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Proverbs 1:8-9
New English Translation
Proverbs 1:8-9
New English Translation
8 Listen,[a] my child,[b] to the instruction[c] from[d] your father,
and do not forsake the teaching[e] from[f] your mother.
9 For they will be like[g] an elegant[h] garland[i] on[j] your head,
and like[k] pendants[l] around[m] your neck.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:8 tn The imperative שְׁמַע (shemaʿ, “Listen!”) forms an urgent exhortation which expects immediate compliance with parental instruction.
- Proverbs 1:8 tn Heb “my son.” It is likely that collections of proverbs grew up in the royal courts and were designed for the training of the youthful prince. But once the collection was included in the canon, the term “son” would be expanded to mean a disciple, for all the people were to learn wisdom when young. It would not be limited to sons alone but would include daughters—as the expression “the children of (בְּנֵי, bene) Israel” (including males and females) clearly shows. Several passages in the Mishnah and Talmud record instructions to teach daughters the Mosaic law so that they will be righteous and avoid sin as well. The translation “my child,” although not entirely satisfactory, will be used here.
- Proverbs 1:8 tn Heb “training” or “discipline.” See note on 1:2.
- Proverbs 1:8 tn Heb “of.” The noun אָבִיךָ (ʾavikha, “of your father”) may be classified as a genitive of source.
- Proverbs 1:8 tn Heb “instruction.” In Proverbs the noun תּוֹרָה (torah) often means “instruction” or “moral direction” rather than “law” (BDB 435 s.v. 1.a). It is related to יָרָה (yarah, “to point [or, show] the way” in the Hiphil (BDB 435). Instruction attempts to point a person in the right direction (e.g., Gen 46:28).
- Proverbs 1:8 tn Heb “of.” The noun אִמֶּךָ (ʾimmekha, “of your mother”) may be classified as a genitive of source.
- Proverbs 1:9 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
- Proverbs 1:9 tn Heb “a garland of grace.” The word חֵן (khen, “grace”) refers to qualities that make a person pleasant and agreeable, e.g., a gracious and charming person (BDB 336 s.v.). The metaphor compares the teachings that produce these qualities to an attractive wreath.
- Proverbs 1:9 tn The noun לִוְיַה (livyah, “wreath; garland”) refers to a headdress and appears only twice in the OT (Prov 1:9; 4:9; BDB 531 s.v.; HALOT 524 s.v.).
- Proverbs 1:9 tn Heb “for.”
- Proverbs 1:9 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
- Proverbs 1:9 tn Cf. KJV, ASV “chains”; NIV “a chain”; but this English term could suggest a prisoner’s chain to the modern reader rather than adornment.
- Proverbs 1:9 tn Heb “for.”
Proverbs 1:8-9
English Standard Version
Proverbs 1:8-9
English Standard Version
The Enticement of Sinners
8 (A)Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
and forsake not your mother's teaching,
9 for they are (B)a graceful garland for your head
and (C)pendants for your neck.
Proverbs 1:8-9
New International Version
Proverbs 1:8-9
New International Version
Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men
Proverbs 4:1-4
New English Translation
Proverbs 4:1-4
New English Translation
Admonition to Follow Righteousness and Avoid Wickedness[a]
4 Listen, children,[b] to a father’s instruction,[c]
and pay attention so that you may gain[d] discernment.
2 Because I hereby give[e] you good instruction,
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son to my father,[f]
a tender, only child[g] before my mother,
4 he taught me, and he said to me:
“Let your heart lay hold of my words;
keep my commands so that[h] you will live.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:1 sn The chapter includes an exhortation to acquire wisdom (1-4a), a list of the benefits of wisdom (4b-9), a call to pursue a righteous lifestyle (10-13), a warning against a wicked lifestyle (14-19), and an exhortation to righteousness (20-27).
- Proverbs 4:1 tn Heb “sons.” See note at 1:8.
- Proverbs 4:1 tn Or “warning.” See note at 1:2.
- Proverbs 4:1 tn Heb “in order to come to know.” As a stative verb, יָדַע (yadaʿ) can mean “to know” or “to come to know,” the latter essentially meaning “to learn.” The infinitive indicates the purpose of the earlier imperatives.
- Proverbs 4:2 tn The perfect tense has the nuance of instantaneous (or performative) perfect; the sage is now calling the disciples to listen. It could also be a perfect of resolve, indicating what he is determined to do, or a present perfect reflecting his proven past history, “Indeed I have given you X.”
- Proverbs 4:3 tn Or “a boy with my father.”
