Discovery BoxProverbs 1:11 
Context1:11 If they say, “Come with us!
We will 1 lie in wait 2 to shed blood; 3
we will ambush 4 an innocent person 5 capriciously. 6
Proverbs 3:28
Context3:28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go! Return tomorrow
and I will give it,” when 7 you have it with you at the time. 8
Proverbs 24:29
Context24:29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will pay him back 9 according to what he has done.” 10
Proverbs 25:7
Context25:7 for it is better for him 11 to say to you, “Come up here,” 12
than to put you lower 13 before a prince,
whom your eyes have seen. 14
Proverbs 30:9
Context30:9 lest I become satisfied and act deceptively 15
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or lest I become poor and steal
and demean 16 the name of my God.
1 tn This cohortative נֶאֶרְבָה (ne’ervah) could denote resolve (“We will lie in wait!”) or exhortation (“Let us lie in wait!”). These sinners are either expressing their determination to carry out a violent plan or they are trying to entice the lad to participate with them.
2 tn The verb אָרַב (’arav, “to lie in wait”) it is used for planning murder (Deut 19:11), kidnapping (Judg 21:20), or seduction (Prov 23:28).
3 tn Heb “for blood.” The term דָּם (dam, “blood”) functions as a metonymy of effect for “blood shed violently” through murder (HALOT 224 s.v. 4).
4 tn Heb “lie in hiding.”
5 tn The term “innocent” (נָקִי, naqi) intimates that the person to be attacked is harmless.
6 tn Heb “without cause” (so KJV, NASB); NCV “just for fun.” The term חִנָּם (khinnam, “without cause”) emphasizes that the planned attack is completely unwarranted.
7 tn Heb “and it is with you.” The prefixed vav introduces a circumstantial clause: “when …”
8 tn The words “at the time” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Heb “repay to the man.” The verb is שׁוּב (shuv), which in the Hiphil stem means “to restore; to repay; to return” (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT “I’ll get even”). The idea is that of repaying someone for what he did.
10 sn Rather than give in to the spirit of vengeance, one should avoid retaliation (e.g., Prov 20:22; Matt 5:43-45; Rom 12:9). According to the Talmud, Hillel said, “Do not do to others what you would not have them do unto you” (b. Sanhedrin 31a).
11 tn The phrase “for him” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
12 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.
13 tn The two infinitives construct form the contrast in this “better” sayings; each serves as the subject of its respective clause.
14 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).
15 tn The verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash) means “to be disappointing; to deceive; to fail; to grow lean.” In the Piel stem it means “to deceive; to act deceptively; to cringe; to disappoint.” The idea of acting deceptively is illustrated in Hos 9:2 where it has the connotation of “disowning” or “refusing to acknowledge” (a meaning very close to its meaning here).
16 tn The Hebrew verb literally means “to take hold of; to seize”; this produces the idea of doing violence to the reputation of God.
