Proverbs 19:15
New English Translation
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:15 tn Heb “causes to fall” or “casts”; NAB “plunges…into.”
- Proverbs 19:15 tn Or “complete inactivity”; the word תַּרְדֵּמָה (tardemah) can refer to a physical “deep sleep” (e.g., Gen 2:21; Jonah 1:5, 6), but it can also be used figuratively for complete inactivity, as other words for “sleep” can. Here it refers to lethargy or debility and morbidness.
- Proverbs 19:15 tn The expression וְנֶפֶשׁ רְמִיָּה (venefesh remiyyah) can be translated “the soul of deceit” or “the soul of slackness.” There are two identical feminine nouns, one from the verb “beguile,” and the other from a cognate Arabic root “grow loose.” The second is more likely here in view of the parallelism (cf. NIV “a shiftless man”; NAB “the sluggard”). One who is slack, that is, idle, will go hungry.
- Proverbs 19:15 sn The two lines are related in a metonymical sense: “deep sleep” is the cause of going hungry, and “going hungry” is the effect of deep sleep.
Proverbs 19:15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep;
an idle person will suffer hunger.(A)
Proverbs 19:24
New English Translation
24 The sluggard has plunged[a] his hand into the dish,
and he will not even bring it back to his mouth![b]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:24 tn Heb The verb תָּמַן (taman) means “to bury” (so many English versions) or “to hide” (so KJV). As the perfect form of a dynamic verb it should be understood as past or perfective. The proverb presents a scene where the sluggard has not just reached to the food in the dish but buried his hand in it. The second comment reveals that this is not a frozen frame, but a continuing scene revealing the extent of his laziness.
- Proverbs 19:24 sn This humorous portrayal is an exaggeration, but the point is that laziness opposes common sense and can thwart basic needs. It would have a wider application for anyone who would start a project and then lack the interest or energy to finish it (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 111). Ibn Ezra proposes that the dish was empty, because the sluggard was too lazy to provide for himself.
Proverbs 19:24
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
24 The lazy person buries a hand in the dish
and will not even bring it back to the mouth.(A)
Proverbs 20:4
New English Translation
4 The sluggard will not plow[a] during the planting season,[b]
so at harvest time he asks[c] for grain[d] but has nothing.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:4 sn The act of plowing is put for the whole process of planting a crop.
- Proverbs 20:4 tn Heb “from winter.” The preposition מִן (min) may designate the starting point “from winter [onward]” or the cause “due to” (so ASV “by reason of the winter”). The noun “winter” refers to the time for sowing seed and having the early growth of crops. The right time for planting was after the autumn harvest and the rainy season of autumn and winter began.
- Proverbs 20:4 tc The Kethib reads a Qal imperfect, while the Qere reads a vav plus Qal perfect consecutive. Both forms would be future; the Qere more overtly states this as a consequence.tn The basic meaning of the Qal verb שָׁאַל (shaʾal) is “to ask;” by extension it sometimes means “to wish for; to desire; to borrow” and perhaps “to beg.” The Piel can mean “to beg” and does not require emending the consonantal text. Because he did not plant, or did not do it at the right time, he is reduced to begging and will have nothing (cf. KJV, ASV; NASB “he begs during the harvest”).
- Proverbs 20:4 tn The phrase “for grain” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
Proverbs 20:4
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
4 The lazy person does not plow in season;
harvest comes, and there is nothing to be found.(A)
Proverbs 20:13
New English Translation
13 Do not love sleep,[a] lest you become impoverished;
open your eyes so that[b] you might be satisfied with food.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:13 sn The proverb uses antithetical parallelism to teach that diligence leads to prosperity. It contrasts loving sleep with opening the eyes, and poverty with satisfaction. Just as “sleep” can be used for slothfulness or laziness, so opening the eyes can represent vigorous, active conduct. The idioms have caught on in modern usage as well—things like “open your eyes” or “asleep on the job.”
- Proverbs 20:13 tn The second line uses two imperatives in a sequence (without the vav [ו]): “open your eyes” and then (or, in order that) you will “be satisfied.”
- Proverbs 20:13 tn Heb “bread” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV), although the term often serves in a generic sense for food in general.
