5:21 For the ways of a person 1 are in front of the Lord’s eyes,
and the Lord 2 weighs 3 all that person’s 4 paths.
15:3 The eyes of the Lord 5 are in every place,
keeping watch 6 on those who are evil and those who are good.
17:24 Wisdom is directly in front of 7 the discerning person,
but the eyes of a fool run 8 to the ends of the earth. 9
23:29 Who has woe? 10 Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaints?
Who has wounds without cause? Who has dullness 11 of the eyes?
25:7 for it is better for him 12 to say to you, “Come up here,” 13
than to put you lower 14 before a prince,
whom your eyes have seen. 15
28:27 The one who gives to the poor will not lack, 16
but whoever shuts his eyes to them 17 will receive 18 many curses. 19
1 tn Heb “man.”
2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
3 tn BDB 814 s.v. פָּלַס 2 suggests that the participle מְפַּלֵּס (mÿpalles) means “to make level [or, straight].” As one’s ways are in front of the eyes of the
4 tn Heb “all his”; the referent (the person mentioned in the first half of the verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 sn The proverb uses anthropomorphic language to describe God’s exacting and evaluating knowledge of all people.
6 tn The form צֹפוֹת (tsofot, “watching”) is a feminine plural participle agreeing with “eyes.” God’s watching eyes comfort good people but convict evil.
7 tn The verse begins with אֶת־פְּנֵי מֵבִין (’et-pÿni mevin), “before the discerning” or “the face of the discerning.” The particle אֶת here is simply drawing emphasis to the predicate (IBHS 182-83 §10.3.2b). Cf. NIV “A discerning man keeps wisdom in view.”
8 tn The term “run” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for the sake of clarification.
9 sn To say that “the eyes of the fool run to the ends of the earth” means that he has no power to concentrate and cannot focus his attention on anything. The language is hyperbolic. Cf. NCV “the mind of a fool wanders everywhere.”
10 sn The eighteenth saying is about excessive drinking. The style changes here as the sage breaks into a vivid use of the imagination. It begins with a riddle describing the effects of drunkenness (v. 29) and gives the answer in v. 30; instructions follow in v. 31, with the consequences described in v. 32; the direct address continues in vv. 33 and 34; and the whole subject is concluded with the drunkard’s own words in v. 35 (M. E. Andrews, “Variety of Expression in Proverbs 23:29-35,” VT 28 [1978]: 102-3).
11 sn The Hebrew word translated “dullness” describes darkness or dullness of the eyes due to intoxication, perhaps “redness” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV, NCV, NLT “bloodshot eyes.” NAB understands the situation differently: “black eyes.”
12 tn The phrase “for him” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
13 sn This proverb, covering the two verses, is teaching that it is wiser to be promoted than to risk demotion by self-promotion. The point is clear: Trying to promote oneself could bring on public humiliation; but it would be an honor to have everyone in court hear the promotion by the king.
14 tn The two infinitives construct form the contrast in this “better” sayings; each serves as the subject of its respective clause.
15 tc Most modern commentators either omit this last line or attach it to the next verse. But it is in the text of the MT as well as the LXX, Syriac, Vulgate, and most modern English versions (although some of them do connect it to the following verse, e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
16 sn The generous individual will be rewarded. He will not lack nor miss what he has given away to the poor.
17 tn Heb “hides his eyes”; “to them” is supplied in the translation to indicate the link with the poor in the preceding line. Hiding or closing the eyes is a metonymy of cause or of adjunct, indicating a decision not to look on and thereby help the poor. It could also be taken as an implied comparison, i.e., not helping the poor is like closing the eyes to them.
18 tn The term “receives” is not in the Hebrew text but is implied, and is supplied in the translation.
19 sn The text does not specify the nature or the source of the curses. It is natural to think that they would be given by the poor who are being mistreated and ignored. Far from being praised for their contributions to society, selfish, stingy people will be reviled for their heartless indifference.