal—He does not answer them. This motif is used by David throughout Psalm 22 for the problem of unanswered prayer—“Why are you far off?”
<sup>77</sup>sn The verb “hear” (umv) has more of the sense of “respond to.” If one “listens to the voice of the LORD,” for example, it means that he obeys the LORD. If one wishes God to “hear his prayer,” it means answer it.
<sup>78</sup>sn The point of the whole proverb is that God’s response to prayer is determined by the righteousness of the one who prays. Of course a prayer of repentance by the wicked is an exception, for by it they would become the righteous (Toy, Proverbs, p. 316).
<sup>79</sup>tn The LXX has “the eye that sees beautiful things.” For rOom= D. Winton Thomas suggests pointing a Hophal participle and reading it “a fine sight cheers the mind” (“Textual and Philological Notes,” p. 205). But little is to be gained from this change.
sn Heb “light of the eyes,” the expression may indicate the gleam in the eyes of the one who tells the good news, as the parallel clause suggests.
<sup>80</sup>sn The Hebrew idiom literally has “makes fat the bones.” The word “bones” is a metonymy of subject, the boney framework representing the whole body. And the idea of “making fat” signifies by comparison (hypocatastasis) with fat things that the body will be healthy and prosperous (see 17:22; 25:25; Gen. 45:27-28; and Isa. 52:7-8). Good news makes the person feel good in body and soul.
<sup>81</sup>sn In this figure the ear, the instrument for hearing, is put for all the faculties of responding to reproof.
<sup>82</sup>sn “Life” is an objective genitive—the reproof brings or preserves life; hence the NIV translation of “life-giving rebuke” is a correct rendering of this interpretation.
<sup>83</sup>tn Heb “lodges” = lives with, is at home with
<sup>84</sup>sn The proverb is one full sentence; it affirms that a teachable person is among the wise.
<sup>85</sup>sn To despise oneself means to reject oneself as if there was little value. The person who ignores discipline is not interested, for one reason or another, in improving himself.
<sup>86</sup>tn Or, “heeds, listens to”
<sup>87</sup>tn The text has bL@ hn#Oq, the participle of hnq, “to acquire, possess,” with its object, “heart.” The word “heart” is frequently a metonymy of subject, meaning all the capacities of the human spirit and/or mind. Here it is the ability to make judgments or discernment.
<sup>88</sup>sn The idea of the first line is similar to 1:7 and 9:10. Here it may mean that the fear of the LORD results from the discipline of wisdom, just as easily as it may mean that the fear of the LORD leads to the discipline of wisdom. The second reading harmonizes with the theme in the book that the fear of the LORD is the starting point.
<sup>89</sup>sn The second clause is a parallel idea in that it stresses how one thing leads to another—humility to honor. So the verse is saying humble submission in faith to the LORD brings wisdom and honor.
<sup>1</sup>tn Heb “to a man”
<sup>2</sup>sn The “plans of the heart,” bl@ yk@r=u^m^, is more properly “the arrangements of the mind.” Humans may set things in order, plan out what they are going to say, but it is God who sovereignly enables them to put their thoughts into words.
<sup>3</sup>sn The text has “the answer of the tongue.” The tongue is a metonymy of cause, the instrument of speech put for what is said. Thus, it means the answer expressed.
<sup>4</sup>sn The contrasting prepositions enhance the contrasting ideas—the ideas belong to people, but the words come from the LORD.
<sup>5</sup>sn There are two ways this verse can be taken: 1) the thoughts and the speech are the same, or 2) the speech differs from what the person intended to say. The second view fits the contrast better. The proverb then is giving a glimpse of how God even confounds the wise. When someone is trying to speak [“answer” in the book seems to refer to a verbal answer] before others, the LORD directs the words according to His sovereign will.
<sup>6</sup>tn Heb “a man”
<sup>7</sup>sn Hebrew Ez^ means “innocent, pure.” It is used in the Bible for pure oils, undiluted liquids; here it means unmixed actions. So on the one hand people rather naively conclude that their actions are fine.
<sup>8</sup>tn Heb “in his eyes”
<sup>9</sup>sn The figure (hypocatastasis) of weighing signifies evaluation (see Exod. 5:8; 1 Sam. 2:3; Prov. 21:2; 24:12; cf. 1 Sam. 16:7). There may be an allusion to the Egyptian belief of weighing the heart after death to determine righteousness. But it is in Hebrew thought an ongoing evaluation as well.
<sup>10</sup>sn tO?Wr is “spirits”; here it is a metonymy for the motives, the intentions of the heart (see 21:2 and 24:2). Humans deceive themselves rather easily and so appear righteous in their own eyes; but the proverb says that God evaluates motives and so He alone can determine if the ways are innocent.
<sup>11</sup>sn The verb “commit” (lG)) is literally “roll” (from llG), although the Targum and the Greek version have “reveal” as if the root were hlG. The figure of rolling (again an implied comparison or hypocatastasis), as in rolling one’s burdens on the LORD, is found also in Pss. 22:8[9]; 37:5; and 55:22. It portrays complete dependence on the LORD. This would be accomplished with a spirit of humility and by means of a diligent season of prayer; but the plan must also have God’s approval.
<sup>12</sup>tn The suffix on the plural noun would be a subjective genitive: the works you are doing, or in this verse, the works that you want to do.
<sup>13</sup>tn The syntax of the second clause shows that there is subordination: the waw on WnK)y!w= coming after the imperative of the first clause expresses that this clause is the purpose or result. People should commit their works in order that the LORD may establish them. Greenstone says, “True faith relieves much anxiety and smoothens many perplexities” (Proverbs, p. 172).
<sup>14</sup>sn The verb (luP) means “to work out, bring about, accomplish.” It is naturally used of God’s sovereign control of life (see Num. 23:23; Isa. 26:12; et al.).
<sup>15</sup>tn The interpretation of this word will make a great deal of difference in the meaning of the proverb as a whole. Whn@u&M^l^ has been taken to mean either “for his purpose” or “for its answer.” The word is hn#u&m^, “answer,” and not /u^m^l=, “purpose.” So the suffix likely refers to “everything” (lK)). The point then is that God ensures that everyone’s actions and the consequences of those actions correspond—certainly the wicked for the day of calamity. In God’s order there is just retribution for every act.
<sup>16</sup>sn The line of poetry is arranged with synthetic parallelism; it affirms the truth and then expands on it with a specific application about the wicked—whatever disaster comes their way is an appropriate correspondent for their life.
<sup>17</sup>sn The phrase is “every/all proud of heart.” “Heart” is the genitive of specification; the phrase is talking about people who have proud hearts, whose ideas are arrogant. They set themselves presumptuously against God (see 2 Chr. 26:16; Ps. 131:1; Prov. 18:12).
<sup>18</sup>tn The idiom is “hand to hand”; see 11:21
<sup>19</sup>tc The LXX has inserted two couplets here: “The beginning of a good way is to do justly, and it is more acceptable with God than to do sacrifices; he who seeks the LORD will find knowledge with righteousness, and they who rightly seek Him will find peace.” Toy reminds the reader that there were many proverbs in existence that sounded like the Book of proverbs; these lines are in the Greek OT as well as in Ecclesiasticus (Proverbs, pp. 321-22).
sn The idea of the second line continues that of the first, but it explains what it means that they are an abomination to the LORD—He will punish them. “Will not go unpunished” is an understatement, a tapeinosis, to stress first that they will go punished, and second, that those who humble themselves before God in faith will go free and not be punished (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1968 reprint], p. 159).
<sup>20</sup>sn As has been seen before, these two words are often found together to form a nominal hendiadys: “faithful loyal love.” The couplet often characterize the LORD, but here in parallel to the fear of the LORD it refers to the faithfulness of the believer. Such faith and faithfulness bring atonement for sin.
<sup>21</sup>sn The verb is rP^k%y=, “be atoned for,” the Pual imperfect. The verb means “atone, expiate, pacify.” It should not be confused with a homonym that means “cover over.” Atonement in the OT expiated sins, it did not merely cover them over. Toy explains the meaning by saying it affirms that the divine anger against sin is turned away and man’s relation to God is as though he had not sinned (Proverbs, p. 322).
<sup>22</sup>tn Heb “turns away from”
<sup>23</sup>sn The word ur^ can mean “calamity” or “disaster,” but in this verse it seems more likely to mean evil in the sense of sin. So the proverb says that faithfulness to the LORD brings freedom from sin. The verse uses synonymous parallelism with a variant: one half speaks of atonement for sin because of the life of faith, and the other of avoidance of sin because of the fear of the LORD.
<sup>24</sup>tn Heb “a man”
<sup>25</sup>tn The first line uses an infinitive in a temporal clause, followed by its subject in the genitive case: “in the taking pleasure of the LORD” = “when the LORD is pleased with.” So the condition set down for the second colon is a life style that is pleasing to God.
<sup>26</sup>tn The question is who is the subject of the verb in the second colon. The straightforward answer is the man, the person, whose ways please the LORD—it is his lifestyle that disarms his enemies. McKane comments that the righteous have the power to mend relationships (Proverbs, p. 491; see also 10:13; 14:9; 15:1; 25:21-22). The life that is pleasing to God will be above reproach and find favor with others. Some would interpret this to mean that God makes his enemies to be at peace with him. This is workable, but in this passage it would seem God would do this through the pleasing life of the believer—it is part of God’s plan.
<sup>27</sup>sn The lines contrast the modest income with the abundant income; but the real contrast is between righteousness and the lack of justice, or injustice. “Justice” is used for both legal justice and ethical conduct. It is contrasted with righteousness in 12:5 and 21:7;it describes ethical behavior in 21:3. Here the point is that unethical behavior tarnishes the great gain and will be judged by God.
<sup>28</sup>sn This is another “better” saying; between these two things, the first is better. There are other options—such as righteousness with wealth—but the proverb is not concerned with that. For a similar saying in Amenemope, chapter 6, 8:19-20, see ANET, p. 422.
<sup>29</sup>sn The expression is “the heart of a man,” which stresses that it is within the human heart that plans are made. The Bible, however, will affirm that only those plans that are approved by God will succeed.
<sup>30</sup>tn Heb “his way”
<sup>31</sup>sn The verb /WK, “establish, confirm,” with du^X^, “step,” means “to direct” (see Ps. 119:133; Jer. 10:23). The point is the contrast between what people plan and what actually happens—God determines that.
<sup>32</sup>sn “Steps” is an implied comparison, along with “way,” to indicate the events of the plan as they work out.
<sup>33</sup>sn Throughout the Bible this word is used in the negative sense of “divination.” Here it seems to mean that the pronouncements of a king form an oracular sentence, as if he speaks for God (see Num. 22:7; 23:23; and 2 Sam. 14:20).
<sup>34</sup>tn “comes” added
<sup>35</sup>sn “Lips” is a metonymy of cause; the phrase refers to what the king says—no doubt what he says officially is what is meant.
<sup>36</sup>sn The second line gives the effect of the first: if the king delivers such oracular sayings (<s#q#), then he must be careful in the decisions he makes. The imperfect tense then requires a modal nuance to stress the obligation of the king not to act treacherously against justice. It would also be possible to translate the verb as a jussive: let the king not act treacherously against justice (BDB). For duties of the king, see Psalm 72 and Isaiah 11. For a comparison with Ezekiel 21:23-26, see E. W. Davies, “The Meaning of qesem in Prov. 16:10,” Biblica 61 (1980):554-556.
<sup>37</sup>sn The text has “a scale and balances of justice,” the genitive being attributive, meaning just scales and balances. The Law of the LORD required that scales and measures be right (Lev. 19:36; Deut. 25:13). Shrewd people kept light and heavy weights to make dishonest transactions. But the verse uses synonymous parallelism to stress what was required.
<sup>38</sup>tn Heb “stones”
<sup>39</sup>sn The “wickedness” mentioned here (uv^r#) might better be understood as a criminal act, for the related word “wicked” can also mean the guilty criminal. If a king is trying to have a righteous administration, he will detest any criminal acts.
<sup>40</sup>sn The “throne” represents the administration, or the decisions made from the throne by the king, and so the word is a metonymy of adjunct.
<sup>41</sup>sn McKane includes a lengthy discussion probing the parallel with Egyptian material where the king’s throne was on a pedestal that portrayed the hieroglyph of Maat (justice or the divine order), indicating that the throne was founded upon justice. Solomon likewise used pedestals (1 Kgs. 10:18-20). The idea the proverb presents would not be very significant if it were written after the kingdom was destroyed; but if it comes from the golden age, from Solomon, then it was still credible.
<sup>42</sup>tn The MT has the plural, even though the verb “loves” is masculine singular. The versions and a couple of Hebrew manuscripts read “a king.”
<sup>43</sup>tn The MT has the singular participle followed by the plural adjective (which is here a substantive). The editors of BHS wish to follow the versions in making the participle plural, “those who speak uprightly.”
<sup>44</sup>sn The verse is talking about righteous kings, of course—they love righteousness and not flattery. In this proverb “righteous” and “upright” referring to what is said means what is right and straight—the truth.
<sup>45</sup>sn This proverb introduces the danger of becoming a victim of the king’s wrath. A wise person knows how to pacify the unexpected and irrational behavior of a king. The proverb makes the statement, and then gives the response to the subject.
<sup>46</sup>sn The expression uses an implied comparison, comparing wrath to a messenger because it will send a message. The qualification is “death,” an objective genitive, meaning the messenger will bring death, or the message will be about death. See 1 Kgs. 2:25, 29-34 and 46. Some have suggested a comparison with the two messengers of Baal to the god Mot (“Death”) in the Ugaritic tablets (see H. L. Ginsberg, “Baal’s Two Messengers,” BASOR 95 [1944]:25-30). If there is an allusion, it is ever so slight. The verse simply says that the king’s wrath threatens death.
<sup>47</sup>sn The verb is rP#K!, which means “to pacify, appease” and of course “atone, expiate” in Levitical passages. It would take a wise person to know how to calm or pacify the wrath of a king—especially in the ancient Near East.
<sup>48</sup>sn The proverb is the antithesis of verse 14. The “light of the face of the king” is a way of describing his brightened face, his delight in what is taking place. This would mean life for those around him.
<sup>49</sup>sn The favor that this expression represents is now compared to the cloud of rain that comes with the latter rain or harvest rain. The point is that the rain cloud was necessary for the successful harvest; likewise the king’s pleasure will ensure the success and the productivity of the people under him. See also Psalm 72:15-17; the prosperity of the land is portrayed as a blessing on account of the ideal king.
<sup>50</sup>tn The form hn)q= is an infinitive; the Greek version apparently took it as a participle, and the Latin as an imperative—both working with an unpointed hnq, the letter h being unexpected in the form if it is an infinitive construct (the parallel clause has tOnq= for the infinitive, but the versions also translate that as either a participle or an imperative).
<sup>51</sup>tn The form is a Niphal participle, masculine singular. If it is modifying “understanding” it should be a feminine form. If it is to be translated, it would have to be rendered “and to acquire understanding is to be chosen more than silver.” Many commentaries consider it superfluous. NIV simply has “to choose understanding rather than silver!”
<sup>52</sup>sn The point of righteous living is made with the image of a highway, a raised and well-graded road (a hypocatastasis, implying a comparison between a highway and the right way of living).
<sup>53</sup>tn The form rWs is a Qal infinitive; it indicates that a purpose of the righteous life is to turn away from evil. “Evil” here has the sense of sinful living. So the first line asserts that the well-cared for life avoids sin.
<sup>54</sup>sn The second half of the verse uses two different words for “guard”; this one is rX@n)—“the one who guards his way,” and the first is rm@v)—“the one who guards his life” (the order of the words is reversed in the translation). The second colon then explains further the first (synthetic parallelism), for to guard ones way preserves life.
<sup>55</sup>tc The LXX adds three lines after 17a and one after 17b: “The paths of life turn aside from evils, and the ways of righteousness are length of life; he who receives instruction will be prosperous, and he who regards reproofs will be made wise; he who guards his ways preserves his soul, and he who loves his live will spare his mouth.”
<sup>56</sup>sn The two lines of this proverb are synonymous parallelism, and so there are parasynonyms. “Pride” is paired with “haughty spirit” (“spirit” being a genitive of specification); and “destruction” is matched with “a tottering, falling.”
<sup>57</sup>sn Many proverbs have been written in a similar way to warn against the inevitable disintegration and downfall of pride. McKane records an Arabic proverb: “The nose is in the heavens, the seat is in the mire” (Proverbs, p. 490).
<sup>58</sup>sn The expression “low of spirit” (?^Wr-lp^v=) describes the person who is humble and submissive before the LORD and therefore inoffensive. It is always necessary to have a humble spirit, whether there is wealth or not.
<sup>59</sup>sn The word “plunder” implies that the wealth taken by the proud was taken violently and wrongfully—plunder or booty is usually taken in warfare. Whybray translates it with “loot” (Book of Proverbs, p. 95). The proud are in rebellion against God, overbearing and oppressive. One should never share the “loot” with them.
<sup>60</sup>sn lyK!C=m^ is the Hiphil participle, meaning “the one who is prudent, deals wisely.” It seems to be referring to wise business concerns and the reward for the righteous. One who deals wisely in a matter will find good results. Whybray sees a contrast here: “The shrewd man of business will succeed well, but the happy man is he who trusts the LORD” (Proverbs, p, 92). But both halves of the verse seem to be promoted, and so synonymous parallelism is more appropriate.
<sup>61</sup>tn Heb “good”
<sup>62</sup>sn One must resist the temptation to translate this word with “happy,” for it means far more than that. It describes the heavenly bliss that comes from knowing one is right with God and following God’s precepts. The “blessed” could be at odds with the world (Ps. 1:1-3).
<sup>63</sup>tn The half-verse literally says, “and the one who trusts in the LORD—blessed is he.”
<sup>64</sup>tn The text has “to the wise of heart it will be called discerning,” which means that the wise of heart, those who make wise decisions (“heart” being the metonymy), will gain a reputation of being the discerning ones.
<sup>65</sup>sn The “sweetness of lips” probably means “pleasant words.” “Lips,” of course, is the metonymy of cause, meaning what is said. It is here the genitive of specification. The idea of “sweetness” must be gracious and friendly words. The teaching will be well-received because it is both delightful and persuasive.
<sup>66</sup>sn lk#C@ is the noun, “prudence, insight.” Its related verb means “to have insight,
<sup>67</sup>sn The point of the metaphor is that like a fountain this wisdom will be a constant provision for living in this world.
<sup>68</sup>sn This “discipline” (rsWm) in this proverb is essentially a requital for sin; discipline which is intended to correct is normally rejected and despised by fools. So the line is saying that there is very little that can be done for or with the fool.
<sup>69</sup>tn Heb “makes wise his mouth,” mouth being a metonymy of cause for what is said.
<sup>70</sup>sn The proverb teaches that those who are wise say wise things. It uses synthetic parallelism: the first line asserts that the wise heart ensures that what is said is wise, and the second line adds that such a person increases the reception of what is said.
<sup>71</sup>sn The metaphor of honey or the honey comb is used elsewhere in Scripture, notably Ps. 19:10 [11]. Honey was used in Israel as a symbol of the delightful and healthy products of the land—“a land flowing with milk and honey.”
<sup>72</sup>sn Two predicates are added to qualify the metaphor: the pleasant words are sweet and healing. “Soul” includes in it the appetites, physical and spiritual; and so sweet to the “soul” would summarize all the ways pleasant words give pleasure. “Bones” is a metonymy of subject, the boney framework representing the whole person, body and soul. Pleasant words, like honey, will enliven and encourage the whole person. One might recall, in line with the imagery of this verse, how Jonathan’s eyes brightened when he ate from the honeycomb (1 Sam. 14:27).
<sup>73</sup>tn Heb “There is a way that is right before a man [to the face of a man]”
<sup>74</sup>sn This proverb is identical to 14:12.
<sup>75</sup>sn The word “appetite” is vp#n#, often given the translation of “soul” or “person.” It essentially means the soul in a body, that is, a bundle of appetites that make up the living person.
<sup>76</sup>sn The word for “laborer” and “labors” emphasizes the drudgery and the agony of work (lmu). For such boring drudgery motivations are necessary for its continuance, and hunger is the most effective. The line is saying that the appetites are working as hard as the laborer.
<sup>77</sup>tc The LXX has apparently misread WhyP! and inserted the idea of “ruin” for the laborer—“he drives away ruin.” This influenced the Syriac to some degree; however, its first clause understood suffering instead of labor—“the person who causes suffering suffers.”
sn For a similar emphasis, see Ecclesiastes 6:7, which says, “All man’s efforts are for his mouth.” See also Ephesians 4:28; 6:7 and 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12.
<sup>78</sup>sn The “wicked scoundrel” is literally “a man of belial” (lu^Y^l!B= vyo!). The translation “worthless” has been given to the expression, but that is only part of it. The phrase includes deep depravity and wickedness (see Toy, Proverbs, pp. 125,6).
<sup>79</sup>sn The wickedness of this individual is seen in the fact that he “digs up” evil. In other words, he finds out about evil and brings it to the surface (26:27; Jer. 18:20). This makes the link to the second half of the verse: what he digs up he spreads by speech.
<sup>80</sup>sn “Lips” is a metonymy of cause. To say that “evil” is on his lips (“it” referring to evil is added for clarification) means that he talks about the evil he has dug up.
<sup>81</sup>sn The simile stresses the devastating way that slander hurts people. McKane says that this one “digs for scandal and . . . propagates it with words which are ablaze with misanthropy” (Proverbs, p. 494).
<sup>82</sup>sn The “perverse person” is literally “a man of perverse things,” one whose activities overthrow and destroy life. This one is clarified in this context as the “slanderer” or “gossip”—one who whispers and murmurs (18:8; 26:20,22).
<sup>83</sup>sn [Wlo^ is a “friend” or “an intimate.” The word has other possible translations, including “tame” or “docile” when used of animals. Rashi took it in the later sense of “prince,” saying that such speech alienates the Prince, namely God. But that is a forced interpretation of the line.
<sup>84</sup>sn The “man of violence,” as it reads in the text, is one who will influence his acquaintances toward violence. sm? often refers to sins against society, social injustices, and crimes.
<sup>85</sup>tn The verb in the first colon is the Piel imperfect, and the form in the second is the Hiphil perfect; the first is a habitual imperfect, and the second a gnomic perfect. The first verb, “to persuade, seduce, entice,” is the metonymy of cause; the second verb, “to lead,” is the metonymy of effect, the two together forming the whole process.
<sup>86</sup>sn The understatement, “a way that is not good,” certainly refers to habits of crime and violence. The point of using the understatement is not only to warn people to keep away from such villains, but to remind them to follow a good path.
<sup>87</sup>sn The participle hX#u) describes one as shutting his eyes. This could mean simply closing them, or winking. The proverb is saying that facial expressions often reveal if someone is plotting evil (see 6:13-14).
<sup>88</sup>sn The participle Jr@q) indicates that the person involved is pinching, compressing or biting his lips.
<sup>89</sup>sn The verb is a Piel perfect; it means “complete, finish, bring to an end.” The two cola may form the whole process: the first line has “to devise” evil, and the second has “he completes” evil. BDB, however, classify this use of the Piel as “accomplish in thought” meaning “determine” something (p. 474, 1f). In that case the two lines would have synonymous ideas, i.e., using facial expressions to plan evil actions.
<sup>90</sup>sn The proverb presents the ideal, for it is not concerned with evil old people. The AV tried to qualify the interpretation by making the second half of the verse a conditional clause. The idea is acceptable, but unnecessary. Proverbs is simply laying out the equity of longevity for righteousness and premature death for wicked people. In this line “gray hair” is a metonymy of adjunct/effect, representing old age; and the “glorious crown” (taking the genitive as attributive) provides a fitting metaphor to compare the hair on the head with a crown.
<sup>91</sup>tn Heb “it is found” or “it will be found”
<sup>92</sup>sn While the proverb presents a general observation, there is a commendable lesson about old people who can look back on a long walk with God through life and can anticipate unbroken fellowship with Him in glory.
<sup>93</sup>sn One who is “slow to anger” is a patient person. This is explained further in the parallel line by the description of “one who rules his spirit” (O?WrB= lv@m)W), meaning “controls his temper.” This means the person has the emotions under control and will not “fly off the handle” quickly.
<sup>94</sup>sn The saying would have had greater impact when military prowess was held in high regard. It is harder, and therefore better, to control one’s passions than to do some great exploit on the battlefield.
<sup>95</sup>sn The proverb concerns the practice of seeking divine leading through casting lots. For a similar lesson, see Amenemope (18, 19:16-17, in ANET, p. 423).
<sup>96</sup>tn Heb “all its decision”
<sup>97</sup>sn The point concerns seeking God’s will through the practice, and so the lesson is that the LORD gives guidance in decisions that are submitted to Him.
<sup>1</sup>sn The description hbr@?& tP^ means a dry piece of bread; it is like bread without butter, a morsel of bread not dipped in vinegar mix (see Ruth 2:14). It represents here a simple, humble meal.
<sup>2</sup>tn The construction is “and quietness in it”; it functions as a circumstantial clause: “in which there is quietness” or “with quietness.”
sn The word means “quietness” or “ease.” It represents a place where there can be carefree ease because of the sense of peace and security. The Greek rendering suggests that they read it as “peace.” Even if the fare is poor, this kind of setting is to be preferred.
<sup>3</sup>tn The house is described as being full of “sacrifices of strife” (byr!-y?@b=z!). The use of “sacrifices” suggests a connection with the temple (as in 7:14) in which the people may have made their sacrifices and had abundant meat left over. It is also possible that the reference is simply to a sumptuous meal (Deut. 12:15; Isa. 34:6; Ezek. 39:17). It would be rare for Israelites to eat meat apart from festivals, however. In the construction the genitive could be classified as a genitive of effect, the feast in general bringing about the strife, or it could simply be attributive, a feast characterized by strife. Abundance often brings deterioration of moral and ethical standards as well as an increase in envy and strife.
<sup>4</sup>sn The setting is in the ancient world where a servant rarely advanced beyond his or her station in life. But there are notable exceptions (see Gen. 15:3 where the possibility is mentioned, 1 Chr. 2:35 where it changed through marriage, and 2 Sam. 16:1-4; 19:24-30, with the story of Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth). This proverb focuses on a servant who is very wise (lyK!C=m^), one who uses all his abilities effectively—a Joseph figure.
<sup>5</sup>sn The parallelism indicates that “ruling over” and “sharing in the inheritance” means that the disgraceful son will be disinherited.
<sup>6</sup>tn The form vyb!m@ is a Hiphil participle, modifying /b@. This original heir would then be one who caused shame or disgrace to the family, probably by showing a complete lack of wisdom in the choices he made.
<sup>7</sup>tn Heb “son”
<sup>8</sup>tn Heb “brothers”
<sup>9</sup>sn The noun [r@X=m^ means “a place or instrument for refining.” The related verb, which means “melt, refine, smelt,” is used in scripture literally for refining and figuratively for the LORD’s purifying and cleansing and testing people.
<sup>10</sup>sn rWK is a “furnace” or “smelting pot.” It can be used figuratively for the beneficial side of affliction (Isa. 48:10).
<sup>11</sup>sn The participle /?@B), “tests,” in this emblematic parallelism takes on the connotations of the furnace and the smelting pot. When the LORD tests human hearts, the test, whatever form it takes, is designed to improve the value of the one being tested. Evil and folly will be removed when such testing takes place.
<sup>12</sup>tn The Hiphil participle ur^m@ indicates one who is a doer of evil. The line will affirm that a person of this nature will eagerly listen to evil talk—it is part of his nature.
<sup>13</sup>sn Literally “to the lip of evil,” this prepositional phrase again uses “lip” as a metonymy of cause for speech, what is said, and the genitive to describe it as evil. The same will be true in the parallel line where the expression “to the tongue of destruction” means things that are said that destroy.
<sup>14</sup>tn The verb /yz!m@ is from /yz!, “to feed”; therefore, the suggested emendation is to take it from /z#o), “ear,” as a denominative verb, “give ear, listen to.” Two Hebrew manuscripts have this variant.
<sup>15</sup>sn The proverb is simply observing that wicked people find destructive speech appealing. Leviticus 19:17 warns people to rebuke those with such malicious words and not to bear evil with them.
<sup>16</sup>sn The parallelism helps define the subject matter: the one who “mocks the poor” is probably “rejoicing [NIV gloats] over disaster.” The poverty is hereby explained as a disaster that came to some. The topic is the person who mocks people by making fun of their disaster.
<sup>17</sup>sn [r@?@ means “reproach, taunt” (as with a cutting taunt); it describes words that show contempt for or insult God. The idea of reproaching the Creator may be mistaking and blaming God’s providential control of the world (Toy, Proverbs, p. 337). Plaut, however, suggests that mocking the poor means holding up their poverty as a personal failure and thus offending their dignity and their divine nature (Proverbs, p. 187).
<sup>18</sup>tn Heb “children of children [sons of sons]”
<sup>19</sup>sn The metaphor signifies that grandchildren are like a crown, that they are the “crowning glory” of life as it were. The saying comes from a culture that places great importance on the family in society, and that values its heritage.
<sup>20</sup>sn The noun tr#o#p=t! means “beauty, glory” (BDB, p. 802). In this passage “glory” seems to be identified with “glorying, boasting”; so a rendering that children are proud of their parents would be in order. Thus, “glory of children” would be a subjective genitive, the glorying that children do.”
<sup>21</sup>tn “about” added
<sup>22</sup>tc The LXX has inserted: “To the faithful belongs the whole world of wealth, but to the unfaithful not an obulus.” It was apparently some popular sentiment.
tn Heb “their fathers.”
<sup>23</sup>tn The word rt#y# could be rendered either “arrogant” or “excellent,” because the basic idea of the word is “remainder, excess,” from the verb “be left over.” It describes lofty speech (arrogant or excellent) that is not suited for the fool. The Greek version, using pista, seems to reflect the idea of excellent, and makes a contrast: “words that are excellent do not fit a fool.” The idea of arrogance (NIV) fits if it is taken in the sense of lofty, heightened, or excessive language.
<sup>24</sup>sn “Lips” is the figure that signifies what is being said. Here the expression means “fine talk,” or “excellent speech.”
<sup>25</sup>sn The “fool” proper, lbn, occurs only here, in verse 21, and in 30:22 in the book. It describes someone who is godless and immoral in an overbearing way (see 1 Sam. 25:25 and Ps. 14:1). Lofty speech, whether eloquent speech or arrogant claims, is out of character for the fool.
<sup>26</sup>sn This “ruler” is a gentleman with a code of honor, to whom truthfulness is second nature (McKane, Proverbs, p. 507). The word describes one as “inclined, generous, noble” (BDB, p. 622). It is cognate to the word for the “free will offering.” So for such a noble person lies are not suited. The argument is from the lesser to the greater—if fools shouldn’t speak lofty things, then honorable people should not lie (or, lofty people should not speak base things).
<sup>27</sup>sn The expression is literally “a stone of grace” (/?@ /b#o#). d?^v), the word for “bribe,” could be simply translated as a gift; but the second half of the verse says that the one who offers it is successful. At best it could be a gift that opens doors; at worst it is a bribe. The word d?^v) is never used of a disinterested gift, so there is always something of the bribe in it (see Ps. 15:5; Isa. 1:23). Here it is “a stone that brings favor,” the genitive being the effect or the result of the gift. In other words, it has magical properties and “works like a charm.”
<sup>28</sup>tn Heb “its owner”
<sup>29</sup>sn The proverb is a little troubling, but as Toy points out, the sage is merely affirming a point without making a comment—those who use bribery meet with widespread success (Proverbs, p. 341).
<sup>30</sup>sn The proverb is an antithetical statement affirming that how people respond to the faults of others reveals whether they have love or not. The contrast is between one who “covers” the fault of a friend and one who repeats the news about it. The former promotes love because he cares about the person; the latter divides friends.
<sup>31</sup>sn The participle vQ@b^m= means “seeks” in the sense of seeking to secure or procure or promote love. There can be no friendship without such understanding and discretion.
<sup>32</sup>sn Plaut notes that harping on the past has destroyed many friendships and marriages (Proverbs, p. 188). And McKane observes that this line refers to the person who breaks up friendships by his scandalous gossip, even if it is done with a kind of zeal for the welfare of the community, for it will destroy love and trust (Proverbs, p. 508,9).
<sup>33</sup>tn The verb t?^T@ is the Qal imperfect of t?n, “go down, descend.” With the preposition B= the verb means “descend into,” meaning “make an impression on” someone.
<sup>34</sup>tn The form is the Hiphil infinitive of hkn with the comparative /m!. The word “fools” then would be an objective genitive—more than blows to/on a fool.
<sup>35</sup>sn The proverb is set up in a cause and effect relationship. The cause is that evil people seek rebellion. yr!m= is “rebellion.” It is related to the verb hrm, “to be contentious, rebellious, refractory.” BDB translate the line “a rebellious man seeks only evil” (p. 598).
<sup>36</sup>tn The parallelism seems to be formal, with the idea simply continuing to the second line; the conjunction is therefore translated to reflect this. However, the proverb could be interpreted as antithetical just as easily.
<sup>37</sup>sn The point of the proverb is that those bent on rebellion will meet with retribution. The messenger could very well be a merciless messenger from the king; but the expression could also figuratively describe something God sends—storms, pestilence, or any other misfortuned.
<sup>38</sup>tn The form vOgP is a Qal infinitive absolute; this allows some range in the translation. The idea is that the bear meeting a man is less dangerous than a fool in his folly. It could be worded as a “better” saying, but the formula is not here. The use of the infinitive in place of a verb, here a jussive, can serve to make the point.
<sup>39</sup>tn Heb “a man”
<sup>40</sup>tn The scond colon begins with lo^w=, “and not.” This negative usually appears with volitives, so the fuller expression of the parallel line would be “and let not a fool in his folly [meet someone].”
