6:23 For the commandments 5 are like 6 a lamp, 7
instruction is like a light,
and rebukes of discipline are like 8 the road leading to life, 9
15:10 Severe discipline 10 is for the one who abandons the way;
the one who hates reproof 11 will die.
15:31 The person 12 who hears the reproof that leads to life 13
is at home 14 among the wise. 15
11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.
1 tn Or “the word.”
2 tn Or “be persistent.”
3 tn Grk “in season, out of season.”
4 tn Or “encourage.”
5 tn Heb “the commandment” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).
6 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.
7 sn The terms “lamp,” “light,” and “way” are all metaphors. The positive teachings and commandments will illumine or reveal to the disciple the way to life; the disciplinary correctives will provide guidance into fullness of life.
8 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.
9 tn Heb “the way of life” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV, NLT “the way to life.” The noun “life” is a genitive following the construct “way.” It could be an attributive genitive modifying the kind of way/course of life that instruction provides, but it could also be objective in that the course of life followed would produce and lead to life.
10 tn The two lines are parallel synonymously, so the “severe discipline” of the first colon is parallel to “will die” of the second. The expression מוּסָר רָע (musar ra’, “severe discipline”) indicates a discipline that is catastrophic or harmful to life.
11 sn If this line and the previous line are synonymous, then the one who abandons the way also refuses any correction, and so there is severe punishment. To abandon the way means to leave the life of righteousness which is the repeated subject of the book of Proverbs.
12 tn Heb “ear” (so KJV, NRSV). The term “ear” is a synecdoche of part (= ear) for the whole (= person).
13 tn “Life” is an objective genitive: Reproof brings or preserves life. Cf. NIV “life-giving rebuke”; NLT “constructive criticism.”
14 tn Heb “lodges.” This means to live with, to be at home with.
15 sn The proverb is one full sentence; it affirms that a teachable person is among the wise.
16 tn The Greek conjunction καὶ (kai) seems to be functioning here ascensively, (i.e., “even”), but is difficult to render in this context using good English. It may read something like: “but rather even expose them!”
17 tn Grk “rather even expose.”
18 tn The participle τὰ…γινόμενα (ta…ginomena) usually refers to “things happening” or “things which are,” but with the following genitive phrase ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν (Jup’ autwn), which indicates agency, the idea seems to be “things being done.” This passive construction was translated as an active one to simplify the English style.