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Proverbs 3:3
New International Version
Proverbs 3:3
New International Version
Proverbs 3:3
New English Translation
Proverbs 3:3
New English Translation
3 Do not let mercy and truth[a] leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.[b]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:3 tn The term חֶסֶד (khesed) can mean “mercy, loyal love, covenant love.” The two words חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת (khesed veʾemet, “mercy and truth”) are used together over two dozen times. Sometimes they are treated in parallel clauses and sometimes they are paired in a hendiadys, to be understood as “faithful mercy.” Here they are pictured as concrete objects to tie around one’s neck, so at that level they are distinct even though they complement each other.
- Proverbs 3:3 sn The picture of tying mercy and truth on the neck (also at 6:21) is similar to tying God’s commands on the hand or letting them be frontlets for the eyes (Deut 6:8; 11:18). To live by these characteristics is compared to wearing them like clothes, to have these qualities adorn the “wearer.” The picture of writing them on the heart emphasizes the inward appropriation of the teachings as a complement to their outward manifestation.
Proverbs 11:13
New International Version
Proverbs 11:13
New International Version
Proverbs 11:13
New English Translation
Proverbs 11:13
New English Translation
13 The one who goes about slandering others[a] reveals[b] secrets,
but the one who is trustworthy[c] conceals a matter.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:13 tn Heb “going about in slander.” This expression refers to a slanderer. The noun means “slander” and so “tale-bearer” (so KJV, ASV, NASB), “informer.” The related verb (רָכַל, rakhal) means “to go about” from one person to another, either for trade or for gossip.
- Proverbs 11:13 tn The participle מְגַלֶּה (megalleh) means “uncovering” or “revealing” secrets.sn This is the intent of a person who makes disparaging comments about others—he cannot wait to share secrets that should be kept.
- Proverbs 11:13 tn Heb “faithful of spirit.” This phrase describes the inner nature of the person as faithful and trustworthy. This individual will not rush out to tell whatever information he has heard, but will conceal it.
Proverbs 14:22
New International Version
Proverbs 14:22
New International Version
Proverbs 14:22
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:22
New English Translation
22 Do not those who devise[a] evil go astray?
But those who plan good exhibit[b] faithful covenant love.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:22 sn The verb חָרַשׁ (kharash) means (1) literally: “to cut in; to engrave; to plow,” describing the work of a craftsman; and (2) figuratively: “to devise,” describing the mental activity of planning evil (what will harm people) in the first colon, and planning good (what will benefit them) in the second colon.
- Proverbs 14:22 tn The term “exhibit” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is implied by the antithetic parallelism and supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
- Proverbs 14:22 tn Heb “loyal-love and truth.” The two terms חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת (khesed veʾemet) often form a hendiadys: “faithful love” or better “faithful covenant love.”
Proverbs 16:6
New International Version
Proverbs 16:6
New International Version
Proverbs 16:6
New English Translation
Proverbs 16:6
New English Translation
6 Through loyal love and truth[a] iniquity is appeased;[b]
through fearing the Lord[c] one avoids[d] evil.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:6 sn These two words are often found together to form a nominal hendiadys: “faithful loyal love.” The couplet often characterizes the Lord, but here in parallel to the fear of the Lord it refers to the faithfulness of the believer. Such faith and faithfulness bring atonement for sin.
- Proverbs 16:6 tn Heb “is atoned”; KJV “is purged”; NAB “is expiated.” The verb is from I כָּפַר (kafar, “to atone; to expiate; to pacify; to appease”; HALOT 493-94 s.v. I כפר). This root should not be confused with the identically spelled Homonym II כָּפַר (kafar, “to cover over”; HALOT 494 s.v. II *כפר). Atonement in the OT expiated sins, it did not merely cover them over (cf. NLT). C. H. Toy explains the meaning by saying it affirms that the divine anger against sin is turned away and man’s relation to God is as though he had not sinned (Proverbs [ICC], 322). Genuine repentance, demonstrated by loyalty and truthfulness, appeases the anger of God against one’s sin.
