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Proverbs 23:26-28
New English Translation
Proverbs 23:26-28
New English Translation
26 Give me your heart, my son,[a]
and let your eyes observe my ways;
27 for a prostitute is like[b] a deep pit;
a harlot[c] is like[d] a narrow well.[e]
28 Indeed, she lies in wait like a robber,[f]
and increases the unfaithful[g] among men.[h]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 23:26 tn Heb “my son”; the reference to a “son” is retained in the translation here because in the following lines the advice is to avoid women who are prostitutes.
- Proverbs 23:27 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 23:27 tn Heb “foreign woman” (so ASV). The term נָכְרִיָּה (nokhriyyah, “foreign woman”) often refers to a prostitute (e.g., Prov 2:6; 5:20; 6:24; 7:5). While not all foreign women in Israel were prostitutes, their prospects for economic survival were meager and many turned to prostitution to earn a living. Some English versions see this term referring to an adulteress as opposed to a prostitute (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
- Proverbs 23:27 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
- Proverbs 23:27 sn In either case, whether a prostitute or an adulteress wife is involved, the danger is the same. The metaphors of a “deep pit” and a “narrow well” describe this sin as one that is a trap from which there is no escape. The “pit” is a gateway to Sheol, and those who enter are as good as dead, whether socially or through punishment physically.
- Proverbs 23:28 tn The noun חֶתֶף (khetef) is defined by BDB 369 s.v. as “prey,” while HALOT 365 s.v. defines it as “robber.” This is the only occurrence of the word in the OT, but HALOT also cites two uses in Ben Sirah. The related verb (חָתַף, khataf) means “to snatch away” according to both dictionaries (BDB 368-69 s.v.; HALOT 365 s.v.), while the cognates assembled by HALOT have a different nuance: Akkadian “to slaughter,” Syriac “to break to pieces,” and an Arabic noun meaning “death.” Like the noun, the verb only occurs once in the OT, Job 9:12. In this passage the noun could have either a passive sense (what is seized = prey), or an active sense (the one who seizes = a robber, bandit). The traditional rendering is “prey” (KJV); most modern English versions have the active sense (“robber” or similar; cf. NIV “like a bandit”). Since the prepositional phrase (the simile) is modifying the woman, the active sense works better in the translation.
- Proverbs 23:28 tn The verb בָּגַד (bagad), here a participle, means “to act treacherously, with duplicity, or to betray.” Such a woman induces men to prove unfaithful to their wives and to the law of God. Dahood repoints it as בְּגָדִים (begadim, “garments”), saying that she collects garments in pledge for her service (M. Dahood, “To Pawn One’s Cloak,” Bib 42 [1961]: 359-66). But that is far-fetched; it might have happened on occasion, but as a common custom it is unlikely. Besides that, the text in the MT makes perfectly good sense without such a change.
- Proverbs 23:28 sn Verses 26-28 comprise the seventeenth saying; it warns the young person to follow the instructions about temptations because there are plenty of temptresses lurking about.
Proverbs 23:26-28
Common English Bible
Proverbs 23:26-28
Common English Bible
26 My child, give your mind to me
and let your eyes keep to my path.
27 A prostitute is a deep pit,
and a foreign woman is a narrow well.
28 Indeed, she ambushes like a robber
and increases the number of the faithless.
Proverbs 29:3
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:3
New English Translation
3 The man[a] who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,[b]
but whoever associates[c] with prostitutes wastes[d] his wealth.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:3 tn Heb “a man.” Here “man” is retained in the translation because the second colon mentions prostitutes.
- Proverbs 29:3 tn Or “causes his father to rejoice”; NAB “makes his father glad.”
- Proverbs 29:3 tn The active participle רֹעֶה (roʿeh) is from the second root רָעָה (raʿah), meaning “to associate with.” The verb occurs only a few times, and mostly in the book of Proverbs. It is related to רֵעֶה (reʿeh, “friend; companion; fellow”). To describe someone as a “companion” or “friend” of prostitutes is somewhat euphemistic; it surely means someone who is frequently engaging the services of prostitutes.
- Proverbs 29:3 tn The Hebrew verb יְאַבֶּד (yeʾabbed) means “destroys”; it is the Piel imperfect of the verb that means “to perish.”
- Proverbs 29:3 sn Wealth was seen as a sign of success and of God’s blessings, pretty much as it always has been. To be seen as honorable in the community meant one had acquired some substance and kept his reputation. It would be a disgrace to the family to have a son who squandered his money on prostitutes (e.g., Prov 5:10; 6:31).
Proverbs 29:3
Common English Bible
Proverbs 29:3
Common English Bible
3 A man who loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,
but one who spends time with prostitutes destroys riches.
New English Translation (NET)
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Common English Bible (CEB)
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