Proverbs 19–21

Footnotes

1. 1 People should follow honesty even if it leads to poverty (e.g., Prov 18:23; 19:22).
2. 2 Heb “lips.” The term “lips” is a metonymy for what one says with his lips. The expression “perverse in his lips” refers to speech that is morally perverted. Some medieval Hebrew the , and have “his ways” rather than “his lips” (e.g., Prov 28:6); cf. .
3. 3 The and read “rich” instead of “fool.” This makes tighter antithetical parallelism than and is followed by . However, the makes sense as it stands; this is an example of metonymical parallelism. The reading is also supported by the . The Hebrew construction uses וְהוּא (véhu’), “and he [is],” before “fool.” This may be rendered “one who is perverse while a fool” or “a fool at the same time.”
4. 4 Heb “not good.” This is a figure known as tapeinosis (a deliberate understatement to emphasize a worst-case scenario): “it is dangerous!”
5. 5 The interpretation of this line depends largely on the meaning of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) which has a broad range of meanings: (1) the breathing substance of man, (2) living being, (3) life, (4) person, (5) seat of the appetites, (6) seat of emotions and passions, (7) activities of intellect, emotion and will, (8) moral character, etc. ( 659–61 ). In light of the synonymous parallelism, the most likely nuance here is “zeal, passion” ( 8). takes the word in the sense of “vitality” and “drive”—“it is not good to have zeal without knowledge” (cf. , , and which are all similar).
6. 6 Heb “he who is hasty with his feet.” The verb אוּץ (’uts) means “to be pressed; to press; to make haste.” The verb is followed by the preposition בְּ (bet) which indicates that with which one hastens—his feet. The word “feet” is a synecdoche of part for the whole person—body and mind working together (cf. “a person who moves too quickly”).
7. 7 Heb “misses the goal.” The participle חוֹטֵא (khote’) can be translated “sins” (cf. , ), but in this context it refers only to actions without knowledge, which could lead to sin, or could lead simply to making poor choices (cf. “blunders”; “errs”; “might make a mistake”). The basic meaning of the verb is “to miss a goal or the way.” D. Kidner says, “How negative is the achievement of a man who wants tangible and quick rewards”—he will miss the way (Proverbs [], ).
8. 8 Heb “the folly of a man.”
9. 9 The verb סָלַף (salaf) normally means “to twist; to pervert; to overturn,” but in this context it means “to subvert” ( 701 ); cf. “subverteth.” J. H. Greenstone comments: “Man’s own failures are the result of his own folly and should not be attributed to God” (Proverbs, 201).
10. 10 The clause begins with vav on the nonverb 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 indicating concession.
11. 11 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.
12. 12 The Niphal imperfect probably should be taken in the passive sense (the poor person is deserted by his “friend,” cf. , ) rather than as a direct middle (the poor person deserted his friend).
13. 13 This proverb simply makes an observation on life: People pursue wealthy folk hoping that they can gain something from the rich, but the poor are deserted even by friends, who fear that the poor will try to gain something from them.
14. 14 Heb “a witness of lies.” This expression is an attributive genitive: “a lying witness” (cf. “dishonest witnesses”). This is paralleled by “the one who pours out lies.”
15. 15 Heb “breathes out”; “utters”; “pours out.”
16. 16 Heb “will not escape” (so , ); “will not go free.” Here “punishment” is implied, and has been supplied in the translation for clarity. This proverb is a general statement, because on occasion there are false witnesses who go unpunished in this life (e.g., Prov 6:19; 14:5, 25; 19:9). The Talmud affirms, “False witnesses are contemptible even to those who hire them” ( Sanhedrin 29b).
17. 17 The verb יְחַלּוּ (yékhalu) is a Piel imperfect of חָלָה (khalah) meaning “to seek favor; to entreat favor; to mollify; to appease”; cf. “curry favor.” It literally means “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. The Hebrew verb translated “entreat the favor” is often used to express prayer when God is the one whose favor is being sought; here it is the prince who can grant requests.
18. 18 Heb “the face of a generous man”; “the liberal man.” The term “face” is a synecdoche of part (= face) for the whole (= person).
19. 19 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.
20. 20 Heb “a man of gifts.” This could be (1) attributive genitive: a man characterized by giving gifts or (2) objective genitive: a man who gives gifts ( §9.5.2b).
21. 21 Heb “brothers,” but not limited only to male siblings in this context.
22. 22 Heb “hate him.” The verb שָׂנֵא (sane’) may be nuanced “reject” here (metonymy of effect, cf. ). The kind of “dislike” or “hatred” family members show to a poor relative is to have nothing to do with him ( “is shunned”). If relatives do this, how much more will the poor person’s friends do so.
23. 23 The direct object “them” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
24. 24 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 separate proverb and beyond restoration. The basic idea does make sense, though. The idea of his family and friends rejecting the poor person reveals 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 nowhere to be found” (so ). The 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, showing evidence for that text.
25. 25 Heb “heart.” Most English versions translate as “wisdom,” but cf. “intelligence.” This refers to a mind that works (e.g., Prov 7:7; 9:4).
26. 26 Heb “his own soul.” The expression “loves his soul” means that he is paying attention to his needs or taking care of his life (cf. “is his own best friend”). 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).
27. 27 Heb “finds good” (similar , ); “will succeed.” The reads לִמְצֹא (limtso’), a Qal infinitive construct. The (as well as the other major early versions) renders it as a future, which reflects a of יִמְצָא (yimtsa’). The infinitive is used here in a modal sense, meaning “is destined to” or “is certain of” finding good in life.
28. 28 Heb “breathes out”; “utters”; “pours out.”
29. 29 The verse is the same as v. 5, except that the last word changes to the verb “will perish” (cf. “will die”; , “will be destroyed”; “is doomed”).
30. 30 The form נָאוֶה (na’veh) is an adjective meaning “seemly; comely” in the older English versions like , , “fitting” in more recent ones (e.g., , , ). The verbal root נוֹה only occurs in the Pilel stem; but it also has the basic meaning of “being fitting; being comely.” In this sentence the form is a predicate adjective.
31. 31 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.
32. 32 In the ancient world 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, e.g., 11:22; 17:7; 26:1; and 30:21–23.
33. 33 Or “prudence,” the successful use of wisdom in discretion. Cf. , , “good sense.”
34. 34 The Hiphil perfect of אָרַךְ (’arakh, “to be long”) means “to make long; to prolong.” Patience and slowness to anger lead to forgiveness of sins.
35. 35 “Glory” signifies the idea of beauty or adornment. D. Kidner explains that such patience “brings out here the glowing colours of a virtue which in practice may look drably unassertive” (Proverbs [], ).
