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Proverbs 14:28
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:28
New English Translation
28 A king’s glory is[a] the abundance of people,
but the lack of subjects[b] is the ruin[c] of a ruler.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:28 tn The preposition serves as the beth essentiae—the glory is the abundant population, not in it.
- Proverbs 14:28 tn Heb “people.” Cf. NLT “a dwindling nation.”
- Proverbs 14:28 sn The word means “ruin; destruction,” but in this context it could be a metonymy of effect, the cause being an attack by more numerous people that will bring ruin to the ruler. The proverb is purely a practical and secular saying, unlike some of the faith teachings in salvation history passages.
Proverbs 14:28
World English Bible
Proverbs 14:28
World English Bible
28 In the multitude of people is the king’s glory,
but in the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.
Proverbs 14:35
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:35
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:35 tn Heb “the favor of a king.” The noun “king” functions as a subjective genitive: “the king shows favor….”
- Proverbs 14:35 sn The wise servant is shown favor, while the shameful servant is shown anger. Two Hiphil participles make the contrast: מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil, “wise”) and מֵבִישׁ (mevish, “one who acts shamefully”). The wise servant is a delight and enjoys the favor of the king because he is skillful and clever. The shameful one botches his duties; his indiscretions and incapacity expose the master to criticism (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 470).
- Proverbs 14:35 tn Heb “is” (so KJV, ASV).
Proverbs 14:35
World English Bible
Proverbs 14:35
World English Bible
35 The king’s favor is toward a servant who deals wisely,
but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.
Proverbs 16:10
New English Translation
Proverbs 16:10
New English Translation
10 The divine verdict[a] is in the words[b] of the king,
his pronouncements[c] must not act treacherously[d] against justice.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:10 tn Heb “oracle” (so NAB, NIV) or “decision”; TEV “the king speaks with divine authority.” The term קֶסֶם (qesem) is used in the sense of “oracle; decision; verdict” (HALOT 1115-16 s.v.). The pronouncements of a king form an oracular sentence, as if he speaks for God; they are divine decisions (e.g., Num 22:7; 23:23; 2 Sam 14:20).
- Proverbs 16:10 tn Heb “on the lips.” The term “lips” is a metonymy of cause referring to what the king says—no doubt what he says officially.
- Proverbs 16:10 tn Heb “his mouth.” The term “mouth” is a metonymy of cause for what the king says: his pronouncements and legal decisions.
- Proverbs 16:10 sn The second line gives the effect of the first: If the king delivers such oracular sayings (קֶסֶם, qesem, translated “divine verdict”), then he must be careful in the decisions he makes. The imperfect tense then requires a modal nuance to stress the obligation of the king not to act treacherously against justice. It would also be possible to translate the verb as a jussive: Let the king not act treacherously against justice. For duties of the king, see Ps 72 and Isa 11. For a comparison with Ezek 21:23-26, see E. W. Davies, “The Meaning of qesem in Prov 16:10, ” Bib 61 (1980): 554-56.
Proverbs 16:10
World English Bible
Proverbs 16:10
World English Bible
10 Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king.
He shall not betray his mouth.
Proverbs 16:12-15
New English Translation
Proverbs 16:12-15
New English Translation
12 Doing wickedness[a] is an abomination to kings,
because a throne[b] is established in righteousness.
13 The delight of a king[c] is righteous counsel,[d]
and he will love the one who speaks[e] uprightly.[f]
14 A king’s wrath[g] is like[h] a messenger of death,[i]
but a wise person appeases it.[j]
15 In the light of the king’s face[k] there is life,
and his favor is like the clouds[l] of the spring rain.[m]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:12 sn The “wickedness” mentioned here (רֶשַׁע, reshaʿ) might better be understood as a criminal act, for the related word “wicked” can also mean the guilty criminal. If a king is trying to have a righteous administration, he will detest any criminal acts.
- Proverbs 16:12 tn The “throne” represents the administration, or the decisions made from the throne by the king, and so the word is a metonymy of adjunct (cf. NLT “his rule”).
- 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 16:14 sn This proverb introduces the danger of becoming a victim of the king’s wrath (cf. CEV “if the king becomes angry, someone may die”). A wise person knows how to pacify the unexpected and irrational behavior of a king. The proverb makes the statement, and then gives the response to the subject.