<sup>41</sup>sn The human, who is supposed to be rational and intelligent, in such folly becomes more dangerous than the beast that in this case acts with good reason. As Alden comments, “Consider meeting a fool with a knife, or gun, or even behind the wheel of a car” (Proverbs, p. 134). See also E. Loewenstamm, “Remarks on Proverbs 17:12 and 20:27,” VT 37 (1967):221-224.
<sup>42</sup>tn The sentence begins with the Hiphil participle byv!m@, “the one who repays.” The whole first colon may be taken as an independent nominative absolute, with the formal sentence to follow. Some translations have made the first colon a condition by supplying “if.”
<sup>43</sup>tn The verb vWm means “depart, remove.” The Kethib is a Hiphil, which would yield a meaning of “take away”; so the Qere, which is the Qal, makes more sense in the line.
<sup>44</sup>sn The verse does not explain whether God will turn evil back on him directly or whether people will begin to treat him as he treated others.
<sup>45</sup>tn Heb “the beginning of a quarrel”
<sup>46</sup>tn The verse simply begins with “letting out water.” This phrase is a metaphor, but most translations have made it a simile. Whybray takes it literally and makes it the subject of the clause: “stealing water starts a quarrel” (Book of Proverbs, p. 100). The verb more likely means “let out, set free” and not steal, for which idea there are clearer words. The image is of a small leak that starts to spurt out water. The problem will get worse if it is not stopped. So is strife like that. The LXX has “The outpouring of words is the beginning of strife.” This would make it a warning against thoughtless talk.
<sup>47</sup>tn The temporal clause is formed with the prepositional “before,” the infinitive construct, and the following subjective genitive. The verb ulg means “expose, lay bare,” and in the Hithpael “disclose oneself, break out.”
<sup>48</sup>tn The first colon uses two Hiphil participles, qyD!X=m^ and u^yv!r=m^. The first means “declare righteous” (a declarative Hiphil), and the second means “make wicked/guilty” or “condemn” (i.e., “declare guilty”). To declare someone righteous who is a guilty criminal, or to condemn someone who is innocent, are both abominations for the Righteous Judge of the whole earth.
<sup>49</sup>tn The construction is literally “why this”; hZ# is an enclitic use of the demonstrative pronoun for emphasis: “why ever” would this happen?
<sup>50</sup>sn The sense seems to be “What good is money” since what the fool needs cannot be bought? The verse is a rhetorical question stating that money would be wasted on a fool.
<sup>51</sup>tn Heb “there is no heart”
<sup>52</sup>tn The form is tOnq=l!, “to acquire.”
<sup>53</sup>sn McKane envisions a situation where the fool comes to a sage with a fee in hand, supposing that he can acquire a career as a sage, and this gives rise to the biting comment here: Why does the fool have money in his hands? To buy wisdom when he has no brains? (Proverbs, p. 505).
<sup>54</sup>sn The verse uses synonymous parallelism, so “friend” and “relative” are equated. Some will take the verse with antithetical parallelism; Plaut argues that friendship is a spiritual relationship whereas a brother’s ties are based on a blood relationship—often adversity is the only thing that brings brothers together (Proverbs, p. 189).
<sup>55</sup>tn Heb “a brother”
<sup>56</sup>sn The word means “adversity, trouble.” The proverb is not saying that a brother’s loyalty only surfaces when there is trouble, nor is it saying that it always does then (see 18:19, 24; 19:7; 27:10). Here the true friend is the same as a brotherly relation—in times of greatest need the loyal love is displayed.
<sup>57</sup>tn Heb “heart”
<sup>58</sup>tn “in pledge” added to clarify
<sup>59</sup>tn The line uses the participle br@u) with its cognate accusative hBr%u&, “who pledges a pledge.”
<sup>60</sup>sn The point is that it is foolish to pledge security for someone’s loans; see 6:1-5.
<sup>61</sup>tn There is some ambiguity in the first line: “the one who loves transgression the one who loves a quarrel.” The meaning would not differ greatly if either were taken as the subject; but the parallelism suggests that the proverb is about a quarrelsome and arrogant person who loves sin and invites destruction.
<sup>62</sup>sn Some have taken this second line literally and interpreted it to mean he has built a pretentious house. Probably it is meant to be figurative: the gate is the mouth (figure would be hypocatastasis) and so to make it high is to say lofty things—he brags too much (see 1 Sam. 2:3; Prov. 18:12; 29:23). The figure would be comparable to “trap” in American slang. Toy wishes to emend O?t=P!, “his gate,” to wyP!, “his mouth”; but that is unnecessary since the idea can be obtained by interpretation.
<sup>63</sup>sn The verse parallels two descriptions of the wicked person: “crooked/perverse of heart” (genitive of specification), and “turned away in his tongue” (deceitful). The first phrase describes twisted intentions. The second, using the Niphal participle (“one turned away”) with “tongue,” the metonymy of cause, describes one who has turned away from speaking truth.
<sup>64</sup>tn This means “prosper.” This verb, and “falls” in the second colon, could both be interpreted as specific futures. The perverted can expect trouble ahead.
<sup>65</sup>sn In this verse lys!K= and lbn are paired. The first one, which occurs about fifty times in the book, refers to a dullard, whether it be in spiritual, intellectual, or moral matters. The second word, rare in the book, primarily focuses on religious folly—he is the practical atheist, the one who lives as if there is no God.
<sup>66</sup>tn The form simply means “bears, gives birth to,” but since it is masculine it would probably be rendered “begets.” The NIV interprets: “To have a fool for a son.” The form for “fool” is masculine, but the verse does not limit the idea to a son. “Beget,” “father,” “bring forth,” “give birth to” all could work.
<sup>67</sup>tn “does so” added
<sup>68</sup>sn Of course, the child becomes a fool as time goes on. The verse is saying that the parents, who had hoped for children who would be a credit to the family, find only bitter disappointment.
<sup>69</sup>sn Literally “a heart of rejoicing” (attributive genitive), refers to the mind or psyche. It means that a happy and healthy outlook on life brings healing.
<sup>70</sup>sn This expression is a little difficult to translate. It has hhG@ bF!yy@, Heb “it causes good a healing.” It means it prospers healing. The word “healing” is a hapax legomenon, and so some have suggested changes, such as to Arabic jihatu, “face,” or to hYw!G=, “body” as in the Syriac and the Targum. But the Hebrew makes sense as it is.
<sup>71</sup>sn The “crushed spirit” refers to one who is depressed. “Crushed” is figurative (an implied comparison) for the idea that one’s psyche or will to go on is beaten down by circumstances.
<sup>72</sup>sn The “bones” figuratively represent the whole body encased in a boney framework (metonymy of subject). “Fat bones” in Scripture means a healthy body (3:8; 15:30; 16:24), but “dried up” bones signify unhealthiness and lifelessness (cf. Ezek. 37:1-4).
<sup>73</sup>sn The fact that the “gift” is given secretly (Heb “from the bosom” [qy?@m@]) indicates that it was not proper.
<sup>74</sup>tn The form tOFh^l= is the Hiphil infinitive construct of hFn, meaning “to thrust away,” i.e., pervert. This purpose clause clarifies that the receiving of the gift is for evil intent.
<sup>75</sup>tn The verse begins with /yb!m@ yn@P=-to#, “before the discerning,” or “the face of the discerning.” The particle to# in this verse is simply drawing emphasis to the predicate (see Waltke and O’Connor, Biblical Hebrew Syntax, pp. 182-183). The NIV renders it “A discerning man keeps wisdom in view.”
<sup>76</sup>tn “run” is added
<sup>77</sup>sn To say that the eyes of the fool are on the end of the earth means that he has no power to concentrate and cannot fix attention on anything. The language is hyperbolic.
<sup>78</sup>sn The noun means “vexation, anger, grief.”
<sup>79</sup>sn The proverb is similar to verse 21, 10:1, and 15:20.
<sup>80</sup>sn The verb vnu, here a Qal infinitive construct, properly means “to fine,” but taken here as “to punish” in general. The infinitive functions as the subject of the clause.
<sup>81</sup>tn The form is the Hiphil infinitive construct from hkn, “strike, smite, blow.” It could here refer to public beatings.
<sup>82</sup>tn The expression may be rendered “contrary to what is right” or “over [their] righteousness.
sn The two lines could be synonymous parallelism; but the second part is being used to show how wrong the first act would be—punishing the righteous makes about as much sense as beating an official of the court for doing what is just.
<sup>83</sup>tn The subject of the clause is tu^D^ u^d@Oy, “the one knowing knowledge.” The cognate accusative underscores the meaning of the participle—this is a truly knowledgeable person.
<sup>84</sup>sn The participle EC@O? means “withholds, restrains, refrains, spares, holds in check” or the like. The point is that one who has knowledge speaks carefully.
<sup>85</sup>tn The phrase “cool of spirit” (genitive of specification) describes one who is calm, unruffled, even-tempered. The one with understanding can be composed.
<sup>86</sup>tn The imperfect tense is here given a nuance of possibility. The verb would be understood in the second colon as well: one who holds his tongue [may be considered] discerning.
<sup>87</sup>sn The proverb is teaching that silence is one evidence of wisdom, and that even a fool can thereby appear wise. Kidner says that a fool who takes this advice is no longer a complete fool (Proverbs, p. 127). He does not, of course, become wise—he just hides his folly.
<sup>1</sup>tn The verbal form is a Niphal participle; this is the separated one, the one who chooses to do things himself. He is not merely anti-social; he is a problem for society since he will defy sound judgment. The Mishnah uses the verse to teach the necessity of being part of a community because people have social responsibilities and need each other (Aboth 2:4).
<sup>2</sup>tc The MT has “seeks [his own] desire[s].” Some commentators follow the LXX and read: “seeks his own occasion” (reading hno&t)l= instead of hwo&t^l=), that is, “his own pretext” (see Toy, Proverbs, p. 354). The point differs only in the reason behind the separation and seems unnecessary. The line can be illustrated by Lot who chose the best land out of his desires and separated himself from Abram (Gen. 13:11).
<sup>3</sup>sn The verb means “break out”; in this stem it indicates a breaking out in contention (perhaps “snarling against”) sound judgment. He is indeed in opposition to society and its decisions (see also 17:14 and 20:3).
<sup>4</sup>sn This expression forms an understatement, a tapeinosis; the opposite is the point—he detests understanding or discernment.
<sup>5</sup>tn The form tOLG^t=h!B= is the Hithpael infinitive construct serving as the object of the preposition, a nominal use. The verb means “reveal, uncover, or betray.” So the fool takes pleasure “in uncovering” his heart.
<sup>6</sup>sn “What is on his mind” is an interpretation of the text’s “his heart.” McKane says that this kind of person is in love with his own ideas and enjoys spewing them out (Proverbs, p. 515). It is the kind of person who would ask a question, not to learn, but to show everyone how clever he is.
<sup>7</sup>tn The MT has “a wicked [person].” Many commentators (McKane, p. 521; Scott, p. 112; Toy, p. 355) find the change to uv^r#, “wickedness,” makes a better parallel in the line. This may be true, but that does not mean it is correct. No versions and no manuscripts support the change. The parallel word is “shame,” which is not immediately synonymous anyway.
<sup>8</sup>sn “Contempt” (zWB) accompanies the wicked; “reproach” (hPr=?#) goes with shame. This reproach refers to the critical rebukes and taunts of the community against wicked person.
<sup>9</sup>tn “comes” supplied
<sup>10</sup>sn The metaphor “deep waters” indicates either that the words have an inexhaustible supply or that they are profound.
<sup>11</sup>tn One question in this verse is whether 4b is a parallel sentence with 4a (NIV making it antithetical) or the continuation of it. Normally a waw would begin an antithetical clause; the structure and the ideas suggest that the second colon continues the idea of the first half, but in a parallel way rather than as additional predicates. The metaphors used in the verse elsewhere describe the wise, and so that is the interpretation here.
<sup>12</sup>sn Here we have an implied comparison (hypocatastasis), the fountain of wisdom being the person who speaks. The Greek version has “fountain of life” instead of “wisdom,” probably influenced from 10:11.
<sup>13</sup>sn The point of this metaphor is that the wisdom is a continuous source of refreshing and beneficial ideas. This would suggest that the idea of profound would fit the former metaphor the best.
<sup>14</sup>sn “Not good” is a tapeinosis; the point is just the opposite—it is terrible!
<sup>15</sup>sn The image of the first part, “lifting up the face of” (yn@P= to@C=) means showing partiality in decisions (see Deut. 10:17; Mal. 2:9). The verbal form is the Qal infinitive construct from oCn, functioning here as the formal subject of the clause.
<sup>16</sup>tn The second half of the verse may illustrate this reprehensible action. The Hiphil infinitive construct tOFh^l= may serve either as result or epexegetical infinitive. It is either “showing partiality . . . so that the righteous are turned away,” or “showing partiality . . . by turning the righteous away.” The second is perhaps better. Depriving the innocent of their rights is a perversion of justice.
<sup>17</sup>sn The “lips” is a metonymy of cause, meaning what the fool says. Likewise the “mouth” in the second colon.
<sup>18</sup>sn “Strife” is a metonymy of cause, it is the cause of the blows; “blows” in the second colon is the metonymy of effect, they are the effect of the strife. The two together give the whole picture.
<sup>19</sup>sn There is a subtle personification in these two lines: what he says “calls for” a beating. The point is that it deserves a beating, not that there is actually a request.
<sup>20</sup>sn The “blows” would probably be physical beatings, either administered by the father of by society (see also 19:25; Ps. 141:5).
<sup>21</sup>tn Heb “his soul”
sn What a fool says can ruin him. Calamity and misfortune can come to a person who makes known his lack of wisdom by what he says. It may be that his words incite anger, or merely reveal stupidity; in either case, he is in trouble.
<sup>22</sup>tn Or, “slanderer”
<sup>23</sup>sn The word <ym!?&l^t=m!K= occurs only in this place, but is related to a cognate verb meaning “to swallow greedily.” Earlier translations took it from a Hebrew root <lh (see the word tOml%h&m^l= In verse 6) and gave it the meaning “wounds.” But the translation of “choice morsels” fits the idea of gossip better.
<sup>24</sup>sn Literally it says, “they go down [into] the innermost arts of the belly.” When the tasty bits of gossip are received, they go down like delicious food—into the innermost being. Whybray says, “There is a flaw in human nature that assures slander will be listened to” (Book of Proverbs, p. 105).
<sup>25</sup>tn The “also” could be taken as an emphatic particle: “even the one who.” Many commentators and translators omit the word.
<sup>26</sup>tn The form hP#r^t=m! is the Hithpael participle, “showing oneself slack.” The verb means “sink, relax,” and in the causative stem “let drop” the hands. This is the lazy person who does not even try to work.
<sup>27</sup>sn The point of the metaphor is to say that these two troubling types are closely related.
<sup>28</sup>sn The “destroyer,” is literally “possessor [ = dealer] in/of destruction.”
<sup>29</sup>sn The “name of the LORD” is a metonymy of subject. The “name” here signifies not the personal name “Yahweh,” for that would be redundant in the expression “the name of Yahweh,” but the attributes of the LORD (cf. Exod. 34:5-7)—here His power to protect.
<sup>30</sup>sn The metaphor of “a strong tower” (Heb “a tower of strength”) indicates that there is a secure refuge in the LORD. The figure is then qualified in the second colon.
<sup>31</sup>sn Continuing with the figurative meaning, “running” to the LORD would indicate a whole-hearted and unwavering trust in God’s protection (see Isa. 40:31).
<sup>32</sup>sn “Safely set on high” continues the comparison (now a hypocatastasis). This military-type expression stresses the effect of the trust—security, being out of danger. Other Scriptures will supply the ways that God actually protects people who trust Him.
<sup>33</sup>sn This proverb forms a contrast with the last. The rich, unlike the righteous, trust in wealth and not in God.
<sup>34</sup>sn The metaphor of “strong city” (literally “city of his strength”) represents their place of refuge, what they look to for security and protection in time of trouble.
<sup>35</sup>tn The proverb is simply reporting a common assumption without commenting on it; however, the juxtaposition with the last verse is a loud criticism of this misguided faith. The final word OtyK!C=m^B=, “in his imaginations,” indicates that this is a futile place of refuge. The LXX, Targum and the Latin take the word in the sense of “fence”—like a high wall serving as a fence, as if from OtKC%m=B!. But the MT reading provides the stronger idea that this attempt at security is only in the mind.
<sup>36</sup>sn The heart is a metonymy of subject; it represents the seat of the spiritual and intellectual capacities—the mind, the will, the motivations and intentions. Proud ambitions and intentions will lead to a fall.
<sup>37</sup>sn The proverb teaches that the way to honor is through humility. See also 11:2; 15:33; and 16:18. The exaltation of Jesus provides the classic example (Phil. 2:1-10).
<sup>38</sup>tn Heb “returns a word”
<sup>39</sup>sn Poor listening and premature answering indicate that the person has a low regard for what the other is saying, or that he is too absorbed in his own ideas. The Mishnah lists this as the second characteristic of the uncultured person (Aboth, 5:7).
<sup>40</sup>tn The verse uses formal parallelism, with the second colon simply completing the thought of the first.
<sup>41</sup>tn Heb “the spirit of a man.” Because the verb of this clause is a masculine form, some have translated this line as “with spirit a man sustains,” but that is an unnecessary change.
<sup>42</sup>sn The figure of a “crushed spirit” (comparing depression to something smashed or crushed) suggests a broken will, a loss of vitality, despair, and emotional pain. In physical sickness one can fall back on the will to live; but in depression the will is gone and there is no reserve for physical strength.
<sup>43</sup>sn This is a rhetorical question, asserting that very few can cope with depression.
<sup>44</sup>sn By paralleling “heart” and “ear” the proverb stresses the full acquisition of knowledge. Both are metonymies, the first a metonymy of subject, and the second of cause. The “ear” listens to instruction, and the heart considers what is heard to acquire knowledge.
<sup>45</sup>sn It is instructive to see that in Proverbs it is the wise who continually seek more knowledge. Kidner says, “Those who know most know best how little they know” (Proverbs, p. 129).
<sup>46</sup>sn At first glance it appears that the line has an unusual expression, a mixed metaphor with the “ear” “seeking.” But the “ear of the wise” actually means the wise person’s capacity to hear, and so the wise are seeking as they hear.
<sup>47</sup>sn The “gift” (literally “a man’s gift” [/Tm^]) is a more general word than “bribe” (d?^v)), used in 17:8, 23. But it also has danger (see 15:27; 21:14), for by giving gifts one might learn how influential they are and use them for bribes. Here the proverb simply says that a gift can expedite matters.
<sup>48</sup>sn The two verbs in this verse show a progression, helping to form the synthetic parallelism. The gift first “makes room” (by?!r=y^) for the person, that is, extending a place for him, and then “ushers him in” (Wn?#n=y^) among the greats.
<sup>49</sup>tn Heb “in his legal case”
<sup>50</sup>tn “seems” added
<sup>51</sup>tn Heb “his neighbor”
<sup>52</sup>tn The Kethib is the imperfect ob)y, and the Qere is the conjunction with the participle/perfect tense form obW. The latter is reflected in most of the versions. There is not an appreciable difference in the translations, except for the use of the conjunction.
<sup>53</sup>sn The proverb is a continuous sentence teaching that there must be cross-examination to settle legal disputes. There are two sides in any disputes, and so even though the first to present his case sounds right, it must be challenged. The verb rqh is used for careful, diligent searching and investigating to know something (see Ps. 139:1).
<sup>54</sup>tn Heb “the lot”
<sup>55</sup>tn The verb tyB!v=y^ is the Hiphil imperfect from tbv, meaning “cause to cease, bring to an end, end.” The assumption behind this practice and this saying is that providence played the determining role in the casting of lots. If both parties accepted this, then the issue could be resolved.
<sup>56</sup>sn In Proverbs this verb often has a negative connotation, such as separating close friends (see 16:9). But here it has a positive nuance: opponents are separated by settling the issue.
<sup>57</sup>tn The word is the adjective, “mighty,” used here substantivally as the object of the preposition.
<sup>58</sup>tn The Niphal participle from uvP modifies “brother”: a brother transgressed, offended, sinned against.
<sup>59</sup>tn Something like “is harder to reach” has to be supplied because of the comparative /m! in this context. It is difficult to get into a fortified city; it is more difficult to reach an offended brother. The LXX, however, has a clear antithetical proverb here: “A brother helped is like a stronghold, but disputes are like bars of a citadel.” Accordingly, the editors of BHS propose u^yv!Om instead of uvp=n! (so also the other versions and the RSV). But since both lines use the comparison with a citadel (fortified/barred), the antithesis is problematic.
<sup>60</sup>sn The proverb is talking about changing a friend or a relative into an enemy by abuse or strife—the bars go up, as it were. And the “walls” that are erected are not easily torn down.
<sup>61</sup>sn Two images are used in this proverb: the fruit of the mouth and the harvest of the lips. They are synonymous; the first is applied to the orchard and the second to the field. The “mouth” and the “lips” are metonymies of cause, and so both lines are speaking about speech that is productive.
<sup>62</sup>sn The subject of the verb is OnF=B!, “his belly,” “his midst”—rendered here as “his stomach” because of the use of ubC, “to be satisfied, sated, filled,” which is usually used with food. The line then seems to be saying not just that productive speech is satisfying, but that it satisfies the basic needs of life. There is a practical return for beneficial words.
<sup>63</sup>tn Heb “in the hand of”
<sup>64</sup>sn The line is affirming that what people say can lead to life or death. The Midrash shows one way the tongue [what is said] can cause death: “The evil tongue slays three, the slanderer, the slandered, and the listener” (Midrash Tehillim 52:2). See further James G. Williams, “The Power of Form: A Study of Biblical Proverbs,” Semeia 17 (1980):35-38.
<sup>65</sup>tn The referent of “it” must be the tongue, i.e., what the tongue says. So those who enjoy talking, indulging in it, must “eat” its fruit, whether good or bad. The “eating the fruit” is an implied comparison; it means accept the consequences of loving to talk.
<sup>66</sup>tn The verb is the Qal perfect tense in both places in the first colon. It is paralleled by the preterite in the second colon, which carries the same nuance as the preceding verbs. The first verb is almost hypothetical; it could be given a conditional clause translation: “if a man finds . . . then he finds.” But taken as a principle the nuances of the verbs would be gnomic or characteristic.
<sup>67</sup>sn “Good” (bOF) means “fortune” or “favor” in this context. The background may be Genesis 2:18, which affirms that it is not good for man to be alone. The word describes that which is pleasing to God, beneficial for life, and abundantly enjoyable.
<sup>68</sup>sn The parallelism is formal; the second line of the verse continues the first but explains it further: finding a mate is the sign of favor from God.
<sup>69</sup>tc The LXX adds this embellishment to complete the thought: “Whoever puts away a good wife puts away good, and whoever keeps an adulteress is foolish and ungodly.”
<sup>70</sup>sn The expression is literally “speaks supplications,” which means that the poor mean has to ask for help because he has no choice. /Wn?&T^ is a “supplication for favor’ (related to the verb /n?, “be gracious, show favor”). So the poor man speaks, but what he speaks is a request for favor.
<sup>71</sup>sn The rich person, however, responds harshly to the request. He has hardened himself against such appeals because of relentless demands. The proverb is not setting this out as the ideal, only as an observation of the way the world works generally.
<sup>72</sup>tc The construction is “a man of friends,” meaning a man who has friends (a genitive of the thing possessed). Toy, however, suggests reading vy@ instead of vyo!, along with some of the Greek manuscripts, the Syriac and the Targums. It would then say “there are friends” who are unreliable (Proverbs, p. 366). But this change in the versions has all the trappings of harmonization with the second colon to resolve a difficult reading, and so the MT should be retained here.
<sup>73</sup>tn The text simply has u^u@r)t=h!l=, which means “for being crushed” or “to be shattered” (but not “to show oneself friendly” as in the KJV). What can be made of the sentence is that “a man who has [many] friends [may have them] for being crushed”—the infinitive giving the result (with the result that he may be crushed by them”).
<sup>1</sup>sn The verse teaches that people should follow honesty even if it leads to poverty (see also 18:23 and 19:22).
<sup>2</sup>tn The expression “perverse in his lips” means that what this one says is twisted, perverted (“lips” being the metonymy). Some manuscripts and the Syriac and Targum have “his ways” rather than “his lips” (cf. 28:6).
<sup>3</sup>tn Because the parallelism is weak, some suggest changing “fool” to “rich” to strengthen it. Such a change may be suggested by the Syriac and the Targum, but not the LXX. The Hebrew construction uses oWhw+, “and he [is],” before “fool”; this suggests “one who is perverse while a fool” or “a fool at the same time.”
<sup>4</sup>sn The interpretation of this first part depends largely on the meaning of vp#n#. It often simply means the whole person, and so it could mean “a life without knowledge is not good.” Others take it in the sense of “rest, refreshment”; it would mean “to cease from labor because of prudential considerations is not good.” So then too much reflection or too much haste would be twin troubles. NIV takes the word in the sense of “vitality” and “drive”—“it is not good to have zeal without knowledge.” That has the benefit of making a better parallel than some. The translation “life” gives adequate sense (although not entirely satisfying) and does not have to force an unusual meaning on the word.
<sup>5</sup>sn The verb JWo means “be pressed, press, make haste.” The implication is that the making haste comes from pressure, being confined or pressed. The participle is followed with the preposition B= which indicates the particular in which one hastens—here with his feet. The word “feet” represents all the personal involvement of hastening—body and mind working together.
<sup>6</sup>sn The participle oF@O? can be translated “sins”; but in this context it seems only to be speaking of actions without knowledge, which could lead to sin, or could lead simply to making poor choices. The basic meaning of the verb is “to miss a goal or the way.” Kidner says, “How negative is the achievement of a man who wants tangible and quick rewards”—he will miss the way (Proverbs, p. 132).
<sup>7</sup>tn The text says literally “the folly of a man”; in this proverb it underscores that it is his own folly.
<sup>8</sup>sn The word [ls means “twist, pervert, overturn.” BDB suggest in this context that it means “subvert” (p. 701). Greenstone comments: “Man’s own failures are the result of his own folly and should not be attributed to God” (Proverbs, p. 201).
<sup>9</sup>tn The clause begins with waw on the non-verb phrase “against the LORD.” While clause structure and word order is less compelling in a book like Proverbs, this fits well as a circumstantial clause giving concession.
<sup>10</sup>sn The “heart raging” is a metonymy of cause (or adjunct); it represents the emotions that will lead to blaming God for the frustration. Genesis 42:28 offers a calmer illustration of this as the brothers ask what God was doing to them.
<sup>11</sup>tn The point of the Niphal imperfect is that the poor person is deserted by his “friend” and not that he deserted his friend.
<sup>12</sup>sn This proverb simply makes an observation on life: people run after wealthy folk, but the poor are deserted even by friends, perhaps hoping that they can gain something from the rich, and fearing that the poor will try to gain something from them.
<sup>13</sup>sn The expression is “a witness of lies,” probably an attributive genitive meaning “a lying witness.” This is paralleled in the verse with “the one who pours out lies.”
<sup>14</sup>sn The proverb is general, because on occasion there are false witnesses who go unpunished (in this life). The Talmud affirms, “False witnesses are contemptible even to those who hire them” (Sanhedrin 29b). See also verse 9; 6:19; and 14:5, 25).
<sup>15</sup>sn The verb Wl?^y= is a Piel imperfect of hl?, “to seek favor, entreat favor, mollify, appease.” It literally has the idea of making the face of someone sweet or pleasant, as in stroking the face. To entreat the favor of someone is to induce him to show favor; the action aims at receiving gifts, benefits, or any other kind of success. It is often used as a word for prayer when God is the one being sought; here it is the prince who can give favors.
<sup>16</sup>sn The proverb acknowledges the fact of life; but it also reminds people of the value of gifts in life, especially in business or in politics.
<sup>17</sup>tn The construction is simply “a man of gifts.” This could mean he is a man characterized by giving gifts, or it could be a genitive of object, more specifically effect (Waltke and O’Connor, p. 146), meaning that he gives gifts.
<sup>18</sup>tn Heb “brothers”
<sup>19</sup>sn The verb is “hate him” (Who%n@C=), but its meaning “reject” is more appropriate for this passage. The kind of “dislike” or “hatred” family members have for a poor relative is simply to have nothing to do with him. If relatives do this, “how much more” his friends.
<sup>20</sup>tn Heb “not they.” The last line of the verse is problematic. The preceding two lines are loosely synonymous in their parallelism, but the third adds something like: “he pursues [them with] words, but they [do] not [respond].” Some simply say it is a corrupt remnant of a verse and beyond restoration. The basic idea does make sense, though. The idea of his family and friends rejecting him tells how superficial they are, and how they make themselves scarce. Since they are far off, he has to look for them “with words” (adverbial accusative), that is, send word for help. But they are no where to be found. LXX reads “will not be delivered” in place of “not they”—clearly an attempt to make sense out of the cryptic phrase, and, in the process, show evidence for that text.
<sup>21</sup>tn Heb “heart” (meaning a mind that works; cf. 7:7; 9:4)
<sup>22</sup>sn The expression “loves his soul” means that he is paying attention to his needs or taking care of his life. This expression works with its parallel to provide the whole idea: “loving the soul” is the metonymy of the cause for prospering, and “prospering” is the metonymy of the effect (of loving).
<sup>23</sup>tn Heb “finds good.” The form of the verb is oX)m=l!, the Qal infinitive construct. The LXX, as well as the other main versions, render it as a future, suggesting to the editors that one should read the verb as oX)m=y!, which, for all practical purposes, is what the English translations do. The infinitive is used here in one of its modal senses, having the nuance of “is destined to” or “is certain of” finding good in life.
<sup>24</sup>tn Heb “breathes out lies”
<sup>25</sup>sn The verse is the same as verse 5, except that the last word changes to the verb “will perish.”
<sup>26</sup>tn The form hw#on is an adjective meaning “seemly, comely” in the older translations, “fitting, appropriate” in the newer. The verbal root hon only occurs in the Pi`lel stem; but it also has the basic meaning of “being fitting, comely.” In this sentence the form is a predicate adjective.
²⁷sn The verse is simply observing two things that are misfits. It is not concerned with a fool who changes and can handle wealth, or a servant who changes to become a nobleman. It is focused on things that are incongruous.
²⁸sn The understanding in the ancient world was that the prince would be trained for his rule (hence, one of the original purposes of Proverbs). A slave ruling over princes would be arrogant and cruel, or foolish and unwise. For other unbearable things, see 11:22; 17:7; 26:1; and 30:21-23.
²⁹tn Or, “prudence,” the successful use of wisdom in discretion
³⁰tn The form Eyr!o$h# is the Hiphil perfect of the verb Ero; it means here “makes long, prolongs.” It is saying more than that prudence brings patience, for being “slow to anger” has a different emphasis than patience in general.
³¹sn “Glory” here signifies the idea of beauty or adornment. Kidner explains that such patience “brings out here the glowing colours of a virtue which in practice may look drably unassertive” (Proverbs, p. 133).
³²tn rb)u& is the infinitive construct, functioning here as the formal subject of the sentence. This clause provides the cause, whereas the former gave the effect—if one can pass over an offence there will be no anger.
sn McKane says, “The virtue which is indicated here is more than a forgiving temper; it includes also the ability to shrug off insults and the absence of a brooding hypersensitivity . . . . It contains elements of toughness and self-discipline; it is the capacity to stifle a hot, emotional rejoinder and to sleep on an insult” (Proverbs, p. 530).
³³sn The verse contrasts the “rage” of the king with his “favor” by using two similes. The first simile presents the king at his most dangerous—his anger (see 20:2; Amos 3:4). But the second simile presents his favor as beneficial for life (see 16:14-15; 28:15).
³⁴tn Heb “is a roaring like a lion.”
³⁵sn The proverb seems to be making a simple observation on the king’s power to terrify or to refresh. But in doing so it is also advising people to use tact with a king.
³⁶tn Heb “a foolish son”
³⁷sn See 10:1; 17:21, 25
³⁸tn The expression is literally “the contentions of a wife” (hVo! yn@y=d=m!). The genitive could be interpreted simply as source or subjective genitive—she is quarreling; or it could be a genitive of specification, making the word “contentions” a modifier. In either case the sense is approximately the same.
³⁹sn The verse does not actually use a simile, but a metaphor. The image is one of water dropping, perhaps through the roof, in a continuous flow. The significance is that it is annoying and irritating. See 27:15-16.
⁴⁰tc The LXX makes this moralistic statement for 13b: “vows paid out of hire of a harlot are not pure.” It is not based on the MT and attempts to reconstruct a text using this have not succeeded.
⁴¹tn Heb “inheritance of fathers”
⁴²sn “A prudent wife” is the rendering of tl#KC=m^ hVo!; it describes a wife who has a skillful use of knowledge and discretion that proves to be successful. This one is obviously in contrast to the preceding verse. So the proverb is not concerned about unhappy marriages or bad wives; it simply affirms that when it works out well one should credit it as a gift from God.
⁴³tn Heb “causes to fall, casts”
⁴⁴sn The word hmD@r=T^ can mean an actual, physical “deep sleep” (cf. Gen. 2:21; Jon. 1:5,6); but it can also be used figuratively for complete inactivity, as also the other words for “sleep” can. Here it has the meaning of lethargy (Whybray) or debility and morbidness (Greenstone).
⁴⁵tn The expression could be “and the soul of deceit” (hYm!r= vp#n#w=), or “the soul of slackness.” There are two identical feminine nouns, one from the verb “beguile,” and the other from a supposed root “grow loose” (Arabic). Unless the two are really one with rather different meanings, the second is more likely here in view of the parallelism (although NIV translates it “a shiftless man”). One who is slack, idle, will go hungry.
