2:11 Discretion 2 will protect you, 3
understanding will guard you,
4:6 Do not forsake wisdom, 4 and she will protect you;
love her, and she will guard you.
6:22 When you walk about, 5 they 6 will guide you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
when you wake up, 7 they will talk 8 to you.
1 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
2 tn The word מְזִמָּה (mÿzimmah, “discretion”) is the ability to know the best course of action for achieving one’s goal. It is knowledge and understanding with a purpose. This kind of knowledge enables one to make the right choices that will protect him from blunders and their consequences (cf. NLT “wise planning”; CEV “sound judgment”).
3 tn Heb “will watch over you.”
4 tn Heb “her”; the 3rd person feminine singular referent is personified “wisdom,” which has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn The verbal form is the Hitpael infinitive construct with a preposition and a suffixed subjective genitive to form a temporal clause. The term הָלַךְ (halakh) in this verbal stem means “to go about; to go to and fro.” The use of these terms in v. 22 also alludes to Deut 6:7.
6 tn Heb “it will guide you.” The verb is singular and the instruction is the subject.
7 tn In both of the preceding cola an infinitive construct was used for the temporal clauses; now the construction uses a perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive. The verb would then be equivalent to an imperfect tense, but subordinated as a temporal clause here.
8 sn The Hebrew verb means “talk” in the sense of “to muse; to complain; to meditate”; cf. TEV, NLT “advise you.” Instruction bound to the heart will speak to the disciple on awaking.