- Proverbs 16:6 tn Heb “fear of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”) functions as an objective genitive: “fearing the Lord.”
- Proverbs 16:6 tn Heb “turns away from”; NASB “keeps away from.”
- Proverbs 16:6 sn The Hebrew word translated “evil” (רַע, raʿ) can in some contexts mean “calamity” or “disaster,” but here it seems more likely to mean “evil” in the sense of sin. Faithfulness to the Lord brings freedom from sin. The verse uses synonymous parallelism with a variant: One half speaks of atonement for sin because of the life of faith, and the other of avoidance of sin because of the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 17:17
New International Version
Proverbs 17:17
New International Version
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.(A)
Proverbs 17:17
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:17
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:17 sn The verse uses synonymous parallelism, so “friend” and “relative” are equated. Others, however, will take the verse with antithetical parallelism: W. G. Plaut argues that friendship is a spiritual relationship whereas a brother’s ties are based on a blood relationship—often adversity is the only thing that brings brothers together (Proverbs, 189).
- Proverbs 17:17 tn Heb “a brother.”
- Proverbs 17:17 tn Heb “is born for adversity.” This is not referring to sibling rivalry but to the loyalty a brother shows during times of calamity. This is not to say that a brother only shows loyalty when there is trouble, nor that he always does in these times (e.g., 18:19, 24; 19:7; 27:10). The true friend is the same as a brotherly relation—in times of greatest need the loyal love is displayed.
Proverbs 19:22
New International Version
Proverbs 19:22
New International Version
22 What a person desires is unfailing love[a];
better to be poor than a liar.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame
Proverbs 19:22
New English Translation
Proverbs 19:22
New English Translation
22 What is desirable[a] for a person is to show loyal love,[b]
and a poor person is better than a liar.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:22 tn Heb “the desire of a man” (so KJV). The noun in construct is תַּאֲוַת (taʾavat), “desire [of].” Here it refers to “the desire of a man [= person].” Two problems surface here, the connotation of the word and the kind of genitive. “Desire” can also be translated “lust,” and so J. H. Greenstone has “The lust of a man is his shame” (Proverbs, 208). But the sentence is more likely positive in view of the more common uses of the words. “Man” could be a genitive of possession or subjective genitive—the man desires loyal love. It could also be an objective genitive, meaning “what is desired for a man.” The first would be the more natural in the proverb, which is showing that loyal love is better than wealth.
- Proverbs 19:22 tn Heb “[is] his loyal love”; NIV “unfailing love”; NRSV “loyalty.”
- Proverbs 19:22 sn The second half of the proverb presents the logical inference: The liar would be without “loyal love” entirely, and so poverty would be better than this. A poor person who wishes to do better is preferable to a person who makes promises and does not keep them.
Proverbs 20:6
New International Version
Proverbs 20:6
New International Version
6 Many claim to have unfailing love,
but a faithful person who can find?(A)
Proverbs 20:6
New English Translation
Proverbs 20:6
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:6 tn Heb “many a man calls/proclaims a man of his loyal love.” The Syriac and Tg. Prov 20:6 render the verb as passive: “many are called kind.” Other suggestions include: “most men meet people who will do them occasional kindnesses” (RSV); “many men profess friendship” (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 384); “many men invite only the one who has shown them kindness.” The simplest interpretation in this context is “many proclaim [themselves to be] a kind person (= a loyal friend).” The contrast is between many who claim to be loyal friends and the one who actually proves to be faithful.
- Proverbs 20:6 tn The shift to the expression “a man of faithfulness[es]” in the second line indicates that of all those who claim to show faithful love, it is rare to find one who is truly reliable (as the word אֱמוּנִים [ʾemunim] indicates clearly); cf. NAB, NRSV “one worthy of trust.”
- Proverbs 20:6 sn The point of the rhetorical question is that a truly faithful friend is very difficult to find.