- Proverbs 4:3 tc The LXX introduces the ideas of “obedient” and “beloved” for these two terms. This seems to be a free rendering, if not a translation of a different Hebrew textual tradition. The MT makes good sense and requires no emendation.tn Heb “tender and only one.” The phrase רַךְ וְיָחִיד (rakh veyakhid, “tender and only one”) is a hendiadys meaning “tender only child.” The adjective רַךְ (rakh) means “tender; delicate” (BDB 940 s.v. רַךְ), and describes a lad who is young and undeveloped in character (e.g., 2 Sam 3:39). The adjective יָחִיד (yakhid) means “only one” (BDB 402 s.v. יָחִיד) and refers to a beloved and prized only child (e.g., Gen 22:2).
- Proverbs 4:4 tn The vav plus imperative “and live” expresses purpose, as is common with volitional verbs in a series.
Proverbs 4:1-4
English Standard Version
Proverbs 4:1-4
English Standard Version
A Father's Wise Instruction
4 (A)Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
and be attentive, that you may (B)gain[a] insight,
2 for I give you good (C)precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
(D)tender, (E)the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he (F)taught me and said to me,
(G)“Let your heart hold fast my words;
(H)keep my commandments, and live.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know
Proverbs 4:1-4
New International Version
Proverbs 4:1-4
New International Version
Get Wisdom at Any Cost
4 Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
pay attention and gain understanding.(C)
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold(D) of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.(E)
Proverbs 10:1
New English Translation
Proverbs 10:1
New English Translation
The First Collection of Solomonic Proverbs[a]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Proverbs 10:1 sn Beginning with ch. 10 there is a difference in the form of the material contained in the book of Proverbs. No longer are there long admonitions, but the actual proverbs, short aphorisms dealing with right or wrong choices. Other than a few similar themes grouped together here and there, there is no arrangement to the material as a whole. It is a long collection of approximately 400 proverbs.
- Proverbs 10:1 tn Heb “son.”
- Proverbs 10:1 tn The imperfect tense describes progressive or habitual action, translated here with an English present tense. These fit the nature of proverbs which are general maxims, and not necessarily absolutes or universal truths. One may normally expect to find what the proverb notes, and one should live according to its instructions in the light of those expectations, but one should not be surprised if from time to time there is an exception. The fact that there may be an exception does not diminish the need to live by the sayings.
- Proverbs 10:1 tn Heb “son.”
- Proverbs 10:1 tn Heb “grief of his mother.” The noun “grief” is in construct, and “mother” is an objective genitive. The saying declares that the consequences of wisdom or folly affects the parents.
Proverbs 10:1
English Standard Version
Proverbs 10:1
English Standard Version
Proverbs 10:1
New International Version
Proverbs 10:1
New International Version
Proverbs of Solomon
10 The proverbs(A) of Solomon:(B)
A wise son brings joy to his father,(C)
but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.
Proverbs 11:29
New English Translation
Proverbs 11:29
New English Translation
29 The one who troubles[a] his family[b] will inherit nothing,[c]
and the fool[d] will be a servant to the wise person.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:29 tn The verb עָכַר (ʿakhar, “to trouble”) refers to actions which make life difficult for one’s family (BDB 747 s.v.). He will be cut out of the family inheritance.
- Proverbs 11:29 tn Heb “his house.” The term בֵּית (bet, “house”) is a synecdoche of container (= house) for its contents (= family, household).
- Proverbs 11:29 tn Heb “the wind” (so KJV, NCV, NLT); NAB “empty air.” The word “wind” (רוּחַ, ruakh) refers to what cannot be grasped (Prov 27:16; Eccl 1:14, 17). The figure is a hypocatastasis, comparing wind to what he inherits—nothing he can put his hands on. Cf. CEV “won’t inherit a thing.”
- Proverbs 11:29 sn The “fool” here is the “troubler” of the first half. One who mismanages his affairs so badly so that there is nothing for the family may have to sell himself into slavery to the wise. The ideas of the two halves of the verse are complementary.
- Proverbs 11:29 tn Heb “the wise of mind.” The noun לֵב (lev, “mind, heart”) functions as a genitive of specification: “wise in the mind” or “wise-minded.” Cf. “wisehearted” NASB; “wise of heart” ESV, NKJV. The term לֵב represents the person in this case (a synecdoche of part for the whole) because it is the seat of thinking and wisdom; see BDB 525 s.v. 7.
Proverbs 11:29
English Standard Version
Proverbs 11:29
English Standard Version
29 Whoever (A)troubles his own household will (B)inherit the wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
Proverbs 11:29
New International Version
Proverbs 11:29
New International Version
29 Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise.(A)
Proverbs 15:20
New English Translation
Proverbs 15:20
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:20 tn Heb “son.”
- Proverbs 15:20 tn Heb “a fool of a man,” a genitive of specification.
- Proverbs 15:20 sn The proverb is almost the same as 10:1, except that “despises” replaces “grief.” This adds the idea of the callousness of the one who inflicts grief on his mother (D. Kidner, Proverbs [TOTC], 116).
