Proverbs 22:3

A shrewd person ¹  sees danger ²  and hides himself, but the naive keep right on going ³  and suffer for it. ⁴ 

Ex 9:20,21; Pr 7:7,22,23; Pr 9:16-18; Pr 14:16; Pr 27:12; Pr 29:1; Isa 26:20,21; Mt 24:15-18; 1Th 5:2-6; Heb 6:18; Heb 11:7

¹ sn The contrast is between the “shrewd” (prudent) person and the “simpleton.” The shrewd person knows where the dangers and pitfalls are in life and so can avoid them; the naive person is unwary, untrained, and gullible, unable to survive the dangers of the world and blundering into them.

² tn Heb “evil,” a term that is broad enough to include (1) “sin” as well as (2) any form of “danger” (NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or “trouble” (TEV, CEV). The second option is more likely what is meant here: The naive simpleton does not see the danger to be avoided and so suffers for it.

³ tn Heb “go on”; the word “right” is supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning: The naive person, oblivious to impending danger, meets it head on (cf. TEV “will walk right into it”).

⁴ tn The verb עָנַשׁ (’anash) means “to fine” specifically. In the Niphal stem it means “to be fined,” or more generally, “to be punished.” In this line the punishment is the consequence of blundering into trouble – they will pay for it.