36. 36 Heb “to pass over” (so , ); , “ignore.” The infinitive construct עֲבֹר (’avor) functions as the formal subject of the sentence. This clause provides the cause, whereas the former gave the effect—if one can pass over an offense there will be no anger. W. 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 [], 530).
37. 37 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 (e.g., 20:2; Amos 3:4). The second simile presents his favor as beneficial for life (e.g., 16:14–15; 28:15).
38. 38 Heb “is a roaring like a lion.”
39. 39 The proverb makes an observation about a king’s power to terrify or to refresh. It advises people to use tact with a king.
40. 40 Heb “a foolish son” (so , , , ); “a stupid child.”
41. 41 Heb “the contentions of a wife” (so , ); “the nagging of a wife.” The genitive could be interpreted (1) as genitive of source or subjective genitive—she is quarreling; or (2) it could be a genitive of specification, making the word “contentions” a modifier, as in the present translation.
42. 42 Heb “is a constant dripping.” The term “like” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. The metaphor pictures water dropping (perhaps rain through the roof, cf. , ) in a continuous flow: It is annoying and irritating (e.g., Prov 27:15–16).
43. 43 The makes this moralistic statement for 13b: “vows paid out of hire of a harlot are not pure.” It is not based on the and attempts to reconstruct a text using this have been unsuccessful.
44. 44 Heb “inheritance of fathers” (so , , ).
45. 45 This statement describes a wife who has a skillful use of knowledge and discretion that proves to be successful. This contrasts with the preceding verse. The proverb is not concerned about unhappy marriages or bad wives (both of which exist); it simply affirms that when a marriage works out well one should credit it as a gift from God.
46. 46 Heb “causes to fall” or “casts”; “plunges … into.”
47. 47 Or “complete inactivity”; the word תַּרְדֵּמָה (tardemah) can refer to a physical “deep sleep” (e.g., Gen 2:21; Jonah 1:5, 6); but it can also be used figuratively for complete inactivity, as other words for “sleep” can. Here it refers to lethargy or debility and morbidness.
48. 48 The expression וְנֶפֶשׁ רְמִיָּה (vénefesh rémiyyah) can be translated “the soul of deceit” or “the soul of slackness.” There are two identical feminine nouns, one from the verb “beguile,” and the other from a cognate Arabic root “grow loose.” The second is more likely here in view of the parallelism (cf. “a shiftless man”; “the sluggard”). One who is slack, that is, idle, will go hungry.
49. 49 The two lines are related in a metonymical sense: “deep sleep” is the cause of going hungry, and “going hungry” is the effect of deep sleep.
50. 50 The verb שָׁמַר (shamar) is repeated twice in this line but with two different senses, creating a polysemantic wordplay: “he who obeys/keeps (ֹֹשׁמֵר, shomer) the commandment safeguards/keeps (שֹׁמֵר, shomer) his life.”
51. 51 The expression his ways could refer either (1) to the conduct of the individual himself, or (2) to the commandments as the Lord’s ways. If the latter is the case, then the punishment is more certain.
52. 52 The Kethib is יָוְמֻת (yavmut), “will be put to death,” while the Qere reads יָמוּת (yamut, “will die”). The Qere is the preferred reading and is followed by most English versions.
53. 53 The participle חוֹנֵן (khonen, “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 literally an act of grace.
54. 54 The form מַלְוֵה (malveh) is the Hiphil participle from לָוָה (lavah) in construct; it means “to cause to borrow; to lend.” The expression here is “lender of the Lord.” The person who helps the poor becomes the creditor of God.
55. 55 Heb “he.” The referent of the 3rd person masculine singular pronoun is “the Lord” in the preceding line, which has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.
56. 56 The promise of reward does not necessarily mean that the person who gives to the poor will get money back; the rewards in the book of Proverbs involve life and prosperity in general.
57. 57 Heb “and his good deed will repay him.” The word גְּמֻלוֹ (gémulo) could be (1) the subject or (2) part of a double accusative of the verb. Understanding it as part of the double accusative makes better sense, for then the subject of the verb is God. How “his deed” could repay him is not immediately obvious.
58. 58 The translation understands כִּי (ki) as causal. Some prefer to take כִּי as temporal and translate, “while there is hope” (so , , , , ), meaning that discipline should be administered when the child is young and easily guided. In the causal reading of כִּי, the idea seems to be that children should be disciplined because change is possible due to their youth and the fact that they are not set in their ways.
59. 59 The expression “do not lift up your soul/life” to his death may mean (1) “do not set your heart” on his death (cf. , , , ), or it may mean (2) “do not be a willing partner” (cf. ). The parent is to discipline a child, but he is not to take it to the extreme and destroy or kill the child.
60. 60 The Hiphil infinitive construct הֲמִיתוֹ (hamito) means “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” (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 206–7).
61. 61 The Hebrew word means “indemnity, fine”; this suggests that the trouble could be legal, and the angry person has to pay for it.
62. 62 The second colon of the verse is very difficult, and there have been many proposals as to its meaning: (1) “If you save [your enemy], you will add [good to yourself]”; (2) “If you save [your son by chastening], you may continue [chastisement and so educate him]”; (3) “If you deliver [him by paying the fine for him once], you will have to do it again”; (4) “If you save [him this time], you will have to increase [the punishment later on].” All interpretations have to supply a considerable amount of material (indicated by brackets). Many English versions are similar to (3).
63. 63 The advice refers in all probability to the teachings of the sages that will make one wise.
64. 64 The proverb is one continuous thought, but the second half of the verse provides the purpose for the imperatives of the first half.
65. 65 The imperfect tense has the nuance of a final imperfect in a purpose clause, and so is translated “that you may become wise” (cf. , ).
66. 66 Heb “become wise in your latter end” (cf. , ) which could obviously be misunderstood.
67. 67 The plans (from the Hebrew verb חָשַׁב [khashav], “to think; to reckon; to devise”) in the human heart are many. But only those which God approves will succeed.
68. 68 Heb “in the heart of a man” (cf. , ). Here “heart” is used for the seat of thoughts, plans, and reasoning, so the translation uses “mind.” In contemporary English “heart” is more often associated with the seat of emotion than with the seat of planning and reasoning.
69. 69 Heb “but the counsel of the Lord, it will stand.” 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.
70. 70 The antithetical parallelism pairs “counsel” with “plans.” “Counsel of the Lord” (עֲצַת יְהוָה, ’atsat yehvah) is literally “advice” or “counsel” with the connotation of “plan” in this context (cf. , , “purpose”; “plan”; “the Lord’s will”). The point of the proverb is that the human being with many plans is uncertain, but the Lord with a sure plan gives correct counsel.
