4:26 Make the path for your feet 1 level, 2
so that 3 all your ways may be established. 4
5:2 in order to safeguard 5 discretion, 6
and that your lips may guard knowledge.
8:33 Listen to my instruction 7 so that you may be wise, 8
and do not neglect it.
9:6 Abandon your foolish ways 9 so that you may live, 10
and proceed 11 in the way of understanding.”
26:26 Though his 12 hatred may be concealed 13 by deceit,
his evil will be uncovered 14 in the assembly.
27:1 Do not boast 15 about tomorrow; 16
for you do not know 17 what a day may bring forth.
1 tn Heb “path of your foot.”
2 sn The verb is a denominative Piel from the word פֶּלֶס (peles), “balance; scale.” In addition to telling the disciple to keep focused on a righteous life, the sage tells him to keep his path level, which is figurative for living the righteous life.
3 tn The vav prefixed to the beginning of this dependent clause denotes purpose/result following the preceding imperative.
4 tn The Niphal jussive from כּוּן (cun, “to be fixed; to be established; to be steadfast”) continues the idiom of walking and ways for the moral sense in life.
5 tn Heb “keep, protect, guard.”
6 sn This “discretion” is the same word in 1:4; it is wise, prudential consideration, careful planning, or the ability to devise plans with a view to the best way to carry them out. If that ability is retained then temptations to digress will not interfere.
7 tn Heb “discipline.”
8 tn The construction uses two imperatives joined with the vav (ו); this is a volitive sequence in which result or consequence is being expressed.
9 tn There are two ways to take this word: either as “fools” or as “foolish ways.” The spelling for “foolishness” in v. 13 differs from this spelling, and so some have taken that as an indicator that this should be “fools.” But this could still be an abstract plural here as in 1:22. Either the message is to forsake fools (i.e., bad company; cf. KJV, TEV) or forsake foolishness (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT).
10 tn The two imperatives are joined with vav; this is a volitive sequence in which result or consequence is expressed.
11 tn The verb means “go straight, go on, advance” or “go straight on in the way of understanding” (BDB 80 s.v. אָשַׁר).
12 tn The referent is apparently the individual of vv. 24-25.
13 tn The form תִּכַּסֶּה (tikkasseh) is the Hitpael imperfect (with assimilation); it is probably passive, meaning “is concealed,” although it could mean “conceals itself” (naturally). Since the proverb uses antithetical parallelism, an imperfect tense nuance of possibility (“may be concealed”) works well here (cf. NIV, NLT).
14 sn The Hebrew verb means “to uncover,” here in the sense of “to reveal; to make known; to expose.” The verse is promising that the evil the person has done will be exposed publicly. The common belief that righteousness will ultimately triumph informs this saying.
15 tn The form אַל־תִּתְהַלֵּל (’al-tithallel) is the Hitpael jussive negated; it is from the common verb “to praise,” and so in this setting means “to praise oneself” or “to boast.”
sn The verse rules out one’s overconfident sense of ability to control the future. No one can presume on the future.
16 sn The word “tomorrow” is a metonymy of subject, meaning what will be done tomorrow, or in the future in general.
17 sn The expression “you do not know” balances the presumption of the first line, reminding the disciple of his ignorance and therefore his need for humility (e.g., Matt 6:34; Luke 12:20; Jas 4:13-16).