Proverbs 14:17
New English Translation
17 A person who has a quick temper[a] will do foolish things,
and a person with crafty schemes[b] will be hated.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:17 sn The proverb discusses two character traits that are distasteful to others—the quick tempered person (“short of anger” or impatient) and the crafty person (“man of devices”). C. H. Toy thinks that the proverb is antithetical and renders it “but a wise man endures” (Proverbs [ICC], 292). In other words, the quick-tempered person acts foolishly and loses people’s respect, but the wise man does not.
- Proverbs 14:17 tn Heb “a man of devices.”
- Proverbs 14:17 tn The verb שָׂנֵא (saneʾ) is stative and as a Niphal is ingressive (“become hated”); its imperfect form should be future rather than present. tc The LXX reads “endures” (from נָשָׂא, nasaʾ) rather than “is hated” (from שָׂנֵא, saneʾ). This change seems to have arisen on the assumption that a contrast was needed. It has: “a man of thought endures.” Other versions take מְזִמּוֹת (mezimmot) in a good sense, but antithetical parallelism is unwarranted here.
Proverbs 14:17
World English Bible
17 He who is quick to become angry will commit folly,
and a crafty man is hated.
Proverbs 14:29
New English Translation
29 Someone with great understanding is slow to anger,[a]
but the one who has a quick temper[b] exalts[c] folly.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:29 tn Or “Someone who is slow to anger [has] great understanding.” The translation treats the Hebrew nominal clause as having predicate-subject word order, similar to predicate position for adjectival clauses. But the issue of basic word order is debated.
- Proverbs 14:29 tn Heb “hasty of spirit” (so KJV, ASV); NRSV, NLT “a hasty temper.” One who has a quick temper or a short fuse will be evident to everyone, due to his rash actions.
- Proverbs 14:29 sn The participle “exalts” (מֵרִים, merim) means that this person brings folly to a full measure, lifts it up, brings it to the full notice of everybody.
Proverbs 14:29
World English Bible
29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
but he who has a quick temper displays folly.
Proverbs 15:18
New English Translation
18 A quick-tempered person[a] stirs up dissension,
but one who is slow to anger[b] calms[c] a quarrel.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:18 tn Heb “a man of wrath”; KJV, ASV “a wrathful man.” The term “wrath” functions as an attributive genitive: “an angry person.” He is contrasted with the “slow of anger,” so he is a “quick-tempered person” (cf. NLT “a hothead”).
- Proverbs 15:18 tn Heb “slow of anger.” The noun “anger” functions as a genitive of specification: slow in reference to anger, that is, slow to get angry, patient.
- Proverbs 15:18 tn The Hiphil verb יַשְׁקִיט (yashqit) means “to cause quietness; to pacify; to allay” the strife or quarrel (cf. NAB “allays discord”). This type of person goes out of his way to keep things calm and minimize contention; his opposite thrives on disagreement and dispute.
- Proverbs 15:18 sn The fact that רִיב (riv) is used for “quarrel; strife” strongly implies that the setting is the courtroom or other legal setting (the gates of the city). The hot-headed person is eager to turn every disagreement into a legal case.
Proverbs 15:18
World English Bible
18 A wrathful man stirs up contention,
but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.
Proverbs 22:24-25
New English Translation
24 Do not make friends with an angry person,[a]
and do not associate with a wrathful person,
25 lest you learn[b] his ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:24 tn Heb “possessor of anger.” This expression is an idiom for “wrathful person” or “an angry person” (cf. NAB “a hotheaded man”; NLT “short-tempered people”). These are people characterized by anger, meaning the anger is not a rare occurrence with them.
- Proverbs 22:25 tn The verb פֶּן־תֶּאֱלַף (pen teʾelaf) is translated “lest you learn.” The idea is more precisely “become familiar with his ways.” The construction indicates that if one associates with such people he will become like them (cf. TEV “you might learn their habits”).
- Proverbs 22:25 sn The warning in this proverb is to avoid associating with a hothead because his influence could be fatal (a similar idea is found in the Instruction of Amenemope, chap. 9, 11:13-14 [ANET 423]).
Proverbs 22:24-25
World English Bible
24 Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man,
and don’t associate with one who harbors anger:
25 lest you learn his ways,
and ensnare your soul.
Proverbs 25:8
New English Translation
8 Do not go out hastily to litigation,[a]
or[b] what will you do afterward
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:8 tn Heb “do not go out hastily to strive”; the verb “to strive” means dispute in the legal context. The last clause of v. 7, “what your eyes have seen,” does fit very well with the initial clause of v. 8. It would then say: What you see, do not take hastily to court, but if the case was not valid, he would end up in disgrace.sn The Hebrew verb רִיב (riv) is often used in legal contexts; here the warning is not to go to court hastily lest it turn out badly.
- Proverbs 25:8 tn The clause begins with פֶּן (pen, “lest”) which seems a bit out of place in this line. C. H. Toy suggests changing it to כִּי (ki, “for”) to make a better connection, instead of supplying an ellipsis: “lest it be said what…” (Proverbs [ICC], 461).
Proverbs 25:8
World English Bible
8 Don’t be hasty in bringing charges to court.
What will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?
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