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Proverbs 6:16-19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 6:16-19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,(A)
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that hurry to run to evil,(B)
19 a lying witness who testifies falsely,
and one who sows discord in a family.(C)
Proverbs 6:16-19
New English Translation
Proverbs 6:16-19
New English Translation
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
even[a] seven[b] things that are an abomination to him:[c]
17 haughty eyes,[d] a lying tongue,[e]
and hands that shed innocent blood,[f]
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,[g]
feet that are swift to run[h] to evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies,[i]
and a person who spreads discord[j] among family members.[k]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:16 tn The conjunction has the explicative use here (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 71, §434).
- Proverbs 6:16 sn This saying involves a numerical ladder, paralleling six things with seven things (e.g., also 30:15, 18, 21, 24, 29). The point of such a numerical arrangement is that the number does not exhaust the list (W. M. Roth, “The Numerical Sequence x / x +1 in the Old Testament,” VT 12 [1962]: 300-311; and his “Numerical Sayings in the Old Testament,” VT 13 [1965]: 86).
- Proverbs 6:16 tn Heb “his soul.”
- Proverbs 6:17 sn The expression “high/ lofty [רָמוֹת, ramot] eyes” refers to a proud look suggesting arrogant ambition (cf. NCV “a proud look”). The use of “eyes” is a metonymy of adjunct, the look in the eyes accompanying the attitude. This term “high” is used in Num 15:30 for the sin of the “high hand,” i.e., willful rebellion or defiant sin. The usage of “haughty eyes” may be illustrated by its use with the pompous Assyrian invader (Isa 10:12-14) and the proud king of the book of Daniel (11:12). God does not tolerate anyone who thinks so highly of himself and who has such ambition.
- Proverbs 6:17 tn Heb “a tongue of deception.” The genitive noun functions attributively. The term “tongue” functions as a metonymy. The term is used of false prophets who deceive (Jer 14:14), and of a deceiver who betrays (Ps 109:2). The Lord hates deceptive speech because it is destructive (26:28).
- Proverbs 6:17 sn The hands are the instruments of murder (metonymy of cause), and God hates bloodshed. Gen 9:6 prohibited shedding blood because people are the image of God. Even David being a man of blood (in war mostly) was not permitted to build the Temple (1 Chr 22:8). But shedding innocent blood was a greater crime—it usually went with positions of power, such as King Manasseh filling the streets with blood (2 Kgs 21:16), or princes doing it for gain (Ezek 22:27).
- Proverbs 6:18 tn Heb “heart that devises plans of wickedness.” The latter term is an attributive genitive. The heart (metonymy of subject) represents the will; here it plots evil schemes. The heart is capable of evil schemes (Gen 6:5); the heart that does this is deceitful (Prov 12:20; 14:22).
- Proverbs 6:18 tc The MT reads “make haste to run,” that is, be eager to seize the opportunity. The LXX omits “run,” that is, feet hastening to do evil. It must have appeared to the LXX translator that the verb was unnecessary; only one verb occurs in the other cola.sn The word “feet” is here a synecdoche, a part for the whole. Being the instruments of movement, they represent the swift and eager actions of the whole person to do some harm.
- Proverbs 6:19 sn The Lord hates perjury and a lying witness (e.g., Ps 40:4; Amos 2:4; Mic 1:4). This is a direct violation of the law (Exod 20).
- Proverbs 6:19 sn Dissension is attributed in Proverbs to contentious people (21:9; 26:21; 25:24) who have a short fuse (15:8).
- Proverbs 6:19 tn Heb “brothers,” although not limited to male siblings only. Cf. NRSV, CEV “in a family”; TEV “among friends.”sn These seven things the Lord hates. To discover what the Lord desires, one need only list the opposites: humility, truthful speech, preservation of life, pure thoughts, eagerness to do good, honest witnesses, and peaceful harmony. In the NT the Beatitudes present the positive opposites (Matt 5). It has seven blessed things to match these seven hated things; moreover, the first contrasts with the first here (“poor in spirit” of 5:5 with “haughty eyes”), and the seventh (“peacemakers” of 5:7) contrasts with the seventh here (“sows dissension”).
