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Proverbs 12:24
New English Translation
Proverbs 12:24
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:24 sn By their diligent work they succeed to management. The diligent rise to the top, while the lazy sink to the bottom.
- Proverbs 12:24 tn Heb “the hand of the diligent.” The term “hand” is a synecdoche of part (= hand) for the whole (= person): diligent person. The hand is emphasized because it is the instrument of physical labor; it signifies the actions and the industry of a diligent person—what his hand does.
- Proverbs 12:24 tn The term רְמִיָּה (remiyyah) can mean “slack, negligent, deceptive” (HALOT 1243 s.v.). By the feature of ellipsis and double duty we should probably understand it as “the hand of the negligent,” as a way of referring to a negligent person. The term refers to one who is not diligent, who perhaps tries deceive his employer about his work, which he has neglected.
- Proverbs 12:24 tn The term מַס (mas) refers to forced or conscripted labor and is sometimes translated as “slave labor” (NIV, cf. NLT “slave”) but it is far from clear that it means slavery (see NIDOTTE 984 s.v.). The term certainly describes imposed work requirements. For Israelites within Israel it is elsewhere used only in connection to conscription to work on royal building projects making it like a form of taxation (forced labor has often been used in world history as taxation instead of money). The precise use of the term here is unclear because of general lack of information, but perhaps the lazy person will not earn enough money to meet obligations and be required to pay via forced labor.
Proverbs 12:24
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 12:24
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
while the lazy will be put to forced labor.
Proverbs 17:10-11
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:10-11
New English Translation
10 A rebuke makes a greater impression on[a] a discerning person
than a hundred blows on a fool.[b]
11 An evil person seeks only rebellion,[c]
and so[d] a cruel messenger[e] will be sent against him.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:10 tn Heb “goes in deeper” (cf. NASB, NRSV). The verb נָחֵת (nakhet) “to go down; to descend” with the preposition ב (bet) means “to descend into; to make an impression on” someone.
- Proverbs 17:10 tn The form is the Hiphil infinitive of נָכָה (nakhah) with the comparative מִן, min. The word “fool” then would be an objective genitive—more than blows to/on a fool.
- Proverbs 17:11 tc The LXX reads ἀντιλογίας (antilogias, “contention”), which usually stands for the Hebrew words מְרִיבָה (merivah), מִדְיָן (midyan), or רִיב (riv). These words all refer to “strife, contention, disputing” and are all somewhat graphically similar to each other and the word מְרִי (meri, “rebellion”). Since the next Hebrew word starts with yod and bet, (יְבַקֵּשׁ, yevaqqesh) it is possible that something dropped out between the two yods and the text originally read מְרִיבָה יְבַקֵּשׁ or מִדְיָן יְבַקֵּשׁ.sn The proverb is set up in a cause and effect relationship. The cause is that evil people seek rebellion. The term מְרִי (meri) means “rebellion.” It is related to the verb מָרָה (marah, “to be contentious, to be rebellious, to be refractory”). BDB 598 s.v. מְרִי translates the line “a rebellious man seeketh only evil” (so NASB).
- Proverbs 17:11 tn The parallelism seems to be formal, with the idea simply continuing to the second line; the conjunction is therefore translated to reflect this. However, the proverb could be interpreted as antithetical just as easily.
- Proverbs 17:11 sn Those bent on rebellion will meet with retribution. The messenger could very well be a merciless messenger from the king, but the expression could also figuratively describe something God sends—storms, pestilence, or any other misfortune.
Proverbs 17:10-11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 17:10-11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
10 A rebuke strikes deeper into a discerning person
than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 Evil people seek only rebellion,
but a cruel messenger will be sent against them.
Proverbs 20:6
New English Translation
Proverbs 20:6
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:6 tn Heb “many a man calls/proclaims a man of his loyal love.” The Syriac and Tg. Prov 20:6 render the verb as passive: “many are called kind.” Other suggestions include: “most men meet people who will do them occasional kindnesses” (RSV); “many men profess friendship” (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 384); “many men invite only the one who has shown them kindness.” The simplest interpretation in this context is “many proclaim [themselves to be] a kind person (= a loyal friend).” The contrast is between many who claim to be loyal friends and the one who actually proves to be faithful.
- Proverbs 20:6 tn The shift to the expression “a man of faithfulness[es]” in the second line indicates that of all those who claim to show faithful love, it is rare to find one who is truly reliable (as the word אֱמוּנִים [ʾemunim] indicates clearly); cf. NAB, NRSV “one worthy of trust.”
- Proverbs 20:6 sn The point of the rhetorical question is that a truly faithful friend is very difficult to find.
