4:16 For they cannot sleep unless they cause harm; 1
they are robbed of sleep 2 until they make someone stumble. 3
8:36 But the one who does not find me 4 brings harm 5 to himself; 6
all who hate me 7 love death.”
1 sn The verb is רָעַע (ra’a’), which means “to do evil; to harm.” The verse is using the figure of hyperbole to stress the preoccupation of some people with causing trouble. R. L. Alden says, “How sick to find peace only at the price of another man’s misfortune” (Proverbs, 47).
2 sn Heb “their sleep is robbed/seized”; these expressions are metonymical for their restlessness in plotting evil.
3 sn The Hiphil imperfect (Kethib) means “cause to stumble.” This idiom (from hypocatastasis) means “bring injury/ruin to someone” (BDB 505-6 s.v. כָּשַׁל Hiph.1).
4 tn Heb “the one sinning [against] me.” The verb חָטָא (khata’, “to sin”) forms a contrast with “find” in the previous verse, and so has its basic meaning of “failing to find, miss.” So it is talking about the one who misses wisdom, as opposed to the one who finds it.
5 tn The Qal active participle functions verbally here. The word stresses both social and physical harm and violence.
sn Brings harm. Whoever tries to live without wisdom is inviting all kinds of disaster into his life.
6 tn Heb “his soul.”
7 tn The basic idea of the verb שָׂנֵא (sane’, “to hate”) is that of rejection. Its antonym is also used in the line, “love,” which has the idea of choosing. So not choosing (i.e., hating) wisdom amounts to choosing (i.e., loving) death.