Proverbs 10:31
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 10:31
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
but the perverse tongue will be cut off.(A)
Proverbs 10:31
New English Translation
Proverbs 10:31
New English Translation
31 The speech[a] of the righteous bears the fruit of wisdom,[b]
but the one who speaks perversion[c] will be destroyed.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:31 tn Heb “the mouth.” The term פֶּה (peh, “mouth”) functions as a metonymy of cause for speech.
- Proverbs 10:31 tn Heb “bears wisdom.” The verb נוּב (nuv) means “to bear fruit.” It is used figuratively of the righteous; they produce wisdom and righteousness. The term חָכְמָה (khokhmah, “wisdom”) represents the “fruit” that the righteous bear: “they bear the fruit of wisdom” (BDB 626 s.v.).
- Proverbs 10:31 tn Heb “the tongue of perversions.” The noun תַּהְפֻּכוֹת (tahpukhot, “perversions”) functions as a genitive of content; it refers to what the tongue says—perverse things. The plural form depicts a plural of character. The term לָשׁוֹן (lashon, “tongue”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= tongue) for the whole person (= the speaker). The tongue is emphasized because this person is characterized by perverse speech. The term תַּהְפֻּכוֹת (“perversions”) refers to those who turn things upside down, overthrow, or pervert what is right.
- Proverbs 10:31 tn Heb “will be cut off” (so NAB, NRSV, NLT); cf. KJV, NASB, NIV “cut out.” Their tongue will be cut off, a hyperbole meaning to bring to an end the evil that they speak.
Proverbs 12:19-22
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 12:19-22
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.(A)
20 Deceit is in the mind of those who plan evil,
but those who counsel peace have joy.(B)
21 No harm happens to the righteous,
but the wicked are filled with trouble.(C)
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
but those who act faithfully are his delight.(D)
Proverbs 12:19-22
New English Translation
Proverbs 12:19-22
New English Translation
19 The one who tells the truth[a] will endure forever,
but the one who lies[b] will last only for a moment.[c]
20 Deceit[d] is in the heart of those who plot evil,[e]
but those who promote peace[f] have joy.
21 No harm[g] will be directed at[h] the righteous,
but the wicked are filled with calamity.[i]
22 The Lord[j] abhors a person who lies,[k]
but those who deal truthfully[l] are his delight.[m]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:19 tn Heb “a lip of truth.” The genitive אֱמֶת (ʾemet, “truth”) functions as an attributive adjective: “truthful lip.” The term שְׂפַת (sefat, “lip”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= lip) for the whole (= person): “truthful person.” The contrast is between “the lip of truth” and the “tongue of lying.”
- Proverbs 12:19 tn Heb “a tongue of deceit.” The genitive שָׁקֶר (shaqer, “deceit”) functions as an attributive genitive. The noun לָשׁוֹן (lashon, “tongue”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= tongue) for the whole (= person): “lying person.”
- Proverbs 12:19 tn The verb אַרְגִיעָה (ʾargiʿah) is the Hiphil of the root רָגַע (ragaʿ). The number of homonyms of this root in Hebrew is debated. BDB lists it as a denominative of רֶגַע (regaʿ, “a moment”), with the Hiphil meaning “to make a twinkling” (BDB 920 s.v. I רָגַע). HALOT lists only one verbal root with a base meaning “to look for peace” and this phrase with the Hiphil meaning “as long as I grant rest” (HALOT 1188, s.v. רָגַע). Gesenius considers it to refer to blinking the eyes (GKC 321 § 108h). In any case it is agreed that this expression is an idiom for brevity, “only for a moment.”
- Proverbs 12:20 tc Rather than the MT’s מִרְמָה (mirmah, “deceit”), the BHS editors suggest מֹרָה (morah, “bitterness, sorrow”) as a contrast to joy in the second half.
- Proverbs 12:20 sn The contrast here is between “evil” (= pain and calamity) and “peace” (= social wholeness and well-being); see, e.g., Pss 34:14; 37:37.
- Proverbs 12:20 tn Heb “those who are counselors of peace.” The term שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is an objective genitive, so the genitive-construct “counselors of peace” means those who advise, advocate or promote peace (cf. NAB, NIV).
