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Proverbs 3:11-12
New English Translation
Proverbs 3:11-12
New English Translation
11 My child, do not despise discipline from the Lord,[a]
and do not loathe[b] his rebuke.
12 For the Lord disciplines[c] those he loves,
just as a father[d] disciplines[e] the son in whom he delights.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:11 tn Heb “the discipline of the Lord.” Or “instruction,” see the note at 1:2.
- Proverbs 3:11 tn The verb קוּץ (quts) has a two-fold range of meaning: (1) “to feel a loathing; to abhor” and (2) “to feel a sickening dread” (BDB 880 s.v.). The parallelism with “do not despise” suggests the former nuance here. The common response to suffering is to loathe it; however, the righteous understand that it refines one’s moral character and that it is a means to the blessing.
- Proverbs 3:12 tn Heb “chastens.” The verb יָכַח (yakhakh) here means “to chasten; to punish” (HALOT 410 s.v. יכח 1) or “to correct; to rebuke” (BDB 407 s.v. 6). The context suggests some kind of corporeal discipline rather than mere verbal rebuke or cognitive correction. This verse is quoted in Heb 12:5-6 to show that suffering in the service of the Lord is a sign of membership in the covenant community (i.e., sonship).
- Proverbs 3:12 tc MT reads וּכְאָב (ukheʾav, “and like a father”) but the LXX reflects the Hiphil verb וְיַכְאִב (veyakhʾiv, “and scourges every son he receives”). Both readings fit the parallelism; however, it is unnecessary to emend MT which makes perfectly good sense. The fact that the writer of Hebrews quotes this passage from the LXX and it became part of the inspired NT text does not mean that the LXX reflects the original Hebrew reading here.
- Proverbs 3:12 tn The verb “disciplines” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
Proverbs 3:11-12
New International Version
Proverbs 3:11-12
New International Version
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:12 Hebrew; Septuagint loves, / and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child
Proverbs 4:23
New English Translation
Proverbs 4:23
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:23 tn Anatomically the Hebrew word לֵב (lev) refers to the “heart.” But abstractly it can refer to one’s inner self, will, understanding, or mind. They did not see the heart and mind in opposition, such that the advice here includes both one’s thinking and feelings.
- Proverbs 4:23 tn Heb “more than any guard.” The preposition מִן (min) has its comparative sense “more than.” The noun מִשְׁמָר (mishmar) refers here to the act of guarding, protection, or vigilance (BDB 1038 s.v. מִשְׁמָר; HALOT 649 s.v. מִשְׁמָר).
- Proverbs 4:23 sn The word תּוֹצְאוֹת (totseʾot, from יָצָא, yatsaʾ) means “outgoings; extremities; sources.” It is used here for starting points, like a fountainhead, and so the translation “sources” works well.
Proverbs 4:23
New International Version
Proverbs 4:23
New International Version
Proverbs 10:16
New English Translation
Proverbs 10:16
New English Translation
16 The reward[a] that the righteous receive[b] is life;
the recompense[c] that the wicked receive[d] is judgment.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:16 tn Heb “recompense” (so NAB); NASB, NIV “wages.” The noun פְּעֻלַּה (peʿullah) has a two-fold range of meanings: (1) “work; deed” and (2) “reward; recompense” (BDB 821 s.v.). There is a clear correlation between a person’s conduct and its consequences. Rewards are determined by moral choices. What one receives in life depends on the use of gifts and a righteous character.
- Proverbs 10:16 tn Heb “the recompense of the righteous.”
- Proverbs 10:16 tn Heb “harvest.” The term תְּבוּאַת (tevuʾat, “harvest; yield”) is used figuratively here (hypocatastasis), drawing an implied comparison between the agricultural yield of a farmer’s labors with the consequences of the actions of the wicked. They will “reap” (= judgment) what they “sow” (= sin).
- Proverbs 10:16 tn Heb “the harvest of the wicked.”
- Proverbs 10:16 tn Heb “sin.” The term חַטָּאת (khattaʾt, “sin”) functions as a metonymy of cause (= sin) for effect (= punishment). In contrast to the righteous who receive a reward, the wicked receive punishment for their sin (cf. NASB, NIV, NCV). See D. W. Thomas, “The Meaning of חַטָּאת in Proverbs X.16, ” JTS 15 (1964): 295-96.