Proverbs 20:6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 20:6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
6 Many proclaim themselves loyal,
but who can find one worthy of trust?(A)
Proverbs 20:8
New English Translation
Proverbs 20:8
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:8 tn The infinitive construct דִּין (din, “to judge”) indicates purpose (so NIV, NCV), even though it does not have a preposition with it.
- Proverbs 20:8 tn The second line uses the image of winnowing (cf. NIV, NRSV) to state that the king’s judgment removes evil from the realm. The verb form is מְזָרֶה (mezareh), the Piel participle. It has been translated “to sift; to winnow; to scatter” and “to separate”—i.e., separate out evil from the land. The text is saying that a just government roots out evil (cf. NAB “dispels all evil”), but few governments have been consistently just.
- Proverbs 20:8 sn The phrase with his eyes indicates that the king will closely examine or look into all the cases that come before him.
Proverbs 20:8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 20:8
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment
winnows all evil with his eyes.
Proverbs 20:30
New English Translation
Proverbs 20:30
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- Proverbs 20:30 tc The verb מָרַק (maraq) means “to polish; to scour”; in the Hiphil it means “to cleanse away,” but it is only attested here, and that in the Kethib reading of תַּמְרִיק (tamriq). The Qere has תַּמְרוּק (tamruq, “are a means of cleansing”). The LXX has “blows and contusions fall on evil men, and stripes penetrate their inner beings”; the Latin has “the bruise of a wound cleanses away evil things.” C. H. Toy suggests emending the text to read “stripes cleanse the body, and blows the inward parts” or “cosmetics purify the body, and blows the soul” (Proverbs [ICC], 397). Cf. CEV “can knock all of the evil out of you.”
- Proverbs 20:30 tn The term “cleanse” does not appear in this line but is supplied in the translation in the light of the parallelism.
- Proverbs 20:30 sn Physical punishment may prove spiritually valuable. Other proverbs say that some people will never learn from this kind of punishment, but in general this may be the only thing that works for some cases.
Proverbs 20:30
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 20:30
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
beatings make clean the innermost parts.
Proverbs 22:11
New English Translation
Proverbs 22:11
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:11 sn The “heart” is a metonymy of subject; it represents the intentions and choices that are made. “Pure of heart” uses “heart” as a genitive of specification. The expression refers to someone who has honest and clear intentions.
- Proverbs 22:11 tn Heb “grace of his lips” (so KJV, ASV). The “lips” are a metonymy of cause representing what is said; it also functions as a genitive of specification. sn This individual is gracious or kind in what he says; thus the verse is commending honest intentions and gracious words.
- Proverbs 22:11 tn The syntax of the line is somewhat difficult, because “grace of his lips” seems to be intruding on the point of the verse with little explanation. Therefore the LXX rendered it “The Lord loves the pure in heart; all who are blameless in their ways are acceptable to him.” This has very little correspondence with the Hebrew; nevertheless commentators attempt to reconstruct the verse using it, and the NAB follows the first clause of the LXX here. Some have suggested taking “king” as the subject of the whole verse (“the king loves…”), but this is forced.
Proverbs 22:11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 22:11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
11 Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech
will have the king as a friend.(A)
Proverbs 25:2
New English Translation
Proverbs 25:2
New English Translation
and it is the glory of a king to search out a matter.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:2 sn The proverb provides a contrast between God and the king, and therein is the clue to the range of application involved. The interest of the king is ruling or administering his government; and so the subject matter is a contrast to the way God rules his kingdom.
- Proverbs 25:2 sn The two infinitives form the heart of the contrast—“to conceal a matter” and “to search out a matter.” God’s government of the universe is beyond human understanding—humans cannot begin to fathom the intentions and operations of it. But it is the glory of kings to search out matters and make them intelligible to the people. Human government cannot claim divine secrecy; kings have to study and investigate everything before making a decision, even divine government as far as possible. But kings who rule as God’s representatives must also try to represent his will in human affairs—they must even inquire after God to find his will. This is their glorious nature and responsibility. For more general information on vv. 2-27, see G. E. Bryce, “Another Wisdom ‘Book’ in Proverbs,” JBL 91 (1972): 145-57.
Proverbs 25:2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 25:2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
2 It is the glory of God to conceal things,
but the glory of kings is to search things out.(A)
Proverbs 25:5
New English Translation
Proverbs 25:5
New English Translation
5 remove the wicked from before the king,[a]
and his throne[b] will be established in righteousness.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:5 sn These two verses present first an illustration and then the point (so it is emblematic parallelism). The passage uses imperatives to teach that the wicked must be purged from the kingdom.
- Proverbs 25:5 sn “Throne” is a metonymy of subject (or adjunct); it is the symbol of the government over which the king presides (cf. NCV, TEV).
- Proverbs 25:5 sn When the king purges the wicked from his court he will be left with righteous counselors and his government therefore will be “established in righteousness”—it will endure through righteousness (cf. NLT “made secure by justice”). But as J. H. Greenstone says, “The king may have perfect ideals and his conduct may be irreproachable, but he may be misled by unscrupulous courtiers” (Proverbs, 264).
