13:4 The appetite 1 of the sluggard 2 craves 3 but gets nothing,
but the desire of the diligent will be abundantly satisfied. 4
22:29 Do you see a person skilled 5 in his work?
He will take his position before kings;
he will not take his position 6 before obscure people. 7
9:10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, 8
do it with all your might,
because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, 9
the place where you will eventually go. 10
1 tn The noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, traditionally “soul”) has a broad range of meanings, and here denotes “appetite” (e.g., Ps 17:9; Prov 23:3; Eccl 2:24; Isa 5:14; Hab 2:5; BDB 660 s.v. 5.c) or (2) “desire” (e.g., Deut 12:20; Prov 19:8; 21:10; BDB 660 s.v. 6.a).
2 sn The contrast is between the “soul (= appetite) of the sluggard” (נַפְשׁוֹ עָצֵל, nafsho ’atsel) and the “soul (= desire) of the diligent” (נֶפֶשׁ חָרֻצִים, nefesh kharutsim) – what they each long for.
3 tn The Hitpael verb means “to lust after; to crave.” A related verb is used in the Decalogue’s prohibition against coveting (Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21).
4 tn Heb “will be made fat” (cf. KJV, NASB); NRSV “is richly supplied.”
5 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).
6 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.
7 sn The fifth saying affirms that true skill earns recognition and advancement (cf. Instruction of Amenemope, chap. 30, 27:16-17 [ANET 424]).
8 tn Heb “Whatever your hand finds to do.”
9 tn Heb “Sheol.”
10 tn Or “where you are about to go.”
11 tn Or “not become discouraged,” “not lose heart” (L&N 25.288).
12 tn Or “if we do not become extremely weary,” “if we do not give out,” “if we do not faint from exhaustion” (L&N 23.79).