Proverbs 15:20
English Standard Version
Proverbs 15:20
English Standard Version
20 (A)A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
Proverbs 15:20
New International Version
Proverbs 15:20
New International Version
20 A wise son brings joy to his father,(A)
but a foolish man despises his mother.
Proverbs 17:2
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:2
New English Translation
2 A servant who acts wisely[a] will rule
over[b] an heir[c] who behaves shamefully,[d]
and will share the inheritance along with the relatives.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:2 sn The setting is in the ancient world where a servant rarely advanced beyond his or her station in life. But there are notable exceptions (e.g., Gen 15:3 where the possibility is mentioned, 1 Chr 2:35 where it changed through marriage, and 2 Sam 16:1-4; 19:24-30, with the story of Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth). This proverb focuses on a servant who is wise, one who uses all his abilities effectively—a Joseph figure.
- Proverbs 17:2 sn The parallelism indicates that “ruling over” and “sharing in the inheritance” means that the disgraceful son will be disinherited.
- Proverbs 17:2 tn Heb “son.”
- Proverbs 17:2 tn The form מֵבִישׁ (mevish) is a Hiphil participle, modifying בֵּן (ben). This original heir would then be one who caused shame or disgrace to the family, probably by showing a complete lack of wisdom in the choices he made.
- Proverbs 17:2 tn Heb “in the midst of the brothers”; NIV “as one of the brothers.”
Proverbs 17:2
English Standard Version
Proverbs 17:2
English Standard Version
2 A servant who deals wisely will rule over (A)a son who acts shamefully
and (B)will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
Proverbs 17:2
New International Version
Proverbs 17:2
New International Version
2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
Proverbs 17:6
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:6
New English Translation
6 Grandchildren[a] are like[b] a crown[c] to the elderly,
and the glory[d] of children is their parents.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:6 tn Heb “children of children [sons of sons].”
- Proverbs 17:6 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
- Proverbs 17:6 sn The metaphor signifies that grandchildren are like a crown, that is, they are the “crowning glory” of life. The proverb comes from a culture that places great importance on the family in society and that values its heritage.
- Proverbs 17:6 tn The noun תִּפְאָרָת (tifʾarat) means “beauty; glory” (BDB 802 s.v.). In this passage “glory” seems to be identified with “glorying; boasting”; so a rendering that children are proud of their parents would be in order. Thus, “glory of children” would be a subjective genitive, the glorying that children do.”
- Proverbs 17:6 tc The LXX has inserted: “To the faithful belongs the whole world of wealth, but to the unfaithful not an obulus.” It was apparently some popular sentiment at the time.tn Heb “their fathers.”
Proverbs 17:6
English Standard Version
Proverbs 17:6
English Standard Version
Proverbs 17:6
New International Version
Proverbs 17:6
New International Version
6 Children’s children(A) are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
Proverbs 17:21
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:21
New English Translation
21 Whoever brings a fool[a] into the world[b] does so[c] to his grief,
and the father of a fool has no joy.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:21 sn Here the Hebrew terms כְּסִיל (kesil) and נָבָל (naval) are paired. The first one, which occurs about fifty times in the book, refers to a dullard, whether it be in spiritual, intellectual, or moral matters. The second word, rare in the book, primarily focuses on religious folly—it refers to the practical atheist, the one who lives as if there is no God.
- Proverbs 17:21 tn The form simply means “bears” or “gives birth to,” but since it is masculine it could be rendered “fathers” (cf. NASB “he who begets a fool”; NIV “To have a fool for a son”). The form for “fool” is masculine, but the proverb is not limited only to male children (cf. NCV “It is sad to have a foolish child”).
- Proverbs 17:21 tn The phrase “does so” is supplied for the sake of clarification.
- Proverbs 17:21 sn Parents of fools, who had hoped for children who would be a credit to the family, find only bitter disappointment (cf. TEV “nothing but sadness and sorrow”).
Proverbs 17:21
English Standard Version
Proverbs 17:21
English Standard Version
21 He who (A)sires a fool gets himself sorrow,
and the father of a fool has no joy.
Proverbs 17:21
New International Version
Proverbs 17:21
New International Version
21 To have a fool for a child brings grief;
there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.(A)
Proverbs 17:25
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:25
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:25 sn The Hebrew noun means “vexation, anger, grief.”
- Proverbs 17:25 tn Heb “to the one who bore him.” Because the participle is feminine singular in Hebrew, this has been translated as “the mother who bore him.”sn The proverb is similar to v. 21, 10:1, and 15:20.
Proverbs 17:25
English Standard Version
Proverbs 17:25
English Standard Version
Proverbs 17:25
New International Version
Proverbs 17:25
New International Version
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.(A)
New English Translation (NET)
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