71. 71 Heb “the desire of a man” (so ). The noun in construct is תַּאֲוַת (ta’avat), “desire [of].” Here it refers to “the desire of a man [= person].” Two problems surface here, the connotation of the word and the kind of genitive. “Desire” can also be translated “lust,” and so J. H. Greenstone has “The lust of a man is his shame” (Proverbs, 208). But the sentence is more likely positive in view of the more common uses of the words. “Man” could be a genitive of possession or subjective genitive—the man desires loyal love. It could also be an 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.
72. 72 Heb “[is] his loyal love”; “unfailing love”; “loyalty.”
73. 73 The second half of the proverb presents the logical inference: The liar would be without “loyal love” entirely, and so poverty would be better than this. A poor person who wishes to do better is preferable to a person who makes promises and does not keep them.
74. 74 Heb “the fear of the Lord.” This expression features an objective genitive: “fearing the Lord.”
75. 75 The term “leads” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and style.
76. 76 Here “life” is probably a metonymy of subject for “blessings and prosperity in life.” The plural form often covers a person’s “lifetime.”
77. 77 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 (cf. “unbothered by trouble”).
78. 78 Heb “he will not be visited” (so , ). The verb פָּקַד (paqad) is often translated “visit.” It describes intervention that will change the destiny. If God “visits” it means 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. Therefore this is not referring to a minor trouble that one might briefly experience. A life in the Lord cannot be disrupted by such major catastrophes that would alter one’s destiny.
79. 79 Heb “buries” (so many English versions); “hideth”; “loses.”
80. 80 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 energy to finish it (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [], 111). proposes that the dish was empty, because the sluggard was too lazy to provide for himself.
81. 81 The Hiphil imperfect תַּכֶּה (takeh) is followed by another imperfect. 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. Some English versions translate “beat” ( “if you beat an arrogant man”), but this could be understood to refer to competition rather than physical punishment. Therefore “flog” has been used in the translation, since it is normally associated with punishment or discipline.
82. 82 Different people learn differently. There are three types of people in this proverb: the scorner with a closed mind, the simpleton with an empty mind, and the discerning person with an open mind (D. Kidner, Proverbs [], ). The simpleton learns by observing a scoffer being punished, even though the punishment will have no effect on the scoffer.
83. 83 The word is related to “shrewdness” (cf. 1:4). The simpleton will learn at least where the traps are and how to avoid them.
84. 84 The second half begins with הוֹכִיחַ (hokhiakh), the Hiphil infinitive construct. This parallels the imperfect tense beginning the first half; 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).
85. 85 The construction joins the Piel participle מְשַׁדֶּד (méshaded, “one who robs”) with the Hiphil imperfect יַבְרִיחַ (yavriakh, “causes to flee” = chases away). The imperfect given a progressive imperfect nuance matches the timeless description of the participle as a substantive.
86. 86 “Father” and “mother” here represent a stereotypical word pair in the book of Proverbs, rather than describing separate crimes against each individual parent. Both crimes are against both parents.
87. 87 The more generic “child” does not fit the activities described in this verse and so “son” is retained in the translation. In the ancient world a “son” was more likely than a daughter to behave as stated. Such behavior may reflect the son wanting to take over his father’s lands prematurely.
88. 88 Heb “Stop listening …!” The infinitive construct לִשְׁמֹעַ (lishmoa’) functions as the direct object of the imperative: “stop heeding [or, listening to].” Of course in this proverb which shows the consequences of doing so, this is irony. The sage is instructing not to stop. The conditional protasis construction does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation.
89. 89 The second line has an infinitive construct לִשְׁגוֹת (lishgot), meaning “to stray; to go astray; to err.” It indicates the result of the instruction—stop listening, and as a result you will go astray. The took it differently: “A son who ceases to attend to discipline is likely to stray from words of knowledge.” sees the final clause as the purpose of the instructions to be avoided: “do not listen to instructions to err.”
90. 90 Heb “a witness who is worthless and wicked” (עֵד בְּלִיַּעַל, ’ed beliyya’al). Cf. “an ungodly witness”; “an unprincipled witness”; “an evil witness”; “a rascally witness.” These are crooked or corrupt witnesses who willfully distort the facts and make a mockery of the whole legal process.
91. 91 The parallel line says the mouth of the wicked “gulps down” or “swallows” (יְבַלַּע, yévala’) iniquity. The verb does not seem to fit the line (or the proverb) very well. Some have emended the text to יַבִּיעַ (yavia’, “gushes”) as in 15:28 (cf. “pours out”). Driver followed an Arabic balaga to get “enunciates,” which works well with the idea of a false witness (W. McKane, Proverbs [], 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.
92. 92 Some (cf. ) suggest emending the ’s “judgments” (from שָׁפַט, shafat) to “rods” (from שָׁבַט, shavat); however, this is not necessary if the term in the is interpreted figuratively. The “scourges” might reflect a different , but it also could have been an interpretive translation from the same text. “Judgments” is a metonymy of cause and refers to the punishment that the scoffer is to receive.
93. 1 The drinks are wine and barley beer (e.g., Lev 10:9; Deut 14:26; Isa 28:7). These terms here could be understood as personifications, but better as metonymies for those who drink wine and beer. The inebriated person mocks and brawls.
94. 2 The two participles לֵץ (lets, “mocker”) and הֹמֶה (homeh, “brawler”) are substantives; they function as predicates in the sentence. Excessive use of intoxicants excites the drinker to boisterous behavior and aggressive attitudes—it turns them into mockers and brawlers.
95. 3 The proverb 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 (e.g., 23:20–21, 29–35; 31:4–7). To be led astray by their use is not wise.
96. 4 Heb “the terror of a king” (so , ); The term “terror” is a metonymy of effect for cause: the anger of a king that causes terror among the people. The term “king” functions as a possessive genitive: “a king’s anger” (cf. “A king’s wrath”; “The king’s fury”).
97. 5 The verb מִתְעַבְּרוֹ (mit’abbéro) is problematic; in the the form is the Hitpael participle with a pronominal suffix, which is unusual, for the direct object of this verb usually takes a preposition first: “is angry with.” The rendered it “angers [or, irritates].”
98. 6 The expression “sins against himself” has been taken by some to mean “forfeits his life” (so , , , ) or “endangers his life” (cf. , ). That may be the implication of getting oneself in trouble with an angry king (cf. “making him angry is suicide”).
99. 7 Heb “man.”
100. 8 Heb “cessation” (שֶׁבֶת, shevet); “to shun strife”; “refrain from strife.” One cannot avoid conflict altogether; but the proverb is instructing that at the first sign of conflict the honorable thing to do is to find a way to end it.
101. 9 Heb “breaks out.” The Hitpael of the verb גָּלַע (gala’, “to expose; to lay bare”) means “to break out; to 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.
102. 10 The act of plowing is put for the whole process of planting a crop.