Proverbs 25:5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 25:5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king,
and his throne will be established in righteousness.(A)
Proverbs 28:21
New English Translation
Proverbs 28:21
New English Translation
21 To show partiality[a] is terrible,[b]
for a person will transgress over the smallest piece of bread.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 28:21 tn The construction uses the Hiphil infinitive הַכֵּר (hakken) as the subject of the sentence: “to have respect for [or, recognize] persons is not good” (e.g., 24:23; 18:5; Deut 1:17; Lev 19:15). Such favoritism is “not good”; instead, it is a miscarriage of justice and is to be avoided.
- Proverbs 28:21 tn Heb “not good.” This is a figure of speech known as tapeinosis—a deliberate understatement to emphasize a worst-case scenario: “it is terrible!”
- Proverbs 28:21 tn The meaning and connection of the line is not readily clear. It could be taken in one of two ways: (1) a person can steal even a small piece of bread if hungry, and so the court should show some compassion, or it should show no partiality even in such a pathetic case; (2) a person could be bribed for a very small price (a small piece of bread being the figure representing this). This second view harmonizes best with the law.
Proverbs 28:21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 28:21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
21 To show partiality is not good,
yet for a piece of bread a person may do wrong.
Proverbs 29:12
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:12
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:12 tn The Hiphil participle מַקְשִׁיב (maqshiv) means “to give attention to; to regard; to heed.” Cf. NASB, NCV, TEV “pays attention to.”sn Such a ruler would become known as one who could be lied to, because he paid attention to lies.
- Proverbs 29:12 tn Heb “word of falsehood” or “lying word.” Cf. TEV “false information.”
- Proverbs 29:12 tn The verb שָׁרַת (sharat) means “to minister; to serve.” The Piel plural participle here refers to servants of the king who attend to him—courtiers and ministers (cf. NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV “officials”; NLT “advisers”). This, his entourage, will have to resort to evil practices to gain his favor if he is swayed by such lies.
- Proverbs 29:12 sn The servants of the monarch adjust to their ruler; when they see that court flattery and deception are effective, they will begin to practice it and in the end become wicked (e.g., Prov 16:10; 20:8; 25:2).
Proverbs 29:12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 29:12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
12 If a ruler listens to falsehood,
all his officials will be wicked.
Proverbs 29:19
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:19
New English Translation
19 A servant[a] cannot be corrected[b] by words,
for although[c] he understands, there is no answer.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:19 sn Servants could not be corrected by mere words; they had to be treated like children for they were frequently unresponsive. This, of course, would apply to certain kinds of servants. The Greek version translated this as “a stubborn servant.”
- Proverbs 29:19 tn The Niphal imperfect here is best rendered as a potential imperfect—“cannot be corrected.” The second line of the verse clarifies that even though the servant understands the words, he does not respond. It will take more.
- Proverbs 29:19 tn Heb “for he understands, but there is no answer.” The concessive idea (“although”) is taken from the juxtaposition of the two parts.
- Proverbs 29:19 sn To say “there is no answer” means that this servant does not obey—he has to be trained in a different way.
Proverbs 29:19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 29:19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
19 By mere words slaves are not disciplined,
for though they understand, they will not give heed.
Proverbs 29:21
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:21
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:21 tn There is no conditional particle at the beginning of the verse; however, the relationship of the clauses, which lay down the condition first and then (with a vav) the consequences, indicates a conditional construction here. Cf. also NAB, NIV, NCV, TEV.
- Proverbs 29:21 tn The word מָנוֹן (manon) is a hapax legomenon; accordingly, it has been given a variety of interpretations. The LXX has “grief,” and this has been adopted by some versions (e.g., NIV, NCV). The idea would be that treating the servant too easily for so long would not train him at all, so he will be of little use, and therefore a grief. J. Reider takes the word to mean “weakling” from the Arabic root naʾna (“to be weak”), with a noun/adjective form munaʾanaʾ (“weak; feeble”); see his “Etymological Studies in Biblical Hebrew,” VT 4 [1954]: 276-95. This would give a different emphasis to the sentence, but on the whole not very different than the first. In both cases the servant will not be trained well. Rashi, a Jewish scholar who lived a.d. 1040-1105, had the translation “a master.” The servant trained this way will assume authority in the household even as the son. This may be behind the KJV translation “son” (likewise ASV, NASB). Tg. Prov 29:21 and the Syriac have “to be uprooted,” which may reflect a different text entirely.
Proverbs 29:21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 29:21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
21 A slave pampered from childhood
will come to a bad end.[a]
Footnotes
- 29.21 Vg: Meaning of Heb uncertain
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