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Proverbs 17:7
New Living Translation
Proverbs 17:7
New Living Translation
7 Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool;
even less are lies fitting for a ruler.
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 17:10
New Living Translation
Proverbs 17:10
New Living Translation
10 A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding
than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.
Proverbs 17:10
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:10
New English Translation
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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 17:12
New Living Translation
Proverbs 17:12
New Living Translation
12 It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than to confront a fool caught in foolishness.
Proverbs 17:12
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:12
New English Translation
12 It is better for a person to meet[a] a mother bear being robbed of her cubs,
than[b] to encounter[c] a fool in his folly.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:12 tn Heb “Let a man meet” (so NASB); NLT “It is safer to meet.” The infinitive absolute פָּגוֹשׁ (pagosh, “to meet”) functions as a jussive of advice. The bear meeting a man is less dangerous than a fool in his folly. It could be worded as a “better” saying, but that formula is not found here.
- Proverbs 17:12 tn The second colon begins with וְאַל (veʾal), “and not.” This negative usually appears with volitives, so the fuller expression of the parallel line would be “and let not a fool in his folly [meet someone].”
- Proverbs 17:12 tn The words “to meet” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied by the parallelism and are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Proverbs 17:12 sn The human, who is supposed to be rational and intelligent, in such folly becomes more dangerous than the beast that in this case acts with good reason. As R. L. Alden comments, “Consider meeting a fool with a knife, or gun, or even behind the wheel of a car” (Proverbs, 134). See also E. Loewenstamm, “Remarks on Proverbs 17:12 and 20:27, ” VT 37 (1967): 221-24. For a slightly different nuance cf. TEV “some fool busy with a stupid project.”
Proverbs 17:16
New Living Translation
Proverbs 17:16
New Living Translation
16 It is senseless to pay to educate a fool,
since he has no heart for learning.
Proverbs 17:16
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:16
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:16 tn Heb “why is this that…?” The combination of לָמָּה (lammah, “for what?, why?”) and זֶּה (zeh, “this”) does not simply seek a reason, but can add an incredulous tone to the question. Cf. Gen 25:32; Exod 2:20; 5:22; 17:3; Num 11:20; 1 Sam 17:28; 20:8; 26:18. Colloqially this might be expressed as “Why in the world…?” or “Why ever would…?”
- Proverbs 17:16 tn Heb “that there is a price in the hand of a fool.” This is not the common word for money, which would simply be “silver.” The word מְחִיר (mekhir) means “price, cost, value, hire, wages” (see HALOT 569 s.v. and Concise DCH 214 s.v.).
- Proverbs 17:16 tn Heb “and a mind of nothing.” The word לֵב (lev) can refer to the mind and so represent thinking or refer to the heart and represent feeling or will. This can extend to refer to inclination, determination, reason, or common sense (see HALOT 514 s.v.). The construction is circumstantial “when the לֵב is empty/absent.” Due to the range of meaning of לֵב, it could have several nuances. It could focus on thought, “when [or since] he is empty-headed” or “brainless,” as if to say, “why does he have money to buy a wisdom program when he doesn’t have the hardware to run it on?” Cf. NASB “he has no sense” (TEV “no common sense”) and NRSV “have no mind [to learn].” It could focus on the will, “when he has no motivation” or “is not of a mind [to use it].” Cf. NLT “has no heart for wisdom” and NIV “has no desire.” It could also be a comment on the rhetorical question, “it is an empty-headed [thing to do],” perhaps a way to assert that it is senseless to try to buy wisdom.sn W. McKane envisions a situation where the fool comes to a sage with a fee in hand, supposing that he can acquire a career as a sage, and this gives rise to the biting comment here: Why does the fool have money in his hands? To buy wisdom when he has no brains? (Proverbs [OTL], 505). According R. Murphy, “The price for acquiring wisdom is only metaphorical; the fool does not have the ‘heart,’ i.e., the sense or desire to pursue the goal. See also v 24. According to 26:7 the fool is not able to implement a proverb, even though he ‘mouths’ it” (Proverbs [WBC], 130).
Proverbs 17:24-25
New Living Translation
Proverbs 17:24-25
New Living Translation
24 Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom,
but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
25 Foolish children[a] bring grief to their father
and bitterness to the one who gave them birth.
Footnotes
- 17:25 Hebrew A foolish son.
Proverbs 17:24-25
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:24-25
New English Translation
24 Wisdom is directly in front of[a] the discerning person,
but the eyes of a fool run[b] to the ends of the earth.[c]
25 A foolish child is a grief[d] to his father,
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:24 tn The verse begins with אֶת־פְּנֵי מֵבִין (ʾet pene mevin), “before the discerning” or “the face of the discerning.” The particle אֶת here is simply drawing emphasis to the predicate (IBHS 182-83 §10.3.2b). Cf. NIV “A discerning man keeps wisdom in view.”
- Proverbs 17:24 tn The term “run” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for the sake of clarification.
- Proverbs 17:24 sn To say that “the eyes of the fool run to the ends of the earth” means that he has no power to concentrate and cannot focus his attention on anything. The language is hyperbolic. Cf. NCV “the mind of a fool wanders everywhere.”
- Proverbs 17:25 sn The Hebrew noun means “vexation, anger, grief.”
- Proverbs 17:25 tn Heb “to the one who bore him.” Because the participle is feminine singular in Hebrew, this has been translated as “the mother who bore him.”sn The proverb is similar to v. 21, 10:1, and 15:20.
Proverbs 17:28
New Living Translation
Proverbs 17:28
New Living Translation
28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
Proverbs 17:28
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:28
New English Translation
28 Even a fool who remains silent is considered[a] wise,
and the one who holds his tongue is deemed discerning.[b]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:28 tn The imperfect tense here denotes possibility: One who holds his tongue [may be considered] discerning.
- Proverbs 17:28 tn The Niphal participle is used in the declarative/estimative sense with stative verbs: “to be discerning” (Qal) becomes “to be declared discerning” (Niphal). The proverb is teaching that silence is one evidence of wisdom, and that even a fool can thereby appear wise. D. Kidner says that a fool who takes this advice is no longer a complete fool (Proverbs [TOTC], 127). He does not, of course, become wise—he just hides his folly.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New English Translation (NET)
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