⁴⁶sn The two lines once again work together: “deep sleep” is the cause of going hungry, and “going hungry” is the effect of deep sleep. They are both metonymies.
⁴⁷tn Both “obeys” and “guards” are rm@v)
⁴⁸sn “His ways” could refer to the conduct of the individual himself, or to the commandments as God’s ways. If the latter is the case, then the punishment is more certain.
⁴⁹tn The reading “shall die” represents the Qere reading in tm%wy—tm%y. The Kethib is tmWy, “shall be put to death.” The latter is stronger; but the former harmonizes better with the Book of Proverbs.
⁵⁰sn The participle /n@O?, “shows favor to” is related to the word for “grace.” The activity here is the kind favor shown poor people for no particular reason and with no hope of repayment. It is an act of grace.
⁵¹tn The form hw@l=m^ is the Hiphil participle from hwl in construct; it means “cause to borrow, lend.” The expression here is “lender of the LORD.” He becomes the creditor of God.
⁵²tn The text literally has “and his good deed will repay him.” The word Olm%G= Could be the subject or part of a double accusative of the verb. The accusative makes better sense, for then the subject of the verb is God. How “his deed” could repay him is not immediately obvious.
⁵³sn The promise of reward does not necessarily mean that he will get any money back; the rewards in Proverbs involve life and prosperity in general. In the NT, compare Matthew 25:40.
⁵⁴tn Some commentators wish to translate this clause “while there is hope,” meaning while he is young and easily guided. But the MT gives a causal clause.
⁵⁵tn The Hebrew expression “do not lift up your soul/life” to his death may mean “do not set your heart” on it; or it may mean “do not be a willing partner.” He is to discipline a child, but he is not to take it to the extreme and destroy the child.
⁵⁶tn The form Otym!h& is the Hiphil infinitive construct with a suffix. It would signify the result of “taking it to heart” in this line. The traditional rendering was “and let not your soul spare for his crying.” This involved a different reading than “causing his death” (see Greenstone, Proverbs, pp. 206-207).
⁵⁷sn The word means “indemnity, fine”; it appears that the trouble could be legal, and the angry person has to pay for it.
⁵⁸sn The second colon of the verse is very difficult and there have been many proposals. It has been rendered: “If you save [your enemy], you will add [good to yourself],” or “If you save [your son by chastening], you may continue [chastisement and so educate him],” or “If you deliver him [by paying the fine for him], you will have to do it again,” or “If you save him [this time], you will have to increase [the punishment later on].” As is obvious, all such attempts have to supply a good deal.
⁵⁹sn The advice is in all probability the teachings of the sages that will make one wise.
⁶⁰tn The proverb is one continuous thought, but the second half of the verse provides the purpose for the imperatives of the first half.
⁶¹tn The imperfect tense has the nuance of “final imperfect” in a purpose clause, and so is translated “may become wise.”
⁶²tn Meaning: in the end of receiving instruction
⁶³sn The “plans” (from the verb bv?, “to think, reckon, devise”) in the human heart are many. But the proverb is teaching that only those which God approves will succeed.
⁶⁴tn Heb “in the heart of a man”
⁶⁵sn The antithetical parallelism pairs “counsel” with “plans.” “Counsel of the LORD” (hwhy tX^u&) is “advice” or “counsel” with the connotation of “plan” in this context. The point is that the human with many plans is uncertain, but the LORD with a sure plan gives correct counsel.
⁶⁶tn The construction draws attention to the “counsel of the LORD”; it is an independent nominative absolute, and the resumptive independent pronoun is the formal subject of the verb.
⁶⁷tn The noun in construct is tw^o&T^, “desire [of].” Here it is “the desire of a man.” Two problems surface here, the connotation of the word and the kind of genitive. “Desire” can also be translated “lust,” and so Greenstone has “The lust of a man is his shame” (Proverbs, p. 208). But the sentence is more than likely positive in view of the more common uses of the words. “Man” could be genitive of possession or subjective genitive—the man desires loyal love. It could also be objective genitive, meaning “what is desired for a man.” The first would be the more natural in the proverb, which is showing that loyal love is better than wealth.
⁶⁸sn The second half of the verse may present the logical inference from this: the liar would be without “loyal love” entirely, and so poverty would be better than that character trait. The desire is the point of the verse; it should be for kindness. A poor person who wishes to do better is better than a person who makes promises and does not keep them.
⁶⁹tn “leads” added
⁷⁰sn “Life” is probably a metonymy of subject for all the blessings and the prosperity in life, especially since the plural form often covers “lifetime.”
⁷¹tn The subject of this verb is probably the one who fears the LORD and enjoys life. So the proverb uses synthetic parallelism; the second half tells what this life is like—it is an abiding contentment that is not threatened by calamity.
⁷²sn The verb dqP is often translated “visit” for want of a better term. It describes the intervention of something or someone in life that will change the destiny. If God visits it either means that He intervenes to bless or to curse. To be visited by trouble means that calamity will interfere with the course of life and change the direction or the destiny. So it is not a minor trouble that one might briefly experience. This proverb is saying that a life in the LORD cannot be disrupted by such major catastrophes that would alter one’s destiny.
⁷³sn This humorous portrayal is an exaggeration; but the point is that laziness can overcome hunger. It would have a wider application for anyone who would start a project and then lack the interest or the energy to finish it (Whybray, Book of Proverbs, p. 111). Ibn Ezra proposes that the dish was empty, because he was too lazy to provide for himself.
⁷⁴tn The construction uses the Hiphil imperfect hK#T^ followed by another imperfect tense. It could be rendered: “strike a scorner (imperfect of instruction) and a simpleton will become prudent.” But the first of the parallel verbs can also be subordinated to the second as a temporal or conditional clause.
⁷⁵sn Different people learn differently. There are three types in this proverb: the scorner with a closed mind, the simpleton with an empty mind, and the discerning with an open mind (Kidner, Proverbs, p. 135). The simpleton learns by observing a scoffer punished, even though the punishment will have no effect on the scoffer..
⁷⁶sn The word is related to “shrewdness” (cf. 1:4). The simpleton will learn at least where the traps are and how to avoid them.
⁷⁷sn The second half begins with ?^yk!Oh, the Hiphil infinitive construct. This parallels the imperfect tense beginning the first half (see note 1378); it forms a temporal or conditional clause as well, so that the main verb is “he will understand.” The discerning person will learn from verbal rebukes. The contrast is caught in a wordplay in the Midrash: “For the wise a hint [r’mizo], for the fool a fist [kurmezo]” (Mishle 22:6).
⁷⁸tn The construction joins the Piel participle dD#v^m=, “one who robs,” with the Hiphil imperfect ?^yr!b=y^, “causes to flee.” The imperfect given a progressive imperfect nuance matches the timeless description of the participle as a substantive.
⁷⁹sn “Father” and “mother” here represent a stereotypical word pair in the book, rather than describing separate crimes against each individual parent. Both crimes are against both parents.
⁸⁰tn The translation of “child” does not fit the activities of this verse and so “son” is retained. Besides, in the ancient world a “son” was more likely than a daughter to do this. It may reflect his wanting to take over his father’s lands prematurely.
⁸¹tn The infinitive construct u^m)v=l! functions as the direct object of the imperative: stop heeding/listening to. Of course in this proverb that shows the consequences of doing so, this is irony. The sage is instructing not to stop.
⁸²tn The second line also has an infinitive construct tOgv=l!, meaning “to stray, go astray, err.” It indicates the result of the instruction—stop listening, and as a result you will go astray. The LXX took it a little differently: A son who ceases to attend to discipline is likely to stray from words of knowledge.” The RSV sees the final clause as the purpose of the instructions to be avoided: “do not listen to instructions to err.”
⁸³sn The description of crooked or corrupt witnesses in Hebrew is lu^Y^l!B= du@—a witness who is worthless and wicked. Such are witnesses who wilfully distort the facts and make a mockery of the whole legal process.
⁸⁴sn The parallel line says that the mouth of the wicked “gulps down” or “swallows” (uL^b^y=) iniquity. The verb does not seem to fit the line, or the proverb very well. Some have emended the text to u^yB!y^, “gushes” (as 15:28). Driver followed an Arabic balaga to get “enunciates,” which works well with the idea of a false witness (see McKane, Proverbs, p. 529). As it stands, however, the line indicates that in what he says the wicked person accepts evil—and that could describe a false witness.
⁸⁵tn An emendation of the word to “rods” (from Fbv) is not required if the word is interpreted figuratively. The suggestion is drawn from the LXX “scourges”; that work may have assumed a different Vorlage, but it also could have been an interpretive translation from the same text. “Judgments” (from Fpv) is a metonymy of cause and refers to the punishment that the scoffer is to receive.
¹sn The drinks are wine and barley beer (see Lev. 10:9; Deut. 14:26; Isa. 28:7). These terms in this verse could be understood as personifications, but better as metonymies for those who drink wine and beer. In either case the point is the conduct of the inebriated person—mocking and brawling.
²tn The two participles Jl@ and hm#h), “mocker” and “brawler,” are substantives, predicates in the sentence. The point of the verse is that excessive use of intoxicants excites the drinker to boisterous behavior and aggressive attitudes—it turns them into mockers and brawlers.
³sn The proverb, and the OT in general, does not prohibit the use of wine or beer; in fact, strong drink was used at festivals and celebrations. But intoxication was considered out of bounds for a member of the covenant community (see 23:20-21, 29-35; 31:4-7). To be led astray by their use is not wise.
⁴sn The noun tm^yo@ means “terror [of]”; the line is comparing the terror brought on by the king to that of a lion’s roar.
⁵tn “that from” is supplied
⁶tn The verb OrB=u^t=m! is problematic; in the MT the form is the Hithpael participle with a pronominal suffix (which is unusual, for the direct object of this verb usually takes a preposition first). The Hebrew suggests a meaning “is angry with,” but the LXX rendered it more as “angers, irritates.” Other suggestions, unconvincing, can be seen in the various commentaries.
⁷sn The expression “sins against himself” has been taken by some to mean “forfeits his life” or “endangers his life.” That may be the implication of getting oneself in trouble with an angry king.
⁸tn Heb “man.”
⁹sn The form tb#v# is a noun meaning “cessation.” One cannot avoid conflict altogether; but the proverb is instructing that at the first sign of such the honorable thing to do is find a way to end it.
¹⁰sn The verb ulG means “expose, lay bare.” The Hithpael has the idea of “break out, disclose oneself,” and so the idea of flaring up in a quarrel is clear. But there are also cognate connections to the idea of “showing the teeth, snarling” and so quarreling viciously.
¹¹sn The act of plowing is put for the whole process of plowing and planting a crop.
¹²sn The noun means “autumn, harvest time.” The right time for planting was after the harvest was in and the rainy season of autumn and winter began.
¹³tn the next harvest in the spring
¹⁴sn The verb lo^vy= is the Piel imperfect; it would mean “beg” or “inquire carefully.” Some have interpreted this line to say that at the harvest time he looks for produce but there is none. The Piel might suggest, however, that because he did not plant, or did not do it at the right time, he is reduced to begging, but will have nothing.
¹⁵sn The noun means “advice, counsel”; it often has the connotation of planning or making decisions. The verse is saying that people with understanding can sort out plans.
¹⁶tn Heb “in the heart of a man”
¹⁷sn The meaning of this metaphor is that the motives or plans of a person are difficult to “fathom”—it takes someone with understanding to “draw them out” (the verb in the last colon continuing the figure with the sense of bringing them to the surface and sorting them out).
¹⁸tn Heb “a man of understanding”
¹⁹tn The first line of this proverb is rather difficult. The MT says [literally] “many a man calls/proclaims a man of his loyal love.” The Syriac and the Targum make it passive: “many are called kind.” Other suggestions include: “most men meet people who will do them occasional kindnesses” (RSV); “many men profess friendship” (Toy); “many men invite only the one who has shown them kindness” (Biur). The simplest interpretation is in this context that many proclaim [themselves to be] a kind person.” The contrast is between many who claim to be loyal friends and the one who proves to be faithful.
²⁰sn The shift to “a man of faithfulness[es]” in the second line indicates that of all those who claim to show faithful love, it is rare to find one who is truly reliable (as the word <yn!Wmo$ indicates clearly).
²¹sn The point of the rhetorical question is that a truly faithful friend is difficult to find.
²²sn Two terms describe the subject of this proverb: righteous and integrity. The first describes him as a member of the covenant community who strives to live according to God’s standards; the second emphasizes that his lifestyle is blameless.
²³sn The Hithpael participle of Elh means “to walk about, walk to and fro.” The idiom of walking representing living is intensified here in this stem. This is the verbal stem used in Scripture to describe people “walking with” God.
²⁴sn In God’s economy the nature and the actions of parents have an effect on children (see Exod. 20:4-6); if the parents are righteous, the children will enjoy a blessing—the respect and the happiness which he reflects on them.
²⁵tn The infinitive construct is /yD!; it indicates purpose, “to judge,” even though it does not have the preposition with it.
²⁶sn The second line uses the image of winnowing to state that the king’s judgment removes evil from the realm. The verb form is hr#zm=, the Piel participle. It has been translated “sift, winnow, scatter” and “separate”—separate out evil from the land. The text is saying that a just government roots out evil; but few have been consistently just.
²⁷sn The phrase “with his eyes” indicates that he will closely examine or look into all the cases that come before him. Contrast Isaiah 11:3 which predicts that Messiah will not have to do this, for He will have complete knowledge and wisdom.
²⁸sn The verse is a rhetorical question; it is affirming that no one can say this because no one is pure and free of sin.
²⁹tn The verb form yt!yK!z! is the Piel perfect of hkz, “be clear, clean, pure.” The verb has the idea of “be clear, justified, acquitted.” In this stem it is causative: “I have made my heart pure” or “kept my heart pure.” This would be claiming that all decisions and motives were faultless.
³⁰sn The verb “to be pure” (rhF) is a Levitical term. To claim this purity would be to claim that moral and cultic perfection had been attained and therefore one was acceptable to God in the present condition. Of course, no one can claim this; even if one thought it true, it is impossible to know all that is in the heart as God knows it.
³¹tn The construction simply uses repetition to express different kinds of weights and measures: “a stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah.”
³²sn The LORD hates dishonesty in business. See v. 23 and 11:1, which are based on Deuteronomy 25:13-16.
³³sn In the first nine chapters of the book the word ru^n^ referred to an adolescent, a young person whose character was being formed in his early life. But here the word must described a younger child in view of the context.
³⁴sn The verb rkn means “to recognize” more than simply “to know.” The verse is saying that certain character traits can be recognized in a child by what he does.
³⁵sn On the surface the verse is saying that character is demonstrated by actions at any age. But the emphasis of Proverbs would also be that if the young child begins to show such actions, then the parents must try to cultivate them; if not, they must try to develop them through teaching and discipline.
³⁶sn The first half of the verse refers to two basic senses that the LORD has given to people. Toy, however, thinks that they represent all the faculties. But in Proverbs seeing and hearing come to the fore. By usage “hearing” also means obeying (15:31; 25:12), and “seeing” also means perceiving and understanding (Isa. 6:9-10).
³⁷sn The verse not only credits God with making these and giving them to people, but it also reminds everyone of their spiritual use in God’s service.
³⁸sn The proverb uses antithetical parallelism to teach that diligence leads to prosperity. It contrasts loving sleep with opening the eyes, and poverty with satisfaction. Just as “sleep” can be used for slothfulness or laziness, so opening the eyes can represent vigorous, active conduct. The idioms have caught on in modern usage as well—things like “open your eyes” or “asleep on the job.”
³⁹tn The second line uses two imperatives in a sequence (without the waw): “open your eyes” and then (or in order that) you will “be satisfied.”
⁴⁰sn This proverb reflects normal procedure in the business world. The buyer complains how bad the deal is for him, but then later brags about the deal he got. The proverb will alert the inexperienced as to how things are done.
⁴¹sn The form is the Hithpael imperfect of llh, which means “to praise”—talk in glowing terms, excitedly. In this stem it means “to praise oneself, to boast.”
⁴²tn The verse is usually taken as antithetical parallelism: there may be gold and rubies but the true gem is knowledge. However, Toy arranges it as follows: “store of gold and wealth of corals and precious vessels—all are wise lips” (Proverbs, p. 388). But this uses the gems as metaphors for wise speech, and does not stress the contrast between wealth and wisdom.
⁴³sn The “lips of knowledge” refer to wise speech. “Lips” is the metonymy for the speaking, and “knowledge” could be either an attributive genitive or objective genitive. Lips that impart knowledge are the true jewel to be sought.
⁴⁴sn Taking a garment was the way of holding someone responsible to pay debts. In fact, the garment was the article normally taken for security (Exod. 22:24-26; Deut. 24:10-13). Because this is a high risk security pledge (see 6:1-5), the creditor is to deal more severely than when the pledge is given by the debtor for himself..
⁴⁵tc There is a textual problem with the second word. The Kethib has the masculine plural form, <yrkn, suggesting a reading “strangers.” But the Qere has the feminine, hYr!k=n, “strange woman” or “another man’s wife” (see 27:13). The parallelism would suggest “strangers” is the correct reading, although theories have been put forward for the interpretation of “strange woman” (see below).
sn The one for whom the pledge is taken is called “a stranger” and “foreign.” These two words do not necessarily mean that the individual or individuals are non Israelite—just outside the community and not well known.
⁴⁶tn Or, “hold it”
⁴⁷sn M. Dahood tries to argue that the cloak was taken in pledge for a harlot: two sins would then be committed here: taking a cloak and going to a wayward woman (“To Pawn One’s Cloak,” Biblica, 42 [1961]:359-66; see also Snijders, “The Meaning of rz,” pp. 85-86).
⁴⁸sn The “bread of deceit” means bread gained through dishonest means. The use of “bread” here probably represents anything that is obtained by fraud, including food.
⁴⁹tn Heb “a man”
⁵⁰sn The image of food and eating is carried throughout the proverb. Food taken by fraud seems sweet, but afterward it is not. To end up with a mouth full of gravel (a mass of small particles; see Job 20:14-15; Lam. 3:16) implies by comparison that what has been taken by fraud will be worthless and useless and certainly in the way (like food turning into sand and dirt). The chief example is the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3.
⁵¹tn The noun form is plural, but the verb is singular, suggesting either an abstract plural or a collective plural is being used here.
⁵²tn The clause begins with waw on “with guidance.” But the clause has an imperative for its main verb. One could take the imperfect tense in the first colon as an imperfect of injunction, and then this clause would be also instructional. But the imperfect tense is a Niphal, and so it is better to take the first colon as the foundational clause and the second colon as the consequence—if that is true, then you should do this.
⁵³sn There have been attempts by various commentators to take “war” figuratively to mean life’s struggles, litigation, or evil inclinations. But there is no need and little justification for this. It simply describes the necessity of counsel before going to war.
⁵⁴sn The word describes a slanderer, a tale-bearer, or an informer. BDB says “goers of slander” means slanderous persons (p. 940). McKane observes that these people are not necessarily malicious—they just talk too much (Proverbs, 9. 537).
⁵⁵tn The form is the Hithpael imperfect (of prohibition or instruction) from bru. BDB list six roots with these radicals. The first means “to mix,” but only occurs in derivatives. So they list this form under the second root, which means “take on a pledge, exchange.” The Hithpael is then defined as “exchange pledges, have fellowship with, or share.” The proverb is warning people to have nothing to do with gossips.
⁵⁶sn The image of “one opening his lips” is a metonymy of cause—one who is always starting to talk. If such a person is willing to talk about others, he will be willing to talk about you. Some commentators have taken the verb to mean “entice”; but that does not seem to be the meaning of a Qal form like this participle.
⁵⁷tn The form is the Piel participle of llq. The word means “to be light”; in this stem it means “take lightly, treat as worthless, treat contemptuously, curse.” Under the Law this brought a death penalty (Exod. 21:17; Lev. 20:9; Deut. 27:16).
⁵⁸sn “Lamp” is an implied comparison (hypocatastasis) meaning his life. For the lamp to go out would mean death (see 13:9) and possibly also the removal of posterity (see Whybray, Book of Proverbs, p. 115).
⁵⁹tc The Kethib, followed by the LXX, Syriac, and Latin, has /Ovyo!B=, “in the pupil of the eye darkness,” the dark spot of the eye. But the Qere has /Wvo$B#, probably to be rendered “pitch” or “blackest,” although the form occurs nowhere else. The meaning in either reading is approximately the same—deep darkness, which vividly adds to the figure of the lamp being snuffed out. His destruction will be total and final.
⁶⁰tn The Pual participle tl#?#b)m= is a Kethib/Qere reading. The Kethib would be tl#?#b%m=, “gotten by greed” (based on a cognate Syriac verb, “to be greedy”); but the Qere is from a different verb, the form being tl#h#b)m=, “gotten hastily, quickly.” A large number of manuscripts and the versions read this.
sn If the inheritance is obtained quickly, it could mean prematurely (as with the son in Luke 15:12), or cruelly (Prov. 19:26). The point is that the inheritance is gained without labor or without preparation.
⁶¹sn The form is the Pual imperfect, “will not be blessed,” suggesting that divine justice is at work. The verb means “enriched, made fruitful, prospered.” Whatever the inheritance was it will not reach its full potential or even remain permanent.
⁶²tn The verse is directly instructive; it begins with the negated jussive in the fist colon, and follows with the imperative in the second. It warns that the righteous should not take vengeance on the wicked, for only God can do that.
⁶³tn The form is the Piel cohortative of resolve—“I am determined to pay back.” The verb (<lv) means “to be complete, sound.” In this stem, however, it can mean “make complete, make good, requite or recompense.” The idea in this line would be more of “getting even” in paying back someone for the evil done.
⁶⁴sn To “wait” (hW@q^) on the LORD requires faith in Him, reliance on divine justice, and patience. It means that the wrongs done to a person will have to be endured for a time.
⁶⁵tn The verb is uv^y), the Hiphil jussive form. After the imperative it would be subordinated as a purpose or result clause: “wait for the LORD that He may deliver you.” The verb means “save, deliver, give victory”; in this context it means deliver from the evil done to you, and so vindicate is probably the connotation.
⁶⁶sn “Not good” is an understatement—the opposite is meant as the parallelism so clearly indicates. See the idea in v. 10 as well as in 11:1.
⁶⁷sn The expression is “the steps of a man”; but “man” is the noun rb#G# (in pause), indicating an important, powerful person. BDB suggest it is used of men in their role of defending women and children; if that can be validated, then a translation of “man” would be in order. But the line seems to have a wider application. The “steps” represent (by implied comparison) the course of life.
⁶⁸sn To say that one’s steps are from the LORD means that one’s course of actions, one’s whole life, is divinely prepared and sovereignly superintended. So the mention of the “[strong] man” might be ironic since he is not actually in control of his own steps. See along this line, for example, Genesis 50:26; see also Proverbs 3:6 for the proper advice in view of this truth.
⁶⁹tn The verse uses an independent nominative absolute to point up the contrast between the mortal and the immortal: “and man, how can he understand his way?” The verb in the sentence would then be classified as a potential imperfect; and the whole question rhetorical. It is affirming that humans cannot understand very much at all about their lives.
⁷⁰sn It would be a “snare” because it would lead people into financial difficulties; Leviticus 27 talks about foolish or rash vows.
⁷¹tn Heb “a man”
⁷²tn The verb is a Qal imperfect from uWl or uul; this verb means “talk wildly” (not to be confused with the homonym, “swallow”). It occurs here and in Job 6:3. The concept is that of speaking rashly in dedicating something to the sanctuary by calling it “Holy.”
⁷³sn The idea is that the person is to consider the vows before making them, to ensure that they can be fulfilled. Too many people make their vow or promise without thinking, and then later worry about how they will fulfill their vows.
⁷⁴sn The sage draws on the process of winnowing to explain how the king uncovers and removes wickedness. The participle hr#zm= means “separate, winnow, scatter”; the implied comparison means that the king will separate good people from bad people. The image of winnowing is also used in divine judgment. The second line of the verse uses a detail of the process to make the point. Driving a wheel over the wheat represents the threshing process; the sharp iron wheels of the cart would easily serve the purpose (see Isa. 28:27-28).
⁷⁵tn The point of the imagery is that the king has the wisdom and ability (one hopes) to destroy evil from his kingdom. See also D. Winton Thomas, “Proverbs 20:26,” JTS 15 (1964):155-156.
⁷⁶sn The expression “the spirit of man” uses tm^v=n!, a feminine noun in construct. This is the inner spiritual part of human life that was breathed in at creation (Gen. 2:7) and that constitutes humans as spiritual beings with moral, intellectual and spiritual capacities.
⁷⁷sn The “lamp” is the metaphor in the line; it signifies that the human spirit functions as a conscience, enabling people to know and please God, and directing them in choices that will be life-giving. Loewenstamm unnecessarily reads ryn!, “to plow,” instead of rn@, “lamp,” to say that God ploughs and examines the soul (“Remarks on Proverbs 17:12 and 20:27,” p. 233). The NIV supplies a verb from the second half of the verse and changes the emphasis somewhat.
⁷⁸sn The exact expression is “all the chambers of the belly.” BDB suggest the rendering “the inner parts of the body” for this figurative expression (p. 293).
⁷⁹sn The first line uses two words, “loyal love and truth” (tm#o$w# ds#?#), to tell wherein security lies. The first word is the covenant term for “loyal love, lovingkindness, mercy”; and the second is “truth” in the sense of what is reliable and dependable. The two words often are joined together as here to form a hendiadys: “faithful love,” the second word becoming adjectival. That a hendiadys is intended here is confirmed by the fact that the second line uses only the critical word ds#?#.
⁸⁰sn The emphasis is on the Davidic covenant (2 Sam. 7:11-16; Ps. 89:19-37). It is the LORD and His faithful love for His covenant that ultimately makes the empire secure. But the enjoyment of divine protection requires the king to show loyal love as well.
⁸¹sn tr#o#p=T! is “beauty, glory”; in a context like this it means “honor” in the sense of glorying or boasting (BDB, p. 802, 3b).
⁸²sn rd^h&, the noun in construct, means “splendor, honor, ornament.” The latter sense is the one BDB suggest for this passage, since grey hair is like a crown on the head.
⁸³sn “Grey hair” is a metonymy of adjunct; it represents everything valuable about old age—dignity, wisdom, honor, experience, as well as the worry and suffering of life. At the very least one can say that they survived—they must know something. At the most, they were the sages and elders of the people.
⁸⁴tn The verb and the line is difficult. The verb qrm means “polish, scour”; in the Hiphil it means “cleanse away”—but it is only attested here, and that in the Kethib reading of qyr!m=T^. The Qere has “are a means of cleansing.” The LXX has “blows and contusions fall on evil men, and stripes penetrate their inner beings”; the Latin has “the bruise of a wound cleanses away evil things.” Toy suggests emending the text to read “stripes cleanse the body, and blows the inward parts” or “cosmetics purify the body, and blows the soul” (Proverbs, p. 397).
⁸⁵tn “cleanse” added from the first line
⁸⁶sn The proverb is saying that physical punishment may prove spiritually valuable. Other proverbs say that some people will never learn from this kind of punishment, but in general this may be the only thing that works for some cases. Kidner turns the ideas a bit and reminds the reader of the beatings and stripes of the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53:5), through which we are healed (Proverbs, p. 141).
¹sn “Heart” is a metonymy of subject; it signifies the ability to make decisions, if not the decisions themselves.
²sn “Hand” in this passage is a personification; the word is frequently used idiomatically for “power,” and so that sense is intended here.
³sn The verse begins with “channels of water”; yg@l=P^ is an adverbial accusative, here functioning as a figure of comparison—“like channels of water.” The farmer channels the irrigation ditches where he wants them, where they will do the most good; so does the LORD with the king. The proverb is therefore saying no human king is supreme, for the LORD rules.
⁴sn The verse is similar to 16:2. It indicates that even though people think they know themselves, the LORD evaluates motives as well.
⁵sn The form is the Niphal participle from r?B, which means “to choose”; here the idea is “choice to the LORD” or “chosen of the LORD,” meaning “acceptable to the LORD.”
⁶tn The sentence uses the comparative /m! to affirm that the LORD prefers righteousness above religious service (see 15:8; 21:29; 1 Sam. 15:22; Ps. 40:6-8; Isa. 1:11-17).
sn The verse does not teach that ritual acts of worship are to be avoided; rather, it stresses that religious acts are without value if without righteous living.
⁷tn The Hebrew has “the tillage (rn!) of the wicked is sin.” The subject picks up the subjects of the first half of the verse, indicating they are equal—the tillage is the arrogance and pride. The word “tillage” is figurative, of course, signifying that the product (the point of the comparison) of the wicked is sin. The relationship between the ideas is then problematic. Are pride and arrogance what the wicked produce? Some have followed the LXX and the Targum to read “lamp” instead (rn@); but that does not solve the difficulty of the relationship between the expressions? It does, however, say that the life ( = lamp), which is arrogance and pride, is sin.
⁸sn / The “diligent” are contrasted with the “hasty.” The word “diligent” is an adjective used substantivally. The related verb means “cut, sharpen, decide”; so the adjective describes one who is sharp—one who acts with decision. The word “hasty” has the idea of being pressed or pressured into quick actions. So the text contrasts calculated expeditiousness with unproductive haste. Toy does not like this contrast, and so proposes changing the latter to “lazy” (Proverbs, p. 399); but McKane rightly criticizes that as unnecessarily forming a pedestrian antithesis {Proverbs, p. 550).
⁹tn “lead” added
¹⁰sn The noun “plenty” comes from the verb rty, which means “to remain over.” So the calculated diligence will lead to abundance, prosperity.
¹¹tn Heb “lack, need, thing needed”
¹²tn The first word of the verse is the noun meaning “doing, deed, work.” The editors suggest reading with the LXX an active participle—“the one who makes.” The second word means “treasure,” from the verb “lay up, store up.” It is an objective genitive here.
¹³tn The Hebrew [Dn! lb#h# is properly “a driven vapor” (“driven” being the Niphal participle). The point of the metaphor is that the ill-gotten gains will vanish into thin air. The LXX has “pursues” (as if reading [d@r)).
¹⁴tn The Hebrew has “seekers of death,” meaning “[they that seek them] are seekers of death,” or that the fortune is “a fleeting vapor for those who seek death.” The sense is not readily apparent. The Greek and the Latin versions have “snares of death”; the form yv@q=Om was read instead of yv@q=b^m=. This reading does not make a more credible metaphor, and one must explain the loss of the letter b in the textual change. It is, however, a little easier to interpret in the verse. But whether the easier reading is the correct one in this case would be hard to prove.
¹⁵sn The “violence” (dv)) drags away the wicked, probably to do more sin or to their punishment. “Violence” here is either personified, or it is a metonymy of cause, meaning the outcome of their violence drags them away.
¹⁶tn The second colon of the verse is the causal clause, explaining why they are dragged away. They are not passive victims of their circumstances or their crimes. They choose to persist in their violence and so it destroys them.
¹⁷tn Heb “they refuse to do justice.”
¹⁸tn The first line of the proverb is difficult. Since rzw occurs only here it has been given much attention. The translation of “guilty” is drawn from an Arabic cognate meaning “bear a burden” and so “sin laden” or “guilty.” Driver prefers to read the line as “a man crooked of ways is false [zar]” (Driver, “Problems in the Hebrew Text,” p. 185). Toy adopts the meaning of “proud” (Proverbs, p. 400). Whatever the reading, “guilty” or “proud” or “false,” the idea is that they are devious. Bad people are underhanded; good people are above board (Toy). Another way to analyze the line is to read it with the definition “strange, stranger”: “The way of a man and a stranger is perverse.” But this is unclear, and would form no satisfactory contrast to 8b. Another suggestion is “the way of (usual) man is changeable and strange, but the pure fellow leads a straight and even course” (Greenstone, Proverbs, p. 244).
¹⁹tn The form EP^k=p^h& is an adjective with an intensified meaning due to the duplication of the second and third radicals (p`al`al); it means “very devious, crooked” (from the verb “to overturn”).
²⁰tn If this translation stands, then the construction is formed with an independent nominative absolute, resumed by the suffixed noun as the formal subject. It draws attention to the “pure” or “innocent” person in contrast to the previously mentioned wicked.
²¹sn The reference is probably to a small room that would be built on the flat housetop primarily for guests (see 1 Kings 17:19; 2 Kings 4:10). It would be cramped and lonely—but peaceful in avoiding strife.
²²sn The “house of company” has received numerous interpretations. The word “company” or “companionship” would qualify “house” as a placed to be shared. BHS editors propose “spacious house,” which would call for a transposition of letters. It makes good sense in the passage, but has no support.
²³tn The phrase is literally “a wife of contentions.” That is her character. The Greek version has no reference to a quarrelsome wife, but instead mentions justice in a common house.
²⁴sn The text uses vp#n# as the formal subject of the sentence—“the soul of a wicked man desires.” This term has at its heart the idea of appetites, and so its use here underscores that the cravings are deep-seated.
²⁵sn The word has the meanings of “desire, crave, long for, lust after.” It usually has “soul” as its subject. The word is used in the Ten Commandments in the prohibition against coveting a neighbor’s house (Deut. 5:18).
²⁶tn The form /?^y% is a Hophal imperfect from /n?; it means “shown mercy”—here negated to mean “he will not be shown mercy.” The person who lives to satisfy his own craving will not be interested in meeting the needs of others.
²⁷sn The contrast is between the simple and the wise. The simple gain wisdom when they see the scorner punished; the wise gains knowledge through instruction. The scorner does not change, but should be punished for the benefit of the simple. See 19:25.
²⁸tn The construction uses the Hiphil infinitive construct lyK!C=h^ with a preposition to form a temporal clause. The word “wise” (<k?l=) after it is the subjective genitive. It would literally read: “in the instructing of the wise.” In all probability the preposition l= on the form is dittography from the ending of the infinitive.
