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Proverbs 2:7
New English Translation
Proverbs 2:7
New English Translation
7 He stores up[a] effective counsel[b] for the upright,[c]
and is like[d] a shield[e] for those who live[f] with integrity,[g]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:7 tc The form is a Kethib/Qere reading, reflecting confusion between י (yod) and ו (vav). The Kethib וְצָפַן (vetsafan; Qal perfect with vav consecutive) is supported by the Syriac (but not by the LXX, contra the notes in BHS). The Qere יִצְפֹּן (yitspon; Qal imperfect) is supported by the LXX, the Aramaic Targum of Prov 2:7 (the Aramaic translations of the Hebrew scriptures were called Targums), and Latin Vulgate. Internal evidence favors the imperfect. As in v. 6a, this Qal imperfect functions as a habitual imperfect, or general present.sn The verbal root צָפַן (tsafan, “to store up; to treasure up”) is repeated in 2:1 and 2:7. In 2:1 it is the responsibility of man to “store up” wisdom, but in 2:7 it is God who “stores up” wisdom for the wise person who seeks him.
- Proverbs 2:7 tn The noun תּוּשִׁיָּה (tushiyyah) has a two-fold range of meanings: (1) “sound wisdom” (so KJV, NRSV); “effective counsel” and (2) result (metonymy of effect): “abiding success” (BDB 444 s.v.; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 388; cf. NIV “victory”). It refers to competent wisdom and its resultant ability to achieve moral success (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 80).
- Proverbs 2:7 sn The Hebrew word translated “upright” (יָשָׁר, yashar) is one of the terms used for the righteous. It points to the right conduct of the believer—that which is right or pleasing in the eyes of God. It stresses that the life of the individual is upright, straightforward, and just. It is paralleled with “those who walk in integrity.”
- Proverbs 2:7 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 2:7 tn The word can be taken as in apposition explaining the subject of the first colon—the Lord is a shield, the Lord stores up. The word then is a metaphor for the protection afforded by the Lord.
- Proverbs 2:7 tn Heb “walk.” The verb “to walk” (הָלַךְ, halakh) is an idiom (based upon hypocatastasis: implied comparison) for habitual manner of life (BDB 234 s.v. 3.e).
- Proverbs 2:7 tn Heb “those who walk of integrity.” The noun תֹם (tom, “integrity”) functions as a genitive of manner.
Proverbs 2:7
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 2:7
Christian Standard Bible
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Footnotes
- 2:7 Or resourcefulness
Proverbs 2:7
New International Version
Proverbs 2:7
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Proverbs 11:1
New English Translation
Proverbs 11:1
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:1 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”) is a subjective genitive.
- Proverbs 11:1 tn Heb “scales of deception.” The genitive is attributive: “deceptive scales.” This refers to dishonesty in the market where silver was weighed in the scales. God condemns dishonest business practices (Deut 25:13-16; Lev 19:35-36), as did the ancient Near East (ANET 388, 423).
- Proverbs 11:1 tn Heb “a perfect stone.” שָׁלֵם (shalem) can mean “intact, whole, perfect.” Stones were used for measuring amounts of silver on the scales and so were critical to the integrity of economic translations. Someone might cheat by tampering with the scale or the stones. The Lord is pleased with a proper stone that has not been tampered with because it represents integrity of process in the marketplace.
Proverbs 11:1
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 11:1
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 11:1
New International Version
Proverbs 11:1
New International Version
Proverbs 11:3
New English Translation
Proverbs 11:3
New English Translation
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,[a]
but the crookedness of the treacherous[b] destroys them.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:3 sn This contrasts two lifestyles, affirming the value of integrity. The upright live with integrity—blamelessness—and that integrity leads them in success and happiness. Those who use treachery will be destroyed by it.
- Proverbs 11:3 tn The verb בָּגַד (bagad) means “to act treacherously, with duplicity, or to betray.”
