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Proverbs 2:7
Lexham English Bible

7 For the upright, he stores[a] sound judgment, a shield for those who walk uprightly,

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  1. Proverbs 2:7 Or “hides, keeps”
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Proverbs 2:7
New English Translation

7 He stores up[a] effective counsel[b] for the upright,[c]
and is like[d] a shield[e] for those who live[f] with integrity,[g]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:7 tc The form is a Kethib/Qere reading, reflecting confusion between י (yod) and ו (vav). The Kethib וְצָפַן (vetsafan; Qal perfect with vav consecutive) is supported by the Syriac (but not by the LXX, contra the notes in BHS). The Qere יִצְפֹּן (yitspon; Qal imperfect) is supported by the LXX, the Aramaic Targum of Prov 2:7 (the Aramaic translations of the Hebrew scriptures were called Targums), and Latin Vulgate. Internal evidence favors the imperfect. As in v. 6a, this Qal imperfect functions as a habitual imperfect, or general present.sn The verbal root צָפַן (tsafan, “to store up; to treasure up”) is repeated in 2:1 and 2:7. In 2:1 it is the responsibility of man to “store up” wisdom, but in 2:7 it is God who “stores up” wisdom for the wise person who seeks him.
  2. Proverbs 2:7 tn The noun תּוּשִׁיָּה (tushiyyah) has a two-fold range of meanings: (1) “sound wisdom” (so KJV, NRSV); “effective counsel” and (2) result (metonymy of effect): “abiding success” (BDB 444 s.v.; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 388; cf. NIV “victory”). It refers to competent wisdom and its resultant ability to achieve moral success (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 80).
  3. Proverbs 2:7 sn The Hebrew word translated “upright” (יָשָׁר, yashar) is one of the terms used for the righteous. It points to the right conduct of the believer—that which is right or pleasing in the eyes of God. It stresses that the life of the individual is upright, straightforward, and just. It is paralleled with “those who walk in integrity.”
  4. Proverbs 2:7 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
  5. Proverbs 2:7 tn The word can be taken as in apposition explaining the subject of the first colon—the Lord is a shield, the Lord stores up. The word then is a metaphor for the protection afforded by the Lord.
  6. Proverbs 2:7 tn Heb “walk.” The verb “to walk” (הָלַךְ, halakh) is an idiom (based upon hypocatastasis: implied comparison) for habitual manner of life (BDB 234 s.v. 3.e).
  7. Proverbs 2:7 tn Heb “those who walk of integrity.” The noun תֹם (tom, “integrity”) functions as a genitive of manner.
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Proverbs 11:1
Lexham English Bible

11 Balances of deceit are an abomination of Yahweh,
    but an accurate weight[a] delights him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:1 Literally “a full stone” or “a pure stone”
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Proverbs 11:1
New English Translation

11 The Lord abhors[a] dishonest scales,[b]
but an accurate weight[c] is his delight.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:1 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”) is a subjective genitive.
  2. Proverbs 11:1 tn Heb “scales of deception.” The genitive is attributive: “deceptive scales.” This refers to dishonesty in the market where silver was weighed in the scales. God condemns dishonest business practices (Deut 25:13-16; Lev 19:35-36), as did the ancient Near East (ANET 388, 423).
  3. Proverbs 11:1 tn Heb “a perfect stone.” שָׁלֵם (shalem) can mean “intact, whole, perfect.” Stones were used for measuring amounts of silver on the scales and so were critical to the integrity of economic translations. Someone might cheat by tampering with the scale or the stones. The Lord is pleased with a proper stone that has not been tampered with because it represents integrity of process in the marketplace.
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Proverbs 11:3
Lexham English Bible

3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
    but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.

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Proverbs 11:3
New English Translation

3 The integrity of the upright guides them,[a]
but the crookedness of the treacherous[b] destroys them.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:3 sn This contrasts two lifestyles, affirming the value of integrity. The upright live with integrity—blamelessness—and that integrity leads them in success and happiness. Those who use treachery will be destroyed by it.
  2. Proverbs 11:3 tn The verb בָּגַד (bagad) means “to act treacherously, with duplicity, or to betray.”
  3. Proverbs 11:3 tc The form is a Kethib/Qere reading. The Qere, יְשָׁדֵּם (yeshoddem), is a Qal imperfect of שָׁדַד (shadad, “to devastate”) and is supported by the versions. The syntactically difficult Kethib, וְשַׁדָּם (veshaddam), is a Qal perfect consecutive prefixed with the conjunction vav.
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Proverbs 11:20
Lexham English Bible

20 An abomination of Yahweh are the crooked of heart,[a]
    but his delight are those with blameless ways.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:20 Literally “crooked ones of heart”; “heart” may also be translated “mind”
  2. Proverbs 11:20 Literally “blameless ones of ways”
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Proverbs 11:20
New English Translation

