5:1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron saying, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood! 1
22:29 Do you see a person skilled 2 in his work?
He will take his position before kings;
he will not take his position 3 before obscure people. 4
1 tn Heb “look we are your bone and your flesh.”
2 sn The word translated “skilled” is general enough to apply to any crafts; but it may refer to a scribe or an official (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 134).
3 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 (life) it means “to present oneself before” someone; so here it has the idea of serving as a courtier in the presence of a king.
4 sn The fifth saying affirms that true skill earns recognition and advancement (cf. Instruction of Amenemope, chap. 30, 27:16-17 [ANET 424]).