- Proverbs 11:3 tc The form is a Kethib/Qere reading. The Qere, יְשָׁדֵּם (yeshoddem), is a Qal imperfect of שָׁדַד (shadad, “to devastate”) and is supported by the versions. The syntactically difficult Kethib, וְשַׁדָּם (veshaddam), is a Qal perfect consecutive prefixed with the conjunction vav.
Proverbs 11:3
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 11:3
Christian Standard Bible
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,(A)
but the perversity of the treacherous destroys them.(B)
Proverbs 11:3
New International Version
Proverbs 11:3
New International Version
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.(A)
Proverbs 11:20
New English Translation
Proverbs 11:20
New English Translation
20 The Lord abhors[a] those who are perverse in heart,[b]
but those who are blameless in their ways[c] are his delight.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:20 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”) functions as a subjective genitive. Cf. NIV “detests”; NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT “hates.”
- Proverbs 11:20 sn The word עִקְּשֵׁי (ʿiqqeshe, “crooked; twisted; perverted”) describes the wicked as having “twisted minds.” Their mentality is turned toward evil things.
- Proverbs 11:20 tn Heb “those who are blameless of way.” The noun דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) is a genitive of specification: “blameless in their way.”
- Proverbs 11:20 sn The noun means “goodwill, favor, acceptance, will”; it is related to the verb רָצַה (ratsah) which means “to be pleased with; to accept favorably.” These words are used frequently in scripture to describe what pleases the Lord, meaning, what he accepts. In particular, sacrifices offered properly find acceptance with God (Ps 51:19). Here the lifestyle that is blameless pleases him.
Proverbs 11:20
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 11:20
Christian Standard Bible
20 Those with twisted minds are detestable to the Lord,
but those with blameless conduct are his delight.(A)
Proverbs 11:20
New International Version
Proverbs 11:20
New International Version
Proverbs 12:19
New English Translation
Proverbs 12:19
New English Translation
19 The one who tells the truth[a] will endure forever,
but the one who lies[b] will last only for a moment.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:19 tn Heb “a lip of truth.” The genitive אֱמֶת (ʾemet, “truth”) functions as an attributive adjective: “truthful lip.” The term שְׂפַת (sefat, “lip”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= lip) for the whole (= person): “truthful person.” The contrast is between “the lip of truth” and the “tongue of lying.”
- Proverbs 12:19 tn Heb “a tongue of deceit.” The genitive שָׁקֶר (shaqer, “deceit”) functions as an attributive genitive. The noun לָשׁוֹן (lashon, “tongue”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= tongue) for the whole (= person): “lying person.”
- Proverbs 12:19 tn The verb אַרְגִיעָה (ʾargiʿah) is the Hiphil of the root רָגַע (ragaʿ). The number of homonyms of this root in Hebrew is debated. BDB lists it as a denominative of רֶגַע (regaʿ, “a moment”), with the Hiphil meaning “to make a twinkling” (BDB 920 s.v. I רָגַע). HALOT lists only one verbal root with a base meaning “to look for peace” and this phrase with the Hiphil meaning “as long as I grant rest” (HALOT 1188, s.v. רָגַע). Gesenius considers it to refer to blinking the eyes (GKC 321 § 108h). In any case it is agreed that this expression is an idiom for brevity, “only for a moment.”
Proverbs 12:19
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 12:19
Christian Standard Bible
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue, only a moment.(A)
Proverbs 12:19
New International Version
Proverbs 12:19
New International Version
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
Proverbs 12:22
New English Translation
Proverbs 12:22
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:22 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”) is a subjective genitive.
- Proverbs 12:22 tn Heb “lips of lying.” The genitive שָׁקֶר (shaqer, “lying”) functions as an attributive genitive: “lying lips.” The term “lips” functions as a synecdoche of part (= lips) for the whole (= person): “a liar.”
- Proverbs 12:22 tn Heb “but doers of truthfulness.” The term “truthfulness” is an objective genitive, meaning: “those who practice truth” or “those who act in good faith.” Their words and works are reliable.
