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Proverbs 28:1
New English Translation
Proverbs 28:1
New English Translation
28 The wicked person fled,[a] though no one was pursuing,[b]
but the righteous person can be as confident[c] as a lion.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 28:1 tc The plural verb נָסוּ (nasu) “they fled,” should be read as singular to match the subject. It is a case of dittography: the vav beginning the next word was written twice, with the extra vav appended to this verb.tn The verb נָס (nas) is the perfect form of a dynamic root and should be understood as past or perfective. The proverb presents this portion as a past event which has happened and is prototypical of what can be expected. It contrasts what a wicked person felt compelled to do with what a righteous person can choose to do.
- Proverbs 28:1 sn The line portrays the insecurity of a guilty person—he flees because he has a guilty conscience, or because he is suspicious of others around him, or because he fears judgment.
- Proverbs 28:1 tn The verb בָּטַח (batakh) means “to trust; to be secure; to be confident.” Cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “bold.” As the imperfect form of a stative verb, it should be understood as future or modal. It has been translated as an abilitive modal “can be confident.”sn The righteous, who seek to find favor with God and man, have a clear conscience and do not need to look over their shoulders for avengers or law enforcers. Their position is one of confidence, so that they do not flee.
Proverbs 28:1
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 28:1
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 28:4
New English Translation
Proverbs 28:4
New English Translation
4 Those who forsake the law[a] praise the wicked,[b]
but those who keep the law contend[c] with them.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 28:4 sn Some commentators do not think that the word refers to the Mosaic law, but to “instruction” or “teaching” in general (cf. NCV “who disobey what they have been taught”). However, the expression “keep the law” in the second line indicates that it is binding, which would not be true of teaching in general (J. Bright, “The Apodictic Prohibition: Some Observations,” JBL 92 [1973]: 185-204). Moreover, Proverbs 28:9 and 29:18 refer to the law, and this chapter has a stress on piety.
- Proverbs 28:4 sn The proverb gives the outcome and the evidence of those who forsake the law—they “praise the wicked.” This may mean (1) calling the wicked good or (2) justifying what the wicked do, for such people are no longer sensitive to evil.
- Proverbs 28:4 tn The verb is the Hitpael imperfect of גָּרָה (garah), which means “to stir up strife” but in this stem means “to engage in strife” (cf. NIV “resist them”). Tg. Prov 28:4 adds an explanatory expansion, “so as to induce them to repent.”
Proverbs 28:4
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 28:4
Christian Standard Bible
4 Those who reject the law praise the wicked,(A)
but those who keep the law pit themselves against them.(B)
Proverbs 28:12
New English Translation
Proverbs 28:12
New English Translation
12 When the righteous rejoice,[a] great is the glory,[b]
but when the wicked rise to power, people are sought out.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 28:12 tn The form בַּעֲלֹץ (baʿalots) is the infinitive construct with the preposition indicating a temporal clause (“when…”); the “righteous” are the subject of this clause (subjective genitive). The word may be taken as a metonymy of adjunct—the righteous exult or rejoice because they are prosperous (cf. NLT “succeed”).
- Proverbs 28:12 sn “Glory” here may have the sense of elation and praise.
- Proverbs 28:12 tn The meaning of “sought out” (יְחֻפַּשׂ, yekhuppas) indicates that people have gone into hiding. So the development of the ideas for this proverb requires in the first line that “rejoice” be connected with “triumph” that means they have come to power; and in the second line that “are sought out” means people have gone into hiding (cf. ASV, NIV, NRSV, NLT). C. H. Toy thinks this is too strained; he offers this rendering: “When the righteous are exalted there is great confidence, but when the wicked come into power men hide themselves” (Proverbs [ICC], 500). For the verb G. R. Driver posits an Arabic cognate hafasa, “prostrated; trampled on” (“Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” Bib 32 [1951]: 192-93), which gives a clearer result of wicked rule, but is perhaps unnecessary (e.g., Prov 28:28; 29:2). See J. A. Emerton, “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 20 (1969): 202-20.
Proverbs 28:12
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 28:12
Christian Standard Bible
12 When the righteous triumph,
there is great rejoicing,[a]
but when the wicked come to power,
people hide.(A)
Footnotes
- 28:12 Lit glory
Proverbs 28:28
New English Translation
Proverbs 28:28
New English Translation
28 When the wicked gain control,[a] people[b] hide themselves,[c]
but when they perish,[d] the righteous increase.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 28:28 tn Heb “the wicked rise,” referring to an accession to power, as in a government. Cf. TEV “come to power”; NLT “take charge.”sn The proverb is essentially the same as 28:12 (e.g., Prov 11:10; 29:2, 16). It refers to the wicked “rising to power” in government.
- Proverbs 28:28 tn Heb “a man” or “mankind” in a generic sense.