103. 11 Heb “in the autumn”; “by reason of the winter.” The noun means “autumn, harvest time.” The right time for planting was after the harvest and the rainy season of autumn and winter began.
104. 12 The Piel of the verb שָׁאַל (sha’al, “to ask”) means “to beg” or “to inquire carefully.” 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 and will have nothing (cf. , ; “he begs during the harvest”).
105. 13 The phrase “for the crop” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
106. 14 The noun means “advice, counsel”; it can have the connotation of planning or making decisions. Those with understanding can sort out plans.
107. 15 Heb “in the heart of a man”; “in the human mind.”
108. 16 The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.
109. 17 The motives or plans of a person are “difficult to fathom”; it takes someone with understanding to discover and surface them (the verb in the last colon continues the figure with the sense of bringing the plans to the surface and sorting them out).
110. 18 Heb “a man of understanding”; “someone with insight”; “the wise.”
111. 19 Heb “many a man calls/proclaims a man of his loyal love.” The and render the verb as passive: “many are called kind.” Other suggestions include: “most men meet people who will do them occasional kindnesses” (); “many men profess friendship” (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [], ); “many men invite only the one who has shown them kindness.” The simplest interpretation in this context is “many proclaim [themselves to be] a kind person (= a loyal friend).” The contrast is between many who claim to be loyal friends and the one who actually proves to be faithful.
112. 20 The shift to the expression “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 אֱמוּנִים [’emunim] indicates clearly); cf. , “one worthy of trust.”
113. 21 The point of the rhetorical question is that a truly faithful friend is very difficult to find.
114. 22 Two terms describe the subject of this proverb: “righteous” and “integrity.” The first describes the person as a member of the covenant community who strives to live according to God’s standards; the second emphasizes that his lifestyle is blameless.
115. 23 Heb “walks in his integrity” (so ); cf. “leads a blameless life.” The Hitpael participle of הָלַךְ (halakh) means “to walk about; to walk to and fro.” The idiom of walking representing living is intensified here in this stem. This verbal stem is used in scripture to describe people “walking with” God.
116. 24 The nature and the actions of parents have an effect on children (e.g., Exod 20:4–6); if the parents are righteous, the children will enjoy a blessing—the respect and the happiness which the parent reflects on them.
117. 25 The infinitive construct is דִּין; it indicates purpose, “to judge” (so , ) even though it does not have the preposition with it.
118. 26 The second line uses the image of winnowing (cf. , ) to state that the king’s judgment removes evil from the realm. The verb form is מִזָרֶה (mézareh), the Piel participle. It has been translated “to sift; to winnow; to scatter” and “to separate”—i.e., separate out evil from the land. The text is saying that a just government roots out evil (cf. “dispels all evil”), but few governments have been consistently just.
119. 27 The phrase with his eyes indicates that the king will closely examine or look into all the cases that come before him.
120. 28 The verse is a rhetorical question; it is affirming that no one can say this because no one is pure and free of sin.
121. 29 The verb form זִכִּיתִי (zikkiti) is the Piel perfect of זָכָה (zakhah, “to be clear; to be clean; to be pure”). The verb has the idea of “be clear, justified, acquitted.” In this stem it is causative: “I have made my heart clean” (so ) or “kept my heart pure” (so ). This would be claiming that all decisions and motives were faultless.
122. 30 The Hebrew verb translated “I am pure” (טָהֵר, taher) 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.
123. 31 The construction simply uses repetition to express different kinds of weights and measures: “a stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah.”
124. 32 Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The phrase features a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.” Behind this proverb is the image of the dishonest merchant who has different sets of weights and measures which are used to cheat customers. The Lord hates dishonesty in business transactions.
125. 33 In the first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs the Hebrew term נַעַר (na’ar) referred to an adolescent, a young person whose character was being formed in his early life.
126. 34 The Hebrew verb נָכַר (nakhar) means “to recognize” more than simply “to know.” Certain character traits can be recognized in a child by what he does (cf. “by their behavior”).
127. 35 Character is demonstrated by actions at any age. But the emphasis of the book of Proverbs would also be that if the young child begins to show such actions, then the parents must try to foster and cultivate them; if not, they must try to develop them through teaching and discipline.
128. 36 The first half of the verse refers to two basic senses that the Lord has given to people. C. H. Toy, however, thinks that they represent all the faculties (Proverbs [], ). But in the book of 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).
129. 37 The verse not only credits God with making these faculties of hearing and sight and giving them to people, but it also emphasizes their spiritual use in God’s service.
130. 38 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.”
131. 39 The second line uses two imperatives in a sequence (without the vav [ו]): “open your eyes” and then (or, in order that) you will “be satisfied.”
132. 40 Heb “bread” (so , , ), although the term often serves in a generic sense for food in general.
133. 41 Heb “[It is] bad, [it is] bad.” Since “bad” can be understood in some modern contexts as a descriptive adjective meaning “good,” the translation uses “worthless” instead—the real point of the prospective buyer’s exclamation.
134. 42 This proverb reflects standard procedure in the business world. When negotiating the transaction the buyer complains how bad the deal is for him, or how worthless the prospective purchase, but then later brags about what a good deal he got. The proverb will alert the inexperienced as to how things are done.
135. 43 The Hitpael imperfect of הָלַל (halal) means “to praise”—to talk in glowing terms, excitedly. In this stem it means “to praise oneself; to boast.”
136. 44 The verse is usually taken as antithetical parallelism: There may be gold and rubies but the true gem is knowledge. However, C. H. Toy arranges it differently: “store of gold and wealth of corals and precious vessels—all are wise lips” (Proverbs [], ). But this uses the gems as metaphors for wise speech, and does not stress the contrast between wealth and wisdom.
137. 45 Heb “lips of knowledge.” The term “lips” is a metonymy for speaking, and “knowledge” could be either an attributive genitive or objective genitive: “knowledgeable lips.” Lips that impart knowledge are the true jewel to be sought.
138. 46 The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
139. 47 Heb “his garment.”
140. 48 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 (e.g., 6:1–5), the creditor is to deal more severely than when the pledge is given by the debtor for himself.
141. 49 The Kethib has the masculine plural form, נָכְרִים (nakhrim), suggesting a reading “strangers.” But the Qere has the feminine form נָכְרִיָּה (nakhriyyah), “strange woman” or “another man’s wife” (e.g., 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). 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.
142. 50 M. Dahood argues that the cloak was taken in pledge for a harlot (cf. “a wayward woman”). Two sins would then be committed: taking a cloak and going to a prostitute (“To Pawn One’s Cloak,” 42 [1961]: 359–66; also Snijders, “The Meaning of זָר,” 85–86). In the the almost identical proverb in 27:13 has a feminine singular form here.