- Proverbs 12:22 sn The contrast between “delight/pleasure” and “abomination” is emphatic. What pleases the Lord is acting truthfully or faithfully.
Proverbs 12:22
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Proverbs 12:22
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 12:22
New International Version
Proverbs 12:22
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Proverbs 14:25
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:25
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:25 tn Heb “a witness of truth”; cf. CEV “an honest witness.”
- Proverbs 14:25 tn The noun נְפָשׁוֹת (nefashot) often means “souls,” but here “lives”—it functions as a metonymy for life (BDB 659 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 3.c).sn The setting of this proverb is the courtroom. One who tells the truth “saves” (מַצִּיל [matsil, “rescues; delivers”]) the lives of those falsely accused.
- Proverbs 14:25 tc In the MT the verb lacks agreement with the two nouns in either gender or number so that there is no clear subject: “but he breathes lies, deceit.” Revocalizing the consonants from וְיָפִחַ (veyafiakh, “and he breathes/testifies”) to וִיפֵחַ (vifeakh, “and a witness [of lies]”) and from מִרְמָה (mirmah, “deceit”) to the Piel participle מְרַמֶּה (merammeh, “betrays, deceives, leads astray”) produces a grammatically acceptable text. One may also supply by parallelism “…betrays lives.”
Proverbs 14:25
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 14:25
Christian Standard Bible
25 A truthful witness rescues lives,
but one who utters lies is deceitful.(A)
Proverbs 14:25
New International Version
Proverbs 14:25
New International Version
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but a false witness is deceitful.(A)
Proverbs 16:13
New English Translation
Proverbs 16:13
New English Translation
13 The delight of a king[a] is righteous counsel,[b]
and he will love the one who speaks[c] uprightly.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:13 tc The MT has the plural. Two Hebrew mss, the LXX, Syriac, and Targum read “a king.”
- Proverbs 16:13 tn Heb “lips of righteousness”; cf. NAB, NIV “honest lips.” The genitive “righteousness” functions as an attributive adjective. The term “lips” is a metonymy of cause for what is said: “righteous speech” or “righteous counsel.”
- Proverbs 16:13 tn The MT has the singular participle followed by the plural adjective (which is here a substantive). The editors of BHS wish to follow the ancient versions in making the participle plural, “those who speak uprightly.”
- Proverbs 16:13 sn The verse is talking about righteous kings, of course—they love righteousness and not flattery. In this proverb “righteous” and “upright” referring to what is said means “what is right and straight,” i.e., the truth (cf. NCV).
Proverbs 16:13
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 16:13
Christian Standard Bible
13 Righteous lips are a king’s delight,
and he loves one who speaks honestly.
Proverbs 16:13
New International Version
Proverbs 16:13
New International Version
13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value the one who speaks what is right.(A)
Proverbs 19:1
New English Translation
Proverbs 19:1
New English Translation
19 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity[a]
than one who is perverse in his speech[b] and is a fool.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:1 sn People should follow honesty even if it leads to poverty (e.g., Prov 18:23; 19:22).
- Proverbs 19:1 tn Heb “lips.” The term “lips” is a metonymy for what one says with his lips. The expression “perverse in his lips” refers to speech that is morally perverted. Some medieval Hebrew mss, the Syriac, and Tg. Prov 19:1 have “his ways” rather than “his lips” (e.g., Prov 28:6); cf. NAB.
- Proverbs 19:1 tc The Syriac and Tg. Prov 19:1 read “rich” instead of MT “fool.” This makes tighter antithetical parallelism than MT and is followed by NAB. However, the MT makes sense as it stands; this is an example of metonymical parallelism. The MT reading is also supported by the LXX. The Hebrew construction uses וְהוּא (vehuʾ), “and he [is],” before “fool.” This may be rendered “one who is perverse while a fool” or “a fool at the same time.”
Proverbs 19:1
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 19:1
Christian Standard Bible
19 Better a poor person who lives with integrity(A)
than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.
Proverbs 19:1
New International Version
Proverbs 19:1
New International Version
19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.(A)
New English Translation (NET)
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