Proverbs 10:16
New International Version
Proverbs 10:16
New International Version
Proverbs 10:24-25
New English Translation
Proverbs 10:24-25
New English Translation
24 What the wicked fears[a] will come on him;
what the righteous desire[b] will be granted.[c]
25 When the storm[d] passes through, the wicked are swept away,[e]
but the righteous are an everlasting foundation.[f]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:24 tn Heb “the dread of the wicked.” The noun רָשָׁע (rashaʿ, “wicked”) is a subjective genitive. The noun מְגוֹרַת (megorat) refers to “the feared thing,” that is, what the wicked dread. The wicked are afraid of the consequences of their sinful actions; however, they cannot escape these consequences.
- Proverbs 10:24 tn Heb “the desire of the righteous.” The noun צַדִּיק (tsadiq, “righteous”) is a subjective genitive.
- Proverbs 10:24 tn Heb “it will give.” When used without an expressed subject, the verb יִתֵּן (yitten) has a passive nuance: “it will be granted.”
- Proverbs 10:25 sn The word for “storm wind” comes from the root סוּף (suf, “to come to an end; to cease”). The noun may then describe the kind of storm that makes an end of things, a “whirlwind” (so KJV, NASB; NLT “cyclone”). It is used in prophetic passages that describe swift judgment and destruction.
- Proverbs 10:25 tn Heb “the wicked are not”; ASV, NAB, NASB “is no more.”
- Proverbs 10:25 tn Heb “a foundation forever”; NLT “have a lasting foundation.” sn The metaphor compares the righteous to an everlasting foundation to stress that they are secure when the catastrophes of life come along. He is fixed in a covenantal relationship and needs not to fear passing misfortunes. The wicked has no such security.
Proverbs 10:30
New English Translation
Proverbs 10:30
New English Translation
30 The righteous will never be moved,
but the wicked will not inhabit the land.[a]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:30 sn This proverb concerns the enjoyment of covenant blessings—dwelling in the land of Israel. It is promised to the righteous for an eternal inheritance, and so the wicked cannot expect to settle there—they will be exiled.
Proverbs 10:30
New International Version
Proverbs 10:30
New International Version
30 The righteous will never be uprooted,
but the wicked will not remain in the land.(A)
Proverbs 11:3-4
New English Translation
Proverbs 11:3-4
New English Translation
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,[a]
but the crookedness of the treacherous[b] destroys them.[c]
4 Wealth does not profit in the day of wrath,[d]
but righteousness delivers from death.
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 11:4 sn The “day of wrath” refers to divine punishment in this life (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 67; e.g., also Job 21:30; Ezek 7:19; Zeph 1:18). Righteousness and not wealth is more valuable in anticipating judgment.
Proverbs 11:3-4
New International Version
Proverbs 11:3-4
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
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Proverbs 11:20
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Proverbs 13:20-21
New English Translation
Proverbs 13:20-21
New English Translation
20 The one who associates[a] with the wise grows wise,[b]
but a companion of fools suffers harm.[c]
21 Calamity[d] pursues sinners,
but prosperity rewards the righteous.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:20 tn Heb “walks.” When used with the preposition אֶת (ʾet, “with”), the verb הָלַךְ (halakh, “to walk”) means “to associate with” someone (BDB 234 s.v. הָלַךְ II.3.b; e.g., Mic 6:8; Job 34:8). The active participle of הָלַךְ (“to walk”) stresses continual, durative action. One should stay in close association with the wise, and move in the same direction they do.
- Proverbs 13:20 tc The Kethib of the MT and two important Greek witnesses read “Walk with the wise and become wise.” The Qere and other important Greek witnesses along with the Syriac, Targum and Vulgate read “One who walks with the wise will become wise.”
- Proverbs 13:20 tn The verb form יֵרוֹעַ (yeroaʿ) is the Niphal imperfect of רָעַע (raʿaʿ), meaning “to suffer hurt.” Several have attempted to parallel the repetition in the wordplay of the first colon. A. Guillaume has “he who associates with fools will be left a fool” (“A Note on the Roots רִיע, יָרַע, and רָעַע in Hebrew,” JTS 15 [1964]: 294). Knox translated the Vulgate thus: “Fool he ends that fool befriends” (cited by D. Kidner, Proverbs [TOTC], 104).
- Proverbs 13:21 tn Heb “evil.” The term רָעָה (raʿah, “evil”) here functions in a metonymical sense meaning “calamity.” “Good” is the general idea of good fortune or prosperity; the opposite, “evil,” is likewise “misfortune” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV) or calamity.
