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Proverbs 2:22
New English Translation

22 but the wicked[a] will be removed[b] from the land,
and the treacherous[c] will be torn away[d] from it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:22 tn Heb “the guilty.” The term רְשָׁעִים (reshaʿim, “the wicked”) is from the root רָשַׁע (rashaʿ, “to be guilty”) and refers to those who are (1) guilty of sin: moral reprobates or (2) guilty of crime: criminals deserving punishment (BDB 957 s.v. רָשָׁע). This is the person who is probably not a covenant member and manifests that in the way he lives, either by sinning against God or committing criminal acts. The noun sometimes refers to guilty criminals who deserve to die (Num 16:26; 35:31; 2 Sam 4:11). Here they will be “cut off” and “torn away” from the land.
  2. Proverbs 2:22 tn Heb “cut off.” The verb כָּרַת (karat, “to be cut off”) indicates either that the guilty will (1) die prematurely, (2) be excommunicated from the community or (3) be separated eternally in judgment. The Mishnah devoted an entire tractate (m. Keritot) to this topic. The context suggests that the guilty will be “removed” from the land where the righteous dwell in security either through death or expulsion.
  3. Proverbs 2:22 tn The word בָּגַד (bagad) means “to act treacherously” (BDB 93 s.v.; HALOT 108 s.v. בגד). It describes those who deal treacherously, unfaithfully or deceitfully in marriage relations, matters of property or personal rights, in violating covenants, and in their words and general conduct.
  4. Proverbs 2:22 tn The consonantal form יסחו (yskhv) is vocalized in the MT as יִסְּחוּ (yissekhu, Qal imperfect third person masculine plural from נָסַח, nasakh, “to tear away”) but this produces an awkward sense: “they [= the righteous in vv. 20-21] will tear away the treacherous from it” (BDB 650 s.v. נָסַח). Due to the parallelism, the BHS editors suggest emending the form to יִנָּסְחוּ (yinnasekhu, Niphal imperfect third person masculine plural): “the treacherous will be torn away from it.” However, Tg. Prov 2:22 points the form as יֻסְחוּ (yuskhu) which reflects an old Qal passive vocalization—probably the best solution to the problem: “the treacherous will be torn away from it.”
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Proverbs 2:22
World English Bible

22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land.
    The treacherous will be rooted out of it.

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Proverbs 4:14
New English Translation

14 Do not enter the path of the wicked
or walk[a] in the way of those who are evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:14 tn The verb אָשַׁר (ʾashar, “to walk”) is not to be confused with the identically spelled homonym אָשַׁר “to pronounce happy” as in BDB 80 s.v. אָשַׁר.
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Proverbs 4:14
World English Bible

14 Don’t enter into the path of the wicked.
    Don’t walk in the way of evil men.

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Proverbs 4:19
New English Translation

19 The way of the wicked is like gloomy darkness;
they do not know what they stumble over.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:19 sn The image of paths, brightness or darkness, and stumbling illustrate the contrast of lifestyles. When acting with righteousness one’s course becomes clearer and more sure, while the wicked are caught in their ways, ignorant of why they fall.
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Proverbs 4:19
World English Bible

19 The way of the wicked is like darkness.
    They don’t know what they stumble over.

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Proverbs 5:22
New English Translation

22 The wicked[a] will be captured by his[b] own iniquities,[c]
and he will be held[d] by the cords of his own sin.[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:22 tn The suffix on the verb is the direct object suffix; “the wicked” is a second object by apposition: They capture him, the wicked. Since “the wicked” is not found in the LXX, it could be an old scribal error; or the Greek translator may have simply smoothed out the sentence. C. H. Toy suggests turning the sentence into a passive idea: “The wicked will be caught in his iniquities” (Proverbs [ICC], 117).
  2. Proverbs 5:22 tn The word is the subject of the clause, but the pronominal suffix has no clear referent. The suffix is proleptic, referring to the wicked.
  3. Proverbs 5:22 tn Heb “his own iniquities will capture the wicked.” The translation shifts the syntax for the sake of smoothness and readability.
  4. Proverbs 5:22 sn The lack of discipline and control in the area of sexual gratification is destructive. The one who plays with this kind of sin will become ensnared by it and led to ruin.
  5. Proverbs 5:22 tn The Hebrew is structured chiastically: “his own iniquities will capture the wicked, by the cords of his own sin will he be held.”
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Proverbs 5:22
World English Bible

22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him.
    The cords of his sin hold him firmly.