²⁹sn qyD!X^ in the Book of Proverbs normally refers to a human, and that is a possible translation here, although it would have to refer to a righteous person who was a judge or a ruler with the right to destroy the wicked. Most commentators simply interpret it as a reference to God.
³⁰sn The form lyK!C=m^ is now used with the meaning “consider, give attention to, ponder.” It is the careful scrutiny that is given to the household of the wicked before judgment is poured out on them.
³¹sn “House” probably means “household” here—the family. One way to read the line is that the righteous judge (human or divine) takes into consideration the wicked person’s family before judging the wicked person. The other, and more plausible, interpretation is that the judge considers the household of the wicked and then on the basis of what was observed judges them.
³²tn Now the form is plural.
³³tn Heb “to evil” [catastrophe]
³⁴sn The imagery means “pay no attention to” the cry for help or refuse to help; so it is a metonymy of cause for the effect..
³⁵sn “Cry” would be a metonymy of effect for the cause, the cause being the great needs of the poor.
³⁶sn The proverb is teaching that those who show mercy will receive mercy. It is a verse that uses the principle of talionic justice—those who refuse the needs of others will themselves be refused when they need help (so Luke 16:19-31).
³⁷sn The synonymous parallelism joins the more neutral word “gift” with the more specific “bribe.” Kidner notes that this underscores how hard it is to tell the difference between them, especially since they accomplish similar things (Proverbs, p. 143).
³⁸tn The word hpK occurs only here; it means “subdue,” but in NH it means “overturn, compel.” The editors suggest a change to hbK, “be quenched,” based on the Greek version of Symmachus and the Targum. But there is no substantial improvement in the textual meaning with such a change.
³⁹sn The expression is “a gift/bribe in the bosom,” meaning a gift hidden in the folds of the garment, i.e., given secretly and therefore suspicious.
⁴⁰tn “subdues” added
⁴¹tc The LXX offers a moralizing translation not too closely tied to the MT: “He who withholds a gift stirs up violent wrath.”
⁴²tn The form tOCu& is the Qal infinitive construct; it serves in this verse as the subject of the sentence.
⁴³tn “brings” supplied
⁴⁴sn The noun means “terror, destruction, ruin.” Its related verb means “be shattered, dismayed.” The idea of “dismay” or “terror” would make the better choice to contrast with “joy” in the first line, but “ruin” is also possible. When ever justice prevails, whether in the courts or simply in society, the people who practice iniquity may be shaken into reality by fear.
⁴⁵tn The text uses “man” as the subject and the active participle hu#OT as the predicate. The image of wandering off the path signifies leaving a life of knowledge, prudence and discipline..
⁴⁶tn Or, “prudence”
⁴⁷sn The word “rest” (?^Wn) does not here carry any of the connotations of comforting repose in death that the righteous enjoy; it simply means “remain, dwell.” The choice of this verb might have an ironic twist to it, reminding the wicked what might have been.
⁴⁸sn These are the Shades (the Rephaim). To rest among the Shades means to be numbered among the dead. So once again physical death is presented as the punishment for folly.
⁴⁹sn The participle “loves” (bh@o)) indicates in this context that more is involved than the enjoyment of pleasure, for which there is no problem. The proverb is looking at “love” in the sense of needing and choosing, an excessive or uncontrolled indulgence in pleasure.
⁵⁰sn “Pleasure” is actually the word “joy” (h?m=C!). It is a metonymy of effect, the cause being the good life that brings the joy. In the second colon, “wine” and “oil” would be metonymies of cause, the particular things in life that bring joy. So the figures in the lines work together to give the whole picture.
⁵¹tn “shall be” supplied; the text has “a man of poverty”
⁵²sn In elaborate feasts and celebrations the wine was for drinking but the oil was for anointing that goes with the luxurious life (see Ps. 23:5; 104:15; Amos 6:6).
⁵³tn “become” supplied
⁵⁴sn “Ransom” (rp#K)) normally refers to the price paid to free a prisoner. Whybray explains about the verse: If it means that the wicked obtain good things that should go to the righteous, it is then a despairing plea for justice (which would be unusual in Proverbs); but if it is taken to mean that the wicked suffers the evil he has prepared for the righteous, then it harmonizes with Proverbs (see 11:8)(Book of Proverbs, p. 121). The ideal it presents—and the future reality—is that in calamity the righteous escape and the wicked suffer in their place (cf. Haman in the Book of Esther).
⁵⁵tn Or, “treacherous”
⁵⁶tn tb#v# is the infinitive construct of bvy, functioning as the subject of the sentence.
⁵⁷sn The verse is making the same point as verse 9, and 25:24; but desert land is now used as the alternative to domestic strife. It would be a place sparsely settled and quiet.
⁵⁸sn The noun su^K^ means “vexation, anger.” The woman is not only characterized by a quarrelsome spirit, but also anger—she is easily vexed for no reason at all..
⁵⁹tn The mention of “oil” (/m#v#) is problematic in the line—how can a fool devour it? Several attempts have been made to alleviate the problem. The NIV interpreted “treasure” to be food, so that food and oil would make more sense being swallowed. Toy suggests dropping “oil” altogether based on the reading in the LXX; but the Greek is too general for any support, for it has “precious treasure will rest on the mouth of the sage” (Proverbs, p. 406). McKane wants to change it to an Arabic word “expensive” to read “desirable and rare wealth” (Proverbs, p. 552). But this idea does not match the metaphor any better. The figure of devouring in the second line simply means the fool uses up whatever he has.
⁶⁰tn Heb “a fool of a man”
⁶¹sn The text literally says “he swallows it.” The image compares swallowing food with consuming one’s substance. The fool does not prepare for the future.
⁶²sn These two attributes, “righteousness” (hqdX=) and “loyal love” (ds#?#) depict the life style of the covenant-believer who is pleasing to God and a blessing to others. The first term means that the individual will do what is right, and the second means that he will be faithful to the covenant community.
⁶³sn The Hebrew is hqdX= again, so there is a word play on the term in the verse. The first use of the word had the basic meaning of conduct that conforms to God’s standard; this second use may be understood as a metonymy of cause, indicating the provision or reward that comes from keeping righteousness. The verse is similar to Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
⁶⁴tn Heb “The wise [one/man]”
⁶⁵tn The verb form is the Qal perfect tense of hlu; in this passage a potential nuance for the perfect tense fits very well. Wisdom can be more effectual than physical strength.
⁶⁶sn In a war the victory is credited not so much to the infantry as to the tactician who plans the attack. Brilliant strategy wins wars, even over apparently insuperable odds. See Proverbs 24:5-6; Ecclesiastes 9:13-16; and 2 Corinthians 10:4.
⁶⁷tn The line reads: “and bring down the strength of its confidence.” The word “strength” can be taken as a metonymy of adjunct, referring to the place of strength, i.e., the stronghold. “Confidence” could be classified as a genitive of worth; the stronghold is their confidence, it is appropriate for the confidence of the city.
⁶⁸sn “Mouth” and “tongue” are metonymies of cause, signifying what one says.
⁶⁹sn This part could also be translated “keeps himself,” for vp#n# often simply means the whole person. The participle rm@v) is repeated from the first line in the parallelism—to guard what is said is to guard against difficulty.
⁷⁰sn The “troubles” (tOrX) here could refer to social and legal difficulties into which careless talk might bring someone (see 13:3; 18:21). The word means “a strait, a bind, difficulty.” Careless and free talking could get the person into a tight spot.
⁷¹tn There are several ways that the line could be translated, for it simply has “proud haughty scorner his name.” It could be, “Proud, arrogant—his name is scoffer.” Or more smoothly, “A proud person, an arrogant person—Scoffer is his name.” BDB suggest, “A presumptuous man, (who is) haughty, scoffer is his name.”
sn The word “proud” is dz@; it comes from the verb dyz! which means “boil up, seethe, act proudly, presumptuously.” The connection is that just as water boiling up in a pot will “overstep” it boundaries—boil over, so will the presumptuous person. The second word is ryh!y, which means “haughty,” that is, be or show oneself to be presumptuous or arrogant.
⁷²tn The Qal active participle “does” serves as the main verb in the verse. The subject is “proud person” in the first part.
⁷³sn The expression /Odz tr^b=u#B= means “in the overflow of insolence” (the last word also being from dyz). The genitive specifies what the overflow is; the proud deal in an overflow of pride. The portrait is not merely of one who is self-sufficient, but one who is insolent, scornful and arrogant.
⁷⁴sn tw^o&T^ is “desire, craving.” It is a metonymy of cause; the craving itself will not destroy the sluggard, but what will destroy him is what the craving causes him to do or not to do. The verse is saying that the lazy come to ruin because they desire the easy way out.
⁷⁵tn The verb WNt#ym!T= is the Hiphil imperfect with a suffix: “will kill him.” It is probably used hyperbolically here for coming to ruin, although it could include physical death..
⁷⁶sn “Hands” is figurative for the whole person; but “hands” is used because it often is the symbol to express one’s ability of action.
⁷⁷tn The construction uses the Hithpael perfect tense hWo^t=h! followed by the cognate accusative hwo&t^. It describes one who is consumed with craving for more. The verse has been placed with the preceding because of the literary connection with “desire/craving.”
⁷⁸sn The additional clause, “and he does not spare,” emphasizes that when the righteous gives he gives freely, without fearing that his generosity will bring him to poverty. This is the contrast with the one who is self-indulgent and craves for more.
⁷⁹sn The foundational clause states that ritual acts of worship brought by the wicked (so a subjective genitive) are detestable to God. The “wicked” refers to people who are not members of the covenant (no faith) and are not following after righteousness (no acceptable works). But often they participate in sanctuary ritual, which is hypocrisy.
⁸⁰sn This rhetorical device shows that if the act is abomination, the wicked heart is a greater sin. It argues from the lesser to the greater.
⁸¹sn The noun hMz! means “plan, device, wickedness”; here it indicates that the person is coming to the ritual with “sinful purpose.” Some commentators suggest that this would mean he comes with the sacrifice as a bribe to pacify his conscience for a crime committed, over which he has little remorse or intent to cease. People in Israel came to think that sacrifices could be given for any reason without genuine submission to God.
⁸²tn Heb “a witness of lies,” an attributive genitive
⁸³sn The verb db@oy) could be taken literally to mean that the false witness will die, either by the hand of God or by the community. But it also could be taken in the sense that the false testimony will be destroyed. This would mean that “false witness” would be a metonymy of cause—what he says will perish.
⁸⁴sn “Whoever hears” is taken to mean one who testifies only to what he actually hears. The line is very cryptic; but it should be seen in contrast to the lying witness who testifies even if he did not hear. This would be the true witness. His words last.
⁸⁵tn The second line of this proverb is difficult. The MT says, “But a man who listens speaks forever.” The first part of it may mean a true witness, one who reports what he actually hears. But it may also refer to someone who listens to the false testimony given by the false witness. The NIV translation follows the suggestion of a homonym for the word that means “will perish/be destroyed,” instead of “speak.” This suggests a synonymous pair of ideas rather than a contrast. Others accept antithetical parallelism. Toy suggested an idea like “be established” to contrast with “will perish” (p. 411). McKane suggested it meant the truthful witness “will speak to the end” without being put down (p. 556). It is simpler to interpret the words that are here in the sense of a contrast. The idea of speaking forever/to the end would then be hyperbolic.
⁸⁶tn Heb “a wicked man”
⁸⁷sn The text says literally “he hardens (zu@h@) his face.” To make the face firm or hard means to show boldness (BDB, p. 738).
⁸⁸tn The “upright” is an independent nominative absolute; the pronoun becomes the formal (emphatic) subject of the verb.
⁸⁹tc The verb form is textually difficult. The Kethib is the imperfect of /WK, reading “he establishes.” This reading has the support of the Syriac, Latin and Targum. The Qere is the imperfect tense of /yB! reading “he understands, discerns.” It has the support of the LXX. The difficulty is that both make good sense in the passage, and both have support. The contrast is between the wicked who shows a bold face (reflecting a hardened heart) and the upright who either gives thought to his ways, or solidifies his ways. The sense of the Qere may form a little better contrast, one between the outer appearance of boldness and the inner discernment of action.
⁹⁰sn The form dg#n#l= means “against, over against, in opposition to.” There are, of course, many examples of advice or wisdom opposed to God. But the line indicates they cannot in reality be in opposition, for human wisdom is nothing in comparison to the wisdom of God (see Greenstone, Proverbs, p. 232).
⁹¹sn The verse uses a single sentence to state that all wisdom, understanding, and advice must be in conformity to the will of God to be successful. It states it negatively—they cannot be in defiance to God (see Job 5:12-13; Isa. 40:13-14).
⁹²sn The victory being “of the LORD” means that it is by Him. Ultimate success comes from the LORD and not from human efforts. The faithful have acknowledged this down through the ages, even though they have been responsible and have prepared for the wars. Without this belief there would have been no prayer on the eve of battle (see Ps. 20:17 and 33:17).
¹sn The text simply has <v@, “a name”; the idea of its being a “good name” is implied from its use in the verse. It has the connotation here of a reputation.
²sn “Rather to be chosen” is a translation of the Niphal participle with the comparative degree taken into consideration. It has the sense that a good name is more desirable than wealth.
³sn “Good favor” is literally bOF /?@; it is an awkward expression that needs some interpretation. Some translations render the verse: “favor is better than silver or gold,” making it parallel to the first colon. But if “good” is retained as a modifier, then it would mean one was well thought of, or, one had engaging qualities. This would go along with the idea of the reputation, for a good name would bring with it the favor of the people.
⁴sn The form of the verb is the Niphal perfect of the verb vgP; it means “meet together, each other.” The point is that rich and poor live side by side in this life, but they are both part of God’s creation. Some commentators have taken this to mean that they should live together because they are part of God’s creation; but the verb form will not sustain that.
⁵sn The description of the LORD is “Maker of them all.” In this context this affirms that the LORD is sovereign over both, that He has had the final say in whether they are rich or poor. People would do well to treat all people with respect, for God can as easily reduce the rich as raise up the poor.
⁶sn The contrast is between the “shrewd” (prudent) person and the “simpleton.” The shrewd person knows where the dangers and pitfalls are in life and so can avoid them; the naive person is unwary, untrained, and gullible, unable to survive the dangers of the world and so blunders into them.
⁷sn The term “evil” is broad enough to include “sin” as well as any form of “danger, trouble.” The latter may be what is meant here: the naive simpleton does not see the danger to be avoided and so suffers for it.
⁸sn The verb vnu means “to fine” specifically. In the Niphal it means “be fined,” or more generally, “be punished.” In this line the punishment is the consequences of blundering into trouble—they will pay for it.
⁹sn “Reward” is the translation of bq#u@, a word related to “heel”; hence, it refers to the consequences or the reward that follows (akin to “on the heels of”).
¹⁰sn “Humility” is used here in the religious sense of piety; it is appropriately joined with “the fear of the LORD.” Some commentators, however, make “the fear of the LORD” the first of the series of rewards for humility, but that introduces an unnatural idea here.
¹¹tn Because <yN!X!, “thorns” does not make a very good match with “traps,” it has created some difficulty for interpreters. The word “thorns” may be obscure, but it is supported by the LXX (“prickly plants”) and an apparent cognate “thorns” in Numbers 33:55 and Joshua 23:13. But some (including the editors of BHS) suggest changing it to <yM!X^, “traps” (changing an n to an m). But BDB acknowledge that this word is a doubtful word, attested only a couple of times in Job (e.g., 18:9). McKane traces a development from the idea of /X@ (“basket,” “trap”) to support this change (Proverbs, p. 565). This translation has retained “thorns,” even though it does not make a very clean pairing with “traps”; the variant readings have little textual or philological support, and simplify the line.
sn “Thorns and snares” represent the dangers and threats to life. They would be implied comparisons (hypocatastasis): as a path strewn with thorns and traps, life for the wicked will be filled with dangers and difficulties.
¹²sn The verb En)?& means to train, but it includes with it the idea of dedication. So the training instructed here is with purpose. There is a modern popular exposition that attempts to give this the meaning of “motivate.” It is taken from a cognate Arabic word which includes with it the idea of rubbing fruit puree on the palate of a child to give him or her the desire to eat. That may make interesting preaching, and may be worth doing; but it is highly unlikely that that idea was in any way in this word. Besides, that meaning in Arabic is late and secondary—millennia removed from Solomon.
¹³sn The child (ru^n^) would be in his young, formative years; the Talmud says this would be up to the age of twenty-four.
¹⁴tn The expression in Hebrew is Okr=d^ yP!-lu^, which can be rendered “according to his way.” The NEB renders this, “Start a boy on the right road.” “His way” is the way he should go; it reflects the point Proverbs is making that there is a standard of life to which he must attain. Saadia first suggested over a thousand years ago that this could mean the child should be trained according to his inclination or bent of mind. This may have some merit in practice, but it is not likely what the proverb had in mind. In the book there are only two ways that a person can go, the way of the wise or righteousness, and the way of the fool. One takes training, and the other does not. Ralbag, in fact, offered a satirical interpretation: “Train a child according to his evil inclinations (let him have his will) and he will continue in his evil way throughout life” (see Greenstone, Proverbs, p. 234). Toy says the expression means “in accordance with the manner of life to which he is destined (Proverbs, p. 415). And McKane says, “There is only one right way—the way of life—and the educational discipline which directs young men along this way is uniform” (Proverbs, p. 564).
¹⁵sn The consequence of such training is that it will last throughout life. The sages were confident of the character-forming quality of their training. But one must be reminded that proverbs are not universal truths. One can certainly anticipate positive results from such carefuly child-training—but there may be an exception.
¹⁶sn The proverb is simply making an observation on life. The synonymous parallelism matches “rule over” with “servant” to show the way poverty makes people dependant on others. The verse may be referring to the apparently common practice in Israel of people selling themselves into slavery to pay off debts (Exod. 21:2-7)—it is not appreciably different from the modern practice of being a slave to debts.
¹⁷sn The verse is making an implied comparison (hypocatastasis) between sowing and sinning. One who sins is like one who sows, for there will be a “harvest” or a return on the sin—trouble.
¹⁸tn There is a variant reading in the LXX; instead of “the rod of his wrath” it reads “the punishment of his deeds.” So Toy wishes to emend Fb#v@ to rb#v#, “the produce of his work” (Proverbs, p. 416). But the Hebrew text is not obscure, and rb#v# does not exactly mean “produce.” The expression “rod of his wrath” may not follow the imagery of 8a very closely, but it is nonetheless understandable. The “rod” is a symbol of power; “wrath” is a metonymy of cause indicating what wrath will do, and an objective genitive. So the expression signifies that in reaping trouble for his sins this person will no longer be able to unleash his fury on others. The LXX adds: “A man who is cheerful and a giver God blesses.” So the idea is expressed in 2 Corinthians 9:7.
¹⁹sn The Hebrew has “good of eye” or “bountiful of eye”; this is the opposite of the “evil eye” which is covetous and wicked. The “eye” is a metonymy representing looking well to people’s needs. So this is the liberal or generous person.
²⁰tn Er^b)y= is a Pual imperfect (here in pause) from ErB; the word means “blessed” in the sense of “enriched.” So there is a practical reward for being generous to the poor.
²¹sn It is from his own food that he gives to the poor. Of the many observations that could be mad for this verse, it is worth noting that in blessing this kind of person God is in fact providing for the poor, because out of his blessing he will surely continue to share more.
²²sn This proverb, written in loose synonymous parallelism, instructs that the scorner should be removed for he causes strife. The “scorner” is Jl@, the one Proverbs says cannot be changed with discipline or correction, but despises and disrupts anything that is morally or socially constructive.
²³tc The LXX freely adds “when he sits in council (synedrio), he insults everyone.” The MT does not suggest that the setting is in a court of law; so there is probably no reference to the Sanhedrin.
²⁴sn The “heart” is a metonymy of subject; it represents the intentions and choices that are made. “Pure of heart” uses “heart” as a genitive of specification. The expression refers to someone who has honest and clear intentions.
²⁵sn The text has “grace of his lips.” The “lips” are a metonymy of cause representing what he says; it also functions as a genitive of specification. This one is gracious or kind in what he says. So the verse is commending honest intentions and gracious words.
²⁶tn The syntax of the line is a little difficult, because “grace of his lips” seems to be intruding on the point of the verse with little explanation. The LXX, therefore, rendered it “The Lord loves the pure in heart; all who are blameless in their ways are acceptable to Him.” This has very little correspondence with the Hebrew; nevertheless commentators attempt to reconstruct the verse using it. Some have suggested taking “king” as the subject of the whole verse—“the king loves . . . .” But this is forced.
²⁷sn The “eyes of the LORD” is an anthropomorphic expression; the omniscience of God is intended. When the Scripture uses the “eyes” of the LORD, it usually means evaluation, superintending, or safeguarding.
²⁸tn There is a slight difficulty in that the abstract noun “knowledge” is nowhere in Proverbs used with the word “watch.” Toy wants to make a major change to read, “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous”—but there is no support for this and it reduces the line to a common idea (Proverbs, p. 418). D. Winton Thomas suggests changing the word to “lawsuit” based on an Arabic cognate (“A Note on tu^D^ in Proverbs 22:12,” JTS NS 14 [1963]:93,94).
²⁹sn The object of the verb is the “words of the traitor” (dg@b) yr@b=D!). What treacherous people say is treachery. The verse affirms that God in safeguarding true knowledge will frustrate deception from faithless people—what they say will not have its intended effect.
³⁰sn The verse humorously describes the sluggard as making ridiculous excuses for not working—he might be eaten by a lion (see 26:13). It is possible that “lion” was meant figuratively, to represent someone who is like a lion (e.g., one might say “there are snakes in a meeting”). But this detracts from the humor of the exaggeration.
³¹tn The LXX changes the verse to “murderers in the street” to form a better parallelism, possibly because the verb ?Xr is used only of humans. The NIV attempts to solve the problem by making the second line a separate claim by the sluggard.
³²sn The word “mouth” is a metonymy of cause; it means the seductive speech of the strange woman (see 2:16-22; and chapters 5; 7).
³³sn The point of the metaphor is that what she says is like a deep pit. The pit is like the hunter’s snare; it is a trap that is difficult to escape. So to succumb to the adulteress—or to any other folly this represents—is to get oneself in a difficulty that has no easy escape.
³⁴tn The construction uses the passive participle in construct with Yahweh; it says literally “[the one who is] cursed by the LORD.” The “LORD” is genitive of agency after the passive form. The verb itself means “be indignant, express indignation.” So it is talking about one against whom the LORD is angry.
³⁵sn The falling could be the curse, or the result of the curse. The verse is saying that the LORD will use the seductive, deceptive words of the adulteress to bring about the downfall of one who is inclined to such folly.
³⁶sn The passive participle is figurative (implied comparison with binding); it means that folly forms part of a child’s nature (Greenstone, Proverbs, p. 238).
³⁷sn The “heart of a child” (ru^n^) refers to the natural inclination of a child to foolishness. The younger child is meant in this context, but the word can include youth. Whybray suggests that this idea might be described as a doctrine of “original folly” (Book of Proverbs, p. 125).
³⁸sn The word “rod” is a metonymy of adjunct; it represents physical chastening for direction or punishment, to suppress folly and develop potential. The genitive (“discipline”) may be taken as an attributive genitive, “a chastening rod” or an objective genitive, “a rod [punishment] that brings about correction/discipline.”
³⁹sn The Hebrew is cryptic; but two sins are mentioned here that will be punished by poverty: extortion and bribery. It says: “oppressing the poor, it is gain; giving to the rich, it is loss.” Perhaps the verse is simply saying it is easy to oppress the poor for gain, but it is a waste of money to try to buy or bribe a patron (Kidner, Proverbs, p. 149).
⁴⁰sn A new collection of sayings begins here, forming the fourth section of the book. This collection is not like that of 1:1—9:18; here the introductory material is more personal than 1:1-7, and the style differs, showing great similarity to the Instructions of Amenemope in Egypt (especially the thirty precepts of the sages in 22:17—24:22). Verses 17-21 form the introduction, and then the sayings begin in verse 22. After the thirty sayings are given, there are further sayings in 24:23-34. There is much literature on this material: start with William Kelly Simpson, tr., “The Instruction of Amenemope,” in Literature of Ancient Egypt, ed. by W. K. Simpson (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1972); John A. Wilson, “Egyptian Instructions,” in ANET, pp. 412-25; and A. Cody, “Notes on Proverbs 22:21 and 22:23b,” Biblica 61 (1980):418-426.
⁴¹sn To incline the ear means to listen carefully; the expression is metonymical in that the ear is the instrument for hearing. It is like telling someone to bend down to hear better.
⁴²tn Or, “when”
⁴³tn “and” supplied
⁴⁴sn If the teachings are preserved in the heart/mind of the disciple, then that individual will always be ready to speak what was retained.
⁴⁵tn The form tOyh=l!, “to be,” is the infinitive construct indicating the purpose (or result) of the teaching.
⁴⁶tn The verb is literally “I cause you to know”; the presence of “today” indicates that the translation should have the instantaneous nuance, and so an English present tense.
⁴⁷tn Older translations have the translation as either “excellent things” following the Qere, “officers,” or “heretofore” [day before yesterday], following the Kethib. The Qere should be rendered “thirty,” referring to the number in the collection.
⁴⁸tn “sayings” added in both places
⁴⁹tn The text has “to cause you to know the truth of words of truth”; this makes F=v=q) appear redundant and so removed by many commentators.
⁵⁰tn Heb “to return true words”
⁵¹tn Two negated jussives form the instruction here: “do not exploit” (lzg=T!-lo^) and “do not crush” (oK@d^T=-lo^w=). Robbing and oppressing the poor is easy because they are defenseless. But this makes the crime tempting as well as contemptible. What is envisioned may be in bounds legally (just) but out of bounds morally.
⁵²sn The “gate” was the center of activity, the place of business as well as the place for settling legal disputes. The language of the next verse is legal, and so this probably means court here.
⁵³tn The construction uses the verb byr!y with its cognate accusative. It can mean “strive,” but here it probably means “argue a case, plead a case.” How the LORD will do this is not specified—either through righteous people or by direct intervention.
⁵⁴sn The verb ubq, “to rob” [spoil, plunder], is used here in both places to reflect the principle of talionic justice. What they did to the poor will be turned back on them.
⁵⁵sn Verses 22 and 23 form the first saying. It warns people not to mistreat the poor because the LORD avenges them. See Amenemope, chapter 2, 4:4-5.
⁵⁶tn The “angry person” is literally “possessor [lu^B^] of anger” and “wrathful person” is literally “a man of heat/anger.” These are people characterized by anger, meaning the anger is not a rare expression.
⁵⁷sn The verb [l^o$T#-/P# is rendered “lest you learn.” The idea is more precisely “become familiar with” his ways. The construction indicates that if one associates with such people he will become like them.
⁵⁸sn The warning of the second saying is to avoid associating with a hot head because his influence could be fatal (see Amenemope, chapter 9, 11:13-14).
⁵⁹sn The “bed” may be a metonymy of adjunct, meaning the garment that covers the bed (see Exod. 22:26). At any rate, it represents his last possession (like “the shirt off his back”).
⁶⁰tn The MT includes hMl before the verb. It is not in the versions, and may be in the Hebrew by dittography. Otherwise, it would have to be a use of the interrogative for rhetorical purposes: “if you cannot pay, why should he take the bed from under you?”
⁶¹sn The third saying deals with rash vows: if people foolishly pledge what they have, they could lose everything (see 6:1-5; 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; there is no Egyptian parallel).
⁶²sn Moving a boundary stone was, and still is, a major problem. The boundaries that were established by forefathers were to be preserved, but no law would stop the violation if people lacked integrity (see Deut. 19:14; 27:17; 1 Kgs. 21:16-19). Boundaries in Israel were sacred because God owned the land and He apportioned the property to the tribes. To extend one’s property illegally was a violation of covenant and oath. Of course, disputes arise when both sides claim their ancestors established a boundary.
⁶³tn Heb “your fathers”
sn The fourth saying deals with respect for property that belongs to other people (see Amenemope, chapter 6, 7:12-13).
⁶⁴sn The word “skilled” is general enough to apply to any crafts; but it may refer to a scribe or an official (see Whybray, Book of Proverbs, p. 134).
⁶⁵tn The verb form used twice in this verse is bX@y^t=y!, the Hithpael imperfect of bXy. The verb means “set or station oneself, take one’s stand” in this stem. With the form yn@p=l! it means “present oneself before” someone; so here it has the idea of serving as a courtier.
⁶⁶sn The fifth saying affirms that true skill earns recognition and advancement (see Amenemope, chapter 30, 27:16-17).
¹tn The construction uses the imperfect tense of instruction with the infinitive absolute to emphasize the careful discernment required on such occasions.
²sn The expression “put a knife to your throat” is an idiom that means “curb your appetite” or “control yourself.” The instruction was from a time when people had to deal with all-powerful tyrants. To enter the presence of such a person and fully indulge one’s appetites would be taking a very high risk.
³tn The conditional clause is expressed only with vp#n# lu^B^, “if you are a possessor of an appetite.” The person with a big appetite is in danger of taking liberties when invited to court.
⁴sn The final line gives the causal clause: the impressive feast is not what it appears to be; the king is not doing you a favor, but rather wants something from you or is observing you (Delitzsch, Book of proverbs, 2:104).
⁵sn Verses 1-3 form the sixth saying about being cautious before rulers (see Amememope, chapter 23, 23:13-18). One should not get too familiar with rulers, for they always have ulterior motives. The Mishnah cites Gamaliel as warning that a ruler only draws you into his court for his purpose, but in your day of trouble he will not be there (Pirqe Aboth, 2:3).
⁶tn The verse line only says, “from your understanding cease.” In the context it means that the person should have enough understanding to stop wearing himself out trying to be rich.
⁷tn “riches” supplied. The Kethib is [Wuth&, “do your eyes fly [light] upon it?” The Qere is the Hiphil, “do you cause your eyes to fly upon it?” But the line is difficult. The question may be indirect: if you cast your eyes upon it, it is gone—when you think you are close, it slips away.
⁸sn This seventh saying warns people not to expend all their energy trying to get rich because riches are fleeting (see Amememope, chapter 7, 9:10-11; it says, “they have made themselves wings like geese and have flown away to heaven”). In the ancient world the symbol of birds flying away signified fleeting wealth.
⁹sn The expression is “an evil eye” (opposite to the “good eye” which meant the generous man). The “evil eye” refers to a person who is out to get everything for himself. He is ill-mannered and inhospitable (see 28:22); he is up to no good—even though he may appear to be a host.
¹⁰tn Heb “soul”
¹¹tn The line is difficult; it appears to mean that the miser is the kind of person who has calculated the cost of everything in his mind as he offers the food. The LXX has: “Eating and drinking with him is as if one should swallow a hair; do not introduce him to your company nor eat bread with him.” The Hebrew verb “calculate” (ru^v) with a change of vocalization and of sibilant would yield “hair” (ruC@)—“like a hair in the throat [vp#n#], so is he.” The image would present an irritating and sickening experience. Amenemope uses “blocking the throat” in his similar saying (chapter 11, 14:7). The suggested change is plausible; but the rare verb “calculate” in the cryptic MT line would be easier to defend on the basis of the canons of textual criticism.
¹²sn Eating and drinking with a selfish miser like this would be irritating and disgusting. The line here is hyperbolic; it means that the whole experience turns the stomach.
¹³sn This is the eighth saying; it claims that it would be a mistake to accept hospitality from a stingy person. He is always thinking about the cost, his heart is not in it, and any attempt at pleasant conversation will be lost.
¹⁴sn The mention of “the ears” of the fool emphasizes that the speaking is a concerted effort to get his undivided attention. But a fool (lys!K=) rejects instruction and discipline.
¹⁵sn Saying number nine says that wisdom is wasted on a fool. The literature of Egypt has no specific parallel to this one.
¹⁶sn The “protector” is Hebrew lo@G). This is the participial form used to describe the “kinsman redeemer.” That individual would be a rich or powerful relative who can protect the family; he does this by paying off the debts of a poor relative, buying up the property of a relative who sells himself into slavery, marrying the widow of a deceased relative to keep the inheritance in the family, or taking vengeance on someone who harms a relative, that vengeance often resulting in delivering (“redeeming”) the relative from bondage. If there was no human “kinsman redeemer,” then the defenseless had to rely on God to be it (see Gen. 48:16; Exod. 6:6; Job 19:25; Isa. 41—63). In the prophetic literature God is presented as the Redeemer in that He takes vengeance on the enemies (the Babylonians) to deliverer His people (kin). In this proverb the LORD is probably the Protector of these people who will champion their cause and set things right.
¹⁷sn This is the tenth saying; once again there is a warning not to encroach on other people’s rights and property, especially the defenseless (see v. 10; 22:22-23, 28).
¹⁸sn The verb is the Hiphil imperative of the verb “come, enter.” To bring one’s heart means to apply the heart, to use the heart or mind in the process. The same would be true in the second half: to bring the ears would mean to listen very carefully.
¹⁹sn The point of this first line is reinforced with a sound play: ru^N^m! un^m=T!-lo^
²⁰tn Or, “punish”
²¹tn Or, “his soul”
²²sn Hebrew is lOov=; in this context it probably means “death” and not the realm of the departed (wicked) spirits. In the wisdom of other lands, Ahiqar 6:82 says, “If I strike you my son, you will not die.” The idea is that discipline helps the child to a full life; if the child dies prematurely, it would be more than likely a consequence of not being trained. In Proverbs the “death” mentioned here could be social as well as physical.
²³tn Heb “my son”
²⁴sn The word is literally “my kidneys”; it was used for the innermost being, the soul, the central locus of the passions.
