Proverbs 14:19

New English Translation

¹⁹Bad people have bowed^[a] before good people,
and wicked people have bowed^[b] at the gates^[c] of someone righteous.^[d]

Proverbs 14:19 tn The verb שָׁחַח (shakhakh) means “to crouch, cower, bow” whether from weariness or in submission. As a dynamic verb in the perfect conjugation form, it is past or perfective. Here the sage takes the viewpoint of assuring the learner of what has happened in the past, asserting it to be prototypical of what will continue to happen. Some translations emphasize the future implication (NIV, NASB, CEV, NLT) while others opt to portray the lesson as a characteristic present (ESV, KJV, Holman).
Proverbs 14:19 tn The phrase “have bowed” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
Proverbs 14:19 sn J. H. Greenstone suggests that this means that they are begging for favors (Proverbs, 154).
Proverbs 14:19 tn The adjective is singular. A plurality of people crouching before a single person portrays an even greater extent of difference in power between them.

New English Translation (NET)