Proverbs 20:13
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
13 Do not love sleep, or else you will come to poverty;
open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.(A)
Proverbs 21:17
New English Translation
17 The one who loves[a] pleasure[b] will be[c] a poor person;[d]
whoever loves wine and anointing oil[e] will not be rich.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:17 sn The participle “loves” (אֹהֵב, ʾohev) indicates in this context that more is involved than the enjoyment of pleasure, for which there is no problem. The proverb is looking at “love” in the sense of needing and choosing, an excessive or uncontrolled indulgence in pleasure.
- Proverbs 21:17 sn “Pleasure” is actually the Hebrew word “joy” (שִׂמְחָה, simkhah). It is a metonymy of effect, the cause being the good life that brings the joy. In the second colon, “wine” and “oil” would be metonymies of cause, the particular things in life that bring joy. Therefore the figures in the lines work together to give the complete picture.
- Proverbs 21:17 tn The phrase “will be” is supplied in the translation.
- Proverbs 21:17 tn Heb “a man of poverty”; NRSV “will suffer want.”
- Proverbs 21:17 sn In elaborate feasts and celebrations the wine was for drinking but the oil was for anointing (cf. NAB, NCV “perfume”). Both of these characterize the luxurious life (e.g., Pss 23:5; 104:15; Amos 6:6).
Proverbs 21:17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
17 Whoever loves pleasure will suffer want;
whoever loves wine and oil will not be rich.
Proverbs 21:25-26
New English Translation
25 What the sluggard desires[a] will kill him,[b]
for his hands[c] have refused to work.
26 All day long he has craved greedily,[d]
but the righteous person gives and does not hold back.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:25 tn Heb “the desire of the sluggard” (so ASV, NASB). This phrase features a subject genitive: “what the sluggard desires.” The term תַּאֲוַת (taʾavat, “desire; craving”) is a metonymy of cause. The craving itself will not destroy the sluggard, but what will destroy him is what the craving causes him to do or not to do. The lazy come to ruin because they desire the easy way out.
- Proverbs 21:25 tn The verb תְּמִיתֶנּוּ (temitennu) is the Hiphil imperfect with a suffix: “will kill him.” It is probably used hyperbolically here for coming to ruin (cf. NLT), although it could include physical death.
- Proverbs 21:25 sn “Hands” is figurative for the whole person, but “hands” is retained in the translation because it is often the symbol to express one’s ability of action.
- Proverbs 21:26 tn The construction uses the Hitpael perfect tense הִתְאַוָּה (hitʾavvah) followed by the cognate accusative תַאֲוָה (taʾavah). While the Piel verb means “to desire, wish for,” the reflexive meaning of the Hitpael appears to mean to encourage or build one’s desire. An English idiom might be to fan the flames of desire. It is not inherently immoral (the king will build desire for his bride in Ps 45:11) but often more often refers to a greedy craving or lust. This verse has been placed with the preceding because of the lexical connection with “desire/craving.”
- Proverbs 21:26 sn The additional clause, “and does not hold back,” emphasizes that when the righteous gives he gives freely, without fearing that his generosity will bring him to poverty. This is the contrast with the one who is self-indulgent and craves for more.
Proverbs 21:25-26
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
25 The craving of the lazy person is fatal,
for lazy hands refuse to labor.(A)
26 All day long the wicked covet,[a]
but the righteous give and do not hold back.(B)
Footnotes
- 21.26 Gk: Heb all day long one covets covetously
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
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
29 Do you see those who are skillful in their work?
They will serve kings;
they will not serve common people.(A)
Proverbs 24:27
New English Translation
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:27 tn The perfect tense with vav following the imperatives takes on the force of an imperative here.
- Proverbs 24:27 sn If the term “house” is understood literally, the proverb would mean that one should be financially secure before building a house (cf. NLT). If “house” is figurative for household (metonymy of subject: children or family), the proverb would mean that one should have financial security and provision before starting a family. Some English versions suggest the latter meaning by using the word “home” for “house” (e.g., TEV, CEV).
Proverbs 24:27
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
27 Prepare your work outside;
get everything ready for you in the field;
and after that build your house.