²⁵sn This twelfth saying simply observes that children bring joy to their parents when they demonstrate wisdom. The quatrain is arranged in a chiastic structure: the first line speaks of wisdom in the child, and it is paired with the last line which speaks of the child’s saying what is right. In between these brackets are two lines about joy to the parent.
²⁶sn The verb in this line is oN@q^y=-lo^, the Piel jussive negated. The verb means “to be jealous, to be zealous”; it describes the passionate intensity for something. If the object is illegitimate, it is envy; if it is correct, it is zeal. Here the warning is not to envy the sinners. The second colon could use the verb in the positive sense to mean “but rather let your passion burn for the fear of the LORD.”
²⁷tn Or, “reward” (the sense of “end”)
²⁸sn The statement is an understatement; far from being cut off the “hope” will be realized in the end. So this saying, the thirteenth, advises people to be zealous for the fear of the LORD, their religion, rather than for anything that sinners have to offer.
²⁹tn Heb “my son”
³⁰sn The verb obs means “to imbibe, drink largely.” The participle construction here, /y!y^-yo@b=s), describes “drunkards,” which is a little stronger than saying it refers to people who drink too much.
³¹sn The verb llz actually means “to be light, worthless, to make light of.” In the latter sense, making light of something came to mean “be lavish with, squander,” especially with food. So it describes gluttons primarily; but in the expression there is also room for the person who wastes a lot of food as well.
³²sn “Drowsiness” is a metonymy of effect or adjunct, put for the drunkenness and gluttony that causes it. So all of it, the drunkenness and the drowsiness that comes from it, brings the ruin. Likewise, “rags” is a metonymy of adjunct, going with the poverty that a life like this brings.
³³sn This is the fourteenth saying, warning about poor associations. Drunkenness and gluttony represent the epitome of the lack of discipline. In the Mishnah they are used to measure a stubborn and rebellious son (Sanhedrin 8). Plaut reminds the reader that excessive drinking and eating are usually symptoms of deeper problems; we usually focus more on the drinking because it is dangerous to others (Proverbs, pp. 241,2).
³⁴sn The sixteenth saying is an instruction to buy/acquire the kind of life that pleases God and brings joy to parents. Getting truth would mean getting training in the truth, and getting wisdom and understanding would mean developing the perception and practical knowledge of the truth.
³⁵tn The construction in the Qere reading has the imperfect tense lyg!y with the cognate accusative noun lyG!. The accusative intensifies the meaning and the specific future of this verb.
³⁶tn “child” supplied for the masculine singular adjective
³⁷tn The form lg@T is clearly a short form and therefore a jussive; if this second verb is a jussive, then the parallel ?m^C=y! should be a jussive also.
³⁸tn Heb “my son”
³⁹sn The line warns of two types of harlots: the common prostitute who is unmarried, and the strange woman who is probably married (as discussed in the earlier chapters), and so the wayward wife.
⁴⁰sn In either case, whether a prostitute or an adulteress wife, the danger is the same. The metaphors of a “deep pit” and a “narrow well” describe this sin as one that is a trap, from which there is no escape. The pit is a gateway to Sheol, and those who enter are as good as dead, whether socially or through punishment physically.
⁴¹sn The noun [t#?# is defined by BDB as “prey”; but this is the only occurrence of the word. The related verb they define as “seize, snatch away” (with an Aramaic cognate meaning “break in pieces” [Pa], and an Arabic word “death”). But the only occurrence of that is in Job 9:12, where it is defined as “seizes.” So in this passage the noun could have either a passive sense, what is seized, or an active sense, the one who seizes. The traditional rendering is “prey”; the NIV has with as much warrant “like a bandit.” Since the prepositional phrase (the simile) is modifying the woman, the active sense works better in translation.
⁴²sn The participle means “unfaithful [men]” (masculine plural form); it could also be interpreted as “unfaithfulness” in the abstract sense. Mitchell Dahood wants to reinterpret it to mean “garments” (which would have to be repointed), saying that she collects garments in pledge for her service (“To Pawn One’s Cloak,” pp. 359-366). But that is a little far-fetched; it might have happened on occasion, but as a common custom unlikely. Besides that, the text in the MT makes perfectly good sense without such a change. She makes more people prove unfaithful to the Law of God through her practice.
⁴³sn Verses 26-28 comprise the seventeenth saying; it warns the young person to follow the instructions about temptations because Dame Folly is lurking.
⁴⁴sn The eighteenth saying is about excessive drinking. The style changes here as the sage breaks into a vivid use of the imagination. It begins with a riddle describing the effects of drunkenness (v. 29) and gives the answer in verse 30; instructions follows in verse 31, with the consequences described in verse 32; the direct address continues in verses 33 and 34; and the whole subject is concluded with the drunk’s own words in verse 35 (see further M. E. Andrews, “Variety of Expression in Proverbs 23:29-35,” VT 28 [1978]:102-103).
⁴⁵sn The word describes darkness or dulness of the eyes due to intoxication, perhaps redness.
⁴⁶sn The answer is obviously one who drinks too much. So this verse is using metonymies to say that. Lingering over wine is an adjunct of drinking more wine; and seeking mixed wine obviously means with the effect or the purpose of drinking it.
⁴⁷tn Heb “its eye”; see BDB, p. 744, #4.
⁴⁸sn The expression is difficult, and is suspected of having been added from Song of Songs 7:10, although the parallel is not exact. The verb is the Hithpael imperfect of Elh; and the prepositional phrase uses the word “upright, equity, pleasing,” from rvy. The AV had rendered it “when it moves itself aright.” Much more helpful is the NIV: “when it goes down smoothly.” It obviously refers to the pleasing nature of wine.
⁴⁹sn The feminine plural of rz is probably “strange women,” suggesting the lowering of inhibitions when under the influence of alcohol. But it could also be taken in the abstract as “strange things,” referring to the trouble one has in seeing and speaking when drunk.
⁵⁰tn Literally “heart”
⁵¹sn The point of these similes is to compare being drunk with being sea-sick. One who tries to sleep when at sea, or even worse, when up on the ropes of the mast, will be tossed back and forth.
⁵²tn “You will say” added
⁵³sn The line describes how one who is intoxicated does not feel the pain, even though beaten by others. He does not even remember it.
⁵⁴tn The last line has only “I will add I will seek it again.” The use of [ys!Oo signals a verbal hendiadys with the next verb: “I will again seek it.” In this context the suffix on the verb refers to the wine—he wants to go and get another drink.
¹tn Heb “evil men”
²sn The Hithpael jussive is from the verb that has occurred frequently before meaning “crave, desire.” This is more of a coveting, an intense desire.
³sn This nineteenth saying warns against evil associations. Evil people are obsessed with destruction and trouble. See on this theme 1:10-19; 3:31 and 23:17. Kidner observes that a close view of sinners is often a good antidote to envying them (Proverbs, p. 153).
⁴tn The preposition B=, “by, through” in these two lines, indicates means.
⁵sn Verses 3 and 4, the twentieth saying, concerns the use of wisdom for domestic enterprises. In 9:1 wisdom was personified as a woman who builds a house; but here the emphasis is primarily on the building—it is a sign of security and prosperity (Toy, Proverbs, p. 442). One could make a secondary application from this line for a household, a family.
⁶sn The twenty-first saying seems to be concerned with the need for wisdom in warfare. In line with that, the word used here is rb#G#, “mighty man, hero, warrior.”
⁷tn The expression zOuB^ employs a beth essentiae, meaning he “is strong,” not “in strength.”
⁸sn The point of the saying is that wise counsel is necessary in war. For victory, strategy and counsel is more important than mere military strength—many great armies have been destroyed because of their unwise leaders. See on this theme 11:14; 20:18; and 21:22.
⁹tn The MT reading tOmor would be “corals”—wisdom to the fool is corals, i.e., an unattainable treasure. With a slight change in the text, removing the o, the reading is “high.” There is no textual support for this, but the context requires it.
¹⁰sn “Gate” is a metonymy of subject, meaning what goes on in the gate—court cases and business transactions. So it is in these assemblies that he keeps quiet.
¹¹sn The verse portrays a fool out of his element: in a serious moment in the gathering of the community, he does not even open his mouth (a metonymy of cause, meaning speak). Wisdom is too high for the fool—it is beyond his ability.
¹²sn The picture of the wicked person is graphic: he devises plans to do evil and is known as a schemer. The word “schemer” is tOMz!m=-lu^B^, “possessor of schemes.” Elsewhere the “schemes” are outrageous and lewd (see Lev. 18:7; Judg. 20:6). Here the description portrays him as a cold, calculating, active person: “the fool is capable of intense mental activity but it adds up to sin” (McKane, Proverbs, p. 399).
¹³tn The text has “the scheme of folly” (tl#W#o! tM^z!); the genitive is here taken as an attributive genitive, meaning “foolish scheme.” But it could also be interpreted as a genitive of source, the scheme that comes from folly (or the fool if “folly” were metonymical).
¹⁴tn Heb “to a man”
sn This saying describes evil people who flout all morality and goodness; sooner or later the public will have had enough of them.
¹⁵sn The verb hpr means “to sink, relax.” In the causative stems it means “to let slack, let go, refrain, fail, do nothing.” In the Hithpael BDB define it as “show yourself slack.” It has also been rendered in this verse as faint, failing, faltering. The colon implies a condition, for which the second part of the verse is the apodasis.
¹⁶sn The verse employs a paronomasia to underscore the point: “trouble” is hrX, literally a bind, strait, or narrow place; “small” is rX^, the same idea of narrow or close.
¹⁷sn The test of strength is adversity, for it reveals how strong a person is. Of course a weak person can always plead adverse conditions in order to quit. This is the twenty-fourth saying.
¹⁸tn The idea of “slipping” (participle from FWm) has troubled some commentators. G. R. Driver emends it to read “at the point of” (“Problems in Proverbs,” ZAW 50 [1932]:146). But the MT as it stands makes good sense. The reference would be general, viz., to help any who are in mortal danger or who might be tottering on the edge of such disaster—whether through sin, or through disease, war, or danger.
sn The point of this saying (verses 11-12) is that God holds people responsible for rescuing those who are in mortal danger. The use of “death” and “slaughter” seems rather strong in the passage, but they have been used before in the book for the destruction that comes through evil.
¹⁹sn The verse completes the saying by affirming that people will be judged responsible for helping those in mortal danger. The verse uses a series of rhetorical questions to affirm that God knows our hearts and we cannot plead ignorance.
²⁰sn The twenty-sixth saying teaches that one should develop wisdom because it has a profitable future. The saying draws on the image of honey; its health-giving properties make a good analogy to wisdom.
²¹sn D. Winton Thomas argues for a meaning of “seek” in place of “know” (see “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 38 [1937]:401).
²²tn “is sweet” supplied
²³tn “it” supplied
²⁴sn The word is tyr!?&o^, “after-part, end.” BDB says in a passage like this it means a future, i.e., a happy close of life, suggesting sometimes the idea of posterity promised to the righteous, often parallel to “hope” (p. 31b).
²⁵sn The word “wicked” could be taken as a vocative (AV); but since the next line refers to the wicked this would seem unlikely. It serves better as an adverbial accusative.
²⁶sn The saying warns that it is futile and self-defeating to mistreat God’s people, for they survive—the wicked do not. The warning is against a deliberate, planned assault on their places of dwelling.
²⁷tn The clause beginning with yK! could be interpreted as causal, or conditional; but in view of the significance of the next clause it seems better to take it as a concessive clause. Its verb then receives a modal nuance of possibility. The apodasis is then “and he rises,” which could be a participle or a perfect tense; although he may fall, he rises (will rise).
sn The point is that the righteous may suffer adversity or misfortune any number of times—seven times here—but they will “rise” for virtue triumphs over evil in the end (Whybray, Book of Proverbs, p. 140).
²⁸tn The verb could be left with an English present tense to express what happens to the wicked in this life; but since the saying warns against being like the wicked, their destruction may be directed to the future.
²⁹sn The next saying (verses 17 and 18) warns against gloating over the misfortune or one’s enemies. The prohibition is formed with two negated jussives “do not rejoice” and “let not be glad,” the second qualified with “your heart” as the subject signifying the inner satisfaction of such a defeat.
³⁰tn Heb “and [it is] evil in His eyes”
³¹sn The proverb indicates that the judgment of God should strike a note of fear in the heart of people (see Lev. 19:17-18). His judgment is not to be taken lightly, or personalized as a victory. If that were to happen, then the LORD might take pity on the enemies in their calamity, for He champions the downtrodden and defeated. These are probably personal enemies; the imprecatory psalms and the prophetic oracles present a different set of circumstances for the downfall of God’s enemies—even Proverbs says that brings joy to the community.
³²tn Heb “there is no end [future] for the evil”
³³sn The saying warns against envying the wicked; verse 19 provides the instruction, and verse 20 the motivation. The motivation is that there is no future hope for them—nothing to envy, or as Toy explains, there will be no good outcome for their lives (Proverbs, p. 449). They will die suddenly, as the implied comparison with the lamp being snuffed out signifies.
³⁴tn Heb “my son”
³⁵sn The verb is the Hithpael jussive of bru; the verb is the same used in passages about making pledges, for it means “exchange, take on pledge.” In this stem it comes to mean “have fellowship, share.” Some versions interpret with “meddle” for this context, for “fellowship” is certainly not what is meant.
³⁶tn The form rendered “rebellious” is difficult; it appears to be the Qal active participle, plural, from hnv, “to change”—“those who change.” The RV might have thought of the idea of “change” when they rendered it “political agitators.” The Syriac and Targum have “fools”; the Latin has “detractors”; and the LXX reads, “do not disobey either of them,” referring to God and the king in the first line. Accordingly the ruin predicted in the next line would be the ruin that God and the king can inflict. If the idea of “changers” is retained, it would have to mean people who at one time feared God and the king but no longer do.
³⁷tn Heb “rise”
³⁸tn The “ruin of the two of them” refers to the judgment that is sent on the rebels by both God and the king, dyP! means “ruin” or “disaster”; here it would be a metonymy of effect, the cause being the sentence of judgment. The word “two of them” would be the subjective genitive—they two bring the disaster on the rebels.
sn The reward for living in peace under God in this world is that those who do will escape the calamities that will fall on the rebellious. Verse 21a is used in 1 Peter 2:17, and verse 22 is used in Romans 13:1-7 (v. 4). This is the thirtieth and last of this collection.
³⁹tn Heb “to recognize faces”
⁴⁰sn The word means “wicked, guilty, or criminal”; since this line follows the statement about showing partiality in judgment, it must be within the legal setting. So the statement describes one who calls a guilty person righteous, or acquitted.
⁴¹sn The word means “be indignant.” It can be used within the range of have indignance, meaning loathe or abhor, or express indignance, meaning denounce or curse. In this passage the latter is intended.
⁴²sn The verb means “be pleasant, delightful.” Here the imperfect tense promises that there “shall be delight” to those who rebuke the wicked .
⁴³sn The verb ?ky means “decide, adjudge, prove.” This word occurs frequently in the Book of Proverbs with the sense of reproving or rebuking. It is a term that deals with disputes, legal or otherwise. It can have the sense of bringing a charge against someone or starting a dispute (and so rebuke); it can mean quarrel, argue; and it can mean settle a dispute. In this context either the first or last usage would work, either reproving the wicked for what they do, or convicting them in a legal setting.
⁴⁴tn “them” understood
⁴⁵sn The expression is bOF tK^r=b!, “blessing of good”; the genitive “good” has to be an attributive genitive modifying “blessings.” The word is general enough to mean any number of things—rich, healthy, pleasing, etc. The parallelism here narrows the choice.
⁴⁶sn The first part of this verse is an implied comparison for the subject matter of giving an honest answer. That honesty is like a kiss. The idea of kissing the lips is only mentioned here in the Bible, even though kissing is mentioned elsewhere for lovers, devotion of friends, and obeisance to kings. The kiss would signify love, devotion, sincerity and commitment (in that culture)—it is an outward expression of what is in the heart. So it makes an apt illustration of telling the truth.
⁴⁷tn Heb “returns”
⁴⁸tn The perfect tense with waw following the imperatives takes on the force of an imperative here.
⁴⁹sn “House” could be taken in the literal sense here; the proverb would then be saying to become financially secure before building a house. But “house” may in fact mean “household” (a metonymy of subject; but it has become a fixed meaning of the word), children or a family. The verse would then be saying to make sure there was financial security and provision before starting a family.
⁵⁰sn The legal setting of these sayings continues with this warning against the false accuser. The witness in this line is one who has not basis for his testimony. “Without cause” is the adverb from /n?, which means “to be gracious.” The adverb means “without a cause, gratis, free.” It is also cognate to the word /?@, “grace,” or unmerited or un-deserved favor. The connotation is that the opposite is due. So the adverb would mean that there was no cause, no justification for the witness, but that the evidence seemed to lie on the other side.
⁵¹sn “Lips” is the metonymy of cause; it means what is said—here in court as a false witness.
⁵²sn The verb is bWv, which in the Hiphil means “restore, repay, return.” The idea is that of repaying someone for what he did.
⁵³tn Heb “to the man”
⁵⁴sn The proverb is teaching that rather than give in to the old spirit of vengeance, one should avoid retaliation. The same teaching is used in 20:22; Matthew 5:43-45; and Romans 12:9. Hillel also said, “Do not do to others what you would not have them do unto you” (Talmud, Sanhedrin 31a).
⁵⁵tn Heb “lacks heart”
⁵⁶tn hN@h!w=, traditionally “and lo,” is a deictic particle that calls attention to what comes next. “And look” is too abrupt; “I saw” calls attention to the field that was noticed.
⁵⁷sn Heb “I put my heart.” The “heart” represents the mind and the will combined; to apply that means to give careful consideration to what was observed.
⁵⁸tn There are four verbs in the two parts of this verse: I saw, I set, I saw, I received. It is clear that the first two verbs in each half verse are the foundation for the next two. At the beginning of the verse the form is the preterite with the waw consecutive; it can be subordinated as a temporal clause to the next verb, probably to be identified as a preterite with the waw—when I saw, I put. The next two verbs are both perfect tenses; their construction would parallel the first half of the verse, even though conjunctions do not appear here—[when] I saw, I received.
sn The teacher makes several observations of the state of the sluggard that reveal that his continued laziness will result in poverty. The reminiscence used here may be a literary device to draw a fictional but characteristically true picture of the lazy person.
⁵⁹tn Heb “a man of shield”; for the verse see 6:11
¹sn This section of the book has proverbs attributed to Solomon but copied by Hezekiah’s sages (between 715 and 687 B.C.). Critical scholars conclude that this verse has no historical value other than to report the later disposition that people thought they came from Solomon’s time; but if that were the only consideration, then that in itself would have to be considered as a piece of historical information. But if the reference is an earlier note in the collection, then it becomes more valuable for consideration. The proverbs in these lines differ from the earlier ones in that these are multiple line sayings using more similes; chapters 28-29 are similar to 10-16, but chapters 25-27 differ in having few references to God.
²sn The proverb provides a contrast between God and the king, and therein is the clue to the range of application involved. The interest of the king is ruling or administering his government; and so the subject matter is a contrast to the way God rules His kingdom.
³sn The two infinitives form the heart of the contrast—“concealing a matter” and “to search out a matter.” God’s government of the universe is beyond human understanding—humans cannot begin to fathom the intentions and operations of it. But it is the glory of kings to search out matters and make them intelligible to the people. Human government cannot claim divine secrecy; kings have to study and investigate everything before making a decision, even divine government as far as possible. But kings who rule as God’s representatives must also try to represent His will in human affairs—they must even inquire after God to find His will. This is their glorious nature and responsibility. For more general information on verses 2-27, see G. E. Bryce, “Another Wisdom `Book’ in Proverbs,” JBL 91 (1972):145-157.
<sup>4</sup>sn The expression simply has “heavens for height” and then “earth for depth.” The proverb is clearly intending the first line to be an illustration of the second—it is almost emblematic parallelism.
<sup>5</sup>sn The proverb is affirming a simple fact: the king’s plans and decisions are beyond the comprehension of the people. While the king would make many things clear to the people, there are other things that are “above their heads” or “too deep for them.” They are unsearchable because of his superior wisdom, his caprice, or his need for secrecy. He must be one step ahead to keep a firm grip on power.
<sup>6</sup>tn The Hebrew yl!K# means “vessel, utensil.” But purging dross from silver does not produce a vessel for the smith. Some versions therefore render it “material.” The LXX says “that it will be entirely pure.” So D. Winton Thomas reads lyl!K and translates it “purified completely” (“Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” VT 15 [1965]:271-279). McKane simply rearranges the line to say that the smith can produce a work of art (Proverbs, p. 580). One could explain that “vessel” is a metonymy of effect, “vessel” put for the material that goes into making it (such metonymies occur fairly often in Psalms and Proverbs).
<sup>7</sup>sn These two verses present first an illustration and then the point (so it is emblematic parallelism). The passage uses imperatives to teach that wicked must be purged from the kingdom.
<sup>8</sup>sn “Throne” is a metonymy of subject (or adjunct); it is the symbol of the government over which the king presides.
<sup>9</sup>sn When the king purges the wicked from his court he will be left with righteous counselors and his government therefore will be “established in righteousness”—it will endure through righteousness. But as Greenstone says, “The king may have perfect ideals and his conduct may be irreproachable, but he may be misled by unscrupulous courtiers (Proverbs, p. 264).
<sup>10</sup>tn “for him” added
<sup>11</sup>sn This proverb, covering the two verses, is teaching that it is wiser to be promoted than to risk promotion by self-promotion. The point is clear: trying to promote oneself could bring on public humiliation; but it would be an honor to have everyone in court hear the promotion by the king. See also Luke 14:8-11.
<sup>12</sup>tn The two infinitives construct form the contrast in this “better” sayings; each serves as the subject of its respective clause.
<sup>13</sup>tc Most modern commentators either omit this last line or attach it to the next verse. But it is in the text in the MT as well as the LXX, Syriac, Vulgate, and most modern translations.
<sup>14</sup>tn The last clause of verse 7, “what your eyes have seen,” does fit very well with the initial clause of verse 8. It would say, what you see, do not take hastily to court, but if the case was not valid, he would end up in disgrace.
sn The verb byr! is often used in legal contexts; here the warning is not to go to court hastily lest it turn out badly. The verb “to strive” means dispute in the legal context.
<sup>15</sup>tn The clause begins with /P#, “lest,” which seems a bit out of place in this line. Toy suggests changing it to yK!, “for” (see BHS) to make a better connection, instead of supplying an ellipsis: “lest it be said what . . . (Proverbs, p. 461).
<sup>16</sup>tn The verse begins with the direct object “your case” ( ;b=yr!) followed by the imperative from the same root, “argue” (byr!). It is paralleled by the negated Piel jussive. The construction of the clauses indicates that the first colon is foundational to the second: argue . . . but do not reveal,” or, better, “when you argue . . . do not reveal.”
<sup>17</sup>sn The concern is that in arguing with one person a secret about another might be divulged, perhaps deliberately in an attempt to clear oneself. The point then is about damaging a friendship by involving the friend in another quarrel.
<sup>18</sup>sn The noun hBD! means “infamy, defamation, evil report, whispering.” It is used of an evil report here (and in Gen. 37:2), namely a true report of evil doing. So if a person betrays another person’s confidence, he will never be able to live down the reputation he made as one who betrays secrets.
<sup>19</sup>sn The verse uses emblematic parallelism, stating the simile in the first part and the point in the second. The meaning of the simile is not entirely clear, but it does speak of beauty, value, and artistry. The “apples of gold” (possibly citrons, quinces, oranges, or apricots) may refer to carvings of fruit in gold on columns.
<sup>20</sup>sn The point is obviously about the immense value and memorable beauty of words used skillfully (Whybray, Book of proverbs, p. 148). The expression “aptly, fitly” is literally “on its wheels” (wynp=o-lu^). Noting the meaning of the term and the dual form of the word, McKane suggests that the expression is metaphorical for the balancing halves of a Hebrew parallel wisdom saying: “The stichos is a wheel, and the sentence consisting of two wheels is a `well turned’ expression” (Proverbs, p. 584). The line then would be describing a balanced, well-turned saying, a proverb; it is skillfully constructed, beautifully written, and of lasting value.
²¹sn Here is another emblematic parallelism; the first half is the simile, and the second half makes the point from it: a wise rebuke that is properly received is of lasting value. The rebuke in the ear of an obedient student is like fine ornaments.
²²sn The “ear of the listener” means the obedient disciple, the one who complies with the reproof he hears.
²³sn The emblem in the parallelism of this verse is the simile of the first line. Because snow at the time of harvest would be rare, and probably unwelcome, various commentators have sought to explain this expression. Whybray suggests it may refer to snow brought down from the mountains and kept cool in an ice hole (Book of Proverbs, p. 148); this seems rather forced. Greenstone following Rashi suggests it might refer to the refreshing breeze that comes from snow-capped mountains (Proverbs, p. 260). Toy suggests a snow-cooled drink (p. 464), and Mckane an application of ice water to the forehead (p. 585). These all attempt to explain the simile; but the point is clear enough, a faithful servant is refreshing. The analogy could be hypothetical—as refreshing as the coolness of snow would be in harvest time.
²⁴sn The expression in Hebrew is byv!y wynd)o& vp#n#w=, Heb “he restores the life/soul of his masters.” The idea suggests that someone who sends the messenger either entrusts his life to him, or relies on the messenger to resolve some concern. A faithful messenger restores his spirit, and so is “refreshing.”
²⁵sn The emblem now is one of clouds and winds that would be expected to produce rain; they gain attention and raise people’s expectations but prove to be disappointing and hence deceitful.
²⁶tn The form lL@h^t=m! is the Hithpael participle of the well-known word for “praise”; but in this stem it means “praise oneself” or “boast.” The description of “windbag” seems appropriate in this context.
²⁷sn The Hebrew construction has “a gift of falsehood,” or, “a false gift.” This would mean that the individual brags about giving a gift, when there is no gift.
²⁸tn Heb “long of anger” or “forbearance”
²⁹tn For the two imperfect tenses in this line the potential imperfect nuance fits the best, because what is described could happen, but does not as a rule.
³⁰sn The “tongue” is the metonymy of cause; and so the expression refers to soft or gentle speech. This harmonizes with the parallel idea of “long of anger”—through a calm patience much can be accomplished.
³¹sn The idea of breaking a bone uses the hardest and most firm part of the body in contrast to the “softness of the tongue.” Both are figurative, forming a comparison. A gentle speech can break down any stiff opposition.
³²tn The verse simply begins with “you have found honey.” Some turn this into an interrogative clause for the condition laid down; most make the form in some way subordinate to the following instruction: “when you find . . . eat.”
³³sn The verb means “satisfied, sated, filled.” In this context it means more than satisfied, for it describes one who over-indulges and becomes sick.
³⁴sn The proverb warns that anything over indulged in can become sickening. The verse uses formal parallelism to express first the condition and then its consequences. It teaches that moderation is wise in the pleasures of life.
³⁵sn The verb is rq^h), the Hiphil imperative of rqy, “to be rare, precious.” To make one’s foot rare would mean to keep the visits to a minimum as well as valuable—things increase in value, according to the nuances of this word, when they are rare.
³⁶sn This verb means “sated, satisfied, filled”; it often is used with reference to food, but here with the frequent visits that would wear out one’s welcome.
³⁷sn The first line once again gives the emblem of the proverb: false witnesses are here compared to deadly weapons because they can cause the death of innocent people (see Exod. 20:16; Deut. 5:20; and Prov. 14:5).
³⁸sn The verb hnu followed by B= with its object means “testify against” (answer against someone). With l= it would mean “testify for” someone. Here the false witness is an adversary, and so that is why the comparison with deadly weapons.
³⁹tn While du@ could be interpreted as “evidence” (a meaning that came from a metonymy—what the witness gives in court), its normal meaning is “witness.” Here it would function as an adverbial accusative, specifying how he would answer in court.
⁴⁰sn The similes in this emblematic parallelism focus on things that are incapable of performing—they are either too painful and or ineffective.
⁴¹tn Since there is no preposition to clarify the construction, there are two ways to take “confidence” in the context. It can either refer to reliance on an unfaithful person, or it can refer to that on which the unfaithful relies. Toy argues that what the faithless relies on will fail him in the time of trouble (Proverbs, p. 466). This view requires a slight change in the MT to make “confidence” a construct noun (i.e., the confidence of the faithless); the other view, which fits the Hebrew without changes, would say that “confidence [in] a faithless person” is like relying on a decaying tooth of lame foot.
⁴²tn Heb “in the day of trouble”
⁴³sn The verb usually means “adorn,” but here “lay off.”
⁴⁴tn The consonants of the Hebrew text of this verse are similar to the consonants in v. 19. The LXX has a much longer reading: “Like vinegar is bad for a wound, so a pain that afflicts the body afflicts the heart. Like a moth in a garment, and a worm in word, so the pain of a man wounds the heart.” The idea that verse 20 is a dittogram is not very convincing; and the Greek version is too far removed to be of help in the matter.
⁴⁵tn The second simile mentions pouring vinegar on soda. The LXX has “scab,” but that does not fit as a sensitive thing. The reference is to sodium carbonate (natural in Egypt) which can be neutralized with vinegar.
⁴⁶sn It would be inappropriate and counterproductive to sing songs to a heavy heart. One needs to develop sensitivity to others (Jer. 2:22; 1 Sam. 19:9)( see also 1 Sam. 19:9).
⁴⁷sn The imagery of the burning coals represents pangs of conscience, more readily effected by kindness than by violence. These coals produce the sharp pain of contrition through regret (see 18:19; 20:22; 24:17; Gen. 42-45; 1 Sam. 24:18-20; Rom. 12:20). The coals then would be an implied comparison with a searing conscience.
⁴⁸sn The second consequence of treating enemies with kindness is that the LORD will reward the act. That this is promised shows that the instruction belongs to the religious traditions of Israel.
⁴⁹sn One difficulty in this verse is that it is the west wind that brings rain to Israel (see 1 Kings 18:41-44). Toy suggests that the expression is general, referring to a north west wind—unless it is an error (Proverbs, p. 468). J. P. M. van der Ploeg suggests that the saying originated outside the land, perhaps in Egypt (“Prov. 25:23,” VT 3 [1953]:189-192). But this would imply its currency was where it made no sense. Whybray suggests that the solution lies with the verb “brings forth” (ll@O?T=); he suggests re-defining it to mean “repels, holds back.” Thus, the point would be that the north wind holds back the rain just as an angry look holds back slander (Book of Proverbs, p. 149). But the support for this definition is not convincing. The general reference to northerly winds is workable.
⁵⁰tn Heb “a tongue of secret” or “a hidden tongue”—one who goes about whispering about people.
⁵¹sn The verse implies a comparison between the two parts to make the point that certain things automatically bring certain results. Sly words will infuriate people as easily as the northerly winds bring the cold rain.
⁵²tn The verse is the same as 21:9.
⁵³tn Heb “a weary/faint soul,” but water refreshes the whole person.
⁵⁴sn The difficulty of getting news from a distant land made its reception all the more delightful (see for an example Gen. 45:27; see also Prov. 15:30).
⁵⁵sn The Niphal participle is from srp, which means “to stamp, tread, foul by treading or stamping.” BDB define it here as a “fountain befouled.” The picture is one of a spring of water where men and beasts gather and muddy it by their trampling in and out of it.
⁵⁶sn This Hophal participle is from t?v, which means “to ruin, destroy, corrupt.” This word is the general description—the well has been ruined and is unusable.
⁵⁷sn The verb Fm means “give way, move.” The verse probably refers to the integrity of the righteous being lost—comparing it to moving [off course]. Perowne writes, “To see a righteous man moved from his steadfastness through fear or favour in the presence of the wicked is as disheartening as to find the stream turbid and defiled at which you were longing to quench your thirst” (Proverbs, p. 161). But the line may refer to the loss of social standing and position by the plots of the wicked—just as someone muddied the water, someone made the righteous slip from his place.
⁵⁸tn The second line of this verse is difficult. It should make an analogy to honey—glory, like honey, is good, but not to excess. But the MT says, “and the investigation of their glory is not glory.” This was rendered in the LXX, “it is proper to honor notable sayings.” A. A. MacIntosh suggests, “He who searches for glory will be distressed” (“A Note on Prov. 25:27,” VT 20 [1970]:112-114). Bryce has “to search out difficult things is glorious” (“Another Wisdom Book,” pp. 145-147). Raymond C. Van Leeuwen suggests, “to seek difficult things is as glory” (“Proverbs 25:27 Once Again,” VT 36 [1986]:105-114). The Hebrew text is a little cryptic, but not unintelligible: “seeking their glory [is not] glory.” It is saying that seeking one’s own glory is dishonorable.
⁵⁹sn One whose spirit (?^Wr) lacks restraint is one who is given to outbursts of passion, who lacks self-control. This person has no natural defenses but reveals his true nature all the time. The proverb is stating that without self control a person is vulnerable.
¹sn “Honor” in this passage probably means respect, external recognition of worth, accolades, advancement to high position, or the like. All of these would be out of place with a fool; so the sage is warning against elevating or acclaiming those who are worthless. See also J. A. Emerton, “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” VT 15 (1965):271-279.
²sn The “curse that is causeless” describes an undeserved curse. The word “causeless” is the adverb from /n?; it means “without cause, gratuitous.” So this verse is saying that a curse that is uttered will be powerless if that curse is undeserved. It was commonly believed in the ancient world that blessings and curses had power in themselves, that once spoken they were effectual. But Scripture makes it clear that the power of a blessing or a curse depends on the power of the one behind it (see Num. 22:38; 23:8). A curse would only take effect if the one who declared it had the authority to do so, and He would only do that if the curse was deserved.