- Proverbs 28:28 tn The form is the Niphal imperfect of סָתַר (satar, “to hide”); in this stem it can mean “to hide themselves” or “to go into hiding.” In either case the expression would be a hyperbole; the populace would not go into hiding, but they would tread softly and move about cautiously. G. R. Driver suggests the Akkadian sataru instead, which means “to demolish,” and is cognate to the Aramaic “to destroy.” This would produce the idea that people are “destroyed” when the wicked come to power (“Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” Bib 32 [1951]: 192-93). That meaning certainly fits the idea, but there is no reason for the change because the MT is perfectly readable as it is and makes good sense.
- Proverbs 28:28 tn The two clauses have parallel constructions: They both begin with infinitives construct with prepositions functioning as temporal clauses, followed by subjective genitives (first the wicked, and then the pronoun referring to them). This heightens the antithesis: “when the wicked rise…when they perish.”
Proverbs 28:28
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 28:28
Christian Standard Bible
28 When the wicked come to power,
people hide,
but when they are destroyed,
the righteous flourish.(A)
Proverbs 29:2
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:2
New English Translation
2 When the righteous become numerous,[a] the people rejoice;
when the wicked rule, the people groan.[b]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:2 tn The Hebrew form בִּרְבוֹת (birvot) is the Qal infinitive construct of רָבָה (ravah) with a ב (bet) preposition, forming a temporal clause with a subjective genitive following it. It is paralleled in the second colon by the same construction, showing the antithesis: וּבִמְשֹׁל (uvimshol), “and when the wicked rule.” Some commentators wish to change the first verb to make it parallel this more closely, e.g., רָדָה (radah, “to rule”), but that would be too neat and is completely unsupported. The contrast is between when the righteous increase and when the wicked rule. It is not hard to see how this contrast works out in society.
- Proverbs 29:2 tn The Niphal verb אָנַח (ʾanakh) means “to sigh; to groan,” usually because of grief or physical and emotional distress. The word is a metonymy of effect; the cause is the oppression and distress due to evil rulers.
Proverbs 29:2
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 29:2
Christian Standard Bible
2 When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice,
but when the wicked rule, people groan.(A)
Proverbs 29:7
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:7
New English Translation
7 The righteous person cares for[a] the legal rights[b] of the poor;
the wicked person does not understand such[c] knowledge.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:7 tn The form is an active participle, יֹדֵעַ (yodeaʿ); it describes the righteous as “knowing, caring for, having sympathetic knowledge for, or considering favorably” the legal needs of the poor. Cf. NAB “has a care for”; NASB “is concerned for.”
- Proverbs 29:7 tn The Hebrew word used here is דִּין (din), which typically means “judgment,” but can also mean “strife” and “cause.” Here it refers to the “cause” of the poor (so KJV, ASV), their plea, their case, their legal rights. A righteous person is sympathetic to this.
- Proverbs 29:7 tn The term “such” is supplied in the translation for clarification. It is not simply any knowledge that the wicked do not understand, but the knowledge mentioned in the first colon. They do not understand the “sympathetic knowledge” or “concern” for the cause of the poor.
Proverbs 29:7
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 29:7
Christian Standard Bible
7 The righteous person knows the rights[a] of the poor,(A)
but the wicked one does not understand these concerns.
Footnotes
- 29:7 Lit justice
Proverbs 29:16
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:16
New English Translation
16 When the wicked increase,[a] transgression increases,
but the righteous will see[b] their downfall.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:16 tn The verb רָבָה (ravah), which is repeated twice in this line, means “to increase.” The first occurrence here is usually taken to mean that when the wicked increase they hold the power (cf. NRSV, NLT “are in authority”; TEV, CEV “are in power”). The text does not explain the details, only that when the wicked increase sin will increase in the land.
- Proverbs 29:16 sn The Hebrew verb translated “see” in this context indicates a triumph: The righteous will gaze with satisfaction, or they will look on the downfall of the wicked triumphantly (e.g., Pss 37:4 and 112:8). The verse is teaching that no matter how widespread evil may be, the righteous will someday see its destruction.
Proverbs 29:16
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 29:16
Christian Standard Bible
16 When the wicked increase, rebellion increases,
but the righteous will see their downfall.(A)
Proverbs 29:27
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:27
New English Translation
27 An unjust person is an abomination to the righteous,
and the one who lives an upright life[a] is an abomination to the wicked.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:27 tn Heb “who is upright in the way” (so NASB; KJV and ASV are similar). Here “in the way” refers to the course of a person’s life, hence “who lives an upright life.” Cf. NAB “he who walks uprightly.”sn The proverb makes a simple observation on life: The righteous detest the wicked, and the wicked detest the lifestyle of the righteous. Each is troublesome to the beliefs and the activities of the other.
Proverbs 29:27
Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 29:27
Christian Standard Bible
27 An unjust person is detestable to the righteous,
and one whose way is upright
is detestable to the wicked.(A)
New English Translation (NET)
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Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
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