Discovery Box| (0.25) | (Pro 21:30) | 1 tn The form לְנֶגֶד (leneged) means “against; over against; in opposition to.” The line indicates they cannot in reality be in opposition, for human wisdom is nothing in comparison to the wisdom of God (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 232). |
| (0.25) | (Pro 21:14) | 1 sn The synonymous parallelism joins the more neutral term “gift” with the more specific “bribe.” D. Kidner notes that this underscores how hard it is to tell the difference between them, especially since they accomplish similar things (Proverbs [TOTC], 143). |
| (0.25) | (Pro 21:1) | 3 sn The farmer channels irrigation ditches where he wants them, where they will do the most good; so does the Lord with the king. No king is supreme; the Lord rules. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 21:7) | 4 tn Heb “they refused to do מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat; justice). The noun may be an accusative of direct object “do justice” (so ASV) or an adverbial accusative of manner “act justly” or “act with justice” (so NASB). |
| (0.25) | (Pro 20:1) | 2 tn The two participles לֵץ (lets, “mocker”) and הֹמֶה (homeh, “brawler”) are substantives; they function as predicates in the sentence. Excessive use of intoxicants excites the drinker to boisterous behavior and aggressive attitudes—it turns them into mockers and brawlers. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 17:6) | 3 sn The metaphor signifies that grandchildren are like a crown, that is, they are the “crowning glory” of life. The proverb comes from a culture that places great importance on the family in society and that values its heritage. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 16:13) | 4 sn The verse is talking about righteous kings, of course—they love righteousness and not flattery. In this proverb “righteous” and “upright” referring to what is said means “what is right and straight,” i.e., the truth (cf. NCV). |
| (0.25) | (Pro 15:29) | 3 sn God’s response to prayer is determined by the righteousness of the one who prays. A prayer of repentance by the wicked is an exception, for by it they would become the righteous (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 316). |
| (0.25) | (Pro 13:4) | 2 sn The contrast is between the “soul (= appetite) of the sluggard” (נַפְשׁוֹ עָצֵל, nafsho ʿatsel) and the “soul (= desire) of the diligent” (נֶפֶשׁ חָרֻצִים, nefesh kharutsim)—what they each long for. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 11:21) | 4 sn This proverb uses antithetic parallelism, presenting opposite people with opposite outcomes described by opposite verb forms. In contrast to how things may look at the moment, the sage assures the student about the future of the wicked using the imperfect verb. They may look like they are getting away free, but in the end they will not. On the other hand, using the perfect verb, he assures the student of the benefit that he has seen for the righteous—they have escaped. This is something that really has occurred and is prototypical of what can be expected. Further, by contrasting the evil person with the descendants of the righteous, the sage expands the range of benefit received from righteous living. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 10:31) | 4 tn Heb “will be cut off” (so NAB, NRSV, NLT); cf. KJV, NASB, NIV “cut out.” Their tongue will be cut off, a hyperbole meaning to bring to an end the evil that they speak. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 10:32) | 1 sn The verb “know” applied to “lips” is unusual. “Lips” is a metonymy for what the righteous say; and their words “know” (a personification) what is pleasing, i.e., they are acquainted with. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 10:30) | 1 sn This proverb concerns the enjoyment of covenant blessings—dwelling in the land of Israel. It is promised to the righteous for an eternal inheritance, and so the wicked cannot expect to settle there—they will be exiled. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 9:15) | 4 tn The participle modifies the participle in the first colon. To describe the passers-by in this context as those “who go straight” means that they are quiet and unwary. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 8:13) | 2 tn Since גֵּאָה (geʾah, “pride”) and גָּאוֹן (gaʾon, “arrogance; pride”) are both from the same verbal root גָּאָה (gaʾah, “to rise up”), they should here be interpreted as one idea, forming a nominal hendiadys: “arrogant pride.” |
| (0.25) | (Pro 6:18) | 2 sn The word “feet” is here a synecdoche, a part for the whole. Being the instruments of movement, they represent the swift and eager actions of the whole person to do some harm. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 4:19) | 1 sn The image of paths, brightness or darkness, and stumbling illustrate the contrast of lifestyles. When acting with righteousness one’s course becomes clearer and more sure, while the wicked are caught in their ways, ignorant of why they fall. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 3:2) | 1 tn Heb “They will add to you.” The verb appears in the second half of the Hebrew line but has been moved to the beginning in the translation for the sake of smoothness. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 1:27) | 5 tn Heb “distress and trouble.” The nouns “distress and trouble” mean almost the same thing so they may form a hendiadys. The two similar sounding terms צוּקָה (tsuqah) and צָרָה (tsarah) also form a wordplay (paronomasia) which also links them together. |
| (0.25) | (Pro 1:22) | 6 tn Heb “for themselves.” The ethical dative לָהֶם (lahem, “for themselves”) is normally untranslated. It is a rhetorical device emphasizing that they take delight in mockery for their own self-interests. |