- Proverbs 16:14 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.
- Proverbs 16:14 tn The expression uses an implied comparison, comparing “wrath” to a messenger because it will send a message. The qualification is “death,” an objective genitive, meaning the messenger will bring death, or the message will be about death. E.g., 1 Kgs 2:25, 29-34 and 46. Some have suggested a comparison with the two messengers of Baal to the god Mot (“Death”) in the Ugaritic tablets (H. L. Ginsberg, “Baal’s Two Messengers,” BASOR 95 [1944]: 25-30). If there is an allusion, it is a very slight one. The verse simply says that the king’s wrath threatens death.
- Proverbs 16:14 tn The verb is כָּפַר (kafar), which means “to pacify; to appease” and “to atone; to expiate” in Levitical passages. It would take a wise person to know how to calm or pacify the wrath of a king—especially in the ancient Near East.
- Proverbs 16:15 tn Heb “the light of the face of the king.” This expression is a way of describing the king’s brightened face, his delight in what is taking place. This would mean life for those around him.sn The proverb is the antithesis of 16:14.
- Proverbs 16:15 tn Heb “cloud.”
- Proverbs 16:15 tn Heb “latter rain” (so KJV, ASV). The favor that this expression represents is now compared to the cloud of rain that comes with the “latter” rain or harvest rain. The point is that the rain cloud was necessary for the successful harvest; likewise the king’s pleasure will ensure the success and the productivity of the people under him. E.g., also Psalm 72:15-17; the prosperity of the land is portrayed as a blessing on account of the ideal king.
Proverbs 16:12-15
World English Bible
Proverbs 16:12-15
World English Bible
12 It is an abomination for kings to do wrong,
for the throne is established by righteousness.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings.
They value one who speaks the truth.
14 The king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
but a wise man will pacify it.
15 In the light of the king’s face is life.
His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.
Proverbs 17:7
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:7
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:7 tn The word יֶתֶר (yeter) could be rendered either “arrogant” (cf. NIV) or “excellent” (cf. KJV, NASB; NLT “eloquent”) because the basic idea of the word is “remainder; excess,” from the verb “be left over.” It describes “lofty” speech (arrogant or excellent) that is not suited for the fool. The Greek version, using pista, seems to support the idea of “excellent,” and makes a contrast: “words that are excellent do not fit a fool.” The idea of arrogance (NIV) fits if it is taken in the sense of lofty, heightened, or excessive language.
- Proverbs 17:7 tn “a lip of excess.” The term “lip” is a metonymy for what is said.
- Proverbs 17:7 sn The “fool” proper, described by the term נָבָל (naval), occurs only here, in v. 21, and in 30:22 in the book. It describes someone who is godless and immoral in an overbearing way (e.g., 1 Sam 25:25; Ps 14:1). A fool should restrain his words lest his foolishness spew out.
- Proverbs 17:7 tn Heb “speech of falsehood”; NRSV “false speech.”
- Proverbs 17:7 sn This “ruler” (KJV, NASB “prince”; NAB “noble”) is a gentleman with a code of honor, to whom truthfulness is second nature (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 507). The word describes one as “inclined, generous, noble” (BDB 622 s.v. נָדִיב). It is cognate to the word for the “free will offering.” So for such a noble person lies are not suited. The argument is from the lesser to the greater—if fools shouldn’t speak lofty things, then honorable people should not lie (or, lofty people should not speak base things).
Proverbs 17:7
World English Bible
Proverbs 17:7
World English Bible
7 Excellent speech isn’t fitting for a fool,
much less do lying lips fit a prince.
Proverbs 17:11
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:11
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- 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 17:11
World English Bible
Proverbs 17:11
World English Bible
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion;
therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
Proverbs 19:12
New English Translation
Proverbs 19:12
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:12 sn The verse contrasts the “rage” of the king with his “favor” by using two similes. The first simile presents the king at his most dangerous—his anger (e.g., 20:2; Amos 3:4). The second simile presents his favor as beneficial for life (e.g., 16:14-15; 28:15).
- Proverbs 19:12 tn Heb “is a roaring like a lion.”
- Proverbs 19:12 sn The proverb makes an observation about a king’s power to terrify or to refresh. It advises people to use tact with a king.