- Proverbs 13:21 sn This statement deals with recompense in generalizing terms. It is this principle in an absolute sense, without allowing for any of the exceptions that Proverbs itself acknowledges, that Job’s friends applied (incorrectly) to his suffering.
Proverbs 13:20-21
New International Version
Proverbs 13:20-21
New International Version
20 Walk with the wise and become wise,
for a companion of fools suffers harm.(A)
Proverbs 14:11
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:11
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:11 tn Heb “house.” The term “house” is a metonymy of subject, referring to their contents: families and family life. sn Personal integrity ensures domestic stability and prosperity, while lack of such integrity (= wickedness) will lead to the opposite.
- Proverbs 14:11 tn The term “tent” is a metonymy here referring to the contents of the tent: families.
Proverbs 14:11
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Proverbs 14:11
New International Version
Proverbs 14:14
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:14
New English Translation
14 The backslider[a] will be paid back[b] from his own ways,
but a good person will be rewarded[c] for his.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:14 tn Heb “a backslidden heart.” The term סוּג (sug) means “to move away; to move backwards; to depart; to backslide” (BDB 690 s.v. I סוּג). This individual is the one who backslides, that is, who departs from the path of righteousness.
- Proverbs 14:14 tn Heb “will be filled”; cf. KJV, ASV. The verb (“to be filled, to be satisfied”) here means “to be repaid,” that is, to partake in his own evil ways. His faithlessness will come back to haunt him.
- Proverbs 14:14 tn The phrase “will be rewarded” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied based on the parallelism for the sake of clarity and smoothness.
Proverbs 14:14
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Proverbs 14:14
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Proverbs 15:9
New English Translation
Proverbs 15:9
New English Translation
9 The Lord abhors[a] the way of the wicked,
but he will love[b] those[c] who pursue[d] righteousness.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:9 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”) functions as a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.”
- Proverbs 15:9 tn The verb אָהֵב (ʾahev, “to love”) is stative, so its imperfect form should be future; it still speaks of a general truth.
- Proverbs 15:9 tn Heb “the one who” (so NRSV).
- Proverbs 15:9 sn God hates the way of the wicked, that is, their lifestyle and things they do. God loves those who pursue righteousness, the Piel verb signifying a persistent pursuit. W. G. Plaut says, “He who loves God will be moved to an active, persistent, and even dangerous search for justice” (Proverbs, 170).
Proverbs 15:9
New International Version
Proverbs 15:9
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Proverbs 15:15
New English Translation
Proverbs 15:15
New English Translation
15 All the days[a] of the afflicted[b] are bad,[c]
but one with[d] a cheerful heart has a continual feast.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:15 sn The “days” represent what happens on those days (metonymy of subject).
- Proverbs 15:15 tn The contrast is between the “afflicted” and the “good of heart” (a genitive of specification, “cheerful/healthy heart/spirit/attitude”). sn The parallelism suggests that the afflicted is one afflicted within his spirit, for the proverb is promoting a healthy frame of mind.
- Proverbs 15:15 tn Or “evil”; or “catastrophic.”
- Proverbs 15:15 tn “one with” is supplied.
- Proverbs 15:15 sn The image of a continual feast signifies the enjoyment of what life offers (cf. TEV “happy people…enjoy life”). The figure is a hypocatastasis; among its several implications are joy, fulfillment, abundance, pleasure.
Proverbs 15:15
New International Version
Proverbs 15:15
New International Version
15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.(A)
Proverbs 15:29
New English Translation
Proverbs 15:29
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:29 sn To say that the Lord is “far” from the wicked is to say that he has made himself unavailable to their appeal—he does not answer them. This motif is used by David throughout Ps 22 for the problem of unanswered prayer—“Why are you far off?”
- Proverbs 15:29 sn The verb “hear” (שָׁמַע, shamaʿ) has more of the sense of “respond to” in this context. If one “listens to the voice of the Lord,” for example, it means that he obeys the Lord. If one wishes God to “hear his prayer,” it means he wishes God to answer it.
- Proverbs 15:29 sn God’s response to prayer is determined by the righteousness of the one who prays. A prayer of repentance by the wicked is an exception, for by it they would become the righteous (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 316).
Proverbs 15:29
New International Version
Proverbs 15:29
New International Version
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.(A)
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