Proverbs 8:27-31
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
27 When he established the heavens, there was I,(A)
when he marked out the vault over the face of the deep;
28 When he made firm the skies above,
when he fixed fast the springs of the deep;
29 When he set for the sea its limit,
so that the waters should not transgress his command;
When he fixed the foundations of earth,
30 then was I beside him as artisan;[a](B)
I was his delight day by day,
playing before him all the while,
31 Playing over the whole of his earth,
having my delight with human beings.
Footnotes
- 8:30 Artisan: the translation of the Hebrew word ’āmôn has been controverted since antiquity. There have been three main opinions: (1) artisan; (2) trustworthy (friend); (3) ward, nursling. The most likely explanation is that ’āmôn is artisan, related to Akkadian ummānu, legendary sages and heroes who brought divine gifts and culture to the human race. I was his delight: the chiastic or ABBA structure of vv. 30–31 unifies the four lines and underscores the analogy between Woman Wisdom’s intimate relation to the Lord and her intimate relation to human beings, i.e., “delight” + “playing” parallels “playing” + “delight.” She is God’s friend and intimate and invites human beings to a similar relationship to God through her.
Proverbs 8:27-31
New International Version
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,(A)
when he marked out the horizon(B) on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above(C)
and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,(D)
29 when he gave the sea its boundary(E)
so the waters would not overstep his command,(F)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.(G)
30 Then I was constantly[a] at his side.(H)
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.(I)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 8:30 Or was the artisan; or was a little child
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