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Proverbs 11:9
English Standard Version
Proverbs 11:9
English Standard Version
9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
Proverbs 11:9
New English Translation
Proverbs 11:9
New English Translation
9 With his speech[a] the godless person[b] destroys[c] his neighbor,
but by knowledge[d] the righteous will be delivered.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:9 tn Heb “with his mouth.” The term פֶּה (peh, “mouth”) functions as a metonymy of cause for speech.
- Proverbs 11:9 sn The Hebrew word originally meant “impious, godless, polluted, profane.” It later developed the idea of a “hypocrite” (Dan 11:32), one who conceals his evil under the appearance of godliness or kindness. This one is a false flatterer.
- Proverbs 11:9 sn The verb שָׁחַת (shakhat) means “to destroy; to ruin” (e.g., the destruction of Sodom in Gen 13:10). The imperfect tense is probably not an habitual imperfect (because the second colon shows exceptions), but probably a progressive imperfect (“this goes on”) or potential imperfect (“they can do this”).
- Proverbs 11:9 sn The antithetical proverb states that a righteous person can escape devastating slander through knowledge. The righteous will have sufficient knowledge and perception to see through the hypocrisy and avoid its effect.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New English Translation (NET)
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