Proverbs 17:4

New Living Translation

⁴Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip;
liars pay close attention to slander.

Proverbs 17:4

New English Translation

⁴One who acts wickedly^[a] pays attention to evil counsel;^[b]
a liar listens^[c] to a malicious tongue.^[d]

Proverbs 17:4 tn The Hiphil participle מֵרַע (meraʿ) indicates one who is a doer of evil. The line affirms that a person of this nature will eagerly listen to evil talk—it is part of his nature.
Proverbs 17:4 tn Heb “to the lip of evil”; ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV “wicked lips.” The term “lip” is a metonymy of cause for speech (what is said); the term “evil” is an attributive genitive. The same will be true in the parallel line where the expression “to the tongue of destruction” (NASB “a destructive tongue”) means things that are said that destroy others.
Proverbs 17:4 tc The verb מֵזִין (mezin) would a Hiphil participle from זון (zwn, “to feed”). The suggested emendation is מַאֲזִין (maʿazin), derive it from the denominative verb אזן (ʾzn, “to give ear, listen”). Two Hebrew mss have this variant.
Proverbs 17:4 sn Wicked, self-serving people find destructive speech appealing. They should be rebuked and not tolerated (Lev 19:17).

¹¹Evil people are eager for rebellion,
but they will be severely punished.

¹¹An evil person seeks only rebellion,^[a]
and so^[b] a cruel messenger^[c] will be sent against him.

Proverbs 17:11 tc The LXX reads ἀντιλογίας (antilogias, “contention”), which usually stands for the Hebrew words מְרִיבָה (m^erivah), 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 (m^eri, “rebellion”). Since the next Hebrew word starts with yod and bet, (יְבַקֵּשׁ, y^evaqqesh) 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 (m^eri) 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.

²³The wicked take secret bribes
to pervert the course of justice.

²³A wicked person receives a bribe secretly^[a]
to pervert^[b] the ways of justice.

Proverbs 17:23 sn The fact that the “gift” is given secretly (Heb “from the bosom” [מֵחֵיק, mekheq]; so NASB) indicates that it was not proper. Cf. NRSV “a concealed bribe”; TEV, CEV, NLT “secret bribes.”
Proverbs 17:23 tn The form לְהַטּוֹת (l^ehattot) is the Hiphil infinitive construct of נָטָה (natah), meaning “to thrust away,” i.e., to “pervert.” This purpose clause clarifies that the receiving of the “gift” is for evil intent.

New Living Translation (NLT)

New English Translation (NET)