³tn The MT has the negative with the verb “enter, come” to give a literal meaning of “will not come” (ob)t ol)). This is interpreted to mean “will not come to rest, come home.” Some commentators have taken the Qere reading of Ol instead, and read it “will come home to him.” This is also a little difficult; but it gives the idea that an undeserved curse will come [back] to him [who gave it]. Just as a bird will fly around and eventually come home, so will the undeserved curse return on the one who gave it. This idea is plausible; but the referent for the suffix does not exist in the text, making it grammatically problematic.
⁴sn This proverb is rather obvious in its meaning: a fool must be disciplined by force like a dumb animal—there is no reasoning. The implication is that the fool is as difficult to manage as the donkey or horse.
⁵sn The prepositional phrase OTl=W^o!K=, “according to his folly,” qualifies the line. One should not answer a fool’s foolish questions in line with the fool’s mode of reasoning (see Greenstone, Proverbs, p. 274).
⁶sn The proverb is warning that if one were to descend to the level of a fool to argue with him he would only look like a fool as well.
⁷sn The apparent contradiction with the last verse has troubled commentators for some time. The Rabbis solved it by saying that verse 4 referred to secular things, but verse 5 referred to sacred or religious controversies. While this does not resolve the issue, it does give a sound application for the point of the two verses together—in negligible issues one should just ignore the stupid person, but in issues that matter he must be dealt with lest credence be given to what he says (Plaut, Proverbs, p. 266). The text presents two proverbs together that each present an aspect of the whole truth. One should not lower himself to the level of the fool, but there are times when the lesser of two evils is to do so, other than let him gain confidence as a wise person or be considered wise by others. Paul, for example, talked like a “fool” to correct the foolish ideas of the Corinthians (2 Cor. 11:16-17; 12:11).
⁸sn The two similes are a little difficult to comprehend at first. Sending a messenger on a mission is like having another pair of feet. But if a fool is the messenger, the proverb says, not only does the sender not have an extra pair of feet—he cuts off the pair he has. It would not simply be that the message did not go; it would go incorrectly and be a setback! The other simile uses “violence,” a term for violent social wrongs and injustice. The metaphorical idea of drinking violence means suffering violence—it is one’s portion. So sending a fool on a mission will have injurious consequences.
⁹tn The participle could also be taken as the subject of the sentence: “the one who sends . . . cuts off . . . and drinks . . . .” But this involves rearranging the order of the sentence.
¹⁰sn The verse gives the consequences of the action in line one, and the cause in line two. The point is that it would be better not to send a message in the first place than to use a fool.
¹¹tn The first line states that the legs hang down from the lame. The verb is Wyl=D^, from llD, “hang, be low, languish,” although the spelling of the form indicates it would be from hlD, “draw” [water]. The word indicates the uselessness of the legs—they are there but cannot be used. Luther gave it a fanciful, but memorable, rendering: “Like dancing to a cripple, so is a proverb in the mouth of the fool.”
¹²tn The proverb does not begin with a K= preposition to indicate a simile; but the analogy within the verse makes it clear that the first line is the emblem. The conjunction waw then indicates the equation—“so.”
¹³sn As Toy puts it, the fool is a “proverb-monger” (p. 474); he handles an aphorism about as well as a lame man can walk. The fool does not understand, has not implemented, and cannot explain the proverb. It is useless to him.
¹⁴sn The meaning of the simile has created some problems for commentators. The translation “like tying a stone in a sling” seems to make the most sense, even though the word for “sling” occurs only here. The point is that only someone who does not know how a sling works would do such a stupid thing (Whybray, Book of Proverbs, p. 152). So to honor a fool would be absurd; it would be counterproductive, for he would still be a fool. Of the other suggestions, one, based on the Latin, sees it as casting a stone into a heap of stones for the god Mercury (Plaut, p. 267). Another explains it as hiding a precious stone among a heap of stones, i.e., a waste (Perowne, p. 163).
¹⁵tn MT has /K@, “so”
¹⁶sn The picture is one of seizing a thornbush and the thorn pierces the hand (-dy^b= hlu). The idea is that a drunk does not know how to handle a thornbush because he cannot control his movements and so gets hurt (see further McKane, Proverbs, p. 599). Toy suggests that this rather means a half-crazy drunken man brandishing a stick (p. 475).
¹⁷sn A fool can read or speak a proverb but will be intellectually and spiritually unable to handle it; he will misapply it or misuse it in some way. In doing so he will reveal more of his folly. It is painful to hear fools try to use proverbs.
¹⁸sn This is the rendering given by the RSV and NIV; it is the only one that makes sense out of a verse that most commentators consider hopelessly corrupt. That is not to say it is the correct rendering, only that it makes sense as a required negative statement in a proverb. The first line has lK)-ll@O?m= br^. The first word, br^, can mean “archer,” “ master,” or “much.” The verb ll@O?m= can mean “wound” or “bring forth.” The possibilities are: “a master performs/produces all,” “a master injures all,” “an archer wounds all,” or “much produces all.” The line probably should be stating something negative, so the idea of an archer injuring or wounding something [at random] is preferable. An undisciplined hireling will have the same effect as an archer shooting at anything.
¹⁹sn The participle rk@C) is rendered here according to it normal meaning “hires,” or “pay wages.” Other suggestions include “reward” (from the idea of wages) and “stop” (from a similar word). These twelve verses, however, seem to be pointing out the folly of working with fools (the section is called the Book of Fools).
²⁰sn The simile is graphic and debasing; it is used in 2 Peter 2:22 to forestall returning to sin.
²¹sn The point is clear: fools repeat their disgusting mistakes, or to put it another way, whenever we repeat our disgusting mistakes we are fools. The proverb is affirming that no matter how many times a fool is warned, he never learns.
²²tn The verse simply uses a perfect tense. The meaning of the verse would be the same if this were interpreted in an affirmation as interrogative. The first line calls such a person to one’s attention.
²³sn The subject matter of the verse is the person who is wise in his own opinion (Heb in his own eyes). Self-conceit is actually part of the folly that the book decries; for those who think they are wise are impossible to help. For someone to think he is wise when he is not makes him a conceited ignoramus (Plaut, Proverbs, p. 268).
²⁴sn Previous passages all but deny the possibility of hope for the poor. So this proverb is saying there is absolutely no hope for the self-conceited person, and there might be a slight hope for the fool—he may yet figure out he is a fool.
²⁵sn The Book of Fools covered verses 1-12. Now begins what may be called the Book of Sluggards (verses 13-16).
²⁶sn The proverb makes the same point as 22:13, namely, that the sluggard uses absurd excuses to get out of work. Kidner notes that in this situation the sluggard has probably convinced himself that he is a realist and not a lazy person (Proverbs, p. 163).
²⁷tn “As” supplied from context
²⁸sn The sluggard is too lazy to get out of bed—although he would probably rationalize this by saying that he is not at his best in the morning. The humor of the verse is based on an analogy with a door—it moves back and forth but goes nowhere. Like the door, the sluggard is “hinged” to the bed. See also 6:9-10 and 24:33.
²⁹tn “turns” supplied from parallelism
³⁰sn The proverb is stating that the sluggard is too lazy to eat; this is essentially the same point found it 19:24.
³¹sn The phrase wynyu@B=, “in his eyes,” has the sense of “in his own opinion, estimation.” This is part of the self-deceit of the lazy person; he thinks that he has life all figured out and has chosen the wise course of action—but he is simply lazy. Greenstone says, for example, “Much anti-intellectualism may be traced to such rationalization for laziness” (Proverbs, p. 269).
³²sn The meaning of the word is “taste, judgment.” The related verb means “to taste, perceive,” that is, examine by tasting, or as in Psalm 34:9, examine by experiencing. Here the idea is expressed with the participle in construct, “those returners [of] good sense,” those who answer tastefully, with discretion.
³³tn Heb “grabs the ears of a dog”
sn One must remember in a passage like this that dogs were not domestic pets in the ancient Near East; they were scavengers that ran in packs like jackals.
³⁴tn The Hebrew word is rB@u^t=m!, which means “put oneself in a fury” or “become furious” (BDB, p. 720). The Latin assumed the verb was bru apparently, for it has the sense of “meddle.” The Hebrew reading could easily fit the verse, though: anyone passing by who gets furious over a fight that is not his.
³⁵tn The form H^l@h=l^t=m!K= is the Hithpalpel participle of the quadriliteral verbal root H^l@h=l!, which means “to amaze, startle” (see BDB, p. 529). Here it functions as a substantive, the object of the preposition, and has the meaning of a “madman.” This is the only occurrence.
³⁶tn The text literally reads “arrows and death,” which should probably be read as a nominal hendiadys: “deadly arrows.”
³⁷tn Hebrew has /K@, “so”
³⁸tn Heb “man”
³⁹sn The subject of this proverb is not simply a deceiver, but one who does it out of jest, or at least who claims he was joking afterward. The participle q?@C^m= has the idea of “laughing, mocking”; in this context it might convey the idea of “kidding” or “joking.” The point is that such practical joking is immature and often dangerous. To the foolish deceiver it might all seem like fun, like sport; but it can destroy people. One cannot trifle with dangerous weapons, or put them in irresponsible hands; likewise one cannot trifle with human relationships. Plaut notes, “The only worthwhile humor is that which laughs with, not at others” (Proverbs, p. 270).
⁴⁰sn The point of the parallelism is that the gossip (that is, the one who goes around whispering and slandering) fuels contention just as wood fuels a fire. The point of the proverb is to prevent contention—so take away the cause and it will become quiet (see 18:8).
⁴¹tn Heb “becomes silent”
⁴²sn Heb “a man of contentions,” the expression focuses on the person who is contentious by nature. His quarreling is like piling fuel on a fire that would otherwise go out. So this kind of person not only starts strife, but keeps it going.
⁴³tn The form r?^r=?^l= is a Pilpel infinitive construct from rr?, “be hot, scorched, burn.” Here it would have the meaning of “kindle, cause to flare up.”
⁴⁴tn The proverb is the same as 18:8; it observes how appealing gossip is.
⁴⁵tn The AV translation of “silver dross” never did make much sense because the parallel idea deals with hypocrisy—fervent lips with an evil heart. But silver dross would not be used over earthenware—it is discarded. Yet the MT clearly has “silver dross” (<yg!ys! [s#K#, kesep sigim). Ugaritic turned up a word spsg which means “glaze,” and this found a parallel in Hittite zapzaga(y)a. H. L. Ginsberg repointed the Hebrew text to k’sapsagim, “like glaze,” and this has been adopted by many modern commentators. The final < is then classified as an enclitic mem. See, among others, Kenneth L. Barker, “The Value of Ugaritic for Old Testament Studies,” BS 133 (1976):128-129.
⁴⁶sn The analogy fits the second line very well. Glaze makes a vessel look beautiful and certainly different from the clay that it actually is. So is one who has evil intent (“heart”) but covers it with glowing speech. The word fervent actually means “burning, glowing”; the LXX has “flattering lips” (as if from ql? rather than qlD).
⁴⁷tn The verb is the Niphal imperfect from rkn, a denominative verb meaning “to act or treat as a foreigner, stranger, misconstrue, disguise.” In this passage it means that the hater speaks what is foreign to his thought, he dissembles.
⁴⁸tn Or, “places, puts, lays up”
⁴⁹sn The proverb makes an observation: one who in reality despises other people will often disguise that with what he says. Hypocritical words may hide a wicked heart (Heb “within him” or “in his midst”).
⁵⁰tn The particle yK! is here interpreted with a temporal nuance. It is also possible that it could be read as concessive.
⁵¹tn The meaning of the rare Piel form of /n? is “make gracious, favorable.” The subject is OlOq, “his voice” (a metonymy of cause for what he says). The idea is that what he says is very gracious in its content and its effect.
⁵²sn It may be that the placing of this proverb in this setting is designed to say that the person speaking graciously is this wicked person who conceals an evil heart. Or, it may have in mind a person who has already proven untrustworthy but protests to conceal his plans. But even if that was not the connection, the proverb would still warn the disciple not to believe someone just because it sounded wonderful. It will take great discernment to know if there is sincerity behind the words.
⁵³sn The number “seven” is used in Scripture as the complete number. In this passage it is not intended to be literally seven; rather, it means that there is complete or total abomination in his heart.
⁵⁴sn “Abomination” means something that is loathed. This is a description applied by the writer, for the hypocritical person would call his plans something else.
⁵⁵tn “One’s” is supplied because the second colon has a suffix without a referent.
⁵⁶tn The form hS#K^T! is the Hithpael imperfect (with assimilation); it is probably passive, “is concealed,” although it could be “conceals itself” (naturally). Since the proverb uses antithetical parallelism, an imperfect tense nuance of possibility works well here.
⁵⁷sn The verb means “to uncover,” here in the sense of “reveal, make known, expose.” The verse is promising that the evil he has done will be exposed publicly. The common belief that righteousness will ultimately triumph informs this saying.
⁵⁸sn The verse is teaching talionic justice, and so the activities should be interpreted as evil in their intent. Digging a pit would mean laying a trap for someone (a metonymy of cause for the effect of ruining someone if an actual pit is being dug; hypocatastasis if digging a pit is being compared to laying a trap, but no pit is being dug). Likewise, rolling a stone means on someone to destroy that individual.
⁵⁹sn The subject matter of this proverb is deceptive speech. The “tongue of deception” (using a metonymy of cause with an attributive genitive) means that what is said is false. Likewise the “smooth mouth” means that what is said is smooth, flattering.
⁶⁰sn The verse makes it clear that only pain and ruin can come from deception. The expression that it hates those it hurts suggests that the sentiments of hatred help the deceiver justify what he says about people. The ruin that he brings is probably on other people, but it could also be taken to include his own ruin.
¹tn The form lL@h^t=t!-lo^ is the Hithpael jussive negated; it is from the common verb “to praise,” and so in this setting praise oneself or boast. The verse rules out one’s overconfident sense of ability to control the future. No one can presume on the future.
²sn The word “tomorrow” is a metonymy of subject, meaning what will be done on the morrow, or in the future in general.
³sn The expression “you do not know” balances the presumption of the first line, reminding the disciple of his ignorance and therefore his need for humility. See the development of this theme in James 4:13-16 and in Matthew 6:34 with the instruction not to worry but to trust. See also Luke 12:20.
⁴sn “Another” is literally “a stranger” (rz); and “someone else” is literally “a foreigner” (yr!k=n). These are not necessarily non-Israelite, as has been demonstrated before in this book, but they are people outside the familiar and accepted circles. The point is that such would be objective in speaking about your abilities and accomplishments.
⁵sn “Mouth” and “lips” are metonymies of cause; they mean what is said. People should try to avoid praising themselves. Self praise can easily become a form of pride, even if it begins with trivial things. It does not establish a reputation; reputation comes from what others think about you.
⁶sn The subject matter is the vexation of a fool. su^K^ means “vexation, provocation, anger” and usually undeserved treatment. The same noun is used in 1 Samuel 1:6 and 16 for the provocation given to Hannah by Peninnah for being barren.
⁷sn The contrast is made between dealing with the vexation of a fool and physical labor. More tiring is the vexation of a fool, for the mental and emotional effort it takes to deal with it is more draining than physical labor. It is, in the sense of this passage, almost unbearable.
⁸tn Heb “fierceness of wrath and outpouring [flood] of anger”
⁹sn “Jealousy” here probably has the negative sense rather than the positive sense of zeal. It is a raging emotion (like “anger” and “wrath” the word has nuances of heat, intensity) that defies reason at times and can be destructive like a consuming fire (see 6:32-35; Song 8:6-7). The rhetorical question is intended to say that no one can survive a jealous rage.
¹⁰sn “Open” is actually “revealed, uncovered” (Pual participle from hlG). This would identify the reproof or rebuke as direct, honest, and frank, whether it was coming from a friend or an enemy.
¹¹sn “Hidden” (a Pual participle from rts) is a love that is carefully concealed; this is contrasted with the open rebuke in the first part. What is described, then, is too timid, too afraid, or not trusting enough to admit that reproof is a genuine part of love (see McKane, Proverbs, p. 610). It is a love that is not expressed in proper concern for the one loved. See also 28:23 and 29:3.
¹²sn The Niphal participle of /mo means “faithful, reliable, sure, trustworthy.” The word indicates that the wounds from a friend “can be trusted” because they are meant to correct and not to destroy (see 25:12; Deut. 7:9; Job 12:20).
¹³sn “Kisses” is probably a metonymy of adjunct; the term represents any expressions or indications of affection. But coming from an enemy, they will be insincere—and any number of them would be excessive..
¹⁴tn The form is tOrTu=n^, the Niphal participle of rtu, “to be abundant.” The versions have a number of translations for this rare form: confused, fraudulent, bad, hypocritical. But the idea of excessive or numerous fits very well, if that meaning stands up for the rare word. The kisses of an enemy cannot be trusted, no matter how often they are presented.
¹⁵sn The Hebrew uses vp#n# here for the subject—the full appetite [soul]. The word refers to the whole person with all his appetites. Here it has its primary reference to eating, but it has a wider application than that—possession, experience, education and the like.
¹⁶sn Here vp#n# is used again, now in contrast to describe the “hungry appetite,” although “hungry mouth” might be more idiomatic for the idea. Those who have great needs are more appreciative of things than those who are satisfied. The needy will be delighted even with bitter things.
¹⁷tn The form td#d#On is the Qal participle from ddn, “to wander, stray, flutter, retreat, depart.” It will be directly paralleled with the masculine participle in the second colon.
¹⁸sn The reason for the wandering from the nest/place is not given, but it could be because of exile, eviction, business, or irresponsible actions. The saying may be generally observing that those who wander lack the security if their home and cannot contribute to their community (e.g., the massive movement of refugees). It could be portraying the unhappy plight of the wanderer without condemning him over the reason for the flight.
¹⁹sn The first line of the proverb provides the emblem to the parallel point. The emblem is the joy that oil and incense bring, and the point is the value of the advice of a friend.
²⁰tn Line two of the verse is difficult. Some think the MT is unintelligible as it reads, “The sweetness of his friend from the counsel of the soul.” The Latin has, “the soul is sweetened by the good counsels of a friend.” Thomas suggests, “counsels of a friend make sweet the soul” (“Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” VT 15, p. 275). G. R. Driver suggests, “the counsel of a friend is sweeter than one’s own advice” (lit. “more than the counsel of the soul”). He also suggests “more than of fragrant wood.” See “Hebrew Notes,” ZAW 52 (1934):54, and “Suggestions and Objections,” ZAW 55 (1937):69-70. The LXX reads “and the soul is rent by misfortunes.” The MT, for want of better or more convincing readings, may be interpreted to say something like “[Just as] ointment and incense brings joy to the heart, [so] the sweetness of one’s friend [comes] from his hearty counsel.”
²¹sn The meaning of the verse is very difficult, although the translation is rather easy. It may simply be saying that people should retain family relationships but will discover that a friend who is available is better than a relative who is not. But Toy thinks that the verse is made up of three lines that have no connection: 10a instructs people to maintain relationships, 10b says not to go to a brother’s house [only?] when disaster strikes, and 10c observes that a nearby friend is better than a far away relative. Toy thinks a connection may have been there, but has been lost (Proverbs, p. 485,6). The conflict between 17:17 and 10b may be another example of presenting two sides of the issue.
²²tn Heb “my son”
²³tn The verb is the cohortative of bWv; after the two imperatives that provide the instruction, this form with the waw will indicate the purpose or result (indirect volitive sequence).
²⁴sn The expression “my taunters” refers to those who would reproach or treat with contempt the sage, condemning him as a poor teacher. Teachers are often criticized for the faults and weaknesses of their students; but any teacher criticized that way takes pleasure in pointing to those who have learned as proof that he has not labored in vain. See also 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 and 3:8.
²⁵tn The verse is the same as 22:3.
²⁶tn The verse is almost the same as 20:16.
²⁷sn The verse begins with the Piel participle from ErB. It could be taken as the subject, and the verse rendered: “Blessing . . . will be counted as a curse.” But that would make the sentence rather awkward. So it is preferable to take the first line as the condition and the second as the consequence.
²⁸sn The expression is literally “rising early in the morning.” The infinitive here is explaining the verb “bless,” giving the circumstances of its action. The individual rises early to give his blessing.
²⁹sn There is no need to make this verse say more than it appears to be saying on first glance, that loud and untimely greetings are not appreciated. What was given as a “blessing” will be considered a “curse”—the two words being antonyms. The verse tells the reader that how, when, and why they say what they say is important too (Kidner, Proverbs, p. 166).
³⁰tn Heb “a wife of contentions”
³¹tn The form hwTv=n! is tentatively classified by BDB as a Nithpael perfect from the root hwv, “to be like, resemble.” The form also has metathesis before the sibilant. The LXX interprets the verse with “Drops drive a man out of his house on a wintry day; so a railing woman also drives him out of his own house.”
³²tn The clause uses the participle and then the perfect tense from /pX, “to hide, treasure up.” It could be rendered also: “hiding her is [like] hiding the wind.” The point of the line is that she is uncontrollable. The wind is elusive; it can gust at any moment. So too is the contentious woman. If anyone can hide the wind he can hide her.
³³sn The verb is the Qal imperfect of orq; BDB define it here as “call for = demand, require” (p. 895, 5b), but acknowledge that it is probably corrupt. Scott interprets it to mean grasping oil in the hand, an expression he compares to the modern “butter fingers” (Proverbs/Ecclesiastes, p. 163). Others have interpreted it to means “betrays”—“ointment of his right hand betrays itself,” meaning its smell persists. The connection to the proverb does not seem obvious with that.
³⁴tc This line is rather difficult. The LXX took an etymologizing approach to the whole verse and translated it “the north wind is a severe wind, but by its name is termed auspicious.” In this rendering MT “oil” became “its name,” “right hand” became “auspicious,” and “grasp” became “called.”
³⁵tn “As” supplied
³⁶tn BDB classify the verb in the first colon as a Qal apocopated jussive of hd?, “grow sharp,” and the verb in the second half of the verse ( d?^y^) as a Hiphil apocopated jussive. The difference would be: “let iron by means of iron grow sharp, and let a man sharpen the countenance of his friend” (p. 292). But it makes more sense to take them both as Hiphil forms, the first being in pause. Other suggestions have been put forward for the meaning of the word, but the verb “sharpens” fits the context the best. The verb may be a shortened form of the imperfect rather than a jussive.
³⁷tn Heb “and a man”
³⁸sn The expression is “sharpens the face of his friend.” The use of the word face would here emphasize that it is the personality or character that is being sharpened. The point of the proverb is that constructive criticism sharpens character. Many applications have been drawn from this; one is that it is a use of the wits in interaction that makes two people sharp as a razor (McKane, p. 615); another is that of two students sharpening each other in the study of the Torah (Taanith 7a).
³⁹sn The analogy is made with tending fig trees because they require closer attention than other plants; so the point would be diligent care. A. Cohen suggests that rX@n) refers to planting fig trees (“He Who Plants a Fig Tree Will Eat Its Fruit [Prov. 27:18],” BM 25 [1979]:81-82); see Jeremiah 31:5-6.
⁴⁰sn The principle is established in the first line with the emblem: those who faithfully serve will be rewarded in kind. The second half of the proverb makes the point from this illustration.
⁴¹sn The participle rm@v) describes a carefully watching over or looking after, a meticulous service, anticipating the needs and safeguarding the charge. Such a servant need not worry about his efforts going unrecognized and unrewarded (see also 22:29 and 2 Timothy 2:6, 15).
⁴²sn The verse is rather cryptic and so has prompted many readings. The first line in the MT has “As water the face to the face.” The simplest and most probable interpretation is that clear water gives a reflection of the face. One creative but unconvincing suggestion is that of L. Kopf, who suggests the idea is “water of face” (a construct) and that it means shame or modesty, i.e., a face is not really human without shame, and a man without a heart is not human (“Arabische Etymologien und Parallelen Zum Bibelworterbuch,” VT 9 [1959]:260-61).
⁴³sn The second line has “so the heart of a man to a man.” In the parallelism this means that a person’s heart is the true reflection of that person. It is in looking at the heart, the will, the choices, the loves, the decisions, the attitudes, that people come to self-awareness.
⁴⁴tn “As” supplied in view of the analogy
⁴⁵tn See 15:11
⁴⁶sn Countless generations of people have gone into the world below; yet it is never satisfied—it always takes more. The line forms a personification with Death and Destruction. It forms the emblem in the parallelism.
⁴⁷sn The “eyes of a person” (lit. “eyes of a man”) refers to the desires—what he looks longingly on. The Midrash (Eccl. R. 1:34) says, “No man dies and has one-half of what he wanted.”
⁴⁸tc The LXX has a scribal addition: “He who fixes his eye is an abomination to the LORD, and the uninstructed do not restrain their tongues.”
⁴⁹sn Once again this verse uses emblematic parallelism. The crucible and the furnace are used to refine and thus reveal the pure metals. The analogy is that praise will reveal the person because others will examine and evaluate in order to make the public acclamation.
⁵⁰tn Heb “and a man”
⁵¹sn The verb “is proved” was supplied in view of the analogy. The proverb is saying that public praise is usually a good measure of the qualities and contributions of a person. The other side of it is that righteousness is often denounced, but the proverb is not addressing all that people say.
⁵²tn The text has “by his praise”; the pronominal suffix here would be an objective genitive, marking the praise about him. Some commentators would take the suffix as a subjective genitive, meaning the praise he gives; this would mean people stand revealed by what they praise (Kidner, Proverbs, p. 168). That does not seem to work as well with the emblem of the first line which indicates being tested. The LXX again adds a couplet: “The heart of the transgressor seeks evil; but the upright heart seeks knowledge.”
⁵³sn The verb means “to pound, bray” in a mortar. The imperfect tense is here in a conditional clause, an unreal, hypothetical condition to make the point.
⁵⁴sn tOpyr! is some kind of grain that was spread out to dry and then be pounded. It may refer to barley groats, but others have suggested cheeses (see BDB p. 937).
⁵⁵tn The LXX has this paraphrase: “If you scourge a fool in the assembly, dishonoring him, you would not remove his folly.” This removes the imagery from the verse. Many commentators think that the middle line is a gloss anyway.
sn So using the analogy of pounding something in a mortar, the proverb is saying even if a fool was pounded or pulverized, meaning physical punishment, his folly would not leave him—that is his nature.
⁵⁶tn The sentence uses the infinitive absolute and the imperfect from udy, “to know.” The imperfect here has been given the obligatory nuance, “you must know,” and that has to be intensified with the infinitive.
⁵⁷sn The idiom is “place [it upon] your heart” or “take to heart.” The care of the flock will become the main focus of the will, for it is the livelihood. So verse 23 forms the main instruction of this lengthy proverb (verses 23-27).
⁵⁸tn “last” supplied
⁵⁹sn The conjunction and the particle indicate that the same nuance continues here in the second colon, and so “last” has been added here as well.
⁶⁰sn Verse 25 is the prodasis, and 26 the apodasis. The two verses say that when the harvest is taken in, then the grass will grow, and they can sell and use their livestock. The lambs will provide clothing, and the goats when sold will pay for land.
⁶¹sn The poem shows the proper interplay between human labor and divine provision. It teaches people to take care of what they have because it will not last forever.
⁶²tn Heb “life.”
¹sn The line portrays the insecurity of a guilty person—he flees because he has a guilty conscience, or because he is suspicious of others around him, or because of fear of judgment.
²sn The verb ?FB means “to trust, be secure, be confident.” The righteous, who seek to find favor with God and man, have a clear conscience and do not need to look over their shoulders for avengers or law enforcers. Their position is one of confidence, so that they do not flee.
³sn This word for “transgression” has rebellion as its basic meaning, and that is the idea here. The proverb is describing a time when sinfulness brings about social and political unrest.
⁴tn Heb “many are its princes”
sn The idea is that in such a chaotic time there will be many rulers, either simultaneously or in a rapid sequence. The times of the judges or the days of the northern kings of Israel provide examples.
⁵tn Heb “a man who understands [and] knows”
⁶tc The LXX reads (probably from a different text): “It is the fault of a violent man that quarrels start, but they are settled by a man of discernment.” For a survey of suggestions, see Toy, Proverbs, p. 495, and McKane, Proverbs, p. 630. For a study of the verses in chapters 28 and 29 concerning kings and governments, see Bruce V. Malchow, “A Manual for Future Monarchs,” CBQ 47 (1985):238-245.
tn This last line is difficult. The MT has Eyr!o&y^ /K@. The verb means “prolong”; but /K@ is open to several possibilities. Greenstone’s interpretation of it as a noun from the Hollow root /WK with a meaning of “established order” is what is expected here (Proverbs, p. 293).
⁷tc The MT has “a poor man,” vr rb#G#. The problem is that the poor in Proverbs is not an oppressor and does not have the power to be such. So commentators assume the word is incorrect. By a slight change to uvr the reading becomes “a wicked ruler” [Heb “a wicked mighty man’]. There is no textual support for this change. The LXX, however, has, “A courageous man oppresses the poor with impieties.” If “a poor man” is retained, then the oppression would include betrayal—one would expect a poor man to have sympathy for others who are impoverished, but in fact that is not the case. It is a sad commentary on human nature that the truly oppressed people can also be oppressed by other poor people.
⁸sn “Food” is a metonymy of effect. The picture is of the driving rain that should cause crops to grow so that food can be produced—but does not. The point the proverb is making is that a show of strength may not produce anything except ruin.
⁹sn Some commentators do not think that the word refers to the Law, but to instruction or teaching in general. However, the expression “keeping the Law” indicates that it is binding, which would not be true of teaching in general (see John Bright, “The Apodictic Prohibition: Some Observations,” JBL 92 [1973]:185-204). Moreover, Proverbs 28:9 and 29:18 refer to the Law, and this chapter has a stress on piety.
¹⁰sn The proverb gives the outcome and the evidence of those who forsake the Law—they praise the wicked. This may mean calling them good, or justifying what they do, for people are no longer sensitive to evil.
¹¹sn The verb is the Hithpael imperfect of hrG, which means “stir up strife” but in this stem “engage in strife.” The Targum adds, “so as to induce them to repent.”
¹²tn Heb “men of evil”
¹³sn “Justice” is FPv=m!; it refers to the legal rights of people, decisions that are equitable in the community. Plaut observes that there are always those who think that “justice” is that which benefits them, otherwise it is not justice (Proverbs, p. 282).
¹⁴sn The contrast, and the difference, is between the wicked and those who seek the LORD. Originally the idea of seeking the LORD meant to obtain an oracle (2 Sam. 21:1), but then it came to mean devotion to God—seeking to learn and do His will. Only people who are interested in doing the LORD’s will can fully understand justice. Without that standard, legal activity can become self-serving.
¹⁵sn This chapter gives a lot of attention to the contrast between the poor and the rich, assuming an integrity for the poor that is not there with the rich; the subject is addressed in verses 6, 8, 11, 20, 22, 25, and 27 (see further Gordon A. Chutter, “Riches and Poverty in the Book of Proverbs,” Crux 18 [1982]:23-28).
¹⁶tn The word for “ways” is in the dual, suggesting that the person has double ways, that is, he is hypocritical. Toy does not like this idea, and changes the form to the plural (Proverbs, p. 497); but his emendation is gratuitous and to be rejected.
¹⁷tn Heb “and he is rich”
¹⁸sn The verse is another “better” saying, contrasting a poor person with integrity with a rich person who is perverse. Of course there are rich people with integrity, and perverse poor people. But that is not the interest here. If it came to these choices, honest poverty is better than corrupt wealth.
¹⁹sn Again, the word could mean “instruction” of the father, or the Law. The chapter seems to be stressing religious obedience, and so the Law is probably what is meant. Besides, the father’s teaching will be what the Law demands, and the one who hangs around with gluttons is not abiding by the Law.
²⁰tn Heb “son”
²¹sn He shames his father and his family because such a life style that he now embraces is unruly and antisocial.
²²sn The two words seem to be synonyms: “by interest and increase”; they probably form a nominal hendiadys, saying “by increasing [exorbitant] interest.” The Law prohibited making a commission or charging interest (Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:36-37; Deut. 23:20; Ps. 15:5). If the poor needed help, the rich were to help them—but not charge them interest.
²³sn /n@O?, “someone who shows favor,” is the active participle. The verse is saying that wealth amassed unjustly will eventually go to the poor in God’s justice. God will take the wealth away from them and give it to people who will distribute it better to the poor.
²⁴sn The expression “turn away the ear from hearing” uses a metonymy to mean that he will not listen—it indicates a deliberate refusal to follow the instruction of the Law.
²⁵sn It is hard to imagine how the prayer of someone who willfully refuses to obey the Law would pray according to the will of the LORD. He is more apt to pray for some physical thing, or make demands on God. Of course a prayer of repentance would not be an abomination to the LORD.
²⁶sn Toy says, “If a man, on his part, is deaf to instruction, then God, on His part, is deaf to prayer” (Proverbs, p. 499). And McKane observes that one who fails to attend to God’s Law is a wicked person, even if he is a man of prayer (Proverbs, p. 623).
²⁷sn The image of falling into a pit (an implied comparison, hypocatastasis) is meant to say that the evil to which he guides people will destroy him.
²⁸sn The proverb is teaching that those who corrupt others will be destroyed, usually by their own devices, but those who manage to avoid being corrupted will be rewarded. The passage reminds people that the righteous can be led astray. See 26:27; see also Matthew 23:15.
²⁹tn Heb “a rich man”
³⁰sn The idiom means “in his own opinion,” his self conceit. The rich person thinks he is wise because he is rich, that he has made all the right choices.
³¹tn The form WNr#q=?=y^ means “he searches him” or “examines him”; a potential imperfect nuance fits well here to indicate that a discerning person, even though poor, can search the flaws of the rich and see through the pretension and the false assumptions. Several commentators have connected the word to the Arabic root hqr that means “despise” (see Thomas, “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 38, pp. 402-3). But that would be predictable and flat.
³²tn The form Jl)u&B^ is the infinitive construct with the preposition indicating a temporal clause; the “righteous” are the subject of this clause (subjective genitive). The word may be taken as a metonymy of adjunct—they exult or rejoice because they are prosperous.
