Ephesians 5:31

5:31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become ¹  one flesh. ² 

Proverbs 11:17

11:17 A kind person ³  benefits ⁴  himself, ⁵ 

but a cruel person brings himself trouble. ⁶ 

Ecclesiastes 4:5

4:5 The fool folds his hands and does no work, ⁷ 

so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh. ⁸ 

Romans 1:31

1:31 senseless, covenant-breakers, ⁹  heartless, ruthless.

¹ tn Grk “the two shall be as one flesh.”

² sn A quotation from Gen 2:24.

³ tn Heb “man of kindness.”

⁴ tn The term גֹּמֶל (gomel) means “to deal fully [or “adequately”] with” someone or something. The kind person will benefit himself.

⁵ tn Heb “his own soul.” The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) is used as a synecdoche of part (= soul) for the whole (= person): “himself” (BDB 660 s.v. 4).

⁶ tn Heb “brings trouble to his flesh.”

⁷ tn Heb “the fool folds his hands.” The Hebrew idiom means that he does not work (e.g., Prov 6:10; 24:33). In the translation the words “and does no work” (which do not appear in the Hebrew text) have been supplied following the idiom to clarify what is meant.

⁸ tn Heb “and eats his own flesh.” Most English versions render the idiom literally: “and eats/consumes his flesh” (KJV, AS, NASB, NAB, RSV, NRSV, NJPS). However, a few versions attempt to explain the idiom: “and lets life go to ruin” (Moffatt), “and wastes away” (NEB), “and ruins himself” (NIV).

⁹ tn Or “promise-breakers.”