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Proverbs 12:7-8
New English Translation
Proverbs 12:7-8
New English Translation
7 The wicked are overthrown[a] and perish,[b]
but the righteous household[c] will stand.
8 A person[d] will be praised in accordance with[e] his wisdom,
but the one with a bewildered mind[f] will be despised.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:7 tn The MT has an infinitive absolute “as to the overthrow of the wicked—they are [then] no more.” The verb הָפַך (haphakh) can mean “to turn” (change directions), “to turn something into something,” or “to overthrow” (particularly said of cities). The LXX interprets as “wherever the wicked turns he disappears.”sn This proverb is about the stability of the righteous in times of trouble.
- Proverbs 12:7 tn Heb “and they are not.”
- Proverbs 12:7 tn Heb “the house of the righteous.” The genitive צַדִּיקִים (tsaddiqim) functions as an attributive adjective: “righteous house.” The noun בֵּית (bet, “house”) functions as a synecdoche of container (= house) for the contents (= family, household; perhaps household possessions). Cf. NCV “a good person’s family”; NLT “the children of the godly.”
- Proverbs 12:8 tn Heb “a man.”
- Proverbs 12:8 tn Heb “to the mouth of.” This idiom means “according to” (BDB 805 s.v. פֶּה 6.b.(b); cf. KJV, NAB, NIV). The point is that praise is proportionate to wisdom.
- Proverbs 12:8 tn Heb “bent of mind.” The verb עָוָּה (ʿavah) occurs four times in the Niphal. In Isa 21:3 and Ps 38:6 it describes someone who is dazed or bewildered; in 1 Sam 20:30 it is derogatory, probably meaning moral perversity. Here it contrasts wisdom, so “bewildered” is likely, but it may also mean “perverse” (NASB, NRSV, NKJV), “warped” (NIV, NLT), “twisted” (ESV). The noun לֵב (lev, “mind, heart”) is a genitive of specification. It functions as a metonymy of association for “mind; thoughts” (BDB 524 s.v. 3) and “will; volition” (BDB 524 s.v. 4). This person does not perceive things as they are, and so makes wrong choices. His thinking is all wrong.
Proverbs 12:7-8
American Standard Version
Proverbs 12:7-8
American Standard Version
7 [a]The wicked are overthrown, and are not;
But the house of the righteous shall stand.
8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom;
But he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:7 Or, Overthrow the wicked, and they are not
Proverbs 12:12
New English Translation
Proverbs 12:12
New English Translation
12 The wicked person has desired[a] the stronghold[b] of the wicked,
but the root of the righteous will yield fruit.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:12 sn The contrast includes a contrast of verb forms, here the perfect verb “has desired,” next the imperfect verb “will yield [fruit].” The perfect verb leaves the wicked at the point of desire for a goal. He or she has [only] desired, but there is no implication of achievement. In contrast the righteous are described not in terms of their goal or desire, but their root, implying their foundation or character. Their focus is different but their root will yield fruit or be productive.
- Proverbs 12:12 tn This line is difficult to interpret. BDB connects the term מְצוֹד (metsod) to II מָצוֹד which means (1) “snare; hunting-net” and (2) what is caught: “prey” (BDB 844-45 s.v. II מָצוֹד). This would function as a metonymy of cause for what the net catches: the prey. Or it may be saying that the wicked get caught in their own net, that is, reap the consequences of their own sins. On the other hand, HALOT 622 connects מְצוֹד (metsod) to II מְצוּדָה (metsudah, “mountain stronghold”; cf. NAB “the stronghold of evil men will be demolished”). The LXX translated it as: “The desires of the wicked are evil.” The Syriac has: “The wicked desire to do evil.” The Latin expands it: “The desire of the wicked is a defense of the worst [things, or persons].” C. H. Toy suggests emending the text to read “wickedness is the net of bad men” (Proverbs [ICC], 250).
- Proverbs 12:12 tc The MT reads יִתֵּן (yitten, “will give; gives,” without a direct object: “the root of the righteous gives.” The LXX reads “the root of the righteous endures” (cf. NAB). This suggests a Hebrew Vorlage of אֵיתָן (ʾetan, “constant; continual”; HALOT 44-45 s.v. I אֵיתָן 2) which would involve the omission of א (ʾalef) in the MT.tn Heb “will give/yield.” The verb נָתַן (natan) is used elsewhere in the phrase to “produce fruit” (e.g. Lev 25:19 of the land; Zech 8:12 of the vine). Yielding fruit can be a natural implication of healthy roots (cf. Ps. 1:3; Isa 11:1; Jer 12:2). The sage has probably left out specific mention of the word “fruit” to heighten the contrast between desiring a goal and receiving a result which is the byproduct of good character. However the omission may imply a text critical problem.