Proverbs 24:30-34
New English Translation
30 I passed by the field of a sluggard,
by the vineyard of one who lacks sense.[a]
31 I saw[b] that thorns had grown up all over it,
the ground[c] was covered with weeds,
and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I scrutinized[d] it. I was putting[e] my mind[f] to it—
I saw;[g] I took in a lesson:[h]
33 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to relax,
34 and your poverty will come like a bandit,
and your need like an armed robber.”[i]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:30 tn Heb “lacking of heart.” The term לֵב (lev, “mind, heart”) refers by metonymy to thinking, and by extension to discernment, wisdom, good sense.
- Proverbs 24:31 tn The Hebrew term וְהִנֵּה (vehinneh, traditionally “and, lo” [KJV, ASV]) is a deictic particle that calls for attention. Frequently it shifts the point of view to that of the speaker. Translating with “I saw” moves us into the sage’s point of view and calls attention to the field that was noticed.
- Proverbs 24:31 tn Heb “its face” (so KJV, ASV).
- Proverbs 24:32 tn The verb וָאֶחֱזֶה (vaʾekhezeh) is a preterite of אָחַז (ʾakhaz) “to look at.” In context the sage looked with analytic thinking, hence “scrutinized.” As a preterite verb, it gives a successive action in past time. This preterite links back to the perfect verb “I passed by” in v. 30 (whereas the three perfect verbs in v. 31 were each controlled by the opening הִנֵּה [hinneh] as simultaneous conditions with the perfective nuance). The following verbs in this verse are simultaneous to this preterite and do not advance the timeline.
- Proverbs 24:32 tn The verb אָשִׁית (ʾashit) is an imperfect form of a dynamic root in a past time setting. The previous verb, a preterite, is part of establishing the past time setting. Because this is a long prefixed form (spelled with the mater lectionis yod), it is not written as a preterite and should be understood as imperfective. Typically an imperfect in a narrative background clause is habitual (which could not work in this context) or past progressive. It may however be an abilitive modal expression “I was able to set my mind to it.” In either case this verb does not advance the timeline but expresses something happening while the sage scrutinized the field.
- Proverbs 24:32 tn The word לֵב (lev) is often translated “heart” but the word also means the “mind.” The Hebrew idiom “to set/put the לֵב (lev)” transfers well to English when rendering with “mind” and indicates careful consideration to what was observed.
- Proverbs 24:32 tn The verb רָאִיתִי (raʾiti) is a perfect verb meaning “to see” and by extension “to understand.” It could refer to the looking that the sage was doing, or to realizing the lesson. Together with the previous imperfect and following perfect verb, it is part of the past tense time frame established by the preterite verb beginning the verse. If רָאִיתִי refers to the looking, then within the preterite’s time frame this verb represents an onset while the next verb represents a conclusion to the act of pondering. If this verb refers to realizing, then together with the next verb it represents the conclusion of the act of pondering.
- Proverbs 24:32 sn The teacher makes several observations of the state of the sluggard that reveal that his continued laziness will result in poverty. The reminiscence used here may be a literary device to draw a fictional but characteristically true picture of the lazy person.
- Proverbs 24:34 tn Heb “a man of shield.” This could refer to an armed warrior (so NRSV) but in this context, in collocation with the other word for “robber” in the previous line, it must refer to an armed criminal.
Proverbs 24:30-34
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
30 I passed by the field of one who was lazy,
by the vineyard of a stupid person,(A)
31 and see, it was all overgrown with thorns;
the ground was covered with nettles,
and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I saw and considered it;
I looked and received instruction.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,(B)
34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want, like an armed warrior.
Proverbs 26:14
New English Translation
Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:14 tn The comparative “like” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied from context in the translation.
- Proverbs 26:14 sn The sluggard is too lazy to get out of bed—although he would probably rationalize this by saying that he is not at his best in the morning. The humor of the verse is based on an analogy with a door—it moves back and forth on its hinges but goes nowhere. Like the door to the wall, the sluggard is “hinged” to his bed (e.g., Prov 6:9-10; 24:33).
- Proverbs 26:14 tn Because of the analogy within the verse, indicated in translation by supplying “like,” the conjunction vav has been translated “so.”
