Proverbs 29:6

In the transgression of an evil person there is a snare, ¹  but a righteous person can sing ²  and rejoice. ³ 

An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad.

By transgression an evil man is ensnared, But the righteous sings and rejoices.

Evil people are trapped by sin, but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.

Evil people fall into their own traps; good people run the other way, glad to escape.

In the steps of an evil man there is a net for him, but the upright man gets away quickly and is glad.

In the transgression of the evil there is a snare, but the righteous sing and rejoice.

By transgression an evil man is snared, But the righteous sings and rejoices.

In the transgression of an evil person there is a snare, ¹  but a righteous person can sing ²  and rejoice. ³ 

¹ tn The Syriac and Tg. Prov 29:6 simplify the meaning by writing it with a passive verb: “the evil man is ensnared by his guilt.” The metaphor of the snare indicates that the evil person will be caught in his own transgression.

² tc The two verbs create some difficulty because the book of Proverbs does not usually duplicate verbs like this and because the first verb יָרוּן (yarun) is irregular. The BHS editors prefer to emend it to יָרוּץ (yaruts, “will rush”; cf. NAB “runs on joyfully”). W. McKane emends it to “exult” to form a hendiadys: “is deliriously happy” (Proverbs [OTL], 638). G. R. Driver suggests changing the word to יָדוֹן (yadon) based on two Hebrew mss and an Arabic cognate dana, “continue.” He translates it “but the righteous remains and rejoices” (“Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” Bib 32 [1951]: 193-94). None of these changes are particularly helpful. The verb is unusual for a geminate root, but Gesenius shows several places where the same pattern can be seen in other geminate verbs (GKC 180 §67.q). In light of this it is preferable to retain the reading of the MT here.

³ sn These two verbs express the confidence of the righteous – they have no fears and so can sing. So the proverb is saying that only the righteous can enjoy a sense of security.