Proverbs 3:7

3:7 Do not be wise in your own estimation; ¹ 

fear the Lord and turn away from evil. ² 

Proverbs 4:15

4:15 Avoid it, do not go on it;

turn away from it, and go on. ³ 

Proverbs 5:7

5:7 So now, children, ⁴  listen to me;

do not turn aside from the words I speak. ⁵ 

Proverbs 7:25

7:25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways –

do not wander into her pathways;

Proverbs 9:4

9:4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”

she says ⁶  to those ⁷  who lack understanding. ⁸ 

Proverbs 9:16

9:16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here,”

she says to those who lack understanding. ⁹ 

Proverbs 24:18

24:18 lest the Lord see it, and be displeased, ¹⁰ 

and turn his wrath away from him. ¹¹ 

Proverbs 29:8

29:8 Scornful people ¹²  inflame ¹³  a city, ¹⁴ 

but those who are wise turn away wrath.

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¹ tn Heb “in your own eyes” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.”

² sn The second colon clarifies the first. If one fears the Lord and turns away from evil, then he is depending on the Lord and not wise in his own eyes. There is a higher source of wisdom than human insight.

³ sn The verb עָבַר (’avar, “to cross over; to travel through”) ends both cola. In the first it warns against going on wrong paths; in the second it means “to go your own way,” but may hint that the way will cross over the wrong way. The rapid sequence of commands stresses the urgency of the matter.

⁴ tn Heb “sons.”

⁵ tn Heb “the words of my mouth” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV).

⁶ tn Heb “lacking of heart she says to him.” The pronominal suffix is a resumptive pronoun, meaning, “she says to the lacking of heart.”

⁷ tn Heb “him.”

⁸ tn Heb “heart”; cf. NIV “to those who lack judgment.”

⁹ tn This expression is almost identical to v. 4, with the exception of the addition of conjunctions in the second colon: “and the lacking of understanding and she says to him.” The parallel is deliberate, of course, showing the competing appeals for those passing by.

¹⁰ tn Heb “and [it is] evil in his eyes.”

¹¹ sn The judgment of God should strike a note of fear in the heart of people (e.g., Lev 19:17-18). His judgment is not to be taken lightly, or personalized as a victory. If that were to happen, then the Lord might take pity on the enemies in their calamity, for he champions the downtrodden and defeated. These are probably personal enemies; the imprecatory psalms and the prophetic oracles present a different set of circumstances for the downfall of God’s enemies – even the book of Proverbs says that brings joy to the community.

¹² tn Heb “men of scorn”; NAB “Arrogant men”; ASV, NRSV “Scoffers”; NIV, NLT “Mockers.”

¹³ tn The verb means “to blow; to breathe” (BDB 806 s.v. פּוּחַ). In the Hiphil imperfect its meaning here is “to excite; to inflame” a city, as in blowing up a flame or kindling a fire. It is also used with “words” in 6:19 and 12:17 – they “puff out words.” Such scornful people make dangerous situations worse, whereas the wise calm things down (e.g., 2 Sam 20).

¹⁴ tn The term “city” is a metonymy of subject; it refers to the people in the city who can easily be set in an uproar by such scornful people.