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Proverbs 10:1
New English Translation
Proverbs 10:1
New English Translation
The First Collection of Solomonic Proverbs[a]
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- Proverbs 10:1 sn Beginning with ch. 10 there is a difference in the form of the material contained in the book of Proverbs. No longer are there long admonitions, but the actual proverbs, short aphorisms dealing with right or wrong choices. Other than a few similar themes grouped together here and there, there is no arrangement to the material as a whole. It is a long collection of approximately 400 proverbs.
- Proverbs 10:1 tn Heb “son.”
- Proverbs 10:1 tn The imperfect tense describes progressive or habitual action, translated here with an English present tense. These fit the nature of proverbs which are general maxims, and not necessarily absolutes or universal truths. One may normally expect to find what the proverb notes, and one should live according to its instructions in the light of those expectations, but one should not be surprised if from time to time there is an exception. The fact that there may be an exception does not diminish the need to live by the sayings.
- Proverbs 10:1 tn Heb “son.”
- Proverbs 10:1 tn Heb “grief of his mother.” The noun “grief” is in construct, and “mother” is an objective genitive. The saying declares that the consequences of wisdom or folly affects the parents.
Proverbs 10:1
Amplified Bible
Proverbs 10:1
Amplified Bible
Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked
10 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother.
Proverbs 15:20
New English Translation
Proverbs 15:20
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:20 tn Heb “son.”
- Proverbs 15:20 tn Heb “a fool of a man,” a genitive of specification.
- Proverbs 15:20 sn The proverb is almost the same as 10:1, except that “despises” replaces “grief.” This adds the idea of the callousness of the one who inflicts grief on his mother (D. Kidner, Proverbs [TOTC], 116).
Proverbs 15:20
Amplified Bible
Proverbs 15:20
Amplified Bible
20
A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.
Proverbs 17:2
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:2
New English Translation
2 A servant who acts wisely[a] will rule
over[b] an heir[c] who behaves shamefully,[d]
and will share the inheritance along with the relatives.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:2 sn The setting is in the ancient world where a servant rarely advanced beyond his or her station in life. But there are notable exceptions (e.g., Gen 15:3 where the possibility is mentioned, 1 Chr 2:35 where it changed through marriage, and 2 Sam 16:1-4; 19:24-30, with the story of Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth). This proverb focuses on a servant who is wise, one who uses all his abilities effectively—a Joseph figure.
- Proverbs 17:2 sn The parallelism indicates that “ruling over” and “sharing in the inheritance” means that the disgraceful son will be disinherited.
- Proverbs 17:2 tn Heb “son.”
- Proverbs 17:2 tn The form מֵבִישׁ (mevish) is a Hiphil participle, modifying בֵּן (ben). This original heir would then be one who caused shame or disgrace to the family, probably by showing a complete lack of wisdom in the choices he made.
- Proverbs 17:2 tn Heb “in the midst of the brothers”; NIV “as one of the brothers.”
Proverbs 17:2
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Proverbs 17:2
Amplified Bible
2
A wise servant will rule over the [unworthy] son who acts shamefully and brings disgrace [to the family]
And [the worthy servant] will share in the inheritance among the brothers.
Proverbs 17:25
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:25
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:25 sn The Hebrew noun means “vexation, anger, grief.”
- Proverbs 17:25 tn Heb “to the one who bore him.” Because the participle is feminine singular in Hebrew, this has been translated as “the mother who bore him.”sn The proverb is similar to v. 21, 10:1, and 15:20.
Proverbs 17:25
Amplified Bible
Proverbs 17:25
Amplified Bible
25
A foolish son is a grief and anguish to his father
And bitterness to her who gave birth to him.
Proverbs 19:13
New English Translation
Proverbs 19:13
New English Translation
13 A foolish child[a] is the ruin of his father,
and a contentious wife[b] is like[c] a constant dripping.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:13 tn Heb “a foolish son” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, CEV); NRSV “a stupid child.”
- Proverbs 19:13 tn Heb “the contentions of a wife” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “the nagging of a wife.” The genitive could be interpreted (1) as genitive of source or subjective genitive—she is quarreling; or (2) it could be a genitive of specification, making the word “contentions” a modifier, as in the present translation.
- Proverbs 19:13 tn Heb “is a constant dripping.” The term “like” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. The metaphor pictures water dropping (perhaps rain through the roof, cf. NRSV, CEV) in a continuous flow: It is annoying and irritating (e.g., Prov 27:15-16).
- Proverbs 19:13 tc The LXX makes this moralistic statement for 13b: “vows paid out of hire of a harlot are not pure.” It is not based on the MT and attempts to reconstruct a text using this have been unsuccessful.
Proverbs 19:13
Amplified Bible
Proverbs 19:13
Amplified Bible
13
A foolish (ungodly) son is destruction to his father,
And the contentions of a [quarrelsome] wife are like a constant dripping [of water].
Proverbs 19:26
New English Translation
Proverbs 19:26
New English Translation
26 The one who robs[a] his father[b] and chases away his mother
is a son[c] who brings shame and disgrace.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:26 tn The construction joins the Piel participle מְשַׁדֶּד (meshadded, “one who robs”) with the Hiphil imperfect יַבְרִיחַ (yavriakh, “causes to flee” = chases away). The imperfect given a progressive imperfect nuance matches the timeless description of the participle as a substantive.
- Proverbs 19:26 sn “Father” and “mother” here represent a stereotypical word pair in the book of Proverbs, rather than describing separate crimes against each individual parent. Both crimes are against both parents.
- Proverbs 19:26 tn The more generic “child” does not fit the activities described in this verse and so “son” is retained in the translation. In the ancient world a “son” was more likely than a daughter to behave as stated. Such behavior may reflect the son wanting to take over his father’s lands prematurely.
Proverbs 19:26
Amplified Bible
Proverbs 19:26
Amplified Bible
26
He who assaults his father and chases away his mother
Is a son who brings shame and disgrace.(A)
New English Translation (NET)
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