20 The Lord abhors[a] those who are perverse in heart,[b]
but those who are blameless in their ways[c] are his delight.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:20 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”) functions as a subjective genitive. Cf. NIV “detests”; NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT “hates.”
  2. Proverbs 11:20 sn The word עִקְּשֵׁי (ʿiqqeshe, “crooked; twisted; perverted”) describes the wicked as having “twisted minds.” Their mentality is turned toward evil things.
  3. Proverbs 11:20 tn Heb “those who are blameless of way.” The noun דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) is a genitive of specification: “blameless in their way.”
  4. Proverbs 11:20 sn The noun means “goodwill, favor, acceptance, will”; it is related to the verb רָצַה (ratsah) which means “to be pleased with; to accept favorably.” These words are used frequently in scripture to describe what pleases the Lord, meaning, what he accepts. In particular, sacrifices offered properly find acceptance with God (Ps 51:19). Here the lifestyle that is blameless pleases him.
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Proverbs 12:19
Lexham English Bible

19 A lip of truth endures forever,
    but a tongue of deception lasts only a moment.

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Proverbs 12:19
New English Translation

19 The one who tells the truth[a] will endure forever,
but the one who lies[b] will last only for a moment.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:19 tn Heb “a lip of truth.” The genitive אֱמֶת (ʾemet, “truth”) functions as an attributive adjective: “truthful lip.” The term שְׂפַת (sefat, “lip”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= lip) for the whole (= person): “truthful person.” The contrast is between “the lip of truth” and the “tongue of lying.”
  2. Proverbs 12:19 tn Heb “a tongue of deceit.” The genitive שָׁקֶר (shaqer, “deceit”) functions as an attributive genitive. The noun לָשׁוֹן (lashon, “tongue”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= tongue) for the whole (= person): “lying person.”
  3. Proverbs 12:19 tn The verb אַרְגִיעָה (ʾargiʿah) is the Hiphil of the root רָגַע (ragaʿ). The number of homonyms of this root in Hebrew is debated. BDB lists it as a denominative of רֶגַע (regaʿ, “a moment”), with the Hiphil meaning “to make a twinkling” (BDB 920 s.v. I רָגַע). HALOT lists only one verbal root with a base meaning “to look for peace” and this phrase with the Hiphil meaning “as long as I grant rest” (HALOT 1188, s.v. רָגַע). Gesenius considers it to refer to blinking the eyes (GKC 321 § 108h). In any case it is agreed that this expression is an idiom for brevity, “only for a moment.”
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Proverbs 12:22
Lexham English Bible

22 An abomination of Yahweh are lips of deceit,
    but they who act faithfully are his delight.

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Proverbs 12:22
New English Translation

22 The Lord[a] abhors a person who lies,[b]
but those who deal truthfully[c] are his delight.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:22 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”) is a subjective genitive.
  2. Proverbs 12:22 tn Heb “lips of lying.” The genitive שָׁקֶר (shaqer, “lying”) functions as an attributive genitive: “lying lips.” The term “lips” functions as a synecdoche of part (= lips) for the whole (= person): “a liar.”
  3. Proverbs 12:22 tn Heb “but doers of truthfulness.” The term “truthfulness” is an objective genitive, meaning: “those who practice truth” or “those who act in good faith.” Their words and works are reliable.
  4. Proverbs 12:22 sn The contrast between “delight/pleasure” and “abomination” is emphatic. What pleases the Lord is acting truthfully or faithfully.
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Proverbs 14:25
Lexham English Bible

25 He who saves lives[a] is a witness of truth,
    but he who utters lies is a betrayer.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:25 Or “souls,” or “inner selves”
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Proverbs 14:25
New English Translation

25 A truthful witness[a] rescues lives,[b]
but one who testifies falsely betrays them.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:25 tn Heb “a witness of truth”; cf. CEV “an honest witness.”
  2. Proverbs 14:25 tn The noun נְפָשׁוֹת (nefashot) often means “souls,” but here “lives”—it functions as a metonymy for life (BDB 659 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 3.c).sn The setting of this proverb is the courtroom. One who tells the truth “saves” (מַצִּיל [matsil, “rescues; delivers”]) the lives of those falsely accused.
  3. Proverbs 14:25 tc In the MT the verb lacks agreement with the two nouns in either gender or number so that there is no clear subject: “but he breathes lies, deceit.” Revocalizing the consonants from וְיָפִחַ (veyafiakh, “and he breathes/testifies”) to וִיפֵחַ (vifeakh, “and a witness [of lies]”) and from מִרְמָה (mirmah, “deceit”) to the Piel participle מְרַמֶּה (merammeh, “betrays, deceives, leads astray”) produces a grammatically acceptable text. One may also supply by parallelism “…betrays lives.”
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Proverbs 16:13
Lexham English Bible

