Proverbs 1:22–23

Footnotes

1. 103 Wisdom addresses three types of people: simpletons (פְּתָיִם, pétayim), scoffers (לֵצִים, letsim) and fools (כְּסִילִים, késilim). For the term “simpleton” see note on . 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,” 19 (1968): 609–14.
2. 104 Heb “simplicity” (so , ); “inanity.” The noun פֶּתִי (peti) means “simplicity; lack of wisdom” ( 834 ; II פֶּתִי). It is related to the term פְּתָיִם (pétayim) “simpletons” and so forms a striking wordplay. This lack of wisdom and moral simplicity is inherent in the character of the naive person.
3. 105 The second instance of “How long?” does not appear in the Hebrew text; it is supplied in the translation for smoothness and style.
4. 106 The term לֵצִים (leysim, “scoffers; mockers”) comes from the root לִיץ (lits, “to scorn; to mock; to speak indirectly” ( 539 לִיץ). They are cynical and defiant freethinkers who ridicule the righteous and all for which they stand (e.g., Ps 1:1).
5. 107 Heb “delight.” The verb (חָמַד, khamad) is often translated “to take pleasure; to delight” but frequently has the meaning of a selfish desire, a coveting of something. It is the term, for example, used for coveting in the Decalogue (Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21) and for the covetous desire of Eve (Gen 3:6) and Achan (Josh 7:21). It is tempting to nuance it here as “illicit desire” for mockery.
6. 108 Heb “for themselves.” The ethical dative לָהֶם (lahem, “for themselves”) is normally untranslated. It is a rhetorical device emphasizing that they take delight in mockery for their own self-interests.
7. 109 The term “fool” (כְּסִיל, késil) refers to the morally insensitive dullard ( 493 ).
8. 110 The imperfect tense is in the conditional protasis without the conditional particle, followed by the clause beginning with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “then”). The phrase “If only …” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied by the syntax; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
9. 111 Heb “turn.” The verb is from שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to respond; to repent”).
10. 112 The noun תּוֹכַחַת (tokhakhat, “rebuke”) is used in all kinds of disputes including rebuking, arguing, reasoning, admonishing, and chiding. The term is broad enough to include here warning and rebuke. Cf. , , “reproof”; “when I reprimand you”; “correct you.”
11. 113 Heb “Behold!”
12. 114 The Hiphil cohortative of נָבַע (nava’, “to pour out”) describes the speaker’s resolution to pour out wisdom on those who respond.
13. 115 Heb “my spirit.” The term “spirit” (רוּחַ, ruakh) functions as a metonymy (= spirit) of association (= thoughts), as indicated by the parallelism with “my words” (דְּבָרַי, débaray). The noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) can have a cognitive nuance, e.g., “spirit of wisdom” (Exod 28:3; Deut 34:9). It is used metonymically for “words” (Job 20:3) and “mind” (Isa 40:13; Ezek 11:5; 20:32; 1 Chr 28:12; see 925 רוּחַ 6). The “spirit of wisdom” produces skill and capacity necessary for success (Isa 11:2; John 7:37–39).
14. 116 The conjunction “and” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
15. 117 Here too the form is the cohortative, stressing the resolution of wisdom to reveal herself to the one who responds.