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Proverbs 20:22
English Standard Version
Proverbs 20:22
English Standard Version
Proverbs 20:22
New English Translation
Proverbs 20:22
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:22 tn The verse is directly instructive; it begins with the negated jussive in the first colon, and follows with the imperative in the second. It warns that the righteous should not take vengeance on the wicked, for only God can do that.
- Proverbs 20:22 tn The form is the Piel cohortative of resolve—“I am determined to pay back.” The verb שָׁלֵם (shalem) means “to be complete; to be sound.” In this stem, however, it can mean “to make complete; to make good; to requite; to recompense” (KJV, ASV). The idea is “getting even” by paying back someone for the evil done.
- Proverbs 20:22 sn To “wait” (קַוֵּה, qavveh) on the Lord requires faith in him, reliance on divine justice, and patience. It means that the wrongs done to a person will have to be endured for a time.
- Proverbs 20:22 tn After the imperative, the jussive is subordinated in a purpose or result clause: “wait for the Lord so that he may deliver you.” The verb יֹשַׁע (yoshaʿ) means “to save (KJV, ASV, NASB); to deliver (NIV); to give victory”; in this context it means “deliver from the evil done to you,” and so “vindicate” is an appropriate connotation. Cf. NCV “he will make things right.”
Proverbs 20:28
English Standard Version
Proverbs 20:28
English Standard Version
28 (A)Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
and by steadfast love his (B)throne is upheld.
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 22:3
English Standard Version
Proverbs 22:3
English Standard Version
3 (A)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
Proverbs 22:3
New English Translation
Proverbs 22:3
New English Translation
3 A shrewd person[a] saw[b] danger[c] and hid[d] himself,
but the naive passed on by and paid for it.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:3 sn The contrast is between the “shrewd” (prudent) person and the “simpleton.” The shrewd person knows where the dangers and pitfalls are in life and so can avoid them; the naive person is unwary, untrained, and gullible, unable to survive the dangers of the world and blundering into them.
- Proverbs 22:3 tn All the verbs in this verse are perfect forms, so past tense in English. They portray events that have happened as prototypical of what commonly happens.
- Proverbs 22:3 tn Heb “evil,” a term that is broad enough to include (1) “sin” as well as (2) any form of “danger” (NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or “trouble” (TEV, CEV). The second option is more likely what is meant here: The naive simpleton does not see the danger to be avoided and so suffers for it.
- Proverbs 22:3 tc The Kethib is a Niphal imperfect, while the Qere is a Niphal perfect. The perfect form matches the rest of the verbs in the verse and is followed here.
- Proverbs 22:3 tn The verb עָנַשׁ (ʿanash) means “to fine” specifically. In the Niphal stem it means “to be fined,” or more generally, “to be punished.” In this line the punishment is the consequence of blundering into trouble—they will pay for it.
Proverbs 22:10
English Standard Version
Proverbs 22:10
English Standard Version
Proverbs 22:10
New English Translation
Proverbs 22:10
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:10 sn This proverb, written in loose synonymous parallelism, instructs that the scorner should be removed because he causes strife. The “scorner” is לֵץ (lets), the one the book of Proverbs says cannot be changed with discipline or correction, but despises and disrupts anything that is morally or socially constructive.
- Proverbs 22:10 tc The LXX freely adds “when he sits in council (ἐν συνεδρίῳ, en sunedriō), he insults everyone.” The MT does not suggest that the setting is in a court of law; so the LXX addition is highly unlikely.
Proverbs 27:12
English Standard Version
Proverbs 27:12
English Standard Version
Proverbs 27:12
New English Translation
Proverbs 27:12
New English Translation
12 A shrewd person saw[a] danger—he hid himself;
the naive[b] passed right on by[c]—they had to pay[d] for it.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:12 tn All of the verbs in this verse are Hebrew perfect forms that should be understood as past tense. The proverb presents its message as events which have occurred and are prototypical of the behavior of the shrewd and the inexperienced.
- Proverbs 27:12 tn This noun is plural, while the earlier substantival adjective “shrewd” is singular. The contrast may suggest that the naive are in a group, each one doing what the others do, while insightful person had to go against the flow. That is, the naive go along with the bandwagon; but the shrewd person thinks for his/herself and makes good decisions accordingly.
- Proverbs 27:12 tn Heb “passed by”; the word “right” is supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning: The naive person, oblivious to impending danger, meets it head on.
- Proverbs 27:12 tn The Qal of the verb עָנָשׁ (ʿanash) means to impose a fine; here in the Niphal it means to have a fine imposed, or to have to pay for something. By extension it means to suffer a penalty. The English idiom “to pay for” meaning “to suffer the consequences” conveys the idea while preserving the lexical base in Hebrew. Cf. NIV, ESV “suffer for it,” NASB, TNIV “pay the penalty,” KJV, Holman “are punished.”
Proverbs 28:16
English Standard Version
Proverbs 28:16
English Standard Version
16 A ruler who (A)lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
Proverbs 28:16
New English Translation
Proverbs 28:16
New English Translation
16 The prince who is a great oppressor lacks wisdom,[a]
but the one who hates[b] unjust gain will prolong his days.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 28:16 tn Heb “A prince lacking of understanding [is] also a great oppressor” (both KJV, ASV similar) The last clause, “and a great oppressor,” appears to modify “the prince.” There is little difference in meaning, only in emphasis. The LXX has “lacks income” (reading תְּבוּאוֹת [tevuʾot] instead of תְּבוּנוֹת [tevunot]). C. H. Toy (Proverbs [ICC], 501) suggests deleting the word for “prince” altogether, but this emendation is gratuitous.
- Proverbs 28:16 tc This follows the Qere reading of the participle which is singular (as opposed to the plural). The implication is that this one is also a ruler, paralleling the first half. But since he “hates” (= rejects) unjust gain he will extend [his] days, meaning he will enjoy a long and happy life (cf. NIV, NRSV, CEV).
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New English Translation (NET)
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