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Proverbs 6:12
New English Translation

12 A worthless and wicked person[a]
walks around saying perverse things;[b] [c]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:12 sn The terms describe one who is both worthless and wicked. Some suggest that בְּלִיַּעַל (beliyyaʿal) is a compound of the negative בְּלִי (beli) and a noun יַעַל (yaʿal, “profit; worth”). Others suggest that the root is from בַּעַל (baʿal, “lord [of goats]”) or a derivative of בָּלַע (balaʿ) with reduplication (“confusion” or “engulfing ruin”), or a proper name from Babylonian Bililu. See B. Otzen, TDOT 2:131-36; and D. W. Thomas, “בְּלִיַּעַל in the Old Testament,” Biblical and Patristic Studies in Memory of Robert Pierce Casey, 11-19. Whatever the etymology, usage shows that the word describes people who violate the law (Deut 15:9; Judg 19:22; 1 Kgs 21:10, 13; Prov 16:27; et al.) or act in a contemptuous and foolish manner against cultic observance or social institutions (1 Sam 10:27; 25:17; 30:22); cf. NRSV “a scoundrel and a villain” (NAB and NIV similar). The present instruction will focus on the devious practice of such wicked and worthless folk.
  2. Proverbs 6:12 tn Heb “crooked” or “twisted.” This term can refer to something that is physically twisted or crooked, or something morally perverse. Cf. NAB “crooked talk”; NRSV “crooked speech.”
  3. Proverbs 6:12 tn Heb “walks around with a perverse mouth.” The term “mouth” is a metonymy of cause, an organ of speech put for what is said. This is an individual who says perverted or twisted things.
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Proverbs 6:12
World English Bible

12 A worthless person, a man of iniquity,
    is he who walks with a perverse mouth,

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Proverbs 10:6
New English Translation

6 Blessings[a] are on the head of the righteous,
but the speech[b] of the wicked conceals[c] violence.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:6 sn The word “blessings” has the sense of gifts, enrichments, that is, the rewards or the results of being righteous. The blessings come either from the people the righteous deal with, or from God. CEV understands the blessings as praise for good behavior (“Everyone praises good people”).
  2. Proverbs 10:6 tn Heb “the mouth.” The term פֶּה (peh, “mouth”) functions as a metonymy of cause for speech.
  3. Proverbs 10:6 tn Heb “covers.” Behind the speech of the wicked is aggressive violence (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 422).
  4. Proverbs 10:6 tn The syntax of this line is ambiguous. The translation takes “the mouth of the wicked” as the nominative subject and “violence” as the accusative direct object; however, the subject might be “violence,” hence: “violence covers the mouth of the wicked” (cf. KJV, ASV, NIV).
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Proverbs 10:6
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6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
    but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

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Proverbs 10:11
New English Translation

11 The speech[a] of the righteous is a fountain of life,[b]
but the speech[c] of the wicked conceals[d] violence.[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:11 tn Heb “mouth.” The word “mouth” is metonymy of cause, representing what the righteous say and teach.
  2. Proverbs 10:11 tn Heb “a fountain of life is the mouth of the righteous” (NAB similar). The subject (“a fountain of life”) and the predicate (“the mouth of the righteous”) in the Hebrew text are reversed in the present translation (as in most English versions) for the sake of clarity and smoothness. The idea of this metaphor, “the fountain of life,” may come from Ps 36:9 (e.g., also Prov 13:14; 14:27; 16:22). What the righteous say is beneficial to life or life-giving. Their words are life-giving but the words of the wicked are violent. See R. B. Y. Scott, “Wise and Foolish, Righteous and Wicked,” VT 29 (1972): 145-65.
  3. Proverbs 10:11 tn Heb “the mouth.” The term פֶּה (peh, “mouth”) functions as a metonymy of cause for speech.
  4. Proverbs 10:11 tn Heb “covers.” Behind the speech of the wicked is aggressive violence (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 422).
  5. Proverbs 10:11 tn The syntax of this line is ambiguous. The translation takes “the mouth of the wicked” as the nominative subject and “violence” as the accusative direct object; however, the subject might be “violence,” hence: “violence covers the mouth of the wicked.”
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Proverbs 10:11
World English Bible

11 The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life,
    but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

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Proverbs 10:16
New English Translation