Proverbs 19:12
World English Bible
Proverbs 19:12
World English Bible
12 The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
Proverbs 20:2
New English Translation
Proverbs 20:2
New English Translation
2 The king’s terrifying anger[a] is like the roar of a lion;
whoever provokes him[b] sins against himself.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:2 tn Heb “the terror of a king” (so ASV, NASB); The term “terror” is a metonymy of effect for cause: the anger of a king that causes terror among the people. The term “king” functions as a possessive genitive: “a king’s anger” (cf. NIV “A king’s wrath”; NLT “The king’s fury”).
- Proverbs 20:2 tn The verb מִתְעַבְּרוֹ (mitʿabbero) is problematic; in the MT the form is the Hitpael participle with a pronominal suffix, which is unusual, for the direct object of this verb usually takes a preposition first: “is angry with.” The LXX rendered it “angers [or, irritates].”
- Proverbs 20:2 sn The expression “sins against himself” has been taken by some to mean “forfeits his life” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “endangers his life” (cf. NCV, NLT). That may be the implication of getting oneself in trouble with an angry king (cf. TEV “making him angry is suicide”).
Proverbs 20:2
World English Bible
Proverbs 20:2
World English Bible
2 The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion.
He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.
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
World English Bible
Proverbs 20:8
World English Bible
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment
scatters away all evil with his eyes.
Proverbs 20:26
New English Translation
Proverbs 20:26
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:26 tn Heb “winnows” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV). The sage draws on the process of winnowing to explain how the king uncovers and removes wickedness. The verb from which the participle מְזָרֶה (mezareh) is derived means “to separate; to winnow; to scatter”; the implied comparison means that the king will separate good people from bad people like wheat is separated from chaff. The image of winnowing is also used in divine judgment. The second line of the verse uses a detail of the process to make the point. Driving a wheel over the wheat represents the threshing process; the sharp iron wheels of the cart would easily serve the purpose (e.g., Isa 28:27-28).
- Proverbs 20:26 tn The king has the wisdom/ability to destroy evil from his kingdom. See also D. W. Thomas, “Proverbs 20:26, ” JTS 15 (1964): 155-56.
Proverbs 20:26
World English Bible
Proverbs 20:26
World English Bible
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked,
and drives the threshing wheel over them.
Proverbs 20:28
New English Translation
Proverbs 20:28
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:28 tn The first line uses two Hebrew words, חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת (khesed veʾemet, “loyal love and truth”), to tell where security lies. The first word is the covenant term for “loyal love; loving-kindness; mercy”; and the second is “truth” in the sense of what is reliable and dependable. The two words often are joined together to form a hendiadys: “faithful love.” That a hendiadys is intended here is confirmed by the fact that the second line uses only the critical word חֶסֶד.
- Proverbs 20:28 sn The emphasis is on the Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7:11-16; Ps 89:19-37). It is the Lord and his faithful love for his covenant that ultimately makes the empire secure. But the enjoyment of divine protection requires the king to show loyal love as well.
Proverbs 20:28
World English Bible
Proverbs 20:28
World English Bible
28 Love and faithfulness keep the king safe.
His throne is sustained by love.
Proverbs 21:1
New English Translation
Proverbs 21:1
New English Translation
21 The king’s heart[a] is in the hand[b] of the Lord like channels of water;[c]
he turns it wherever he wants.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:1 sn “Heart” is a metonymy of subject; it signifies the ability to make decisions, if not the decisions themselves.
- Proverbs 21:1 sn “Hand” in this passage is a personification; the word is frequently used idiomatically for “power,” and that is the sense intended here.
- Proverbs 21:1 tn “Channels of water” (פַּלְגֵי, palge) is an adverbial accusative, functioning as a figure of comparison—“like channels of water.” Cf. NAB “Like a stream”; NIV “watercourse”; NRSV, NLT “a stream of water.”sn The farmer channels irrigation ditches where he wants them, where they will do the most good; so does the Lord with the king. No king is supreme; the Lord rules.
Proverbs 21:1
World English Bible
Proverbs 21:1
World English Bible
21 The king’s heart is in Yahweh’s hand like the watercourses.
He turns it wherever he desires.
New English Translation (NET)
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