Proverbs 12:12
American Standard Version
Proverbs 12:12
American Standard Version
12 The wicked desireth [a]the net of evil men;
But the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:12 Or, the prey
Proverbs 12:21
New English Translation
Proverbs 12:21
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- 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 12:21
American Standard Version
Proverbs 12:21
American Standard Version
21 There shall no mischief happen to the righteous;
But the wicked shall be filled with evil.
Proverbs 12:28
New English Translation
Proverbs 12:28
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:28 tc The MT has דֶרֶך נְתִיבָה (derekh netivah) “a way, a path.” The duplication of meaning is awkward. If the first word is repointed as a Qal participle (דֹּרֵך, dorekh) it could be understood as “treading a path [that leads to…].” The editors of BHS propose that the second word be emended to מְשׁוּבָה (meshuvah, “[way of] apostacy”) or תּוֹעֵבָה (toʿevah, “[way of] abomination”). The LXX reads “the ways of the revengeful [lead] to death.”
- Proverbs 12:28 tc The consonants אל־מות (ʾl mvt) are vocalized by the MT as אַל־מָוֶת (ʾal mavet, “no death”), perhaps meaning immortality (“the journey of [her] path is no-death”). M. Dahood suggests that it means permanence (“Immortality in Proverbs 12:28, ” Bib 41 [1960]: 176-81). However, many medieval Hebrew mss and all the versions vocalize it as אֶל־מָוֶת (ʾel mavet), meaning “leads to death” (cf. NAB, NCV). W. McKane adopts this reading, and suggests that MT is a scribal change toward eternal life (Proverbs [OTL], 451-52). Others adopt this reading because they do not find the term “life” used in Proverbs for eternal life, nor do they find references to immortality elsewhere in Proverbs.
Proverbs 12:28
American Standard Version
Proverbs 12:28
American Standard Version
28 In the way of righteousness is life;
And in the pathway thereof there is no death.
Proverbs 13:6
New English Translation
Proverbs 13:6
New English Translation
6 Righteousness[a] guards the one who lives with integrity,[b]
but wickedness[c] overthrows the sinner.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:6 sn Righteousness refers to that which conforms to law and order. One who behaves with integrity will be safe from consequences of sin.
- Proverbs 13:6 tn Heb “integrity of way.” The term דָּרֶךְ (darekh) is a genitive of specification: “integrity in respect to his way.” This means living above reproach in their course of life. Cf. NASB “whose way is blameless”; NAB “who walks honestly.”
- Proverbs 13:6 sn Righteousness and wickedness are personified in this proverb to make the point of security and insecurity for the two courses of life.
Proverbs 13:6
American Standard Version
Proverbs 13:6
American Standard Version
6 Righteousness guardeth [a]him that is upright in the way;
But wickedness overthroweth [b]the sinner.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:6 Hebrew uprightness of way.
- Proverbs 13:6 Hebrew sin.
Proverbs 13:9
New English Translation
Proverbs 13:9
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:9 sn The images of “light” and “darkness” are used frequently in scripture. Here “light” is an implied comparison: “light” represents life, joy, and prosperity; “darkness” signifies adversity and death. So the “light of the righteous” represents the prosperous life of the righteous.
- Proverbs 13:9 tn The verb יִשְׂמָח (yismakh) is normally translated “to make glad; to rejoice.” But with “light” as the subject, it has the connotation “to shine brightly” (see G. R. Driver, “Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” Bib 32 [1951]: 180).
- Proverbs 13:9 sn The lamp is an implied comparison as well, comparing the life of the wicked to a lamp that is going to be extinguished.
- Proverbs 13:9 tc The LXX adds, “Deceitful souls go astray in sins, but the righteous are pitiful and merciful.” tn The verb דָּעַךְ (daʿakh) means “to go out [in reference to a fire or lamp]; to be extinguished.” The idea is that of being made extinct, snuffed out (cf. NIV, NLT). The imagery may have been drawn from the sanctuary where the flame was to be kept burning perpetually. Not so with the wicked.
Proverbs 13:9
American Standard Version
Proverbs 13:9
American Standard Version
9 The light of the righteous rejoiceth;
But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
Proverbs 13:21-22
New English Translation
Proverbs 13:21-22
New English Translation
21 Calamity[a] pursues sinners,
but prosperity rewards the righteous.[b]
22 A good person leaves an inheritance for[c] his grandchildren,
but the wealth of a sinner is stored up for the righteous.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:21 tn Heb “evil.” The term רָעָה (raʿah, “evil”) here functions in a metonymical sense meaning “calamity.” “Good” is the general idea of good fortune or prosperity; the opposite, “evil,” is likewise “misfortune” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV) or calamity.
