Discovery Box| (0.20) | (Pro 13:3) | 3 sn Tight control over what one says prevents trouble (e.g., Prov 10:10; 17:28; Jas 3:1-12; Sir 28:25). Amenemope advises to “sleep a night before speaking” (5:15; ANET 422, n. 10). The old Arab proverb is appropriate: “Take heed that your tongue does not cut your throat” (O. Zockler, Proverbs, 134). |
| (0.20) | (Pro 12:14) | 3 tc The Kethib has the Qal imperfect, “will return” to him (cf. NASB); the Qere preserves a Hiphil imperfect, “he/one will restore/render” to him (cf. KJV, ASV). The Qere seems to suggest that someone (God or people) will reward him in kind. Since there is no expressed subject, it may be translated as a passive voice. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 12:4) | 1 tn Heb “a wife of virtue”; NAB, NLT “a worthy wife.” This noble woman (אֵשֶׁת־חַיִל, ʾeshet khayil) is the subject of Prov 31. She is a “virtuous woman” (cf. KJV), a capable woman of noble character. She is contrasted with the woman who is disgraceful (מְבִישָׁה, mevishah; “one who causes shame”) or who lowers his standing in the community. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 11:31) | 2 tn This construction is one of the “how much more” arguments—if this be true, how much more this (arguing from the lesser to the greater). The point is that if the righteous suffer for their sins, certainly the wicked will as well. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 11:29) | 4 sn The “fool” here is the “troubler” of the first half. One who mismanages his affairs so badly so that there is nothing for the family may have to sell himself into slavery to the wise. The ideas of the two halves of the verse are complementary. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 11:30) | 3 tc The Leningrad Codex, one of the most authoritative witnesses to the Hebrew text, mistakenly vocalized ש as שׂ (sin) instead of שׁ (shin). The result, נְפָשׂוֹת (nefasot), is not a word. Early printed editions of the Masoretic Text, other medieval Hebrew mss, read correctly נְפָשׁוֹת (nefashot, “souls”). |
| (0.20) | (Pro 11:26) | 4 tn Heb “for the head of the one who sells.” The term “head” functions as a synecdoche of part (= head) for the whole (= person). The head is here emphasized because it is the “crowning” point of praise. The direct object (“it”) is not in the Hebrew text but is implied. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 11:14) | 2 tn Heb “victory.” This term תְּשׁוּעָה (teshuʿah) means “salvation” or “victory” (BDB 448 s.v.); cf. NAB, TEV “security”; NRSV, NLT “safety.” Here, it connotes “success” as the antithesis of the nation falling. The setting could be one of battle or economics. Victory or success will be more likely with good advice. This assumes that the counselors are wise. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 11:13) | 1 tn Heb “going about in slander.” This expression refers to a slanderer. The noun means “slander” and so “tale-bearer” (so KJV, ASV, NASB), “informer.” The related verb (רָכַל, rakhal) means “to go about” from one person to another, either for trade or for gossip. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 10:27) | 4 sn This general saying has to be qualified with the problem of the righteous suffering and dying young, a problem that perplexed the sages of the entire ancient world. But this is the general principle: The righteous live longer because their life is the natural one and because God blesses them. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 10:18) | 1 tn Heb “lips of falsehood.” The genitive noun שָׁקֶר (shaqer, “falsehood”) functions as an attributive genitive. The noun “lips” is a metonymy of cause for speech produced by lips. The one who shows friendliness while concealing hatred is a liar (e.g., Ps 28:3). |
| (0.20) | (Pro 10:9) | 4 tn Heb “he who perverts his ways” (so NASB); NIV “who takes crooked paths” (NLT similar). The Piel participle מְעַקֵּשׁ (meʿaqqesh) means “make crooked; twisted; perverse.” It is stronger than simply taking crooked paths; it refers to perverting the ways. The one who is devious will not get away with it. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 9:16) | 2 tn Heb “And [as for one] lacking of mind—and she has said to him.” The expression is almost identical to v. 4, except this verse adds the conjunction vav twice. The parallel is deliberate, showing the competing appeals for those passing by. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 9:10) | 1 sn The difference between תְּחִלַּת (tekhillat) here and רֵאשִׁית (reʾshit) of 1:7, if there is any substantial difference, is that this term refers to the starting point of wisdom, and the earlier one indicates the primary place of wisdom (K&D 16:202). |
| (0.20) | (Pro 9:7) | 1 tn The active participle יֹסֵר (yoser) describes one who tries to correct by means of instruction and discipline; it is paralleled by the Hiphil participle which refers to someone who rebukes or reproves another. Anyone trying this on these types of people would be inviting trouble. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 7:12) | 1 tn The repetition of the noun פַּעַם (paʿam, “step, occasion”) is an idiom indicating different occasions. It could be rendered idiomatically in English as “now [here], now [there],” “once [here], then [there],” or “at one time…at another time” (BDB 822 s.v. פַּעַם 3.e). |
| (0.20) | (Pro 6:18) | 2 tc The MT reads “make haste to run,” that is, be eager to seize the opportunity. The LXX omits “run,” that is, feet hastening to do evil. It must have appeared to the LXX translator that the verb was unnecessary; only one verb occurs in the other cola. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 6:3) | 4 tn Heb “be bold.” The verb רָהַב (rahav) means “to act stormily; to act boisterously; to act arrogantly.” The idea here is a strong one: storm against (beset, importune) your neighbor. The meaning is that he should be bold and not take no for an answer. Cf. NIV “press your plea”; TEV “beg him to release you.” |
| (0.20) | (Pro 4:25) | 2 tn Heb “your eyelids.” The term “eyelids” is often a poetic synonym for “eye” (it is a metonymy of adjunct, something connected with the eye put for the eye that sees); it may intensify the idea as one might squint to gain a clearer look. |
| (0.20) | (Pro 3:25) | 4 tn Heb “or the destruction of the wicked when it comes.” The noun רְשָׁעִים (reshaʿim, “wicked ones”) probably functions as an objective genitive (the destruction that comes on the wicked) or a genitive of source (the destruction that the wicked bring on others). |