Proverbs 20:28
New International Version
Proverbs 20:28
New International Version
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 23:26-28
New International Version
Proverbs 23:26-28
New International Version
Saying 18
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 25:13
New International Version
Proverbs 25:13
New International Version
13 Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
he refreshes the spirit of his master.(A)
Proverbs 25:13
New English Translation
Proverbs 25:13
New English Translation
13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest,[a]
so is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
for he refreshes the heart[b] of his masters.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:13 sn The emblem in the parallelism of this verse is the simile of the first line. Because snow at the time of harvest would be rare, and probably unwelcome, various commentators have sought to explain this expression. R. N. Whybray suggests it may refer to snow brought down from the mountains and kept cool in an ice hole (Proverbs [CBC], 148); this seems rather forced. J. H. Greenstone following Rashi, a Jewish scholar who lived a.d. 1040-1105, suggests it might refer to the refreshing breeze that comes from snow-capped mountains (Proverbs, 260). C. H. Toy suggests a snow-cooled drink (Proverbs [ICC], 464), and W. McKane an application of ice water to the forehead (Proverbs [OTL], 585). Some English versions replace “snow” with “water” (cf. TEV “cold water”; CEV “cool water”). These all attempt to explain the simile, but the point is clear enough: A faithful servant is refreshing to his master. The analogy could be hypothetical—as refreshing as the coolness of snow would be in harvest time.
- Proverbs 25:13 tn Heb “he restores the life [or, soul] of his masters.” The idea suggests that someone who sends the messenger either entrusts his life to him or relies on the messenger to resolve some concern. A faithful messenger restores his master’s spirit and so is “refreshing.”
Proverbs 25:19
New International Version
Proverbs 25:19
New International Version
19 Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.
Proverbs 25:19
New English Translation
Proverbs 25:19
New English Translation
19 Like a bad tooth or a foot out of joint,[a]
so is confidence[b] in an unfaithful person at the time of trouble.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:19 sn The similes in this emblematic parallelism focus on things that are incapable of performing certain activities—they are either too painful to use or are ineffective.
- Proverbs 25:19 tc Heb “Confidence, treacherous ones in a day of trouble.” Three possibilities require little change to the Hebrew text. (1) The noun מִבְטָח (mivtakh, “confidence”) can be revocalized as a construct noun “the confidence of the treacherous.” This in turn could either refer to confidence that has been placed in the treacherous or to the confidence that the treacherous have. (2) It could be revocalized as מַבְטִח (mavtikh) the Hiphil participle of בָּטַח (batakh, “to trust”) meaning “to cause or inspire to rely on.” But a preposition is probably still to be expected. (3) One may suppose that a preposition ב (bet) was lost due to haplography before the following word (בֹּגֵד, boged) so that the text read “confidence in a treacherous person.” Most of the possibilities point toward a reliance on someone who betrays, which is preferred in most English versions. C. H. Toy, however, argues it means that what the faithless person relies on will fail him in the time of trouble (Proverbs [ICC], 466).
- Proverbs 25:19 tn Heb “in the day of trouble”; KJV, NASB “in time of trouble.”
Proverbs 28:20
New International Version
Proverbs 28:20
New International Version
20 A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.(A)
Proverbs 28:20
New English Translation
Proverbs 28:20
New English Translation
20 A faithful person[a] will have an abundance of blessings,
but the one who hastens[b] to gain riches will not go unpunished.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 28:20 tn Heb “a man of faithfulness,” although the context does not indicate this should be limited only to males.sn The text does not qualify the nature of the faithfulness. While this would certainly have implications for the person’s righteous acts, its primary meaning may be his diligence and reliability in his work. His faithful work will bring the returns.
- Proverbs 28:20 sn The proverb is not rebuking diligent labor. One who is eager to get rich quickly is the opposite of the faithful person. The first person is faithful to God and to the covenant community; the second is trying to get rich as quickly as possible, at the least without doing an honest day’s work and at the worst dishonestly. In a hurry to gain wealth, he falls into various schemes and will pay for it. Tg. Prov 28:20 interprets this to say he hastens through deceit and wrongdoing.
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