- Proverbs 13:21 sn This statement deals with recompense in generalizing terms. It is this principle in an absolute sense, without allowing for any of the exceptions that Proverbs itself acknowledges, that Job’s friends applied (incorrectly) to his suffering.
- Proverbs 13:22 sn In ancient Israel the idea of leaving an inheritance was a sign of God’s blessing; blessings extended to the righteous and not the sinners.
- Proverbs 13:22 sn In the ultimate justice of God, the wealth of the wicked goes to the righteous after death (e.g., Ps 49:10, 17).
Proverbs 13:21-22
American Standard Version
Proverbs 13:21-22
American Standard Version
21 Evil pursueth sinners;
But the righteous shall be recompensed with good.
22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children;
And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous.
Proverbs 13:25
New English Translation
Proverbs 13:25
New English Translation
25 The righteous has enough food to satisfy[a] his appetite,[b]
but the belly of the wicked will be empty.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 13:25 tn Heb “eats to the abundance of.”
- Proverbs 13:25 tn The noun נֶפֶשׁ (traditionally “soul”; cf. KJV, ASV) here means “appetite” (BDB 660 s.v. 5.a).
- Proverbs 13:25 tn The imperfect verb תֶּחְסָר (tekhsar) is from the stative root סָחַר (sakhar, “to be devoid of, to decrease, to be empty”) and so should be future tense. sn The wicked may go hungry, or lack all they desire, just as the first colon may mean that what the righteous acquire proves satisfying to them.
Proverbs 13:25
American Standard Version
Proverbs 13:25
American Standard Version
25 The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul;
But the belly of the wicked shall want.
Proverbs 14:11
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:11
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:11 tn Heb “house.” The term “house” is a metonymy of subject, referring to their contents: families and family life. sn Personal integrity ensures domestic stability and prosperity, while lack of such integrity (= wickedness) will lead to the opposite.
- Proverbs 14:11 tn The term “tent” is a metonymy here referring to the contents of the tent: families.
Proverbs 14:11
American Standard Version
Proverbs 14:11
American Standard Version
11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown;
But the tent of the upright shall flourish.
Proverbs 14:14
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:14
New English Translation
14 The backslider[a] will be paid back[b] from his own ways,
but a good person will be rewarded[c] for his.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:14 tn Heb “a backslidden heart.” The term סוּג (sug) means “to move away; to move backwards; to depart; to backslide” (BDB 690 s.v. I סוּג). This individual is the one who backslides, that is, who departs from the path of righteousness.
- Proverbs 14:14 tn Heb “will be filled”; cf. KJV, ASV. The verb (“to be filled, to be satisfied”) here means “to be repaid,” that is, to partake in his own evil ways. His faithlessness will come back to haunt him.
- Proverbs 14:14 tn The phrase “will be rewarded” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied based on the parallelism for the sake of clarity and smoothness.
Proverbs 14:14
American Standard Version
Proverbs 14:14
American Standard Version
14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways;
And a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
Proverbs 14:19
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:19
New English Translation
19 Bad people have bowed[a] before good people,
and wicked people have bowed[b] at the gates[c] of someone righteous.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:19 tn The verb שָׁחַח (shakhakh) means “to crouch, cower, bow” whether from weariness or in submission. As a dynamic verb in the perfect conjugation form, it is past or perfective. Here the sage takes the viewpoint of assuring the learner of what has happened in the past, asserting it to be prototypical of what will continue to happen. Some translations emphasize the future implication (NIV, NASB, CEV, NLT) while others opt to portray the lesson as a characteristic present (ESV, KJV, Holman).
- Proverbs 14:19 tn The phrase “have bowed” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
- Proverbs 14:19 sn J. H. Greenstone suggests that this means that they are begging for favors (Proverbs, 154).
- Proverbs 14:19 tn The adjective is singular. A plurality of people crouching before a single person portrays an even greater extent of difference in power between them.
Proverbs 14:19
American Standard Version
Proverbs 14:19
American Standard Version
19 The evil bow down before the good;
And the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.
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 14:22
American Standard Version
Proverbs 14:22
American Standard Version
22 [a]Do they not err that devise evil?
But mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:22 Or, Shall they not go astray
New English Translation (NET)
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American Standard Version (ASV)
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