20:22 When they began to shout and praise, the Lord suddenly attacked 1 the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir 2 who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
21:30 There is no wisdom and there is no understanding,
and there is no counsel against 4 the Lord. 5
4:22 The Lord answered, 6
“This will happen 7 because my people are foolish.
They do not know me.
They are like children who have no sense. 8
They have no understanding.
They are skilled at doing evil.
They do not know how to do good.”
1 tn Heb “set ambushers against.” This is probably idiomatic here for launching a surprise attack.
2 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir.”
3 tn Or “commanded, ordered.”
4 tn The form לְנֶגֶד (lÿneged) means “against; over against; in opposition to.” The line indicates they cannot in reality be in opposition, for human wisdom is nothing in comparison to the wisdom of God (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 232).
5 sn The verse uses a single sentence to state that all wisdom, understanding, and advice must be in conformity to the will of God to be successful. It states it negatively – these things cannot be in defiance of God (e.g., Job 5:12-13; Isa 40:13-14).
6 tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to show clearly the shift in speaker. Jeremiah has been speaking; now the
7 tn Heb “For….” This gives the explanation for the destruction envisaged in 4:20 to which Jeremiah responds in 4:19, 21.
8 tn Heb “They are senseless children.”