Proverbs 26:18

Like a madman ¹  who shoots firebrands and deadly arrows, ² 

Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows

Like a madman who throws Firebrands, arrows and death,

Just as damaging as a mad man shooting a lethal weapon

People who shrug off deliberate deceptions, saying, "I didn't mean it, I was only joking,"

As one who is off his head sends about flaming sticks and arrows of death,

Like a maniac who shoots deadly firebrands and arrows,

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,

Like a madman ¹  who shoots firebrands and deadly arrows, ² 

¹ tn The term כְּמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ (kÿmitlahleah) is the Hitpalpel participle of the quadriliteral verbal root לִהְלֵהַּ (lihleah), which means “to amaze; to startle” (BDB 529 s.v.). Here it functions as a substantive – the object of the preposition – and has the meaning of “madman” (cf. NRSV “maniac”). This is the only occurrence of the term.

² tn Heb “arrows and death” (so KJV, NASB). This expression can be understood as a nominal hendiadys: “deadly arrows” (so NAB, NIV).