Proverbs 14:16–17

Footnotes

1. 42 Heb “fears.” Since the holy name (Yahweh, translated “the Lord”) is not used, it probably does not here mean fear of the Lord, but of the consequences of actions.
2. 43 The Hitpael of עָבַר (’avar, “to pass over”) means “to pass over the bounds of propriety; to act insolently” ( 720 ; cf. “beareth himself insolently”).
3. 44 The verb בָּטַח here denotes self-assurance or overconfidence. Fools are not cautious and do not fear the consequences of their actions.
4. 45 The proverb discusses two character traits that are distasteful to others—the quick tempered person (“short of anger” or impatient) and the crafty person (“man of devices”). C. H. Toy thinks that the proverb is antithetical and renders it “but a wise man endures” (Proverbs [], ). In other words, the quick-tempered person acts foolishly and loses people’s respect, but the wise man does not.
5. 46 Heb “a man of devices.”
6. 47 The reads “endures” (from נָשָׂא, nasa’) rather than “is hated” (from שָׂנֵא, sane’). This change seems to have arisen on the assumption that a contrast was needed. It has: “a man of thought endures.” Other versions take מְזִמּוֹת (mézimmot) in a good sense; but antithetical parallelism is unwarranted here.