27:4 Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming, 1
but who can stand before jealousy? 2
6:34 for jealousy kindles 3 a husband’s 4 rage,
and he will not show mercy 5 when he takes revenge.
1 tn Heb “fierceness of wrath and outpouring [= flood] of anger.” A number of English versions use “flood” here (e.g., NASB, NCV, NLT).
2 tn The Hebrew term translated “jealousy” here probably has the negative sense of “envy” rather than the positive sense of “zeal.” It is a raging emotion (like “anger” and “wrath,” this word has nuances of heat, intensity) that defies reason at times and can be destructive like a consuming fire (e.g., 6:32-35; Song 8:6-7). The rhetorical question is intended to affirm that no one can survive a jealous rage. (Whether one is the subject who is jealous or the object of the jealousy of someone else is not so clear.)
3 tn The word “kindles” was supplied in the translation; both “rage” and “jealousy” have meanings connected to heat.
4 tn Heb “a man’s.”
5 tn The verb חָמַל (khamal) means “to show mercy; to show compassion; to show pity,” usually with the outcome of sparing or delivering someone. The idea here is that the husband will not spare the guilty man any of the punishment (cf. NRSV “he shows no restraint”).