Font Size
Proverbs 4:14
New English Translation
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.
Footnotes
- 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.
Proverbs 4:14
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 4:14
New American Standard Bible
14 (A)Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil people.
Proverbs 14:19
New English Translation
Proverbs 14:19
New English Translation
19 Bad people have bowed[a] before good people,
and wicked people have bowed[b] at the gates[c] of someone righteous.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:19 tn The verb שָׁחַח (shakhakh) means “to crouch, cower, bow” whether from weariness or in submission. As a dynamic verb in the perfect conjugation form, it is past or perfective. Here the sage takes the viewpoint of assuring the learner of what has happened in the past, asserting it to be prototypical of what will continue to happen. Some translations emphasize the future implication (NIV, NASB, CEV, NLT) while others opt to portray the lesson as a characteristic present (ESV, KJV, Holman).
- Proverbs 14:19 tn The phrase “have bowed” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
- Proverbs 14:19 sn J. H. Greenstone suggests that this means that they are begging for favors (Proverbs, 154).
- Proverbs 14:19 tn The adjective is singular. A plurality of people crouching before a single person portrays an even greater extent of difference in power between them.
Proverbs 14:19
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 14:19
New American Standard Bible
19 The (A)evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
Proverbs 15:26
New English Translation
Proverbs 15:26
New English Translation
Read full chapter
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:26 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yehvah, “the Lord”) functions as a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.”
- Proverbs 15:26 tn The noun מַחְשְׁבוֹת (makhshevot) means “thoughts” (so KJV, NIV, NLT), from the verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to think; to reckon; to devise”). So these are intentions, what is being planned (cf. NAB “schemes”).
- Proverbs 15:26 tn The word רַע (raʿ, “evil, wicked”) is a genitive of source or subjective genitive, meaning the plans that the wicked devise—“wicked plans.”
- Proverbs 15:26 sn The contrast is between the “thoughts” and the “words.” The thoughts that are designed to hurt people the Lord hates; words that are pleasant (נֹעַם, noʿam), however, are pure (to him). What is pleasant is delightful, lovely, enjoyable.
- Proverbs 15:26 tc The MT simply has “but pleasant words are pure” (Heb “but pure [plural] are the words of pleasantness”). Some English versions add “to him” to make the connection to the first part (cf. NAB, NIV). The LXX has: “the sayings of the pure are held in honor.” The Vulgate has: “pure speech will be confirmed by him as very beautiful.” The NIV has paraphrased here: “but those of the pure are pleasing to him.”
Proverbs 15:26
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 15:26
New American Standard Bible
26 Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord,
But pleasant words are pure.
Proverbs 17:11
New English Translation
Proverbs 17:11
New English Translation
Read full chapter
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:11 tc The LXX reads ἀντιλογίας (antilogias, “contention”), which usually stands for the Hebrew words מְרִיבָה (merivah), מִדְיָן (midyan), or רִיב (riv). These words all refer to “strife, contention, disputing” and are all somewhat graphically similar to each other and the word מְרִי (meri, “rebellion”). Since the next Hebrew word starts with yod and bet, (יְבַקֵּשׁ, yevaqqesh) it is possible that something dropped out between the two yods and the text originally read מְרִיבָה יְבַקֵּשׁ or מִדְיָן יְבַקֵּשׁ.sn The proverb is set up in a cause and effect relationship. The cause is that evil people seek rebellion. The term מְרִי (meri) means “rebellion.” It is related to the verb מָרָה (marah, “to be contentious, to be rebellious, to be refractory”). BDB 598 s.v. מְרִי translates the line “a rebellious man seeketh only evil” (so NASB).
- Proverbs 17:11 tn The parallelism seems to be formal, with the idea simply continuing to the second line; the conjunction is therefore translated to reflect this. However, the proverb could be interpreted as antithetical just as easily.
- Proverbs 17:11 sn Those bent on rebellion will meet with retribution. The messenger could very well be a merciless messenger from the king, but the expression could also figuratively describe something God sends—storms, pestilence, or any other misfortune.