13 The delight of kings are the lips of righteousness,
    and he who speaks what is upright he will love.

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Proverbs 16:13
New English Translation

13 The delight of a king[a] is righteous counsel,[b]
and he will love the one who speaks[c] uprightly.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:13 tc The MT has the plural. Two Hebrew mss, the LXX, Syriac, and Targum read “a king.”
  2. Proverbs 16:13 tn Heb “lips of righteousness”; cf. NAB, NIV “honest lips.” The genitive “righteousness” functions as an attributive adjective. The term “lips” is a metonymy of cause for what is said: “righteous speech” or “righteous counsel.”
  3. Proverbs 16:13 tn The MT has the singular participle followed by the plural adjective (which is here a substantive). The editors of BHS wish to follow the ancient versions in making the participle plural, “those who speak uprightly.”
  4. Proverbs 16:13 sn The verse is talking about righteous kings, of course—they love righteousness and not flattery. In this proverb “righteous” and “upright” referring to what is said means “what is right and straight,” i.e., the truth (cf. NCV).
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Proverbs 19:1
Lexham English Bible

19 Better a poor person walking in integrity
    than one who is perverse in his speech[a] and is a fool.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:1 Literally “in his lips”
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Proverbs 19:1
New English Translation

19 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity[a]
than one who is perverse in his speech[b] and is a fool.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:1 sn People should follow honesty even if it leads to poverty (e.g., Prov 18:23; 19:22).
  2. Proverbs 19:1 tn Heb “lips.” The term “lips” is a metonymy for what one says with his lips. The expression “perverse in his lips” refers to speech that is morally perverted. Some medieval Hebrew mss, the Syriac, and Tg. Prov 19:1 have “his ways” rather than “his lips” (e.g., Prov 28:6); cf. NAB.
  3. Proverbs 19:1 tc The Syriac and Tg. Prov 19:1 read “rich” instead of MT “fool.” This makes tighter antithetical parallelism than MT and is followed by NAB. However, the MT makes sense as it stands; this is an example of metonymical parallelism. The MT reading is also supported by the LXX. The Hebrew construction uses וְהוּא (vehuʾ), “and he [is],” before “fool.” This may be rendered “one who is perverse while a fool” or “a fool at the same time.”
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Proverbs 20:7
Lexham English Bible

7 He who walks in his integrity is righteous;
    happy are his children who follow him.

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Proverbs 20:7
New English Translation

7 The righteous person[a] behaves in integrity;[b]
blessed are his children after him.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:7 sn Two terms describe the subject of this proverb: “righteous” and “integrity.” The first describes the person as a member of the covenant community who strives to live according to God’s standards; the second emphasizes that his lifestyle is blameless.
  2. Proverbs 20:7 tn Heb “walks in his integrity” (so NASB); cf. NIV “leads a blameless life.” The Hitpael participle of הָלַךְ (halakh) means “to walk about; to walk to and fro.” The idiom of walking representing living is intensified here in this stem. This verbal stem is used in scripture to describe people “walking with” God.
  3. Proverbs 20:7 sn The nature and the actions of parents have an effect on children (e.g., Exod 20:4-6); if the parents are righteous, the children will enjoy a blessing—the respect and the happiness which the parent reflects on them.
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Proverbs 20:10
Lexham English Bible

10 Stone and stone, measure and measure,
    both of them[a] are an abomination of Yahweh.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:10 Literally “also the two of them”
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Proverbs 20:10
New English Translation

10 Diverse weights and diverse measures[a]—
the Lord abhors[b] both of them.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:10 tn The construction simply uses repetition to express different kinds of weights and measures: “a stone and a stone, an ephah and an ephah.”
  2. Proverbs 20:10 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The phrase features a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.” sn Behind this proverb is the image of the dishonest merchant who has different sets of weights and measures which are used to cheat customers. The Lord hates dishonesty in business transactions.
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Proverbs 24:26
Lexham English Bible

26 He will kiss the lips,
    he who gives an honest answer.

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Proverbs 24:26
New English Translation

26 Like a kiss on the lips[a]
is the one who gives an honest answer.

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  1. Proverbs 24:26 tn Heb “the one who returns right words kisses the lips.” This is an implied comparison for giving an honest answer. Honesty is like a kiss. The kiss would signify love, devotion, sincerity, and commitment (in that culture)—an outward expression of what is in the heart. It is an apt illustration of telling the truth. Some English versions now replace the figure to avoid cultural misunderstanding (cf. TEV, CEV “a sign of true friendship”; NLT “an honor”).
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