Proverbs 25:14

Lexham English Bible

¹⁴Like clouds and wind when there is no rain,
so too is a man who boasts in a gift of deception.

Proverbs 25:14

New English Translation

¹⁴Like cloudy skies and wind that produce no rain,^[a]
so is the one who boasts^[b] of a gift not given.^[c]

Proverbs 25:14 sn The emblem now is one of clouds and winds that would be expected to produce rain; they gain attention and raise people’s expectations but prove to be disappointing when no rain is forthcoming, and hence could be thought of as deceitful.
Proverbs 25:14 tn The form מִתְהַלֵּל (mithallel) is the Hitpael participle of the well-known word for “praise,” but in this stem it means “to praise oneself” or “to boast.” The description of “windbag” seems appropriate in this context.
Proverbs 25:14 tn Heb “a gift of falsehood.” This would mean that the individual brags about giving a gift, when there is no gift.

¹⁸Like a club and sword and a sharp arrow
is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

¹⁸Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow,^[a]
so is the one who testifies against^[b] his neighbor as a false witness.^[c]

Proverbs 25:18 sn The first line identifies the emblem of the proverb: False witnesses are here compared to deadly weapons because they can cause the death of innocent people (e.g., Exod 20:16; Deut 5:20; Prov 14:5).
Proverbs 25:18 tn The verb עָנָה (ʿanah) followed by the preposition ב (bet) with its object means “to testify against” (answer against someone). With the preposition ל (lamed) it would mean “to testify for” someone. Here the false witness is an adversary, hence the comparison with deadly weapons.
Proverbs 25:18 tn While עֵד (ʿed) could be interpreted as “evidence” (a meaning that came from a metonymy—what the witness gives in court), its normal meaning is “witness.” Here it would function as an adverbial accusative, specifying how he would answer in court.

Lexham English Bible (LEB)

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New English Translation (NET)