Proverbs 1:23

If only ¹  you will respond ²  to my rebuke, ³  then ⁴  I will pour ⁵  out my thoughts ⁶  to you and ⁷  I will make ⁸  my words known to you.

Ps 145:1; Pr 1:25,30; Pr 6:23; Pr 10:17; Pr 12:1; Pr 29:1; Isa 32:15; Isa 45:8; Isa 55:1-3,6,7; Jer 3:14; Eze 18:27-30; Eze 33:11; Ho 14:1; Joe 2:28; Zec 12:10; Lu 11:13; Joh 7:36,37; Ac 2:36-38; Ac 3:19; Ac 26:20; Re 3:16-18; Re 3:19

¹ tn The imperfect tense is in the conditional protasis without the conditional particle, followed by the clause beginning with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “then”). The phrase “If only…” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied by the syntax; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

² tn Heb “turn.” The verb is from שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to respond; to repent”).

³ sn The noun תּוֹכַחַת (tokhakhat, “rebuke”) is used in all kinds of disputes including rebuking, arguing, reasoning, admonishing, and chiding. The term is broad enough to include here warning and rebuke. Cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV “reproof”; TEV “when I reprimand you”; CEV “correct you.”

⁴ tn Heb “Behold!”

⁵ tn The Hiphil cohortative of נָבַע (nava’, “to pour out”) describes the speaker’s resolution to pour out wisdom on those who respond.

⁶ tn Heb “my spirit.” The term “spirit” (רוּחַ, ruakh) functions as a metonymy (= spirit) of association (= thoughts), as indicated by the parallelism with “my words” (דְּבָרַי, dÿbaray). The noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) can have a cognitive nuance, e.g., “spirit of wisdom” (Exod 28:3; Deut 34:9). It is used metonymically for “words” (Job 20:3) and “mind” (Isa 40:13; Ezek 11:5; 20:32; 1 Chr 28:12; see BDB 925 s.v. רוּחַ 6). The “spirit of wisdom” produces skill and capacity necessary for success (Isa 11:2; John 7:37-39).

⁷ tn The conjunction “and” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.

⁸ tn Here too the form is the cohortative, stressing the resolution of wisdom to reveal herself to the one who responds.