143. 51 Or “hold it” (so , ).
144. 52 Heb “bread of deceit” (so , ). This refers to food gained through dishonest means. The term “bread” is a synecdoche of specific for general, referring to anything obtained by fraud, including food.
145. 53 Heb “a man.”
146. 54 The image of food and eating is carried throughout the proverb. Food taken by fraud seems sweet at first, but afterward it is not. To end up with a mouth full of gravel (a mass of small particles; e.g., 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).
147. 55 The noun form is plural, but the verb is singular, suggesting either an abstract plural or a collective plural is being used here.
148. 56 The clause begins with vav (ו) 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 (cf. ): If that is true, then you should do this.
149. 57 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 such interpretations. The proverb simply describes the necessity of taking counsel before going to war.
150. 58 The word describes a slanderer (), a tale-bearer (, ), or an informer. 940 רָכִיל says the Hebrew expression “goers of slander” means slanderous persons. However, W. McKane observes that these people are not necessarily malicious—they just talk too much (Proverbs [], 537).
151. 59 The form is the Hitpael imperfect (of prohibition or instruction) from עָרַב (’arav). 786–88 lists six roots with these radicals. The first means “to mix,” but only occurs in derivatives. 786 lists this form under the second root, which means “to take on a pledge; to exchange.” The Hitpael is then defined as “to exchange pledges; to have fellowship with [or, share].” The proverb is warning people to have nothing to do with gossips.
152. 60 The verb פֹּתֶה (poteh) is a homonym, related to I פָּתָה (patah, “to be naive; to be foolish”; I פתה) or II פָּתָה (“to open [the lips]; to chatter”; II פתה). So the phrase וּלְפֹתֶה שְׂפָתָיו may be understood either (1) as II פתה suggests, “one opens his lips” = he is always talking/gossiping, or (2) as suggests, “one who is foolish as to his lips” (he lacks wisdom in what he says; see 834 פָּתָה 1, noted in I פתה 1). The term “lips” is a metonymy of cause for what is said: gossip. If such a person is willing to talk about others, he will be willing to talk about you, so it is best to avoid him altogether.
153. 61 The form is the Piel participle of קָלַל (qalal), which means “to be light”; in the Piel stem it means “to take lightly; to treat as worthless; to treat contemptuously; to curse.” Under the Mosaic law such treatment of parents brought a death penalty (Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9; Deut 27:16).
154. 62 “His lamp” is a figure known as hypocatastasis (an implied comparison) meaning “his life.” Cf. “the lamp of your life”; “your life will end like a lamp.” For the lamp to be extinguished would mean death (e.g., 13:9) and possibly also the removal of posterity (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [], 115).
155. 63 The Kethib, followed by the , , and Latin, has בְּאִישׁוֹן (bé’ishon), “in the pupil of the eye darkness,” the dark spot of the eye. But the Qere has בֶּאֱשׁוּן (be’eshun), probably to be rendered “pitch” or “blackest,” although the form occurs nowhere else. The meaning with either reading is approximately the same—deep darkness, which adds vividly to the figure of the lamp being snuffed out. This individual’s destruction will be total and final.
156. 64 The Kethib reads מְבֻחֶלֶת (mébukhelet), “gotten by greed” (based on a cognate verb, “to be greedy”); but the Qere is מְבֹהֶלֶת (mévohelet), “gotten hastily [or, quickly].” A large number of and the ancient versions read with the Qere (cf. , “gotten hastily”; “gained hastily”; “quickly gained”; “quickly acquired”). If the inheritance is obtained quickly, it could mean prematurely (e.g., Luke 15:12) or cruelly (Prov 19:26). The inheritance is gained without labor or without preparation.
157. 65 The form is the Pual imperfect, “will not be blessed,” suggesting that divine justice is at work. The Hebrew verb means “enriched, made fruitful, prospered.” Whatever the inheritance was, it will not reach its full potential or even remain permanent.
158. 66 Heb “in its end”; , “the end thereof.”
159. 67 The verse is directly instructive; it begins with the negated jussive in the first 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.
160. 68 The form is the Piel cohortative of resolve—“I am determined to pay back.” The verb שָׁלֵם (shalem) means “to be complete; to be sound.” In this stem, however, it can mean “to make complete; to make good; to requite; to recompense” (, ). The idea is “getting even” by paying back someone for the evil done.
161. 69 To “wait” (קַוֵּה, qavveh) 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.
162. 70 After the imperative, the jussive is subordinated in a purpose or result clause: “wait for the Lord so that he may deliver you.” The verb יֹשַׁע (yosha’) means “to save (, , ); to deliver (); to give victory”; in this context it means “deliver from the evil done to you,” and so “vindicate” is an appropriate connotation. Cf. “he will make things right.”
163. 71 Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” This expression features a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.”
164. 72 Heb “not good.” This is a figure known as tapeinosis—a deliberate understatement to emphasize a worst-case scenario: “it is wicked!” (e.g., 11:1; 20:10).
165. 73 Heb “the steps of a man”; but “man” is the noun גֶּבֶר (gever, in pause), indicating an important, powerful person. 149–50 suggests 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 appropriate here. But the line seems to have a wider, more general application. The “steps” represent (by implied comparison) the course of life (cf. “the road we travel”).
166. 74 Heb “from the Lord”; “ordered by the Lord”; “directed by the Lord.” To say that one’s steps are ordained by the Lord means that one’s course of actions, one’s whole life, is divinely prepared and sovereignly superintended (e.g., Gen 50:26; Prov 3:6). Ironically, man is not actually in control of his own steps.
167. 75 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.
168. 76 Heb “his way.” The referent of the third masculine singular pronoun is unclear, so the word “own” was supplied in the translation to clarify that the referent is the human individual, not the Lord.
169. 77 It would be a “snare” because it would lead people into financial difficulties; Leviticus 27 talks about foolish or rash vows.
170. 78 Heb “a man.”
171. 79 The verb is from לוּע (lu’) or לָעַע (la’a’); it means “to talk wildly” (not to be confused with the homonym “to swallow”). It occurs here and in Job 6:3. This refers to speaking rashly in dedicating something to the sanctuary by calling it “Holy.”
172. 80 Heb “reflect on.” 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.
173. 81 Heb “the vows” (so ); “promises.”
174. 82 Heb “winnows” (so , , ). The sage draws on the process of winnowing to explain how the king uncovers and removes wickedness. The verb from which the participle מְזָרֶה (mézareh) is derived means “to separate; to winnow; to scatter”; the implied comparison means that the king will separate good people from bad people like wheat is separated from chaff. 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 (e.g., Isa 28:27–28).
175. 83 The king has the wisdom/ability to destroy evil from his kingdom. See also D. W. Thomas, “Proverbs 20:26,” 15 (1964): 155–56.