16 The reward[a] that the righteous receive[b] is life;
the recompense[c] that the wicked receive[d] is judgment.[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:16 tn Heb “recompense” (so NAB); NASB, NIV “wages.” The noun פְּעֻלַּה (peʿullah) has a two-fold range of meanings: (1) “work; deed” and (2) “reward; recompense” (BDB 821 s.v.). There is a clear correlation between a person’s conduct and its consequences. Rewards are determined by moral choices. What one receives in life depends on the use of gifts and a righteous character.
  2. Proverbs 10:16 tn Heb “the recompense of the righteous.”
  3. Proverbs 10:16 tn Heb “harvest.” The term תְּבוּאַת (tevuʾat, “harvest; yield”) is used figuratively here (hypocatastasis), drawing an implied comparison between the agricultural yield of a farmer’s labors with the consequences of the actions of the wicked. They will “reap” (= judgment) what they “sow” (= sin).
  4. Proverbs 10:16 tn Heb “the harvest of the wicked.”
  5. Proverbs 10:16 tn Heb “sin.” The term חַטָּאת (khattaʾt, “sin”) functions as a metonymy of cause (= sin) for effect (= punishment). In contrast to the righteous who receive a reward, the wicked receive punishment for their sin (cf. NASB, NIV, NCV). See D. W. Thomas, “The Meaning of חַטָּאת in Proverbs X.16, ” JTS 15 (1964): 295-96.
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Proverbs 10:16
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16 The labor of the righteous leads to life.
    The increase of the wicked leads to sin.

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Proverbs 10:20
New English Translation

20 What the righteous say[a] is like[b] the best[c] silver,
but what the wicked think[d] is of little value.[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:20 tn Heb “the lips of the righteous.” The term “lips” functions as a metonymy of cause for speech. This contrasts the tongue (metonymy of cause for what they say) with the heart (metonymy of subject for what they intend). What the righteous say is more valuable than what the wicked intend.
  2. Proverbs 10:20 tn The comparative “like” is not in the Hebrew text but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
  3. Proverbs 10:20 tn Or “pure”; Heb “choice.”
  4. Proverbs 10:20 tn Heb “the heart of the wicked” (so KJV, NAB, NIV). The term “heart” functions as a metonymy of cause for thoughts. The term לֵב (lev, “heart”) often refers to the seat of thoughts, will and emotions (BDB 524 s.v. 3-4).
  5. Proverbs 10:20 tn Heb “like little.” This expression refers to what has little value: “little worth” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV; cf. BDB 590 s.v. מְעַט 2.d). The point of the metaphor is clarified by the parallelism: Silver is valuable; the heart of the wicked is worth little. Tg. Prov 10:20 says it was full of dross, a contrast with choice silver.
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Proverbs 10:20
World English Bible

20 The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver.
    The heart of the wicked is of little worth.

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Proverbs 10:24
New English Translation

24 What the wicked fears[a] will come on him;
what the righteous desire[b] will be granted.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:24 tn Heb “the dread of the wicked.” The noun רָשָׁע (rashaʿ, “wicked”) is a subjective genitive. The noun מְגוֹרַת (megorat) refers to “the feared thing,” that is, what the wicked dread. The wicked are afraid of the consequences of their sinful actions; however, they cannot escape these consequences.
  2. Proverbs 10:24 tn Heb “the desire of the righteous.” The noun צַדִּיק (tsadiq, “righteous”) is a subjective genitive.
  3. Proverbs 10:24 tn Heb “it will give.” When used without an expressed subject, the verb יִתֵּן (yitten) has a passive nuance: “it will be granted.”
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Proverbs 10:24
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24 What the wicked fear will overtake them,
    but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

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Proverbs 10:25
New English Translation

25 When the storm[a] passes through, the wicked are swept away,[b]
but the righteous are an everlasting foundation.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:25 sn The word for “storm wind” comes from the root סוּף (suf, “to come to an end; to cease”). The noun may then describe the kind of storm that makes an end of things, a “whirlwind” (so KJV, NASB; NLT “cyclone”). It is used in prophetic passages that describe swift judgment and destruction.
  2. Proverbs 10:25 tn Heb “the wicked are not”; ASV, NAB, NASB “is no more.”
  3. Proverbs 10:25 tn Heb “a foundation forever”; NLT “have a lasting foundation.” sn The metaphor compares the righteous to an everlasting foundation to stress that they are secure when the catastrophes of life come along. He is fixed in a covenantal relationship and needs not to fear passing misfortunes. The wicked has no such security.
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Proverbs 10:25
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25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more;
    but the righteous stand firm forever.

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Proverbs 10:27
New English Translation

27 Fearing the Lord[a] prolongs life,[b]
but the life span[c] of the wicked will be shortened.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:27 tn Heb “the fear of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”) functions as an objective genitive.
  2. Proverbs 10:27 tn Heb “days” (so KJV, ASV).
  3. Proverbs 10:27 tn Heb “years.” The term “years” functions as a synecdoche of part (= years) for the whole (= lifespan).
  4. Proverbs 10:27 sn This general saying has to be qualified with the problem of the righteous suffering and dying young, a problem that perplexed the sages of the entire ancient world. But this is the general principle: The righteous live longer because their life is the natural one and because God blesses them.
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Proverbs 10:27
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27 The fear of Yahweh prolongs days,
    but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

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