¹ sn The verse repeats the imperative “acquire” to underscore the importance of getting wisdom.

¹ tn Heb “the beginning of wisdom [is] the fear of the Lord.”

² sn That is, the sins characteristic of youths, who lack moral discretion and wisdom.

¹ tn Heb “it”; the referent (wisdom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Heb “and without wisdom.” The word “attaining” is supplied in the translation as a clarification.

² tn Heb “and in the heart of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom.”

¹ sn The twenty-sixth saying teaches that one should develop wisdom because it has a profitable future. The saying draws on the image of honey; its health-giving properties make a good analogy to wisdom.

¹ tn The form לְנֶגֶד (l^eneged) 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).

⁵ sn This is an implied comparison (hypocatastasis), the fountain of wisdom being the person who speaks. The Greek version has “fountain of life” instead of “wisdom,” probably influenced from 10:11.

² tn Heb “and it would be for you for wisdom,” or “that it would become your wisdom.” Job is rather sarcastic here, indicating if they shut up they would prove themselves to be wise (see Prov 17:28).

¹ tn The expression “wisdom of heart,” or “wisdom in heart,” means artistic skill. The decisions and plans they make are skilled. The expression forms a second accusative after the verb of filling.

¹ sn The expression the wisdom of God is a personification of an attribute of God that refers to his wise will.

² tn Heb “the wisdom of their wise ones will perish, the discernment of their discerning ones will keep hidden.”

⁴ tn The MT reads מֵחָכְמָה מִכָּבוֹד (mekhokhmah mikkavod, “more than wisdom, more than honor”), but several medieval Hebrew mss read מֵחָכְמָה וּמִכָּבוֹד (mekhokhmah umikkavod, “more than wisdom and honor”). However the textual problem is resolved, the two nouns form a hendiadys: two terms joined by vav that describe one concept. The first noun retains its full nominal sense, while the second functions adjectivally: “heavy wisdom” or better, “great wisdom.”

³ tn Heb “yet my wisdom stood for me,” meaning he retained his wise perspective despite his great wealth.

⁷ sn The point of this metaphor is that the wisdom is a continuous source of refreshing and beneficial ideas.

¹ tn Heb “To me [belong] counsel and sound wisdom.” The second colon in the verse has: “I, understanding, to me might.”

³ sn The claim of wisdom in this passage is that she was foundational to all that God would do.

³ sn Wise lips detest wickedness; wisdom hates speaking wicked things. In fact, speaking truth results in part from detesting wickedness.

¹ tn Heb “her.” The referent of the pronoun is personified “wisdom,” which has been specified in the translation for clarity.