176. 84 The expression translated “the human spirit” is the Hebrew term נִשְׁמַת (nishmat), 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.
177. 85 The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.
178. 86 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. E. Loewenstamm unnecessarily reads נִיר (nir, “to plow”) instead of נֵר (ner, “lamp”) to say that God plows and examines the soul (“Remarks on Proverbs 17:12 and 20:27,” 37 [1967]: 233). The supplies a verb (“searches”) from the second half of the verse, changing the emphasis somewhat.
179. 87 Heb “all the chambers of the belly.” This means “the inner parts of the body” ( 293 חֶדֶר); cf. “the innermost parts of his being.”
180. 88 The first line uses two Hebrew words, חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת (khesed ve’emet, “loyal love and truth”), to tell where security lies. The first word is the covenant term for “loyal love; loving-kindness; mercy”; and the second is “truth” in the sense of what is reliable and dependable. The two words often are joined together to form a hendiadys: “faithful love.” That a hendiadys is intended here is confirmed by the fact that the second line uses only the critical word חֶסֶד.
181. 89 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.
182. 90 The Hebrew term תִּפְאֶרֶת (tif’eret) means “beauty; glory”; in a context like this it means “honor” in the sense of glorying or boasting ( 802 3.b).
183. 91 The Hebrew term הֲדַר (hadar), the noun in construct, means “splendor; honor; ornament.” The latter sense is used here, since grey hair is like a crown on the head.
184. 92 “Grey hair” is a metonymy of adjunct; it represents everything valuable about old age—dignity, wisdom, honor, experience, as well as worry and suffering of life. At the very least, since they survived, they must know something. At the most, they were the sages and elders of the people.
185. 93 The verb מָרַק (maraq) means “to polish; to scour”; in the Hiphil it means “to cleanse away,” but it is only attested here, and that in the Kethib reading of תַּמְרִיק (tamriq). The Qere has תַּמְרוּק (tamruq, “are a means of cleansing”). The 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.” C. H. 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 [], ). Cf. “can knock all of the evil out of you.”
186. 94 The term “cleanse” does not appear in this line but is supplied in the translation in the light of the parallelism.
187. 95 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.
188. 1 “Heart” is a metonymy of subject; it signifies the ability to make decisions, if not the decisions themselves.
189. 2 “Hand” in this passage is a personification; the word is frequently used idiomatically for “power,” and that is the sense intended here.
190. 3 “Channels of water” (פַּלְגֵי, palge) is an adverbial accusative, functioning as a figure of comparison—“like channels of water.” Cf. “Like a stream”; “watercourse”; , “a stream of water.” The farmer channels irrigation ditches where he wants them, where they will do the most good; so does the Lord with the king. No king is supreme; the Lord rules.
191. 4 Heb “in his own eyes.” The term “eyes” is a metonymy for estimation, opinion, evaluation.
192. 5 Heb “weighs” (so , , ); “examines”; , “judges.”
193. 6 Heb “the hearts.” The term לֵב (lev, “heart”) is used as a metonymy of association for thoughts and motives ( 660–61 6–7. Even though people think they know themselves, the Lord evaluates motives as well (e.g., Prov 16:2).
194. 7 The Niphal participle בָּחַר (bakhar, “to choose”) means “choice to the Lord” or “chosen of the Lord,” meaning “acceptable to the Lord”; cf. “pleases the Lord more.”
195. 8 The Lord prefers righteousness above religious service (e.g., Prov 15:8; 21:29; 1 Sam 15:22; Ps 40:6–8; Isa 1:11–17). This is not a rejection of ritual worship; rather, religious acts are without value apart from righteous living.
196. 9 Heb “the tillage [נִר, nir] of the wicked is sin” (so ). The subject picks up the subjects of the first half of the verse, indicating they are equal—the tillage consists of the arrogance and pride. The word “tillage” is figurative, of course, signifying that the agricultural 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 and to read “lamp” instead (נֵר, ner), 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.
197. 10 The word “diligent” is an adjective used substantivally. The related verb means “to cut, sharpen, decide”; so the adjective describes one who is “sharp”—one who acts decisively. The word “hasty” has the idea of being pressed or pressured into quick actions. So the text contrasts calculated expeditiousness with unproductive haste. C. H. Toy does not like this contrast, and so proposes changing the latter to “lazy” (Proverbs [], ), but W. McKane rightly criticizes that as unnecessarily forming a pedestrian antithesis (Proverbs [], 550).
198. 11 The term “lead” is supplied in the translation.
199. 12 The Hebrew noun translated “plenty” comes from the verb יָתַר (yatar), which means “to remain over.” So the calculated diligence will lead to abundance, prosperity.
200. 13 Heb “lack; need; thing needed”; “to want.”
201. 14 The first word of the verse is the noun meaning “doing, deed, work.” The editors suggest reading with the an active participle—“the one who makes” (cf. “He who makes”). The second word means “treasure,” from the verb “lay up, store up.” It is an objective genitive here.
202. 15 The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.
203. 16 The Hebrew הֶבֶל נִדָּף (hevel nidaf) is properly “a driven vapor” (“driven” = the Niphal participle). The point of the metaphor is that the ill-gotten gains will vanish into thin air. The has “pursues” (as if reading רֹדֵף, rodef); cf. “chasing a bubble over deadly snares.”
204. 17 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 מוֹקְשֵׁי (moqéshe) was read instead of מְבַקְשֵׁי (mévaqshe). This reading does not make a more credible metaphor, and one must explain the loss of the letter ב (bet) in the textual variant. It is, however, slightly easier to interpret in the verse, and is followed by a number of English versions (e.g., , , , ). But whether the easier reading is the correct one in this case would be difficult to prove.
205. 18 The “violence” (שֹׁד, shod) drags away the wicked, probably either 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.
206. 19 Heb “violence of the wicked.” This is a subjective genitive: “violence which the wicked do.”
207. 20 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.
208. 21 Heb “they refuse to do justice” (so ); “refuse to act with justice.”
209. 22 The first line of the proverb is difficult. Since וָזָר (vazar) occurs only here it has been given much attention. The translation of “guilty” is drawn from an Arabic cognate meaning “to bear a burden” and so “to be sin laden” or “guilty” (cf. , , , , ). G. R. Driver prefers to read the line as “a man crooked of ways is false [zar]” (“Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” 32 [1951]: 185). C. H. Toy adopts the meaning of “proud” (Proverbs [], ). Whatever the reading, “guilty” or “proud” or “false,” the idea is that such people are devious. Bad people are underhanded; good people are aboveboard (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [], ). 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” (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 244); cf. “the innocent travel a straight road.”