- Proverbs 26:14 tn The term “turns” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation from the parallelism.
Proverbs 26:14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so does a lazy person in bed.
Proverbs 27:18
New English Translation
18 The one who tends a fig tree[a] will eat its fruit,[b]
and whoever takes care of[c] his master will be honored.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:18 sn Tending fig trees requires closer attention than other plants; so the point here would be the diligent care that is required.
- Proverbs 27:18 sn The principle is established in the first line with the emblem: Those who faithfully serve will be rewarded in kind. The second half of the proverb makes the point from this illustration.
- Proverbs 27:18 sn The Hebrew participle translated “takes care of” (שֹׁמֵר, shomer) describes a careful watching over or looking after, a meticulous service, anticipating the needs and safeguarding the charge. Such a servant need not worry about his efforts going unrecognized and unrewarded (e.g., Prov 22:29; 2 Tim 2:6, 15).
Proverbs 27:18
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
18 Anyone who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and anyone who takes care of a master will be honored.(A)
Proverbs 27:23-27
New English Translation
23 Pay careful attention to[a] the condition of your flocks,[b]
set your mind[c] on your herds,
24 for riches do not last[d] forever,
nor does a crown last[e] from generation to generation.
25 When the hay is removed and new grass appears,
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will be for your clothing,
and the goats will be for the price of a field.[f]
27 And there will be enough goat’s milk for your food,[g]
for the food of your household,
and for the sustenance[h] of your servant girls.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:23 tn The sentence uses the infinitive absolute and the imperfect from יָדַע (yadaʿ, “to know”). The imperfect here has been given the obligatory nuance, “you must know,” and that has to be intensified with the infinitive.
- Proverbs 27:23 tn Heb “the faces of your flock.”
- Proverbs 27:23 tn לֵב (lev) means “mind, heart” and by extension can refer to aspects of thinking or the will. The Hebrew idiom “set the mind (לֵב) on” or “put the mind (לֵב) to” transfers easily to English and is another way of saying to pay careful attention to something.sn The care of the flock must become the main focus of the will, for it is the livelihood. So v. 23 forms the main instruction of this lengthy proverb (vv. 23-27).
- Proverbs 27:24 tn Heb “riches are not forever” (so KJV, NASB); TEV “wealth is not permanent.” The term “last” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Proverbs 27:24 tn The conjunction and the particle indicate that the same nuance continues here in the second colon, and so “last” has been supplied here as well.
- Proverbs 27:26 sn Verse 25 is the protasis and v. 26 the apodosis. The two verses say that when the harvest is taken in, then the grass will grow, and they can sell and use their livestock. The lambs will provide clothing, and the goats when sold will pay for land.
- Proverbs 27:27 sn This part of the proverb shows the proper interplay between human labor and divine provision. It teaches people to take care of what they have because it will not last forever.
- Proverbs 27:27 tn Heb “life”; KJV, NAB “maintenance”; NRSV “nourishment.”
Proverbs 27:23-27
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
23 Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
24 for riches do not last forever,
nor a crown for all generations.(A)
25 When the grass is gone, and new growth appears,
and the herbage of the mountains is gathered,(B)
26 the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field;
27 there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and nourishment for your female servants.
Proverbs 28:19
New English Translation
19 The one who works his land will be satisfied with food,[a]
but whoever chases daydreams[b] will have his fill[c] of poverty.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 28:19 tn Or “will have plenty of food” (Heb “bread”); so NAB, NASB, NCV.
- Proverbs 28:19 tn Heb “empty things” or “vain things”; NRSV “follows worthless pursuits.” sn Prosperity depends on diligent work and not on chasing empty dreams. The proverb is essentially the same as Prov 12:11 except for the last expression.
- Proverbs 28:19 tn The repetition of the verb strengthens the contrast. Both halves of the verse use the verb יִשְׂבַּע (yisbaʿ, “will be satisfied; will be filled with; will have enough”). It is positive in the first colon, but negative in the second—with an ironic twist to say one is “satisfied” with poverty.
Proverbs 28:19
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
19 Anyone who tills the land will have plenty of bread,
but one who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.(A)
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