³³sn “Glory” here may have the sense of elation and praise.
³⁴tn The meaning of “sought out” (CP^?%y=) Indicates that people have gone into hiding. So the development of the ideas for this proverb require in the first line that “rejoice” be connected with “triumph” that means they have come to power; and in the second line that “are sought out” means people have gone into hiding. Toy thinks this is too strained; he offers this rendering: “When the righteous are exalted there is great confidence, but when the wicked come into power men hide themselves” (Proverbs, p. 500). For the verb Driver posits an Arabic cognate hafasa, “prostrated, trampled on” (“Problems in the Hebrew Text,” pp. 192-193), which gives a clearer result of wicked rule, but is perhaps unnecessary. See also verse 28, 29:2 and Emerton, “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 20, pp. 202-220.
³⁵sn The participles provide the subject matter in this contrast. On the one hand is the person who covers over (hS#k^m=) his sins. This means refusing to acknowledge them in confession, and perhaps rationalizing them away. On the other hand there is the one who both confesses (hd#Om) and forsakes (bz@u)) the sin. To confess means to acknowledge them, to say the same thing about them that God does.
³⁶sn The verse also contrasts the consequences of each. The person who refuses to confess will not prosper. This is an understatement (tapeinosis); the opposite is the truth, that eventually he will be undone and ruined. But the penitent will find mercy. This expression is a metonymy of cause for the effect—mercy is mentioned, what mercy provides is intended, i.e., forgiveness. In other passages the verb “conceal” is used of God’s forgiveness—he covers over the iniquity (Ps. 32:1). In other words, the irony works this way: whoever acknowledges sin, God will cover it; whoever covers it, God will lay it open.
³⁷sn This verse is unique in the Book of Proverbs; it captures the theology of forgiveness found in passages like Psalm 32:1-5 and 1 John 1:6-9. Every part of the passage is essential to the point: confession of sins and not concealing them, coupled with a turning away from them, brings mercy.
³⁸tn The verse uses only the participle d?@p^m=. Most commentators assume that “fears” means “fear the LORD,” even though “the LORD” is not in the text. The assumption that it was the “fear of the LORD” would be more convincing if the word to^r=y! had been used. It is possible that the verse means fearing sin or its consequences. In other words, the one who is always apprehensive about the nature and consequences of sin will avoid sin and find God’s blessing. Of course it could mean “fear the LORD” as well. There would be very little difference in the outcome between the two; in either case sin would be avoided.
³⁹sn The one who hardens his heart in this context is one who refuses to fear sin and its consequences. The image of the hard heart is one of a stubborn will, unyielding and unbending. This one will fall into sin.
⁴⁰tn “As” supplied in view of the analogy
⁴¹sn The comparison uses animals that are powerful, terrifying, insensitive, and in search of prey. Because political tyrants are like this, animal imagery of this sort is used in Daniel 7:1-8 for the series of ruthless world powers.
⁴²sn A poor nation under political tyrants who are dangerous and destructive is helpless. They will crumble under them because they cannot meet their demands and are of no use to them.
⁴³tn The Hebrew text reads in this order: “A prince lacking of understanding [is] also a great oppressor.” But the last part, “and a great oppressor,” seems to modify the prince. There is little difference in meaning, only in emphasis. The LXX has “lacks income” (reading tOoWbT= instead of tOnWbT=. Toy suggests deleting the word for “prince” altogether, but this is gratuitous (Proverbs, p. 501).
⁴⁴tn This follows the Qere reading of the participle which is singular (as opposed to the plural). The implication is that this one is also a ruler, paralleling the first half. But since he rejects unjust gain he will extend [his] days, meaning he will enjoy a long and happy life.
⁴⁵tn The form is the Qal passive participle. The word means “oppress, wrong, extort”; here the idea of being oppressed would refer to the burden of a guilty conscience. Some commentators have tried to emend the text to read “suspected,” or “charged with,” or “given to” or the like; but if the motive is religious and not legal, then “oppressed” or “tormented” is fine.
⁴⁶sn The text has “the blood of a life”; blood will be the metonymy of effect for the murder, the shedding of blood.
⁴⁷sn The verse is cryptic; it simply says that he will flee to the pit. Some have taken the pit to mean the place of detention for prisoners, but why would he flee to that place? It seems rather to refer to death. This could mean that since there is no place for him to go outside of the grave he should flee to the pit, or, he will be a fugitive until he goes to the grave. Neither one of these is easily derived from the text. The verse seems to be saying that the one who is guilty of murder will flee and no one should assist him. The interpretation of the pit is unresolved.
⁴⁸sn The form is the Niphal imperfect of uvy—“will be saved.” This is deliverance from misfortune in all probability. Some render it “kept safe.” It must be interpreted in contrast to the corrupt person who will fall.
⁴⁹tn The word is dual; see verse 6.
⁵⁰tn The verb lOPy! is the Qal imperfect; it is given a future translation in this context, as is “saved,” because the working out of divine retribution appears to be coming suddenly in the future. The idea of “falling” could be a metonymy of adjunct, the falling accompanying the ruin that comes to the person, or it may simply be a comparison between falling and being destroyed.
⁵¹sn The last word t?o#B= means “at one [once].” This may indicate a sudden fall, for falling “in one” makes no sense. McKane wishes to emend the text to read “into a pit” based on verse 10b, which he emended there first! (Proverbs, 622).
⁵²tn Or, “shall be satisfied with food [bread]”
⁵³sn The “fantasies” are literally “empty things” or vain things. Prosperity depends on diligent work and not on chasing empty dreams. The proverb is essentially the same as 12:11 except for the last expression.
⁵⁴sn The repetition of the verb strengthens the contrast. Both halves of the verse use the verb uB^C=y!, “will be satisfied, be filled with, have enough.” It is positive in the first colon, but negative in the second—with an ironic twist to say one is satisfied with poverty.
⁵⁵sn The text does not qualify the faithfulness; it simply has “a man of faithfulness.” While this would certainly have implications for his righteous acts, its primary meaning may be his diligence and reliability in his work. His faithful work will bring the returns.
⁵⁶sn The proverb is not rebuking diligent labor. The implication is that this one who is eager to get rich is the opposite of the faithful person. The first person is faithful to God and to the covenant community; the second is trying to get rich, at the least without doing an honest day’s work and at the worst dishonestly. In a hurry to gain wealth he falls into schemes and will pay for it. The Targum says he hastens through deceit and wrongdoing.
⁵⁷tn The construction uses the Hiphil infinitive rK@h^ as the subject of the sentence: “to have respect/recognize persons [faces] is not good.” See 24:23; 18:5; Deut. 1:17; Lev. 19;15. Such favoritism is not good; no, it is a miscarriage of justice and to be avoided (so “not good” is an understatement).
⁵⁸sn The meaning and connection of the second half of the verse is not readily clear. It could be taken in one of two ways. First, a person can steal even a small piece of bread if hungry, and so the court should show some compassion, or it should show no partiality even in such a pathetic case. Second, a man could be bribed for a very small price (a small piece of bread being the figure representing this). This view harmonizes best with the law.
⁵⁹sn The idiom is “a man with an evil eye” as opposed to the generous man who has a good eye. This one is selfish, unkind, unsympathetic to others. He looks only to his own gain.
⁶⁰sn The proverb assumes that the one who is hasty to gain wealth is involved in sin in some way, for which he will be punished by poverty. The idea of “hastening” suggests a dishonest approach to wealth.
⁶¹tn Or, “rebukes”
⁶²tn Heb “a man”
⁶³tn There is a problem with yr^?&o^, which in the MT reads “after me.” This could be taken to mean “after my instructions,” but that is forced. Toy suggests simply changing it to “after” or “afterward,” i.e., “in the end,” which most translations do (Proverbs, p. 504). Driver suggested an Akkadian cognate ahurru, “common man,” reading “as a rebuker an ordinary man” (“Hebrew Notes,” ZAW 52, p. 147).
⁶⁴tn The construction uses the Hiphil participle qyl!?&m^, “makes smooth,” followed by the adverbial accusative of means, the metonymy “tongue”—he makes what he says smooth. This will be pleasing for the moment, but it will offer no constructive help like the rebuke.
⁶⁵sn While the expression is general enough to cover any kind of robbery, the point seems to be that because it can be rationalized it may refer to prematurely trying to gain control of the family property through some form of pressure and in the process reducing the parents’ possessions and standing in the community. The culprit could say it is not wrong because it would be his anyway.
⁶⁶sn The metaphor of “companion” means that a person who would do this is just like the criminally destructive person. It is as if they were working together, for the results are the same.
⁶⁷tn Heb “man who destroys”
⁶⁸sn The “greedy person” is literally “wide of soul,” but “soul” has here its more basic meaning of appetites (a person is a soul, a bundle of appetites), so it would be taken as “wide of appetite” (vp#n# bh^r=) or greedy. This individual will be completely selfish and often ruthless.
⁶⁹sn The meaning in the line is that it is the greed that stirs up the strife. His attitude and actions stir up dissension because people do not long tolerate him.
⁷⁰tn The construction uses the participle ?^F@OB followed by hwhy-lu^, which gives the sense of “relying confidently on the LORD.” This is the antithesis of the greedy person who pushes to get what he desires.
⁷¹sn The verb /vD means “to be fat,” and in the Piel/Pual stems “make fat/be made fat.” The idea of fat was symbolic of health and prosperity—the one who trusts will be abundantly prosperous and fully gratified.
⁷²sn The idea of trusting in one’s own heart is a way of describing one who is self-reliant. Toy says it means to follow the untrained suggestions of the mind or to rely on one’s own mental resources (Proverbs, p. 505). It is arrogant to take no counsel but to rely on one’s own intelligence.
⁷³sn The idiom of walking in wisdom means to live life according to the acquired skill and knowledge passed on from the sages. It is the wisdom from above that this book presents, not the undisciplined and uninformed wit and wisdom from below.
⁷⁴tn The verb form Fl@My! is the Niphal imperfect; the form means “escape.” In this context one would conclude that it means to escape from trouble, because the one who lives in this life by wisdom will escape it, and the one who trusts himself will not.
⁷⁵sn The point is that the generous individual will be rewarded. So the text can say that he will not lack, possibly including that he will not miss what he has given away.
⁷⁶sn Hiding or closing the eyes is a metonymy of cause or of adjunct, indicating a decision not to look on and thereby help the poor. It could also be taken as an implied comparison, i.e., not helping the poor is like closing the eyes to them.
⁷⁷tn “receives” added
⁷⁸sn The text does not specify the nature or the source of the curses. The natural thought is that they would be given by the poor who are being mistreated and ignored. Far from being praised for their contributions to society, they will be reviled for their heartless indifference.
⁷⁹sn The proverb is essentially the same as 28:12 (see also 11:10 and 29:2, 16). If so, it means when the wicked rise to power in government.
⁸⁰tn Heb “a man” or “mankind”
⁸¹tn The form is the Niphal imperfect of rts, “to hide”; in this stem it can mean “hide themselves” or “go into hiding.” The expression would be a hyperbole; the populace will not go into hiding, but they will tread softly and move about cautiously. Driver suggests the Akkadian sataru instead, which means “demolish,” and is cognate to the Aramaic “destroy.” This would give the idea that people are destroyed when the wicked come to power (“Problems in the Hebrew Text,” pp. 192-3). The meaning certainly fits the idea, but there is no reason for the change as the Hebrew is perfectly readable and makes good sense.
⁸²tn The two clauses have parallel constructions: they both begin with infinitives construct with prepositions functioning as temporal clauses, followed by subjective genitives (first the wicked, and then the pronoun referring to them). This heightens the antithesis: when the wicked rise . . . when they perish.
¹sn The idiom of “hardening the neck” ([r#u)-hv#q=m^) is the idea of resisting the rebukes and persisting in obstinacy (see Exod. 32:9). The opposite of a stiff neck would be the bending back, i.e., submission.
²sn The construction is tO?kOT vyo!, “a man of rebukes,” meaning a man who has or receives many rebukes. This describes a person who is deserving of punishment and who has been given many rebukes. The text says, then, “a man of rebukes hardening himself.”
³sn The stubborn person refuses to listen and so will suddenly be destroyed when the calamity strikes. For similar proverbs see 6:15; 13:18; and 15:10.
⁴tn Or, “healing”
⁵tn The construction tObr=B! is the Qal infinitive construct of hbr with a preposition, forming a temporal clause with a subjective genitive following it. It is paralleled in the second colon by the same construction, showing the antithesis: lv)m=b!W, “and when the wicked rule.” Some commentators wish to change the first verb to make it parallel this more closely, e.g., hdr, “to rule”; but that would be too neat, and is completely unsupported. The contrast is between when the righteous increase and when the wicked rule. It is not hard to see how this contrasts in society.
⁶sn The verb ?no, a Niphal verb, means “to sigh, groan,” usually because of grief or physical and emotional distress. The word here then is a metonymy of effect; the cause is the oppression and distress due to evil rulers. For example, the wicked taskmasters in Egypt caused the Israelites to groan and cry out to God.
⁷tn Heb “a man”
⁸tn Or, “causes his father to rejoice”
⁹sn The active participle hu#r) is from the second root hur, meaning “associate with.” The verb occurs only a few times, and mostly in Proverbs. It is related to u^r@, “friend, companion, fellow.” To describe someone as a “companion” or “friend” of prostitutes is somewhat euphemistic; it surely means someone who is frequently engaging the services of prostitutes.
¹⁰sn The verb dB#o^y= means “destroys”; it is the Piel imperfect of the verb that means “to perish.”
¹¹sn Wealth was seen as a sign of success and of God’s blessings, pretty much as it always has been. To be seen as honorable in the community meant one should have acquired some substance and kept his reputation. It would be a disgrace to the family to have a son who squandered his money on prostitutes. See also chapters 5-7, especially 5:10 and 6:31).
¹²sn The form is the Hiphil imperfect of the verb dmu, “to stand,” hence, “cause to stand.” It means that he makes the nation stand firm, standing being a figure for strength, security, and stability
¹³tn Or, “country”; the metonymy of subject means the people in the land.
¹⁴sn The subject matter of the verse is the security and stability of the nation; and the contrast is between justice and unjust “tribute, offerings.” Some have suggested “bribes” is the meaning in the second line; but the word itself suggests more the idea of tribute or taxes that are demanded. This seems to go beyond the ordinary taxation because of two reasons: first, he is a “man of offerings” (see below), indicating that is the nature of this leader, and second it tears down the country.
¹⁵tn The construction has tOmWrT= vyo!, “a man of offerings,” which could be a man who receives gifts or gives gifts. Because of its destructive nature on the country it must here mean that he receives or exacts the money. The word “offerings” could be gifts or bribes; the word was used in Leviticus for offerings given to the priests, and in Ezekiel 45:16 for taxes. The point seems to be that this ruler or administrator is breaking the backs of the people with taxes (see 1 Sam. 8:11-18), and this causes division and strife. So it may be rendered “exacts tribute.”
¹⁶tn Heb “a man” (rb#G#)
¹⁷sn The form is the Hiphil participle, “deals smoothly,” or smoothing over things that should be brought to one’s attention. The flatterer is too smooth; his words are intended to gratify. In this proverb some malice is attached to the flattery, for the words prove to be destructive.
¹⁸sn The image of spreading a net for his steps is an implied comparison (hypocatastasis): as one would literally spread a net, this one’s flattery will come back to destroy him. A net would be spread to catch the prey, and so the idea is one of being caught and destroyed.
¹⁹sn There is some ambiguity in this second line. The net could be spread for the one flattered, or for the flatterer himself. The latter would make the verse more powerful: in flattering someone the flatterer is getting himself into a trap (see 2:26; 7:5; 26:28; 28:23).
²⁰tn The Syriac and the Targum simplify the meaning by writing it with a passive verb: “the evil man is ensnared by his guilt.” The metaphor of the snare indicates that the evil person will be caught in his own transgression.
²¹tn The two verbs create a little difficulty because Proverbs does not usually duplicate verbs like this and because the first verb /Wry is irregular. BHS wants to emend it to JWry, “will rush.” McKane emends it to “exult” to form a hendiadys: “is deliriously happy” (Proverbs, p. 638). Driver suggests changing the word to /Ody based on two manuscripts and an Arabic cognate dana, “continue.” He translates it “but the righteous remains and rejoices” (“Problems in the Hebrew Text,” pp. 193-194). None of these changes are particularly helpful. The verb is unusual for a geminate root, but Gesenius shows several places where the same pattern can be seen in other geminate verbs (Par. 67q).
²²sn These two verbs express the confidence of the righteous—they have no fears and so can sing. So the proverb is saying that only the righteous can enjoy a sense of security.
²³tn The form is an active participle, u^d@y); it describes the righteous as knowing, caring for, having sympathetic knowledge for, or considering favorably the legal needs of the poor.
²⁴sn The word is /yD!, “judgment,” but it can also mean “strife” and “cause.” Here it refers to the cause of the poor, their plea, their case, their legal rights. A righteous person is sympathetic to this.
²⁵sn “Such” is added to clarify that it is not simply any knowledge that the wicked do not understand, but the knowledge mentioned in the first colon. They do not understand the sympathetic knowledge for the cause of the poor.
²⁶tn Heb “men of scorn”
²⁷sn The verb means “blow, breathe” (?^WP, BDB, p. 806). In the Hiphil imperfect its meaning here is “excite, inflame” a city, as in blowing up a flame or kindle a fire. It is also used with words in 6:19 and 12:17—they puff out words. Such scoffers make dangerous situations worse, whereas the wise calm things down. For example, see the account in 2 Samuel 20.
²⁸sn “City” is a metonymy of subject; it refers to the people in the city who can easily be set in an uproar by such people.
²⁹tn Heb “a wise man” and “a foolish man”
³⁰tn The verb Fpv means “to judge.” In the Niphal stem, however, it could be passive, but is more frequently the reciprocal nuance of the stem—“enter into controversy” or as here “go to court.” The word is usually used in connection with a lawsuit, but can also refer to an argument in general (see 1 Sam. 12:7; Isa. 43:26).
³¹tn The construction uses the conjunctive waw to express the alternate actions possible; it literally reads “and he is angry and he laughs,” meaning “whether . . . or.”
³²sn The noun t?^n^ is a derivative of ?^Wn, “to rest,” and so means “quietness, rest.” The verse is saying that there will be no possibility of settling the matter in a calm way, no matter what mood the fool is in. Whybray says one can only cut the losses and have no further dealings with the fool (Book of Proverbs, p. 168). See also Prov. 26:4.
³³tn The word for “blood” is written in the plural to reflect the shedding of blood. So the expression “men of bloods” means people who shed blood, murderers, bloodthirsty men, those who would not hesitate to commit murder in order to get what they want.
³⁴sn The word describes the “blameless, innocent,” those who maintain their integrity. The bloodthirsty despise people who insist on decency and integrity,
³⁵tn There are two ways this second line can be taken. One is to see it as a continuation of the first line, meaning that the bloodthirsty men also “seek the life of the upright.” The text literally reads “and the upright [pl] they seek his life.” So the difficulty here is that the suffix is singular but the apparent referent is plural (see NIV). The other way to take it is as a contrast: “but as for the upright, they seek his life”—a fairly straightforward rendering. The difficulty here is that “seeking a life” is normally a hostile act, but it would here be positive: seeking a life to preserve it. The verse would then say that the bloodthirsty hate the innocent, but the righteous protect them (McKane, Proverbs, p. 637).
³⁶sn The Hebrew has O?Wr, “his spirit.” It has been commonly interpreted to mean “his anger,” but it likely means more than that. The fool gives full expression to his soul, whether it be anger or bitterness or frustration of any other passions. He has no self-control,
³⁷tn The line is difficult. The MT has hN?#B=v^y= rO?oB=, which reads as “stills it back.” The verb ?bv means “to soothe, still,” as with a storm, or here with the tempers. But because rO?o does not fit very well with this verb, most commentators offer some suggested change. Toy reads “anger” instead of “back” and translates the verb “restrain” after the LXX which has “self-control” (Proverbs, p. 510). The idea of self-control is what is intended; but the changes suggested are not entirely warranted. The NIV interpretation of “keeps back” may fit the Hebrew as well as any.
³⁸sn The Hiphil participle byv!q=m^ means “give attention to, regard, heed.” It means more than listen to lies; it means regard them. This ruler is one who can be lied to.
³⁹tn Heb “word of falsehood,” or “lying word”
⁴⁰sn The verb trv means “minister, serve.” The Piel plural participle here refers to servants of the king who attend to him, courtiers, ministers. This, his entourage, will have to resort to evil practices to gain his favor if he is swayed by such.
⁴¹sn The servants of the monarch adjust to the prince; when they see that court flattery and deception are effective, they will take to it and in the end become wicked. See 16:10; 20:8; and 25:2.
⁴²tn The noun ET) means “injury, oppression” (BDB, p. 1067); it comes from a geminate verb EkT, and so in the plural the final k is present. The expression is literally “a man of oppressions,” or, “an oppressor.” Such men were usually the rich and powerful in the land. The Greek and the Latin versions have “the debtor and creditor.”
⁴³sn The verb vgP means “to meet, encounter.” In the Niphal it means “to meet each other, to meet together.” The sense in the passage is to focus on what they share.
⁴⁴sn Giving light to the eyes means essentially giving them sight; but the way this expression is used indicates that by giving them sight He gives them the light of life (see Job 33:30; Ps. 13:3). God creates and controls them all. So in spite of their circumstances in life, all people receive their life from God.
⁴⁵sn The qualification of the enduring administration is its moral character. The king must judge “in truth” (tm#o$B#). Some have interpreted this to mean “faithfully,” but that is a little unclear. The idea is that the poor must be treated fairly and justly (truth is that which corresponds to the standard of the Law revealed by God). There must be no miscarriage of justice because they are poor.
⁴⁶sn The “throne” is a metonymy of subject; it represents the dynasty, the reign of this particular king and his descendants. The language of this proverb reflects the promise of the Davidic Covenant. See also 16:12; 20:28; 25:5; and 31:5.
⁴⁷sn The words “rod and reproof” form a hendiadys, meaning “a correcting/reproving rod.” The word “rod’ is a metonymy of cause, the instrument being put for the process of disciplining someone. So the expression means the process of discipline that is designed to correct someone.
⁴⁸tn Heb “gives”
⁴⁹sn The form is a Pual participle; the form means “let loose” (from the meaning “send”), and so in this context “unrestrained.”
⁵⁰sn The participle “brings shame” is a metonymy of effect; the cause is the unruly and foolish things that an unrestrained child will do.
⁵¹tn The focus on the mother is probably a rhetorical variation for the parent (see 17:21; 23:24-25) and not meant to assume that she will do the training and endure the shame for a case like this. See also 13:24 and 23:13.
⁵²sn The verb hbr, which is repeated in this verse, means “increase.” The first usage is usually taken to mean that when they increase they hold the power. The text does not explain the details, only that when the wicked increase sin will increase in the land.
⁵³sn The verb “see” in this context indicates a triumph: they will gaze with satisfaction, or, they will look on their downfall triumphantly (see Pss. 37:4 and 112:8). The verse is teaching that no matter how widespread evil may be, the righteous will someday see its destruction.
⁵⁴tn The verb, a Hiphil imperfect with a suffix, could be subordinated to the preceding imperative to form a purpose clause (indirect volitive classification): “that he may give you rest.” The same then could apply to the second part of the verse.
⁵⁵sn The parallelism of this verse is synthetic; the second half adds the idea of “delight/pleasure” to that of “rest.” So a disciplined child will both relieve anxiety and give enjoyment to the parents.
⁵⁶sn The word “vision” (from hz?, “to see”) refers to divine communication to prophets (as in 1 Sam. 3:1) and not to individual goals that are formed. Toy sees a problem here: the most calamitous period of Israel’s history was when prophetic vision was at its height, whereas people were often more obedient when God was silent. He also notes that in Proverbs there is no mention of prophetic teaching with wisdom as a guide. So he emends it to “guidance” after the LXX (Proverbs, p. 512). The TEV has “guidance”; but the NIV retains “revelation.” It must be stated that the prophetic ministry was usually in response to the calamitous periods, calling the people back to God. Without them the downward rush to anarchy and destruction would have been faster than with these calls from God.
⁵⁷sn The verb urP means “to let go, let alone.” It occurs here in the Niphal with the meaning of “the people is let loose,” meaning, they cast off restraint. The sample is Exodus 32:25; the people become disorderly.
⁵⁸sn The Law is here Scripture, the concrete form of revelation. So the two halves of the verse provide the contrast: when there is no revelation there is chaos, but those who keep the revelation find blessing.
⁵⁹sn There is a tendency among commentators to translate Whr@v=o^ as “happy is he!” But “happy” is an unfortunate translation. The word refers to a heavenly bliss, an inner joy, that comes from knowing one is right with God and experiencing His blessing. Happiness depends on what happens.
⁶⁰sn The verse is saying that slaves could not be corrected by mere words; they had to be treated like children for they were frequently unresponsive. This, of course, would apply to certain kinds of slaves. Slaves like Joseph in Egypt or Daniel in Babylon were different. The Greek version translated this with “a stubborn servant.”
⁶¹tn The Niphal imperfect here is best given an imperfect tense category of potential imperfect—he cannot be corrected. The second line of the verse clarifies that even though he understands the words, he does not respond. It will take more.
⁶²tn The concessive idea is drawn from the juxtaposition of the two parts. It literally says: “for he understands, but there is no answer.”
⁶³sn To say there is no answer means that this servant does not obey—he has to be trained in a different way.
⁶⁴tn Heb “a man”
⁶⁵sn The focus of this proverb is on someone who is hasty with words. This is the person who does not stop to think but acts on the spur of the moment. To speak before thinking is foolishness.
⁶⁶sn Rash speech cannot easily be remedied, for the one who does this is arrogant and self-confident. The prospects for a fool are better. See 26:12; see also James 3:8.
⁶⁷tn There is no conditional particle at the beginning of the verse; that emphasis is drawn from the relationship of the clauses which lay down the condition first and then the consequences (with a waw).
⁶⁸tn The word /Onm is a hapax legomenon; accordingly, it has been given a variety of interpretations. The LXX has the word “grief,” and this has been adopted by some versions. The idea would be that treating the servant too easily for so long would not train him at all, so he will be of little use, and therefore a grief. J. Reider takes the word to mean “weakling” from the Arabic root na’na (“to be weak”), with a noun/adjective form muna’ana’ (“weak,” “feeble”) (“Etymological Studies in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 4 [1954]:276-295). This would give a different emphasis to the sentence, but on the whole not very different than the first. In both cases the servant will not be trained well. Rashi had the translation “a master.” The servant trained this way will assume authority in the household even as the son. This may be behind the AV translation of “son.” The Targum and the Syriac have “be uprooted,” which may reflect a different text entirely
⁶⁹sn Heb “a man of anger,” this expression describes him as one who is given to anger and not merely temporarily angry. The same is true of the next description.
⁷⁰tn Heb “possessor of wrath”
⁷¹tn The construction has uv^P-br^, “an abundance of transgression.” BDB define it here as “abounding in transgression” (p. 913 1d). Not only does the angry person stir up dissension, but he also frequently causes sin in himself and in others. See 14:17, 29; 15:18; 16:32; and 22:24.
⁷²tn Heb “pride of a man”
⁷³sn There is a wordplay in this verse due to the repetition of the root lpv. In the first part the verb WNl#yP!v=T^ is the Hiphil imperfect of the root, rendered “shall bring him low.” In the second half the word is used in the description of the “lowly of spirit,” ?^Wr-lp^v=. The contrast works well: the proud will be brought low, but the one who is lowly will be honored.
⁷⁴sn The expression “low in spirit” speaks of the attitude of humility. The word “low” forms an implied comparison: to be humble is like being low, base, earthbound; whereas pride is often compared to being high, lofty—at least in one’s own eyes.
⁷⁵sn The expression describes someone who is an accomplice because he is willing to share in the loot without taking part in the crime.
⁷⁶sn Heb “hates his soul,” meaning that he is working against himself, for he will be punished with the thief if he is caught.
⁷⁷sn The adjuration might be expressed by the victim of the theft, or by the legal authorities, proclaiming that anyone who knows anything about the crime must testify. According to Leviticus 5:1, if a witness does not speak up he is accountable for the crime. This person hears the adjuration, but if he speaks up he is condemned, and if he does not speak up he is guilty under the Law. The proverb is an unusual one; it seems to be warning against getting mixed up in any way with the thief, for it will create a dilemma.
⁷⁸tn The expression “the fear of man” uses an objective genitive to present the situation where fearing what people might do or think controls one’s life.
⁷⁹tn Heb /T@y!, “gives (or yields, produces)”
⁸⁰sn “Snare” is an implied comparison; fearing people is like being in a trap—there is no freedom of movement or sense of security.
⁸¹sn The image of being set on high comes from the military experience of finding a place of safety and security, such as a high wall or a mountain. Trusting in the LORD sets people free and gives them a sense of safety and security. See 10:27; 12:2; and the example of the apostles in Acts 5:29.
⁸²sn The idiom of “seeking the face” means trying to obtain favor from someone. The proverb notes how many people assume that true justice depends on the disposition of some earthly ruler.
⁸³tn The expression is “but from the LORD [is] justice of a man.” The last part uses the construct state followed by the genitive, which here shows the advantage—it is justice for the person. The implication of the matter is that people should seek the LORD’s favor if they want true justice.
⁸⁴sn The proverb makes a simple observation on life: the righteous detest the wicked, and the wicked detest the life style of the righteous. Each is troublesome to the beliefs and the activities of the other.
⁸⁵sn The chapter begins with a title, then an account of Agur’s confession and petition (vv. 2-9), and then a series of Agur’s admonitions (vv. 10-33).
¹sn The title oCM^h^ is “the burden,” a frequently used title in prophetic oracles. It may be that the word is a place name. It is more likely that it describes what follows as an important revelation.
²tn The definite article is used here as a demonstrative, clarifying the reference to Agur.
³sn The word translated “says” (<o%n=) is a verbal noun; it is also a term that describes an oracle. It is usually followed by the subjective genitive: “the oracle of this man to Ithiel . . . .”
⁴sn There have been numerous attempts to reinterpret the first couple of verses of the chapter. The Greek version translated the names out, resulting in “I am weary, O God, I am weary and faint” (see C. C. Torrey, “Proverbs Chapter 30,” JBL 73 [1954]:93-96). The Midrash tried through a clever etymologizing translation to attribute the works to Solomon (explained by Plaut, Proverbs, p. 299). It is most likely that someone other than Solomon wrote these sayings; they have a different, almost non-proverbial, tone to them. See Paul Franklyn, “The Sayings of Agur in Proverbs 30: Piety or Skepticism,” ZAW 95 (1983):239-52.
⁵tn yK! is used here in its asseverative sense, “surely, indeed, truly” (Williams, Hebrew Syntax, par. 449).
⁶tn The noun ru^B^ means “brutishness”; here it functions as a predicate adjective. It is followed by vyo!m@ expressing comparative degree: “more than a man” or “more than any man.” He is saying that he has fallen beneath the level of mankind.
⁷sn The verse is using hyperbole; he feels as if he has no intelligence at all, that he is more brutish than any other human. Of course this is not true, or he would not be able to speculate on the God of the universe at all.
⁸tn Heb “the understanding of a man”
⁹sn The construction uses repetition to make the point emphatically: “I do not know the knowledge of the Holy One.” His claim to being brutish is here clarified in that he is not one of those who has knowledge or understanding of God. Toy thinks he is being sarcastic in reference to others who may have claimed such knowledge (Proverbs, p. 521).
¹⁰tn The epithet “the Holy One” is the adjective “holy” put in the masculine plural (as in 9:10). This will harmonize with the plural of majesty used to explain the plural with titles for God.
¹¹sn To make his point Agur includes five questions. These, like Job 38-41, or Proverbs 8:24-29, focus on the divine acts to show that it is absurd for a mortal to think that he can explain God’s work or compare himself to God. These questions display mankind’s limitations and God’s incomparable nature. The first question could be open to include humans, but may refer to God alone as the others do.
¹²sn The questions are filled with anthropomorphic language. He is asking what humans have ever done this, but he means only God has done this. Gathering the wind in his fists is a way of expressing absolute sovereign control over the forces of nature.
¹³sn The verse is comparing the clouds of the heavens to garments. Perowne writes, “Men bind up water in skins or bottles; God binds up the rain-floods in the thin, gauzy texture of the changing clouds, which yet by his power does not rend under its burden of waters.” See Job 26:8.
¹⁴sn The “ends of the earth” is often used in Scripture as a metonymy of subject referring to the people who live in the ends of the earth, the far off and remote lands and islands. While that is possible here as well, this may simply be a synecdoche saying that God created the whole world, even the remote and distant places.
¹⁵sn The reference to “son” in this passage has prompted many suggestions down through the years: it was identified as Israel in the Jewish Midrash, the Logos or demiurge by some of the philosophers and allegorical writers, as simple poetic parallelism without a separate identity by some critical scholars, and as Jesus by Christian commentators. Parallels with Ugaritic are interesting for Baal is referred to as a son; but that is bound up within the pantheon where there is a father god. Some of the Jewish commentators exhibit a strange logic in expressing what Christians would say is only their blindness to the full revelation: there is little cogency in this being a reference to Jesus because if there had been such a person at any time in the past he would have left some tradition about it through his descendants (Greenstone, Proverbs, p. 317). But Judaism has taught from the earliest times that Messiah was pre-existent (especially in view of Micah 5 and Daniel 7); and, of course, the claims of Christ in the Gospels bear this out. It seems that the best interpretation is that there is a hint here of the nature of the Messiah as Son, a hint that will be revealed in full through the incarnation. The verse also collides with Islam which emphatically states, “God is one and he has no son.”