210. 23 The form הֲפַכְפַּךְ (hafakhfakh) is an adjective with an intensified meaning due to the duplication of the second and third radicals; it means “very devious; crooked” (from the verb “to overturn”).
211. 24 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.
212. 25 English versions which translate the Hebrew term as “roof” here sometimes produce amusing images for modern readers: “Better to live on the roof”; “It’s better to stay outside on the roof of your house.” The reference is probably to a small room that would be built on the flat housetop primarily for guests (e.g., 1 Kgs 17:19; 2 Kgs 4:10). It would be cramped and lonely—but peaceful in avoiding strife.
213. 26 The “house of company” has received numerous interpretations. The word “company” or “companionship” would qualify “house” as a place to be shared. The editors propose “spacious house,” which would call for a transposition of letters (cf. “a roomy house”; “a lovely home”). Such an emendation makes good sense, but has no external support.
214. 27 Heb “a wife of contentions”; “a brawling woman”; , “a nagging wife.” The Greek version has no reference to a quarrelsome wife, but instead mentions justice in a common house.
215. 28 Heb “soul.” The Hebrew text uses נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, traditionally, “soul”) as the formal subject of the sentence—“the soul of a wicked man desires.” This term has at its core the idea of appetites, and so its use here underscores that the cravings are deep-seated ( 660 5), and the translation “appetite” reflects this.
216. 29 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).
217. 30 The form יֻחַן (yukhan) is a Hophal imperfect from חָנַן (khanan); it means “to be shown mercy”—here negated to mean “he will not be shown mercy.” The person who lives to satisfy his own craving for evil will not be interested in meeting the needs of others.
218. 31 The contrast here 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 (e.g., Prov 19:25).
219. 32 Heb “in the instructing of the wise.” The construction uses the Hiphil infinitive construct הַשְׂכִּיל (haskil) with a preposition to form a temporal clause (= “when”). The word “wise” (חָכָם, khakham) after it is the subjective genitive. The preposition לְ (lamed) on the form is probably dittography from the ending of the infinitive.
220. 33 In the book of Proverbs, the Hebrew term צַּדִּיק (ysadiq) normally refers to a human being, and that is a possible translation here (cf. , , ), although it would have to refer to a righteous person who was a judge or a ruler with the right to destroy the wicked. Many commentators and English versions simply interpret this as a reference to God (cf. , , , ).
221. 34 The form מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is now used with the meaning “to consider; to give attention to; to ponder.” It is the careful scrutiny that is given to the household of the wicked before judgment is poured out on them.
222. 35 Heb “house.” This term 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.
223. 36 Heb “to evil” (i.e., catastrophe); cf. “to disaster.”
224. 37 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.
225. 38 “Cry” here would be a metonymy of effect for the cause, the cause being the great needs of the poor.
226. 39 The proverb is teaching that those who show mercy will receive mercy. It involves 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).
227. 40 The synonymous parallelism joins the more neutral term “gift” with the more specific “bribe.” D. Kidner notes that this underscores how hard it is to tell the difference between them, especially since they accomplish similar things (Proverbs [], ).
228. 41 The word כָּפָה (kafah) occurs only here; it means “to subdue,” but in New Hebrew it means “to overturn; to compel.” The editors suggest a change to כָּבָה (kavah), “to be quenched,” based on Symmachus and , but there is no substantial improvement in the text’s meaning with such a change.
229. 42 Heb “a bribe in the bosom” (so ). This refers to a gift hidden in the folds of the garment, i.e., given secretly (cf. “a bribe concealed in the cloak”).
230. 43 The repetition of the term “subdues” in the second line is supplied in the translation.
231. 44 The offers a moralizing translation not too closely tied to the : “he who withholds a gift stirs up violent wrath.”
232. 45 The Qal infinitive construct עֲשׂוֹת (’asot) functions as the subject of the sentence.
233. 46 The term “brings” is supplied in the translation; many English versions supply a simple copula (“is”).
234. 47 The noun means “terror (, , ), destruction (, ), ruin (cf. ).” 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. Whenever justice prevails, whether in the courts or simply in society, the people who practice iniquity may be shaken into reality by fear (cf. “crooks are terrified”).
235. 48 The text uses “man” as the subject and the active participle תּוֹעֶה (to’eh) as the predicate. The image of “wandering off the path” signifies leaving a life of knowledge, prudence, and discipline.
236. 49 Or “prudence”; , , , “understanding”; “common sense.”
237. 50 Heb “will remain” or “will rest.” The Hebrew word נוּחַ (nuakh) does not here carry any of the connotations of comforting repose in death that the righteous enjoy; it simply means “to remain; to reside; to dwell.” The choice of this verb might have an ironic twist to it, reminding the wicked what might have been.
238. 51 The departed are the Shades (the Rephaim). The literal expression “will rest among the Shades” means “will be numbered among the dead.” So once again physical death is presented as the punishment for folly.
239. 52 The participle “loves” (אֹהֵב, ’ohev) 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.
240. 53 “Pleasure” is actually the Hebrew word “joy” (שִׂמְחָה, simkhah). 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. Therefore the figures in the lines work together to give the complete picture.
241. 54 The phrase “will be” is supplied in the translation.
242. 55 Heb “a man of poverty”; “will suffer want.”
243. 56 In elaborate feasts and celebrations the wine was for drinking but the oil was for anointing (cf. , “perfume”). Both of these characterize the luxurious life (e.g., Ps 23:5; 104:15; Amos 6:6).
244. 57 The term “become” is supplied in the translation.
245. 58 The Hebrew word translated “ransom” (כֹּפֶר, kofer) normally refers to the price paid to free a prisoner. R. N. Whybray (Proverbs [], 121) gives options for the meaning of the verse: (1) 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 the book of Proverbs); but if (2) it is taken to mean that the wicked suffers the evil he has prepared for the righteous, then it harmonizes with Proverbs elsewhere (e.g., 11:8). The ideal this proverb presents—and the future reality—is that in calamity the righteous escape and the wicked suffer in their place (e.g., Haman in the book of Esther).
246. 59 Or “treacherous” (so , , ); “the unfaithful.”
247. 60 The phrase “are taken” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for smoothness.
248. 61 The Hebrew form שֶׁבֶת (shevet) is the infinitive construct of יָשַׁב (yashav), functioning as the subject of the sentence.
249. 62 The verse makes the same point as 21:9 and 25:24; but “desert land” is substituted. It would be a place sparsely settled and quiet.
250. 63 The Hebrew noun כַּעַס (ka’as) means “vexation; anger.” The woman is not only characterized by a quarrelsome spirit, but also anger—she is easily vexed (cf. “vexatious”; “vexing”; , “fretful”). The translation “easily-provoked” conveys this idea well.