- Proverbs 12:21 tn Hebrew places the negative with the verb (“all harm will not be…”), while English prefers to negate the noun (“no harm will…”). The proper nuance of אָוֶן (ʾaven) is debated. The noun can refer to disaster, injustice, or iniquity. It is not clear how neutrally the term may refer to disaster or how tightly it is tied to the consequence or result of wickedness. There is some question as to whether it can have a magical connotation, as in a spell or a curse. In Job, Eliphaz declares that אָוֶן (ʾaven) doesn’t come out of the dust (just happen); on the other hand, humankind is born to trouble (Job 5:6-7). Rashi, a Jewish scholar who lived a.d. 1040-1105, took the term as “wickedness,” and the clause as “the righteous will not be caught up in wickedness.”
- Proverbs 12:21 tn The pual imperfect verb יְאֻנֶּה (yeʾunneh) is from a rare root occurring only 4 times in the Bible. In the only piel case, Exod 21:13, God makes something happen for someone. This implies that the pual is not simply “to happen to” but “made to happen to.” Some propose “be allowed to happen to.”sn Proverbial sayings are often general and not absolute. Clearly Job was a righteous person to whom harm happened (or was permitted to happen). And being righteous does not mean an exemption from all hardships that are not related to punishment. The proper nuance also depends on the understanding of “harm.” Perhaps the correct nuance is that God does not direct harms of punishment at the righteous. In the surrounding polytheistic countries, they believed that a god might make a mistake and punish the wrong person.
- Proverbs 12:21 tn The expression מָלְאוּ רָע (maleʾu raʿ, “to be full of calamity/evil”) means (1) the wicked do much evil or (2) the wicked experience much calamity (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
- Proverbs 12:22 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”) is a subjective genitive.
- Proverbs 12:22 tn Heb “lips of lying.” The genitive שָׁקֶר (shaqer, “lying”) functions as an attributive genitive: “lying lips.” The term “lips” functions as a synecdoche of part (= lips) for the whole (= person): “a liar.”
- Proverbs 12:22 tn Heb “but doers of truthfulness.” The term “truthfulness” is an objective genitive, meaning: “those who practice truth” or “those who act in good faith.” Their words and works are reliable.
- Proverbs 12:22 sn The contrast between “delight/pleasure” and “abomination” is emphatic. What pleases the Lord is acting truthfully or faithfully.
Proverbs 13:5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 13:5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
5 The righteous hate falsehood,
but the wicked act shamefully and disgracefully.
Proverbs 13:5
New English Translation
Proverbs 13:5
New English Translation
5 The righteous person will reject[a] anything false,[b]
but the wicked person will act in shameful disgrace.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:5 tn Heb “will hate.” The verb שָׂנֵא (saneʾ, “to hate”) can express a range of feelings of dislike or the implications of such. It can, then, have the connotation “to reject, spurn” (see NIDOTTE 1254 s.v.).
- Proverbs 13:5 tn Heb “a word of falsehood.” The genitive “falsehood” functions as an attributive genitive. The construct noun דְּבַר (devar) means either “word” or “thing.” Hence, the phrase means “a false word” or “a false thing.”
- Proverbs 13:5 tc The versions render this phrase variously: “is ashamed and without confidence” (LXX); “is ashamed and put to the blush” (Tg. Prov 13:5); “confounds and will be confounded” (Vulgate). The variety is due in part to confusion of בָּאַשׁ (baʾash, “to stink”) and בּוֹשׁ (bosh, “to be ashamed”). Cf. NASB “acts disgustingly and shamefully.”tn Heb “acts shamefully and disgracefully.” The verb בָּאַשׁ (baʾash) literally means “to cause a stink; to emit a stinking odor” (e.g., Exod 5:21; Eccl 10:1) and figuratively means “to act shamefully” (BDB 92 s.v.). The verb וְיַחְפִּיר (veyakhpir) means “to display shame.” Together, they can be treated as a verbal hendiadys: “to act in disgraceful shame,” or more colorfully “to make a shameful smell,” or as W. McKane has it, “spread the smell of scandal” (Proverbs [OTL], 460). W. G. Plaut says, “Unhappily, the bad odor adheres not only to the liar but also to the one about whom he lies—especially when the lie is a big one” (Proverbs, 152).
Proverbs 14:25
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 14:25
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who utters lies is a betrayer.(A)
Proverbs 14:25
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:25
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:25 tn Heb “a witness of truth”; cf. CEV “an honest witness.”
- Proverbs 14:25 tn The noun נְפָשׁוֹת (nefashot) often means “souls,” but here “lives”—it functions as a metonymy for life (BDB 659 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 3.c).sn The setting of this proverb is the courtroom. One who tells the truth “saves” (מַצִּיל [matsil, “rescues; delivers”]) the lives of those falsely accused.
