Proverbs 15:21–27

Footnotes

1. 59 The Hebrew text reads לַחֲסַר־לֵב (lakhasar-lev, “to one who lacks heart”). The Hebrew term “heart” represents the mind, the place where proper decisions are made (cf. “judgment”). The one who has not developed this ability to make proper choices finds great delight in folly.
2. 60 Heb “a man of understanding” (so , ); “a sensible person.”
3. 61 The Hebrew construction is יְיַשֶּׁר־לָכֶת (yéyasher-lakhet, “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 הָלַךְ, halakh, becomes the main verb: “goes straight ahead” (cf. ).
4. 62 Heb “go wrong” (so , ). The verb is the Hiphil infinitive absolute from פָּרַר, parar, which means “to break; to frustrate; to go wrong” ( I פרר 2). The plans are made ineffectual or are frustrated when there is insufficient counsel.
5. 63 The proverb says essentially the same thing as 11:14, but differently.
6. 64 Heb “joy to the man” or “the man has joy.”
7. 65 Heb “in the answer of his mouth” (so ); “in an apt answer.” The term “mouth” is a 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 it is an answer that is proper or fitting.
8. 66 Heb “in its season.” To say the right thing at the right time is useful; to say the right thing at the wrong time is counterproductive.
9. 67 There is disagreement over the meaning of the term translated “upward.” The verse is usually taken to mean that “upward” is a reference to physical life and well-being (cf. ), and “going down to Sheol” is a reference to physical death, that is, the grave, because the concept of immortality is said not to appear in the book of Proverbs. The proverb then would mean that the wise live long and healthy lives. But W. 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 [], 480). The translations “upwards” and “downwards” are not found in the . This has led some commentators to speculate that these terms were not found in the original, but were added later, after the idea of immortality became prominent. However, this is mere speculation.
10. 68 Heb “to the wise [man],” because the form is masculine.
11. 69 The term לְמַעַן (lema’an, “in order to”) introduces a purpose clause; the path leads upward in order to turn the wise away from Sheol.
12. 70 Heb “to turn from Sheol downward”; cf. “the nether world below.”
13. 71 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.
14. 72 The Lord administers justice in his time. 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 (e.g., 1 Kgs 21; Prov 16:19; Isa 5:8–10).
15. 73 Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yéhvah, “the Lord”) functions as a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.”
16. 74 The noun מַחְשְׁבוֹת (makhshévot) means “thoughts” (so , , ), from the verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to think; to reckon; to devise”). So these are intentions, what is being planned (cf. “schemes”).
17. 75 The word רַע (“evil; wicked”) is a genitive of source or subjective genitive, meaning the plans that the wicked devise—“wicked plans.”
18. 76 The contrast is between the “thoughts” and the “words.” The thoughts that are designed to hurt people the Lord hates; words that are pleasant (נֹעַם, no’am), however, are pure (to him). What is pleasant is delightful, lovely, enjoyable.
19. 77 The simply has “but pleasant words are pure” (Heb “but pure [plural] are the words of pleasantness”). Some English versions add “to him” to make the connection to the first part (cf. , ). The has: “the sayings of the pure are held in honor.” The has: “pure speech will be confirmed by him as very beautiful.” The has paraphrased here: “but those of the pure are pleasing to him.”
20. 78 Heb “the one who gains.” The phrase בּוֹצֵעַ בָּצַע (botseakh batsa’) is a participle followed by its cognate accusative. This refers to a person 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 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.
21. 79 The participle “troubles” (עֹכֵר, ’okher) can have the connotation of making things difficult for the family, or completely ruining the family (cf. ). In Josh 7:1 Achan took some of the “banned things” and was put to death: Because he “troubled Israel,” the Lord would “trouble” him (take his life, Josh 7:25).
22. 80 Heb “his house.”
23. 81 Heb “gifts” (so ). Gifts can be harmless enough, but in a setting like this the idea is that the “gift” is in exchange for some “profit [or, gain].” Therefore they are bribes (cf. , , , , , ), 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).