251. 64 The mention of “olive oil” (שֶׁמֶן, shemen) is problematic in the line—how can a fool devour it? Several attempts have been made to alleviate the problem. The interprets “treasure” as “choice food,” so that food and oil would make more sense being swallowed. C. H. Toy (Proverbs [], ) suggests dropping “oil” altogether based on the reading in the , but the Greek is too general for any support: It has “precious treasure will rest on the mouth of the sage.” W. McKane wants to change “oil” to an Arabic word “expensive” to read “desirable and rare wealth” (Proverbs [], 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.
252. 65 Heb “a fool of a man.”
253. 66 Heb “he swallows it.” The imagery compares swallowing food with consuming one’s substance. The fool does not prepare for the future.
254. 67 These two attributes, “righteousness” (צְדָקָה, tsédaqah) and “loyal love” (חֶסֶד, khesed) depict the life style of the covenant-believer who is pleasing to God and a blessing to others. The first term means that he will do what is right, and the second means that he will be faithful to the covenant community.
255. 68 The Hebrew term translated “bounty” is צְדָקָה (tsédaqah) again, so there is a wordplay 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 (“bounty”) that comes from keeping righteousness (cf. “prosperity”; “success”). The proverb is similar to Matt 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”
256. 69 Heb “The wise [one/man].”
257. 70 The Qal perfect tense of עָלָה (’alah) functions in a potential nuance. Wisdom can be more effectual than physical strength.
258. 71 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 (e.g., Prov 24:5–6; Eccl 9:13–16; 2 Cor 10:4).
259. 72 Heb “and bring down the strength of its confidence.” The word “strength” is a metonymy of adjunct, referring to the place of strength, i.e., “the stronghold.” “Confidence” is a genitive of worth; the stronghold is their confidence, it is appropriate for the confidence of the city.
260. 73 “Mouth” and “tongue” are metonymies of cause, signifying what one says (cf. , , ).
261. 74 This part could also be translated “keeps himself” (so ), for נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) often simply means “the whole person.” The participle שֹׁמֵר (shomer) is repeated from the first line in the parallelism—to guard what is said is to guard against difficulty.
262. 75 The “troubles” (צָרוֹת, tsarot) here could refer to social and legal difficulties into which careless talk might bring someone (e.g., 13:3; 18:21). The word means “a strait, a bind, difficulty.” Careless and free talking could get the person into a tight spot.
263. 76 The word זֵד (zed, “proud”) comes from the verb זִיד (zid, “to boil up; to seethe; to act proudly [or, presumptuously].” Just as water boiling up in a pot will boil over, so the presumptuous person “oversteps” the boundaries.
264. 77 The word יָהִיר (yahir) means “haughty,” that is, to be or show oneself to be presumptuous or arrogant.
265. 78 Heb “proud haughty scorner his name” ( similar). There are several ways that the line could be translated: (1) “Proud, arrogant—his name is scoffer” or (2) “A proud person, an arrogant person—‘Scoffer’ is his name.” 267 זֵד suggests, “A presumptuous man, [who is] haughty, scoffer is his name.”
266. 79 Heb “does.” The Qal active participle “does” serves as the main verb, and the subject is “proud person” in the first line.
267. 80 The expression בְּעֶבְרַת זָדוֹן (be’evrat zadon) means “in the overflow of insolence.” The genitive specifies what the overflow is; the proud deal in an overflow of pride. Cf. “overweening pride”; “boundless arrogance.” The portrait in this proverb is not merely of one who is self-sufficient, but one who is insolent, scornful, and arrogant.
268. 81 Heb “the desire of the sluggard” (so , ). This phrase features a subject genitive: “what the sluggard desires.” The term תַּאֲוַת (ta’avat, “desire; craving”) 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 lazy come to ruin because they desire the easy way out.
269. 82 The verb תְּמִיתֶנּוּ (témitennu) is the Hiphil imperfect with a suffix: “will kill him.” It is probably used hyperbolically here for coming to ruin (cf. ), although it could include physical death.
270. 83 “Hands” is figurative for the whole person; but “hands” is retained in the translation because it is often the symbol to express one’s ability of action.
271. 84 The construction uses the Hitpael perfect tense הִתְאַוָּה (hit’avvah) followed by the cognate accusative תַאֲוָה (ta’avah). 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.”
272. 85 The additional clause, “and does not hold back,” 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.
273. 86 Heb “the sacrifice of the wicked” (so , , , , ). This is a subjective genitive. The foundational clause states that ritual acts of worship brought by the wicked (thus a subjective genitive) are detestable to God. The “wicked” refers here 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 amounts to hypocrisy.
274. 87 This rhetorical device shows that if the act is abomination, the wicked heart is an even greater sin. It argues from the lesser to the greater.
275. 88 The noun זִמָּה (zimmah) 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 (cf. “with ulterior motives”). In this view, people in ancient Israel came to think that sacrifices could be given for any reason without genuine submission to God.
276. 89 Heb “a witness of lies,” an attributive genitive.
277. 90 The Hebrew verb translated “will perish” (יֹאבֵד, yo’bed) could 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 (cf. “will be forgotten”).
278. 91 Heb “but a man who listens speaks forever.” The first part of it may mean (1) a true witness, one who reports what he actually hears. But it may also refer to (2) someone who listens to the false testimony given by the false witness. The follows the suggestion of a homonym for the Hebrew word with the meaning “will perish/be destroyed”: “will be destroyed forever.” This suggests a synonymous pair of ideas rather than a contrast. Others accept antithetical parallelism. C. H. Toy suggested an idea like “be established” to contrast with “will perish” (Proverbs [], ). W. McKane suggested it meant the truthful witness “will speak to the end” without being put down (Proverbs [], 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.
279. 92 Heb “a wicked man.”
280. 93 Heb “he hardens his face.” To make the face firm or hard means to show boldness ( 738 עָזַז Hiph); cf. “put on a bold face.”
281. 94 The “upright” is an independent nominative absolute; the pronoun becomes the formal (emphatic) subject of the verb.
282. 95 The Kethib is the imperfect of כּוּן (kun), “he establishes.” This reading has the support of the , Latin, and , and is followed by . The Qere is the imperfect tense of בִּין (bin), “he understands; he discerns.” It has the support of the and is followed by , , , . 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 slightly better contrast, one between the outer appearance of boldness and the inner discernment of action.
283. 96 The form לְנֶגֶד (léneged) means “against; over against; in opposition to.” The line indicates they cannot in reality be in opposition, for human wisdom is nothing in comparison to the wisdom of God (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 232).
284. 97 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—these things cannot be in defiance of God (e.g., Job 5:12–13; Isa 40:13–14).
285. 98 Heb “of the Lord.” The victory being “of the Lord” means that it is accomplished 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 (e.g., Ps 20:7 and 33:17).