- Proverbs 14:25 tc In the MT the verb lacks agreement with the two nouns in either gender or number so that there is no clear subject: “but he breathes lies, deceit.” Revocalizing the consonants from וְיָפִחַ (veyafiakh, “and he breathes/testifies”) to וִיפֵחַ (vifeakh, “and a witness [of lies]”) and from מִרְמָה (mirmah, “deceit”) to the Piel participle מְרַמֶּה (merammeh, “betrays, deceives, leads astray”) produces a grammatically acceptable text. One may also supply by parallelism “…betrays lives.”
Proverbs 17:7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 17:7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
7 Excess speech is not becoming to a fool;
still less is false speech to a ruler.[a]
Footnotes
- 17.7 Or a noble
Proverbs 17:7
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:7
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:7 tn The word יֶתֶר (yeter) could be rendered either “arrogant” (cf. NIV) or “excellent” (cf. KJV, NASB; NLT “eloquent”) because the basic idea of the word is “remainder; excess,” from the verb “be left over.” It describes “lofty” speech (arrogant or excellent) that is not suited for the fool. The Greek version, using pista, seems to support the idea of “excellent,” and makes a contrast: “words that are excellent do not fit a fool.” The idea of arrogance (NIV) fits if it is taken in the sense of lofty, heightened, or excessive language.
- Proverbs 17:7 tn “a lip of excess.” The term “lip” is a metonymy for what is said.
- Proverbs 17:7 sn The “fool” proper, described by the term נָבָל (naval), occurs only here, in v. 21, and in 30:22 in the book. It describes someone who is godless and immoral in an overbearing way (e.g., 1 Sam 25:25; Ps 14:1). A fool should restrain his words lest his foolishness spew out.
- Proverbs 17:7 tn Heb “speech of falsehood”; NRSV “false speech.”
- Proverbs 17:7 sn This “ruler” (KJV, NASB “prince”; NAB “noble”) is a gentleman with a code of honor, to whom truthfulness is second nature (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 507). The word describes one as “inclined, generous, noble” (BDB 622 s.v. נָדִיב). It is cognate to the word for the “free will offering.” So for such a noble person lies are not suited. The argument is from the lesser to the greater—if fools shouldn’t speak lofty things, then honorable people should not lie (or, lofty people should not speak base things).
Proverbs 17:20
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 17:20
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
20 The crooked of mind do not prosper,
and the perverse of tongue fall into calamity.(A)
Proverbs 17:20
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:20
New English Translation
20 The one who has a perverse heart[a] does not find good,[b]
and the one who is deceitful in speech[c] falls into trouble.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:20 tn The verse parallels two descriptions of the wicked person: “crooked/perverse of heart” (genitive of specification), and “turned away in his tongue” (deceitful). The first phrase describes twisted intentions. The second, using the Niphal participle (“one turned away”) with “tongue,” the metonymy of cause, describes one who has turned away from speaking truth. Cf. NLT “the twisted tongue tumbles into trouble.”
- Proverbs 17:20 tn The phrase “does not find good” is a figure (tapeinosis) meaning, “will experience calamity.” The wicked person can expect trouble ahead.
- Proverbs 17:20 tn Heb “tongue”; NIV “whose tongue is deceitful.”
Proverbs 19:9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 19:9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and the liar will perish.
Proverbs 19:9
New English Translation
Proverbs 19:9
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:9 tn Heb “breathes out”; NAB “utters”; NIV “pours out.”
- Proverbs 19:9 sn The verse is the same as v. 5, except that the last word changes to the verb “will perish” (cf. NCV “will die”; CEV, NLT “will be destroyed”; TEV “is doomed”).
Proverbs 21:6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 21:6
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Footnotes
- 21.6 Gk: Heb seekers
Proverbs 21:6
New English Translation
Proverbs 21:6
New English Translation
6 Making a fortune[a] by a lying tongue is like[b] a vapor driven back and forth;[c]
they seek death.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:6 tn The first word of the verse is the noun meaning “doing, deed, work.” The BHS editors suggest reading with the LXX an active participle—“the one who makes” (cf. NAB “He who makes”). The second word means “treasure,” from the verb “lay up, store up.” It is an objective genitive here.