¹⁶sn The text here uses the figure hypocatastasis; it compares the perfection of every word from God with some precious metal that has been refined and purified (see Ps. 12:6). The point is that God’s word is trustworthy; it has no defects and flaws, nothing false or misleading. The second half of the verse explains the significance of it—it is safe to trust the LORD.
¹⁷sn The line uses two more figures of speech to declare that God can be trusted for security and salvation. “Shield” is a simple metaphor—God protects. “Take refuge” is an implied comparison (hypocatastasis)—God provides spiritual rest and security for those who put their trust in Him.
¹⁸tn See Deut. 4:2.
¹⁹tn The form of the verb is a Niphal perfect tense with a waw consecutive from the root bzK, “to lie.” In this stem it has the ideas of “been made deceptive,” or “shown to be false” or “proved to be a liar.” One who adds to or changes the word of the LORD will be seen as a liar.
²⁰sn Wisdom literature often groups things in twos and fours, or in other numerical arrangements (see Amos 1:3—2:6; Job 5:19; Prov. 6:16-19).
²¹sn Assuming that this is a prayer in verses 7-9, several translations have added the vocative, “O LORD.”
²²tn The two words could form a hendiadys: “falsehood and lies” becoming complete deception. The first word ow=v can mean “false, empty, vain, to a false purpose”; the second word translates “word of lying,” so a lying word. Taken separately they might refer to false intentions and false words.
²³sn The word q?) means “statute”; it is also used of a definite assignment in labor (Exod. 5:14; Prov. 31:15), or of a set portion of food (Gen. 47:22). Here it refers to food that is the proper proportion for him.
²⁴sn So Agur wants an honest life (not deceitful) and a balanced life (not self-sufficient). The second request about his provision is clarified in verse 9.
²⁵sn The verb v?K means “be disappointing, deceive, fail, grow lean.” In the Piel stem it means “deceive, act deceptively, cringe, and disappoint.” The idea of acting deceptively is illustrated in Hosea 9:2 where it has the connotation of disowning or refusing to acknowledge.
²⁶sn The verb literally means “take hold of, seize”; this would yield the idea of doing violence to the reputation of God.
²⁷tn The form /v@l=T^ is the Hiphil jussive (with the negative lo^); it is a denominative verb from the noun “tongue” (lit. “wag the tongue”). It means “to defame, slander,” if the accusation is untrue. Some have suggested that the word might have the force of “denouncing” a slave to his master, accusing him before authorities (see Deut. 23:15-16). This would then be a warning against meddling in the affairs of someone else.
²⁸sn If what was said is true, then there would be no culpability. But the implication in this verse is that it was slander. And so the effect of that will be a curse—he will make the person look small (llq, in the Piel “to treat lightly, with contempt, curse”), and culpability (the verb <vo means “to be guilty, to make a guilt offering, reparation offering”). This word for guilt brings to bear the Levitical teaching that the guilty had to make reparation for damages done (Lev. 5).
²⁹sn The next four verses all start with rOD , “there is a generation.” It is a series of denunciations of things that are dangerous in society without mentioning punishments or proscriptions. It may have had a heading at one time. The word “generation” in this passage means a class or group of people; see also Matthew 11:16.
³⁰sn The first observation is that there is a segment in society that lacks respect for parents. This verse uses the antonyms “curse” and [not] “bless” to make the point. To curse could include treating lightly, defaming, or showing disrespect in general. To bless would mean to honor, respect, enrich in some way, which is what they should do. See Exodus 21:17; Proverbs 20:20.
³¹tn The verb J?r means “to wash, wash off, away, bathe.” It is used of physical washing, ceremonial washings, and hence figuratively of removing sin and guilt through confession (see Isa. 1:16). Here the form is the Pual perfect (unless it is a rare old Qal passive, since there is no Piel and no apparent change of meaning from the Qal). The point of the line is that there are people who observe outer ritual and think they are pure (rOhF is the Levitical standard for entrance into the sanctuary), but who pay no attention to inner cleansing (see Matthew 23:27).
³²sn “Filth” often refers to physical uncleanness, but here it is moral defilement. Zechariah 3:3-4 uses it metaphorically as well for the sin of the nation. See also Isaiah 36:12.
³³tn The Hebrew has “how high are its eyes!” This is a use of the interrogative pronoun in exclamatory sentences (Williams, Hebrew Syntax, par. 127).
³⁴sn The two verbs “to be high” and “to be lifted up” indicate their arrogance and disdain for others. The emphasis on the eyes and eyelids (parasynonyms in poetry) is employed because the glance, the look, is the immediate evidence of contempt for others (see also 6:17 and Psalm 131:1).
³⁵sn There are two figures used in each of these lines: teeth/great teeth and “swords/knives.” The “teeth” is a metonymy for the process of chewing and eating. This goes with the figure of the second half of the verse that speaks about eating the poor—so the whole image of eating and chewing refers to destroying the poor (an implied comparison). The figures of “swords/knives” are metaphors within this image. Comparing teeth to swords means that they are sharp and powerful. The imagery captures the rapacity of their power.
³⁶tn The form lk)o$l# is the Qal infinitive construct; it indicates the purpose of this generation’s ruthless power—it is destructive. The figure is hypocatastasis, implying a comparison between eating and destroying.
³⁷sn The next two verses describe insatiable things, things that are problematic to normal live. The exact meaning of verse 15a and its relationship to 15b has been debated for some time in the literature. But the “leech” seems to have been selected to begin the section because it was symbolic of greed—it sucks blood through its two suckers. This may be what the reference to two daughters calling “Give! Give!” might signify (if so, an implied comparison).
³⁸sn As one might expect, there have been various attempts to identify the “two daughters.” In the Rabbinic literature some identified Alukah (the “leech”) with Sheol, and the two daughters with paradise and hell, one claiming the righteous and the other the unrighteous; and some identified Alukah with Gehenna, and the two daughters with heresy and government, neither of which is ever satisfied (see Midrash Tehillin quoted by Rashi, and Abodah Zarah in the Talmud, 17a). J. J. Glueck suggests that what is in view is erotic passion (and not a leech) with its two maidens of burning desire crying for more (“Proverbs 30:15a,” VT 14 [1964]:367-70). F. S. North rightly criticizes this view as gratuitous; he argues for the view of a leech with two suckers (“The Four Insatiables,” VT 15 [1965]:281-2).
³⁹tn The two imperatives bh^ bh^, “give, give,” (from bhy) correspond to the two daughters, and form their appeal. This would then be a personification—it is as if the leech is crying out “Give! Give!”
⁴⁰sn There is a noticeable rhetorical sequence: two daughters, three things, four (see Roth, “Numerical Sequence,” pp. 300-311, and “Numerical Sayings”). McKane thinks the series builds to a climax with the four, and in the four the barren woman is the focal point, the other three being metaphors for her sexual desire (Proverbs, p. 656). But this is not very convincing.
⁴¹sn Throughout Proverbs /Oh means “wealth”; but here it has the nuance of “sufficiency” or “enough” (BDB, p. 223).
⁴²tn lOov=, the realm of the dead
⁴³tn The expression is “the closing of the womb” especially for one who is consumed with a desire for children (see Gen. 16:2; 30:1).
⁴⁴sn There is no clear lesson made from these observations. But one point that could be made is that greed, symbolized by the leech, is as insatiable as these other things.
⁴⁵sn Once again the “eye” is the center of interest. This is the organ that exhibits the inner feelings most clearly, so here it represents a look of scorn or disdain that speaks volumes (metonymy of cause or of adjunct). It is comparable to the “evil eye” which is stinginess (28:22).
⁴⁶tn The word “obeying,” th^Q&yl!, occurs only here and in Genesis 49:10; it seems to mean “to receive” in the sense of receiving instruction, obeying. Toy makes a change to “to old age” (tn^q=z!l=) of the mother (Proverbs, p. 530). The LXX with geras suggests that a root lhq had something to do with “white hair.” D. Winton Thomas suggests a corruption from lhyqt to lyqht; it would have read, “The eye that mocks a father and despises an aged mother” (“A Note on th^Q&yl! in Proverbs 30:17,” JTS 42 [1941]:154-155).
⁴⁷sn The sternest punishment for the evil eye is held out for such. The punishment is talionic—eye for eye. The reference to the valley may indicate a place where people will not be given decent burials and the birds of prey pick the corpses clean. It is an image the prophets use in judgment passages.
⁴⁸tn The form Wol=p=n! is the Niphal perfect from olP; the verb means “to be wonderful, extraordinary, surpassing.” The things mentioned are things that the sage finds incomprehensible (see Gen. 18:14; Judg. 13:18; Ps. 139:6; and Isa. 9:6[5]). The sage can only admire these wonders—he is at a loss to explain them.
⁴⁹sn It is difficult to know for certain what these had in common for the sage. They are all linked by the word “way” (meaning a course of action) and by a sense of mystery in each area. Suggestions for the four include: all four things are hidden from continued observation, for they are in majestic form and then gone; they all have a mysterious means of propulsion or motivation; they all describe the movement of one thing within the sphere or domain of another; or the first three serve as illustrations of the fourth and greatest wonder, which concerns human relationships and is slightly different than the first three.
⁵⁰tn The last is the most difficult. The MT has hml=u^B= rb#G# Er#D#w=, “and the way of a man with a maid.” The last term does not in and of itself mean “virgin” but rather describes a young woman who is sexually ready for marriage. What is probably in view here is the wonder of human sexuality, for the preposition B= in this sequence indicates that the “way of the man” is either “in” or “with” with woman. This mystery might begin with the manner of obtaining the love of the young woman, but focuses on the most intimate part of human relationships. And all of this was amazing to the sage. All of it is part of God’s creative plan and therefore can be enjoyed and appreciated without fully comprehending it. For an alternate view, see Gregorio Del Olmo Lete, “Nota Sobre Prov 30:19,” Biblica 67 (1986):68-74. Instead of “maiden” he interprets “darkness” from a homonym. This would read: “the way of a courageous man in the dark.”
⁵¹sn Equally amazing is the insensitivity of the adulterer to the sin. The use of the word “way” clearly makes the link between this and the preceding material. Its presence here also lends support to the interpretation of the previous verse’s referring to sexual intimacy. While that is a wonder of God’s creation, so is the way that human nature has distorted it and ruined it.
⁵²sn The word clearly indicates that the woman is married and unchaste; but the text describes her as amoral as much as immoral—she sees nothing wrong.
⁵³sn The acts of “eating” and “wiping her mouth” are euphemistic; they employ an implied comparison between the physical act of eating and finishing eating with sexual activity (see 9:17).
⁵⁴sn This is the amazing part of the observation. It is one thing to sin, for all sin; but to dismiss the act so easily, as if it were no more significant that a meal, that is the amazing part.
⁵⁵sn The verb means “to rage, quake, be in tumult.” The sage is using humorous and satyrical hyperbole to say that these changes shake up the whole order of life. The sayings assume that the new, elevated status of the individuals was not accompanied by a change in nature. For example, it was not completely uncommon in the ancient world for a servant to become king, and in the process become kingly.
⁵⁶sn A servant coming to power could become a tyrant if he is unaccustomed to the use of such power, or he might retain the attitude of a servant and be useless as a leader.
⁵⁷sn “Filled with food” probably represents prosperity in general. So the line portrays someone who suddenly comes into wealth, but continues to be boorish and irreligious.
⁵⁸tn The Hebrew is “hated,” from onC, a feminine passive participle. The text does not say why she is hated; some have speculated that she might be odious or unattractive. But perhaps she is married to someone incapable of showing love. Or perhaps the strange situation of Jacob was in the mind of the sage, for Leah was “hated.” See Deuteronomy 21:15; Genesis 29:31, 33; and Isaiah 60:5.
⁵⁹sn The verb vry means either “possess, inherit” or “dispossess.” Often the process of possessing meant the dispossessing of those already there, i.e., the wars against the Canaanites. Here the sample of Hagar comes to mind (Gen. 16:5 and 21:10). The tension from the possibility of Hagar replacing Sarai was unbearable.
⁶⁰tn Heb “Four are the small things of the earth”
⁶¹tn The construction uses the Pual participle with the plural adjective as an intensive; it is as if they are the very embodiment of wisdom (BDB, p. 314).
⁶²sn The wisdom of the ants is found in their diligent preparation (/WK) of food supplies in the summer for times when it is scarce. See S. P. Toperoff, “The Ant in the Bible and Midrash,” Dor le Dor 13 (1985):179-183.
⁶³sn Modern scholars identify this creature with the rock badger (Syrian Hyrax), a small pachyderm, that lives in the crevices of the rock. Its wisdom is its ingenuity to find a place of security.
⁶⁴sn The term means “divided”; they go forth in orderly divisions, or ranks (Toy). Joel 1:4 describes their order and uses it as a picture of a coming invasion (see Joel 2:7,8). So the wisdom of the locust is in the order and cooperation.
⁶⁵sn Older versions in the English had, agreeing with the Targum, the word “spider.” But modern commentators following the Greek and the Latin versions have “lizard.” The point being made is that a weak creature like this, that is so easily caught, can get into the most significant places.
⁶⁶tn The form yb@yF!ym@ is the Hiphil participle, plural construct. It has the idea of “doing good [in] their step.” They move about well, magnificently. The genitive would be a genitive of specification.
⁶⁷tn The construction uses the Hiphil participle again followed by the infinitive construct of Elh. This forms a verbal hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the participle before it the adverb.
⁶⁸tn Heb “mighty among the beasts” for a superlative degree
⁶⁹tn Hebrew ryz!r=z^ means “girt”; it occurs only here with “loins” in the Bible: “that which is girt in the loins” (BDB, p. 267). Some have interpreted this to be the greyhound because it is narrow in the flanks (Greenstone, Proverbs, p. 327). Others have suggested war-horse, zebra, raven, or starling. The Targum has it as the large fighting cock that struts around among the hens. But there is no clear definition that is convincing.
⁷⁰tn This last line has inspired many suggestions. The MT has “with his army around him” (OMu! <Wql=o^). This has been emended to read “against whom there is no rising up,” or, “standing over his people.” The LXX has “a king haranguing his people.” Targum has, “a king who stands up before his people and addresses them.” Some have attempted to identify this with Alcimus, the high priest who aspired to kingship (1 Macc. 7:5-22), but that gets pretty far afield. Another sees the word for God in it: “a king with whom God is.” And Toy thinks the text is corrupt and must have at one time referred to a majestic animal. While all these are fascinating, the Hebrew text has not been improved or corrected by them. At least one can say the focus is on the stately appearance of the king in some auspicious moment. The word occurs only here; but if it is interpreted with its Arabic cognate in mind, then it refers to a band of soldiers (BDB, p. 39).
⁷¹tn The construction has the B= preposition with the Hithpael infinitive construct, forming a temporal clause. This clause explains wherein the person has acted foolishly.
⁷²tn Heb “hand to mouth”; meaning “put your hand to your mouth” (Job 40:4,5).
⁷³sn This verse provides the explanation for the instruction to keep silent. It uses two images to make the point, and in so doing repeats two words throughout. The first is the word Jym!; it is translated “churning,” “twisting” and “stirring up.” The form is a noun, and BDB suggest translating it as “squeezing” in all three places, even in the last where it describes the pressure or the insistence on strife (p. 568). This noun occurs only here. The verb oyX!Oy also is repeated three times; it is the Hiphil imperfect, meaning “produces” (causes to go out).
⁷⁴sn There is a subtle word play here with the word for anger: it is related to the word for nose in the preceding colon.
⁷⁵sn The analogy indicates that continuously pressing certain things will yield results, some good, some bad. So pressing anger produces strife. The proverb advises people to strive for peace and harmony through humility and righteousness. To do that will require “letting up” on anger.
¹sn Nothing is known about Lemuel. Jewish legend identifies him as Solomon, making this advice from his mother from Bathsheba; but there is no evidence for that. The passage is the only direct address to a king in the book—something that was the norm in wisdom literature of the ancient world (see Leah Leila Brunner, “King and Commoner in Proverbs and Near Eastern Sources,” Dor le Dor 10 [1982]:210-219; Brunner argues that the advice is religious and not secular).
²tn See 30:1.
³tn The form hm, normally the interrogative “what?” is best interpreted here as an exclamation. The Targum has “Woe!”
⁴tn In all three occurrences in this verse the word son has the Aramaic spelling, rB^^, rather than the Hebrew /B@.
sn The repetition of the word “son” shows the seriousness of the warning; and the expression “son of my womb” and “son of my vows” are endearing epithets to show the great investment she has made in his religious place in God’s program. For a view that “son of my womb” should be “my own son,” see F. Deist, “Proverbs 31:1, A Case of Constant Mistranslation, Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 6 (1978):1-3.
⁵sn The word “strength” refers to physical powers here, vigor or stamina. It is therefore a metonymy of cause; the effect would be what spending this strength meant—sexual involvement with women. It would be easy for a king to spend his energy enjoying women, but that would be unwise.
⁶sn The word “ways” may in general refer to the heart’s affection for or attention to, or it may more specifically refer to sexual intercourse. While in the book the term is an idiom for the course of life, in this context it must refer to the energy spent in this activity.
⁷tn The construction simply uses tO?m=l^, the Qal infinitive construct, “to wipe out, blot out, destroy.” The construction is a little strange, and so some suggest changing it to tO?m), “destroyers of kings” (BDB, p. 562). Commentators note that the form is close to an Aramaic word that means “concubine,” and an Arabic word that is an indelicate description for women.
⁸tn The text simply has “Not for kings”
⁹sn This second warning for kings concerns the use of alcohol. If this passage is meant to prohibit any use of alcohol by kings, it would be unheard of in any ancient royal court. What is probably meant is an excessive and unwarranted use of it, or a troubling need for it. The danger, of course, would be that it would cloud the mind and deprive people of true administration and justice.
¹⁰tn The MT has wo@, a Kethib-Qere reading. The Kethib is Oo but the Qere is yo@. Some follow the Qere and take the word as a shortened form of hY@o^, “where?” This would mean the ruler would be always asking for drink. Others reconstruct to hW@o^, “to desire, crave.” In either case, the verse would be saying that a king is not to be wanting/seeking alcohol.
¹¹tn The verb means “change,” perhaps in reversing decisions or removing rights.
¹²tn Heb “all the children of poverty” meaning the poor by nature
¹³sn The word is /yD!, “judgment.” In this passage it refers to the cause or the plea for justice, the legal rights.
¹⁴sn This verse makes the suggestion that the wine and beer should be given to those distressed and dying in order to ease their suffering and help them forget.
¹⁵sn The text has “to the bitter of soul” (vp#n# yr@ml=). Translations of “heavy heart,” “anguish,” “troubled spirit” and “despondent” are among the suggestions for this. The word “bitter” (rm^) describes the physical and mental/spiritual suffering as a result of affliction, grief, or suffering—they are in emotional pain. So the idea of “distressed” works as well as any translation.
¹⁶tn The subjects and suffixes are singular.
¹⁷tn The king was not to “drink and forget”; the suffering are to “drink and forget.”
¹⁸sn The instruction to “open your mouth” is a metonymy of cause; it means “speak up for” or in this context serve as an advocate in judgment.
¹⁹sn The instruction compares people who cannot defend themselves in court with the “dumb” (this is a hypocatastasis). They can physically speak; but because they are the poor, the uneducated, the oppressed, they are unable to conduct a legal defense. They may as well be dumb.
²⁰sn The noun [Ol?& means “passing away, vanishing” (properly an infinitive); in this construction “the sons of the passing by” means people who by nature are transitory, people who are dying—mortals. But in this context it would indicate people who are defenseless as opposed to those who are healthy and powerful.
²¹tn The noun qd#X# serves here as an adverbial accusative of manner. The decisions reached (Fpv) in this advocacy must conform to the standard of the Law. So it is a little stronger than “judging fairly,” although it will be fair if it is done righteously for all.
²²sn Previously the noun /yD!, “judgment,” has been used, signifying the legal rights or the pleas of the people. Now the imperative /yD! is used. It could be translated “judge,” but that often has a connotation of condemn, unfortunately. Here advocacy is in view, and so “plead the cause” is a better translation. It was—and is—the responsibility of the king (ruler) to champion the rights of the poor and needy, who otherwise would be ignored and oppressed. They are the ones left destitute by the cruelties and inequalities of life (see 2 Sam. 14:4-11; 1 Kings 3:16-28; Pss. 45:3-5, 72:4; Isa. 9:6-7).
²³sn The Book of Proverbs comes to a close with this poem about the noble wife. A careful reading of the poem will show that it is extolling Godly wisdom that is beneficial to the family and the society. Traditionally it has been interpreted as a paradigm for Godly women. And while that is valid in part, there is much more here. The poem captures all the themes of wisdom that have been presented in the book and arranges them in this portrait of the ideal woman (see Claudia Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs [Sheffield: JSOT, 1985]:, pp. 92-93). Any careful reading of the passage would have to conclude that if it was merely a paradigm for women what it portrays may well be out of reach—she is a wealthy aristocrat who runs an estate with servants and conducts business affairs of real estate, vineyards, and merchandising, and also takes care of domestic matters and is involved with charity. Moreover, it says nothing about the woman’s personal relationship with her husband, her intellectual and emotional strengths, or her religious activities (see E. Jacob, “Sagesse et Alphabet: Pr. 31:10-31,” in Hommages a A. Dupont-Sommer, edd. A. Caquot and M. Philonenko [Adrien-Maisonneuve, 1971], pp. 287-295) . In general, it appears that the “woman” of Proverbs 31 is a symbol of all that wisdom is. The poem, then, plays an important part in the personification of wisdom so common in the ancient Near East. But rather than deify Wisdom as the other cultures did, Proverbs simply describes wisdom as a woman. Several features will stand out in the study of this passage. First, it is an alphabetic arrangement of the virtues of wisdom (an acrostic poem). It was a way of organizing the thoughts and making them more memorable (see Murray H. Lichtenstein, “Chiasm and Symmetry in Proverbs 31,” CBQ 44 [1982]:202-211). Second, the passage is similar to hymns, but this one extols wisdom. A comparison with Psalm 111 will illustrate the similarities. Third, the passage has similarities with heroic literature. The vocabulary and the expressions often sound more like an ode to a champion than to a domestic scene. Putting these features together, one would conclude that Proverbs 31:10-31 is a hymn to Lady Wisdom, written in the heroic mode. Using this arrangement allows the sage to make all the lessons of wisdom in the book concrete and practical, it provides a polemic against the culture that saw women as merely decorative, and it depicts the greater heroism as moral and domestic rather than only exploits on the battlefield. The poem certainly presents a pattern for women to follow. But it also presents a pattern for men to follow as well, for this is the message of the book in summary.
²⁴tn tv#o@: the first word begins with o.
²⁵sn The expression ly!?^ tv#o@, “a woman of valor,” is the same kind of expression one would find in Judges for the “mighty man of valor,” the land-owning aristocrat who could champion the needs of his people in times of peace or war (cf. Judg. 6:12). Here the title indicates that the woman possesses all the virtues, honor, and strength to do the things that the poem will set forth. Older translations used the word “virtuous,” which is misleading today, unless an idea like “virtuoso” was included.
²⁶sn The poem begins with a rhetorical question (erotesis). This is intended to establish the point that such a noble wife is rare. As with wisdom in the Book of Proverbs, she has to be found.
²⁷sn This line expresses that her value (Heb “her price”), like wisdom, is worth more than rubies (see 3:15; 8:11).
²⁸tn The first word of the second line begins with B.
sn The verb means “to trust, have confidence in.” With the subject of the verb being “the heart of her husband,” the idea is strengthened—he truly trusts her.
²⁹sn The word used here for “gain” (llv) is unusual; it means “plunder, spoil” of war primarily (see Isaiah 8:1-4 and the name Maher shalal hash baz). The point is that the gain will be as rich and bountiful as the spoils of war. The wife’s capabilities in business and domestic matters guarantees a rich bounty and inspires the confidence of her husband.
³⁰tn The first word of the third line begins with G.
³¹sn The joining of these two words is frequent in the Bible; they contrast the prosperity and well-being of her contribution with what would be devastating and painful. The way of wisdom is always characterized by “good”; the way of folly is associated with “evil.”
³²tn The first word of the fourth line begins with D.
sn The verb means “to seek, inquire, investigate.” The idea is that she looks for the wool and flax to do her work, but the whole verse assumes she has obtained it. This verb also occurs in the hymn of Psalm 111, which says in verse 2 that “the works of the LORD are searched.” One word used in another passage is not that significant; but the cumulative effect of words and ideas suggest that the writing of this poem is influenced by hymnology.
³³sn The line reads literally “and she works in the pleasure of her hands.” The noun Jp#?@ means “delight, pleasure.” BDB suggest it means here that in which one takes pleasure, i.e., a business. They translate the line “in the business of her hands” (p. 343, #4). But that translation reduces the emphasis on pleasure, and could have easily been expressed in other ways. Here it is part of the construct relationship. The “hand” are the metonymy of cause, representing all her skills and activities in making things. It is also a genitive of specification, making “pleasure” the modifier of “her hands/her working.” She does her work with pleasure. The Targum has, “she works with her hands in accordance with her pleasure.
³⁴tn The first word of the fifth line begins with h.
³⁵sn The point of the simile is that she goes wherever she needs to go, near and far, to gather in all the food for the needs and the likes of the family. The line captures the vision and the industry of the woman.
³⁶tn The first word of the sixth line begins with w.
³⁷sn The word for “food” is [r#F#, “prey”—another word that does not normally fit the domestic scene. This word also is used in a similar way in Psalm 111:5, which says the LORD gives food. Here it is the noble woman who gives food to her family and servants.
³⁸sn The word q?) probably means “allotted portion of food” as before; but some suggest it means the task that is allotted to the servants, meaning that the wise woman gets up early enough to give out the work assignments (Targum, RSV). That is possible, but seems an unnecessary direction in the line. Others, however, simply wish to delete this last colon to leave two cola and not three. That is unwarranted.
³⁹tn The first word of the seventh line begins with z.
sn The word “considers” means to plan carefully in accordance with her purposes. The word is often used in Proverbs for devising evil; but here it is used positively of her wise investment.
⁴⁰sn The expression “from the fruit of her hands” employs two figures. The “hands” is a metonymy of cause, indicating the work she does. “Fruit” is a hypocatastasis, an implied comparison meaning what she produces, the income she earns. The line is saying that she is able to plant a vineyard from her income.
⁴¹tn The first word of the eighth line begins with ?.
sn The Hebrew expression used in the first half of the verse is “she girds her loins with strength.” The idea is that of gathering up the robes with a sash/girdle so that they do not get in the way of the work. The point of the figure is readiness for work. But to say she girds herself with “strength” means that she begins vigorously. “Strength” here would be a comparison with the sash.
⁴²sn The expression that “she makes her arm strong” parallels the first half of the verse and indicates that she gets down to her work with vigor and strength. There may be some indication here of “rolling up the sleeves” to ready the arms for the task, but that is not very clear.
⁴³tn The first word of the ninth line begins with F.
sn This is the word for “taste.” It means her opinion or perception, what she has learned by experience and therefore seems right.
⁴⁴sn The line may be taken literally to mean that she is industrious throughout the night (“burning the midnight oil”) when she must in order to follow through a business deal (see McKane, Proverbs, p. 668). But the line could also be taken figuratively, comparing “her light” to the prosperity of her household—her whole life—which continues night and day.
⁴⁵tn The first word of the tenth line begins with y.
sn The words for “hands” are often paired in poetry; the first (dy) means the hand and the forearm and usually indicates strength, and the second ([K^) means the palm of the hand and usually indicates the more intricate activity.
⁴⁶sn The verb ?L^v!, the Piel perfect of the verb “send,” means in this stem “thrust out, stretch out.” It is a stronger word than is perhaps necessary. It is a word that is also used in military settings to describe the firmness and forthrightness of the activity (Judg. 5:26).
⁴⁷sn The parallel expressions in this verse underscore her care for the needy. The first part uses “she spreads her palm” and the second “she thrusts out her hand,” repeating some of the vocabulary introduced in the last verse.
⁴⁸tn The first word of the eleventh line begins with K.
⁴⁹tn The first word of the twelfth line begins with l.
⁵⁰sn “Snow” is a metonymy of adjunct; it refers to the cold weather when snow comes. The verse is saying that this time is not a concern for the wise woman because the family is well prepared.
⁵¹tn For the MT’s “scarlet” the LXX and the Latin have “two” or “double”—the difference being essentially the vocalization of a plural as opposed to a dual. The word is taken in the versions with the word that follows (“covers”) to means “double garments.” The question to be asked is whether scarlet would keep one warm in winter or double garments. The latter is the easier reading and therefore suspect.
⁵²tn The first word of the thirteenth line begins with m.
sn The word rendered “coverlets” appears in 7:16, where it has the idea of “covered.” Delitzsch suggests “pillows” or “mattresses” here (Proverbs, 2:335). The Greek version has “lined overcoats” or “garments,” but brings over the last word of the previous verse to form this line and parallel the second half with has clothing in view.
⁵³sn The “fine linen” refers to expensive clothing (see Gen. 41:42), as does the “purple” (see Exod. 26:7; 27:9, 18). Garments dyed with purple indicated wealth and high rank (see Song 3:5). The rich man in Luke 16:19 was clothed in fine linen and purple as well. The difference is that the wise woman is charitable—he is not.
⁵⁴tn The first word of the fourteenth line begins with n. The form is the Niphal participle of udy; it means that her husband is “known.” The point is that he is a prominent person, respected in the community.
⁵⁵sn The “gate” was the area inside the entrance to the city, usually made with rooms at each side of the main street where there would be seats for the elders. This was the place of assembly for the elders who had judicial responsibilities.
⁵⁶tn The construction uses the infinitive construct with the preposition and a pronominal suffix that serves as the subject (subjective genitive) to form a temporal clause. The fact that he sits with the elders means he is one of the elders; he sits as a judge among the people.
⁵⁷tn The first word of the fifteenth line begins with s.
sn The poet did not think it strange or unworthy for a woman of this stature to be a business woman engaged in an honest trade. In fact, weaving of fine linens was a common trade for women in the ancient world.
⁵⁸sn The Hebrew is yn!u&n^K=l^, “to the Canaanites.” These are the Phoenician traders that survived the wars and continued to do business down to the exile.
⁵⁹sn The idea of clothing and being clothed is a favorite figure in Hebrew. It makes a comparison between wearing clothes and having strength and honor. Just as clothes immediately indicate something of the nature and circumstances of the person, so do these virtues.
⁶⁰tn The first word of the sixteenth line begins with u.
⁶¹sn This word also appears in the hymn: Psalm 111:3 says that the LORD’s work is honorable, and here the woman is clothed with strength and honor.
⁶²sn “Laugh” is either a metonymy of adjunct or effect. The point is that she is confident for the future because of all her industry and planning.
⁶³sn Literally “day,” the word is a metonymy of subject meaning any events that take place on the day or in the time to come.
⁶⁴tn The first word of the seventeenth line begins with P.
sn The words “mouth” (“opens her mouth”) and “tongue” (“on her tongue”) in this verse are also metonymies of cause, referring to her speaking.
⁶⁵sn The Hebrew ds#?#-tr^OT is open to a couple of different interpretations. The word “law” could here refer to “teaching” as it does frequently in the book, and the word “love,” which means “loyal, covenant love,” could have the emphasis on faithfulness, yielding the idea of “faithful teaching” to parallel “wisdom” (cf. NIV). The word “love” should probably have more of the emphasis on its basic meaning of loyal love, loving kindness. It also would be an attributive genitive, but its force would be of “loving instruction” or “teaching with kindness.”
⁶⁶tn The first word of the eighteenth line begins with X.
⁶⁷sn The expression refers to food that is gained through idleness, perhaps given or provided for her. In the description of the passage one could conclude that this woman did not have to do everything she did; and this line affirms that even though she is well of she will eat the bread of her industrious activity.
⁶⁸tn The first word of the nineteenth line begins with q.
sn The deliberate action of “rising up” to call her blessed is the Hebrew way of indicating something important is about to be done that has to be prepared for.
⁶⁹tn The text uses an independent nominative absolute to draw attention to her husband: “her husband, and he praises her.” Prominent as he is, her husband speaks in glowing terms of his wife.
⁷⁰tn The first word of the twentieth line begins with r.
⁷¹tn Or, “women”
⁷²tn The word is the same as in verse 10, “noble, valiant.”
⁷³tn The first word of the twenty-first line begins with v.
⁷⁴sn The verse shows that “charm” (literally “grace”) and “beauty” do not endure as do those qualities that the fear of the LORD produces. Charm is deceitful: one may be disappointed in the character of the one with beauty. Beauty is vain (fleeting as a vapor): physical appearance will not last. The writer is not saying these are worthless; he is saying there is something infinitely more valuable.
⁷⁵sn So this chapter describes the wise woman as fearing the LORD. It is the fear of the LORD that is the beginning of wisdom—that was the motto of the book (1:7). Psalm 111:10 also repeats that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
⁷⁶tn The first word of the twenty-second line begins with t.
⁷⁷sn The expression “the fruit of her hands” employs two figures. The word “fruit” is an implied comparison, meaning what she produces. The word “hand” is a metonymy of cause, meaning her efforts to produce things. So the line is saying essentially “give her her due.” This would either mean give her credit, or reward her for what she has done.
⁷⁸sn Psalm 111 began with the imperative hallelu Yah, “praise the LORD”; and this poem ends with the jussive wihalelu-ha, “and let [her works] praise her.” Psalm 111:2 speaks of God’s works; and this verse of the woman’s or wisdoms works that deserve praise.
⁷⁹sn “Gates” is a metonymy of subject. It refers to the people and the activity that occurs in the gates—business dealings, legal transactions, and social meetings. One is reminded of the acclaim given to Ruth by Boaz: “for all the gate of my people knows that you are a noble woman [ly!?^ tv#o@]” (Ruth 3:11).