Proverbs 22:10
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 22:10
New English Translation
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 22:17-21
Christian Standard Bible
Words of the Wise
17 Listen closely,[a] pay attention to the words of the wise,(A)
and apply your mind to my knowledge.
18 For it is pleasing if you keep them within you
and if they are[b] constantly on your lips.
19 I have instructed you today—even you—
so that your confidence may be in the Lord.
20 Haven’t I written for you thirty sayings[c]
about counsel and knowledge,
21 in order to teach you true and reliable words,
so that you may give a dependable report[d](B)
to those who sent you?(C)
Proverbs 22:17-21
New English Translation
The Sayings of the Wise[a]
17 Incline your ear[b] and listen to the words of the wise,
and apply your mind[c] to my instruction.[d]
18 For it is pleasing if[e] you keep these sayings[f] within you,
and[g] they are ready on your lips.[h]
19 So that[i] your confidence may be in the Lord,
I hereby make them known[j] to you today—even you.
20 Have I not written thirty sayings[k] for you,
sayings[l] of counsel and knowledge,
21 to show you true and reliable words,[m]
so that you may give accurate answers[n] to those who sent you?
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:17 sn A new collection of sayings begins here, forming the fourth section of the book of Proverbs. This collection is not like that of 1:1-9:18; here the introductory material is more personal than 1:1-7, and the style differs, showing great similarity to the Instruction of Amenemope in Egypt (especially the thirty precepts of the sages in 22:17-24:22). Verses 17-21 form the introduction, and then the sayings begin in v. 22. After the thirty sayings are given, there are further sayings in 24:23-34. There is much literature on this material: see W. K. Simpson, ed., Literature of Ancient Egypt; ANET 412-425; and A. Cody, “Notes on Proverbs 22:21 and 22:23b,” Bib 61 (1980): 418-26.
- Proverbs 22:17 sn To “incline the ear” means to “listen carefully” (cf. NCV); the expression is metonymical in that the ear is the instrument for hearing. It is like telling someone to lean over to hear better.
- Proverbs 22:17 tn Or “heart.” The term לֵב (lev) can refer to the “mind” or the “heart” and represent a person’s thinking, feeling, or will.
- Proverbs 22:17 tn Heb “knowledge” (so KJV, NASB); in this context it refers to the knowledge that is spoken by the wise, hence “instruction.”
- Proverbs 22:18 tn Or “when” (so NIV).
- Proverbs 22:18 tn Heb “keep them,” referring to the words of the wise expressed in these sayings. The referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Proverbs 22:18 tn The term “and” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation.
- Proverbs 22:18 sn If the teachings are preserved in the heart/mind of the disciple, then that individual will always be ready to speak what was retained.
- Proverbs 22:19 tn The form לִהְיוֹת (liheyot, “to be”) is the infinitive construct indicating the purpose (or result) of the teaching (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Proverbs 22:19 tn The verb הוֹדַעְתִּי (hodaʿti; from יָדַע, yadaʿ) is a Hiphil perfect form. The Hiphil is factitive “to make know,” i.e., “to inform.” The Hebrew perfect should be understood either as perfective “I have informed you” or performative “I hereby inform you.” Either is appropriate for “today” since the thirty sayings it refers to have been written down (v. 20), but it appears to be part of introducing the sayings rather than a recap. However if the “thirty [sayings]” mentioned in v. 20 should be understood as the word “day before yesterday” then the perfective translation should be preferred.
- Proverbs 22:20 tn Older English versions and a few more recent ones render this phrase as either “excellent things” following the Qere (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NKJV), “officers,” or “heretofore” [day before yesterday], following the Kethib. However (as in most recent English versions) the Qere should be rendered “thirty,” referring to the number in the collection (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
- Proverbs 22:20 tn The term “sayings” does not appear in the Hebrew text but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
- Proverbs 22:21 tn Heb “to cause you to know the truth of words of truth” (NASB similar).
- Proverbs 22:21 tn Heb “to return true words”; NAB “a dependable report”; NIV “sound answers.”
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