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Proverbs 18:16
New English Translation
Proverbs 18:16
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:16 sn The Hebrew term translated “gift” is a more general term than “bribe” (שֹׁחַד, shokhad), used in 17:8, 23. But it also has danger (e.g., 15:27; 21:14), for by giving gifts one might learn how influential they are and use them for bribes. The proverb simply states that a gift can expedite matters.
- Proverbs 18:16 sn The two verbs here show a progression, helping to form the synthetic parallelism. The gift first “makes room” (יַרְחִיב, yarkhiv) for the person, that is, extending a place for him, and then “ushers him in” (יַנְחֵנּוּ, yankhennu) among the greats.
Proverbs 18:16
English Standard Version
Proverbs 18:16
English Standard Version
16 A man's (A)gift makes room for him
and brings him before the great.
Proverbs 19:4
New English Translation
Proverbs 19:4
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:4 tn The Niphal imperfect probably should be taken in the passive sense (the poor person is deserted by his “friend,” cf. NAB, NIV) rather than as a direct middle (the poor person deserted his friend).
- Proverbs 19:4 sn This proverb simply makes an observation on life: People pursue wealthy folk hoping that they can gain something from the rich, but the poor are deserted even by friends, who fear that the poor will try to gain something from them.
Proverbs 19:4
English Standard Version
Proverbs 19:4
English Standard Version
Proverbs 19:6
New English Translation
Proverbs 19:6
New English Translation
6 Many people entreat the favor[a] of a generous person,[b]
and everyone is the friend[c] of the person who gives gifts.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:6 tn The verb יְחַלּוּ (yekhallu) is a Piel imperfect of חָלָה (khalah) meaning “to seek favor; to entreat favor; to mollify; to appease”; cf. NIV “curry favor.” It literally means “making the face of someone sweet or pleasant,” as in stroking the face. To “entreat the favor” of someone is to induce him to show favor; the action aims at receiving gifts, benefits, or any other kind of success. sn The Hebrew verb translated “entreat the favor” is often used to express prayer when God is the one whose favor is being sought; here it is the prince who can grant requests.
- Proverbs 19:6 tn Heb “the face of a generous man”; ASV “the liberal man.” The term “face” is a synecdoche of part (= face) for the whole (= person).
- Proverbs 19:6 sn The proverb acknowledges the fact of life, but it also reminds people of the value of gifts in life, especially in business or in politics.
- Proverbs 19:6 tn Heb “a man of gifts.” This could be (1) attributive genitive: a man characterized by giving gifts or (2) objective genitive: a man who gives gifts (IBHS 146 §9.5.2b).
Proverbs 19:6
English Standard Version
Proverbs 19:6
English Standard Version
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:6 Or of a noble
Proverbs 22:11
New English Translation
Proverbs 22:11
New English Translation
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Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:11 sn The “heart” is a metonymy of subject; it represents the intentions and choices that are made. “Pure of heart” uses “heart” as a genitive of specification. The expression refers to someone who has honest and clear intentions.
- Proverbs 22:11 tn Heb “grace of his lips” (so KJV, ASV). The “lips” are a metonymy of cause representing what is said; it also functions as a genitive of specification. sn This individual is gracious or kind in what he says; thus the verse is commending honest intentions and gracious words.
- Proverbs 22:11 tn The syntax of the line is somewhat difficult, because “grace of his lips” seems to be intruding on the point of the verse with little explanation. Therefore the LXX rendered it “The Lord loves the pure in heart; all who are blameless in their ways are acceptable to him.” This has very little correspondence with the Hebrew; nevertheless commentators attempt to reconstruct the verse using it, and the NAB follows the first clause of the LXX here. Some have suggested taking “king” as the subject of the whole verse (“the king loves…”), but this is forced.
Proverbs 22:11
English Standard Version
Proverbs 22:11
English Standard Version
11 He who (A)loves purity of heart,
and whose (B)speech is gracious, (C)will have the king as his friend.
Proverbs 22:29
New English Translation
Proverbs 22:29
New English Translation
29 You have seen[a] a person skilled[b] in his work—
he will take his position before kings;
he will not take his position[c] before obscure people.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:29 tn Most translations render the verse as a question (“do you see…?”, so NIV, NASB, RSV, ESV) or as a condition (“if you…, so CEV), but the Hebrew has a perfect verb form (חָזִיתָ, khazita) without an interrogative or conditional marker. Hebrew proverbs can use the past tense to set the topic or opening premise of a proverb (to present a case, e.g. “take this situation where X occurred”), and then comment on it in the second half of the proverb. English translators of proverbial sayings tend to want to make the past time verbs in Hebrew into present tense in English. But this convention is difficult with second person verb forms, so the translations tend to take the tactic of changing the nature of the sentence to interrogative or conditional.
- Proverbs 22:29 sn The word translated “skilled” is general enough to apply to any craft, but it may refer to a scribe or an official (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 134).
- Proverbs 22:29 tn The verb form used twice here is יִתְיַצֵּב (yityatsev), the Hitpael imperfect of יָצַב (yatsav), which means “to set or station oneself; to take one’s stand” in this stem. With the form לִפְנֵי (lifne) it means “to present oneself before” someone; so here it has the idea of serving as a courtier in the presence of a king.
- Proverbs 22:29 sn The fifth saying affirms that true skill earns recognition and advancement (cf. Instruction of Amenemope, chap. 30, 27:16-17 [ANET 424]).
Proverbs 22:29
English Standard Version
Proverbs 22:29
English Standard Version
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work?
He will (A)stand before kings;
he will not stand before obscure men.
New English Translation (NET)
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.