Proverbs 1:21–26

Footnotes

1. 100 reads הֹמִיּוֹת (homyyot, “noisy streets”; Qal participle feminine plural from הָמָה [hamah], “to murmur; to roar”), referring to the busy, bustling place where the street branches off from the gate complex. The reads τειχέων (teicheōn) which reflects חֹמוֹת (khomot), “walls” (feminine plural noun from חוֹמָה [khomah], “wall”): “She proclaims on the summits of the walls.” is preferred because it is the more difficult form. The textual error was caused by simple omission of yod (י). In addition, the expands the verse to read, “she sits at the gates of the princes, at the gates of the city she boldly says.” The shorter reading is preferred.
2. 101 The phrase “in the city” further defines the area of the entrance just inside the gate complex, the business area. In an ancient Near Eastern city, business dealings and judicial proceedings would both take place in this area.
3. 102 Heb “she speaks her words.”
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 105 The second instance of “How long?” does not appear in the Hebrew text; it is supplied in the translation for smoothness and style.
7. 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).
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 109 The term “fool” (כְּסִיל, késil) refers to the morally insensitive dullard ( 493 ).
11. 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.
12. 111 Heb “turn.” The verb is from שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to respond; to repent”).
13. 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.”
14. 113 Heb “Behold!”
15. 114 The Hiphil cohortative of נָבַע (nava’, “to pour out”) describes the speaker’s resolution to pour out wisdom on those who respond.
16. 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).
17. 116 The conjunction “and” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
18. 117 Here too the form is the cohortative, stressing the resolution of wisdom to reveal herself to the one who responds.
19. 118 The term “however” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the contrast between the offer in 1:23 and the accusation in 1:24–25. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
20. 119 The particle יַעַן (ya’an, “because”) introduces a causal clause which forms part of an extended protasis; the apodosis is 1:26.
21. 120 The phrase “to listen” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
22. 121 The term “because” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
23. 122 This expression is a metonymy of adjunct; it is a gesture that goes with the appeal for some to approach.
24. 123 Heb “and.”
25. 124 The verb III פָּרַע means “to let go; to let alone” ( 828 ). It can refer to unkempt hair of the head (Lev 10:6) or lack of moral restraint: “to let things run free” (Exod 32:25; Prov 28:19). Here it means “to avoid, neglect” the offer of wisdom ( 829 2).
26. 125 The verbs are characteristic perfects or indefinite pasts. For the word “comply, consent,” see 1:20.
27. 126 The conclusion or apodosis is now introduced.
28. 127 Laughing at the consequences of the fool’s rejection of wisdom does convey hardness against the fool; it reveals the folly of rejecting wisdom (e.g., Ps 2:4). It vindicates wisdom and the appropriateness of the disaster (D. Kidner, Proverbs [], ).
29. 128 Heb “at your disaster.” The 2nd person masculine singular suffix is either (1) a genitive of worth: “the disaster due you” or (2) an objective genitive: “disaster strikes you.” The term “disaster” (אֵיד, ’ed) often refers to final life-ending calamity (Prov 6:15; 24:22; 15 3). The preposition ב (bet) focuses upon time here.
30. 129 Heb “your dread” (so ); “your fear”; “panic.” The 2nd person masculine singular suffix is a subjective genitive: “that which you dread.”