Proverbs 17:11
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 17:11
New American Standard Bible
11 A rebellious person seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
Proverbs 24:1-2
New English Translation
Proverbs 24:1-2
New English Translation
24 Do not envy evil people,[a]
do not desire[b] to be with them;
2 for their hearts contemplate violence,
and their lips speak harm.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:1 tn Heb “evil men,” although the context indicates a generic sense.
- Proverbs 24:1 tn The Hitpael jussive is from the verb that means “to crave; to desire.” This is more of a coveting, an intense desire.
- Proverbs 24:2 sn This nineteenth saying warns against evil associations. Evil people are obsessed with destruction and trouble. See on this theme 1:10-19; 3:31 and 23:17. D. Kidner observes that a close view of sinners is often a good antidote to envying them (Proverbs [TOTC], 153).
Proverbs 24:1-2
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 24:1-2
New American Standard Bible
Precepts and Warnings
24 Do not be (A)envious of evil people,
Nor desire to (B)be with them;
2 For their [a]minds plot (C)violence,
And their lips (D)talk of trouble.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:2 Lit hearts
Proverbs 24:19-20
New English Translation
Proverbs 24:19-20
New English Translation
19 Do not fret because of evil people
or be envious of wicked people,
20 for the evil person has no future,[a]
and the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.[b]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:20 tn Heb “there is no end [i.e., future] for the evil.”
- Proverbs 24:20 sn The saying warns against envying the wicked; v. 19 provides the instruction, and v. 20 the motivation. The motivation is that there is no future hope for them—nothing to envy, or as C. H. Toy explains, there will be no good outcome for their lives (Proverbs [ICC], 449). They will die suddenly, as the implied comparison with the lamp being snuffed out signifies.
Proverbs 24:19-20
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 24:19-20
New American Standard Bible
19 (A)Do not get upset because of evildoers
Or be (B)envious of the wicked;
20 For (C)there will be no [a](D)future for the evil person;
The (E)lamp of the wicked will be put out.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:20 Lit latter end
Proverbs 28:5
New English Translation
Proverbs 28:5
New English Translation
Read full chapter
Footnotes
- Proverbs 28:5 tn Heb “men of evil”; the context does not limit this to males only, however.
- Proverbs 28:5 tn The term translated “justice” is מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat); it refers to the legal rights of people, decisions that are equitable in the community. W. G. Plaut observes that there are always those who think that “justice” is that which benefits them, otherwise it is not justice (Proverbs, 282).
- Proverbs 28:5 sn The contrast (and the difference) is between the wicked and those who seek the Lord. Originally the idea of seeking the Lord meant to obtain an oracle (2 Sam 21:1), but then it came to mean devotion to God—seeking to learn and do his will. Only people who are interested in doing the Lord’s will can fully understand justice. Without that standard, legal activity can become self-serving.
Proverbs 28:5
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 28:5
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 29:6
New English Translation
Proverbs 29:6
New English Translation
6 In the transgression of an evil person there is a snare,[a]
but a righteous person can sing[b] and rejoice.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:6 tn The Syriac and Tg. Prov 29:6 simplify the meaning by writing it with a passive verb: “the evil man is ensnared by his guilt.” The metaphor of the snare indicates that the evil person will be caught in his own transgression.
- Proverbs 29:6 tc The two verbs create some difficulty because the book of Proverbs does not usually duplicate verbs like this and because the first verb יָרוּן (yarun) is irregular. The BHS editors prefer to emend it to יָרוּץ (yaruts, “will rush”; cf. NAB “runs on joyfully”). W. McKane emends it to “exult” to form a hendiadys: “is deliriously happy” (Proverbs [OTL], 638). G. R. Driver suggests changing the word to יָדוֹן (yadon) based on two Hebrew mss and an Arabic cognate dana, “continue.” He translates it “but the righteous remains and rejoices” (“Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” Bib 32 [1951]: 193-94). None of these changes are particularly helpful. The verb is unusual for a geminate root, but Gesenius shows several places where the same pattern can be seen in other geminate verbs (GKC 180 §67.q). In light of this it is preferable to retain the reading of the MT here.
- Proverbs 29:6 sn These two verbs express the confidence of the righteous—they have no fears and so can sing. So the proverb is saying that only the righteous can enjoy a sense of security.
Proverbs 29:6
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 29:6
New American Standard Bible
New English Translation (NET)
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.