- Proverbs 21:6 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 21:6 tn The Hebrew הֶבֶל נִדָּף (hevel niddaf) is properly “a driven vapor” (“driven” = the Niphal participle). The point of the metaphor is that the ill-gotten gains will vanish into thin air. The LXX has “pursues” (as if reading רֹדֵף, rodef); cf. NAB “chasing a bubble over deadly snares.”
- Proverbs 21:6 tn The Hebrew has “seekers of death,” meaning “[they that seek them] are seekers of death,” or that the fortune is “a fleeting vapor for those who seek death.” The sense is not readily apparent. The Greek and the Latin versions have “snares of death”; the form מוֹקְשֵׁי (moqeshe) was read instead of מְבַקְשֵׁי (mevaqqeshe). This reading does not make a more credible metaphor, and one must explain the loss of the letter ב (bet) in the textual variant. It is, however, slightly easier to interpret in the verse, and is followed by a number of English versions (e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). But whether the easier reading is the correct one in this case would be difficult to prove.
Proverbs 21:28
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 21:28
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
28 A false witness will perish,
but a good listener will testify successfully.
Proverbs 21:28
New English Translation
Proverbs 21:28
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:28 tn Heb “a witness of lies,” an attributive genitive.
- Proverbs 21:28 tn The Hebrew verb translated “will perish” (יֹאבֵד, yoʾved) could mean that the false witness will die, either by the hand of God or by the community. But it also could be taken in the sense that the false testimony will be destroyed. This would mean that “false witness” would be a metonymy of cause—what he says will perish (cf. NCV “will be forgotten”).
- Proverbs 21:28 tn Heb “but a man who listens speaks forever.” The first part of it may mean (1) a true witness, one who reports what he actually hears. But it may also refer to (2) someone who listens to the false testimony given by the false witness. The NIV follows the suggestion of a homonym for the Hebrew word with the meaning “will perish/be destroyed”: “will be destroyed forever.” This suggests a synonymous pair of ideas rather than a contrast. Others accept antithetical parallelism. C. H. Toy suggested an idea like “be established” to contrast with “will perish” (Proverbs [ICC], 411). W. McKane suggested it meant the truthful witness “will speak to the end” without being put down (Proverbs [OTL], 556). It is simpler to interpret the words that are here in the sense of a contrast. The idea of speaking forever/to the end would then be hyperbolic.
Proverbs 25:18
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 25:18
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
18 Like a war club, a sword, or a sharp arrow
is one who bears false witness against a neighbor.(A)
Proverbs 25:18
New English Translation
Proverbs 25:18
New English Translation
18 Like 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]
Footnotes
- 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.
Proverbs 26:18-19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Proverbs 26:18-19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
18 Like a maniac who shoots deadly firebrands and arrows,(A)
19 so is one who deceives a neighbor
and says, “I am only joking!”(B)
Proverbs 26:18-19
New English Translation
Proverbs 26:18-19
New English Translation
18 Like a madman[a] who shoots
firebrands and deadly arrows,[b]
19 so is a person[c] who has deceived his neighbor,
and said, “Was I not only joking?”[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:18 tn The term כְּמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ (kemitlahleah) is the Hitpalpel participle of the quadriliteral verbal root לִהְלֵהַּ (lihleah), which means “to amaze; to startle” (BDB 529 s.v.). Here it functions as a substantive—the object of the preposition—and has the meaning of “madman” (cf. NRSV “maniac”). This is the only occurrence of the term.
- Proverbs 26:18 tn Heb “arrows and death” (so KJV, NASB). This expression can be understood as a nominal hendiadys: “deadly arrows” (so NAB, NIV).
- Proverbs 26:19 tn Heb “man.”
- Proverbs 26:19 sn The subject of this proverb is not simply a deceiver, but one who does so out of jest, or at least who claims he was joking afterward. (The LXX adds that he says this “whenever he is discovered.”) The participle מְשַׂחֵק (mesakheq) has the idea of “laughing, mocking”; in this context it might convey the idea of “kidding” or “joking.” The point is that such practical joking is immature and often dangerous. To the foolish deceiver it might all seem like fun, like sport, but it can destroy people. One cannot trifle with dangerous weapons, or put them in irresponsible hands; likewise one cannot trifle with human relationships. W. G. Plaut notes, “The only worthwhile humor is that which laughs with, not at others” (Proverbs, 270).
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