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Proverbs 14:26-28
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:26-28
New English Translation
26 In the fear of the Lord one has[a] strong confidence,[b]
and it will be a refuge[c] for his children.
27 The fear of the Lord[d] is like[e] a life-giving fountain,[f]
to turn[g] people[h] from deadly snares.[i]
28 A king’s glory is[j] the abundance of people,
but the lack of subjects[k] is the ruin[l] of a ruler.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:26 tn Heb “In the fear of the Lord [there is] confidence of strength.” The verb “one has” is supplied in the translation for the Hebrew nominal clause for the sake of smoothness.
- Proverbs 14:26 tn Heb “confidence of strength.” This construct phrase features an attributive genitive: “strong confidence” (so most English versions; NIV “a secure fortress”).
- Proverbs 14:26 sn The fear of the Lord will not only provide security for the parent but will also be a refuge for children. The line recalls Exod 20:5-6 where children will reap the benefits of the righteous parents. The line could also be read as “he [= God] will be a refuge for the children.”
- Proverbs 14:27 sn The verse is similar to Prov 13:14 except that “the fear of the Lord” has replaced “the teaching of the wise.”
- Proverbs 14:27 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.
- Proverbs 14:27 tn Heb “fountain of life.”
- Proverbs 14:27 tn The infinitive construct with prefixed ל (lamed) indicates the purpose/result of the first line; it could also function epexegetically, explaining how fear is a fountain: “by turning….”
- Proverbs 14:27 tn The term “people” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
- Proverbs 14:27 tn Heb “snares of death” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); CEV “deadly traps.”
- Proverbs 14:28 tn The preposition serves as the beth essentiae—the glory is the abundant population, not in it.
- Proverbs 14:28 tn Heb “people.” Cf. NLT “a dwindling nation.”
- Proverbs 14:28 sn The word means “ruin; destruction,” but in this context it could be a metonymy of effect, the cause being an attack by more numerous people that will bring ruin to the ruler. The proverb is purely a practical and secular saying, unlike some of the faith teachings in salvation history passages.
New English Translation (NET)
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