18:1 One who has isolated himself 1 seeks his own desires; 2
he rejects 3 all sound judgment.
18:2 A fool takes no pleasure 4 in understanding
but only in disclosing 5 what is on his mind. 6
6:1 “Be 7 careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. 8 Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, 9 do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues 10 and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, 11 they have their reward.
6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues 12 and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.
6:16 “When 13 you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive 14 so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, 15 they have their reward.
1 tn The Niphal participle functions substantively and has a reflexive nuance: “one who has separated himself” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). He is not merely anti-social; he is a problem for society since he will defy sound judgment. The Mishnah uses the verse to teach the necessity of being part of a community because people have social responsibilities and need each other (m. Avot 2:4).
2 tc The MT has “seeks [his own] desire[s].” The translation in the LXX represents a Hebrew Vorlage of לְתֹאֲנָה (lÿto’anah) instead of לְתַאֲוָה (lÿta’avah); this could be translated “seeks his own occasion,” that is, “his own pretext” (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 354; cf. NAB). The MT makes sense as it stands and the emendation is not really necessary.
3 tn Heb “breaks out”; NRSV “showing contempt for”; NLT “snarling at.” This individual breaks out in contention against sound judgment. He is in opposition to society (e.g., Prov 17:14; 20:3).
4 sn This expression forms an understatement (tapeinosis); the opposite is the point – he detests understanding or discernment.
5 tn The Hitpael infinitive construct בְּהִתְגַּלּוֹת (bÿhitgalot) functions nominally as the object of the preposition. The term means “reveal, uncover, betray.” So the fool takes pleasure “in uncovering” his heart.
6 tn Heb “his heart.” This is a metonymy meaning “what is on his mind” (cf. NAB “displaying what he thinks”; NRSV “expressing personal opinion”). This kind of person is in love with his own ideas and enjoys spewing them out (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 515). It is the kind of person who would ask a question, not to learn, but to show everyone how clever he is (cf. TEV).
7 tc ‡ Several
8 tn Grk “before people in order to be seen by them.”
9 tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today. The giving of alms was highly regarded in the ancient world (Deut 15:7-11).
10 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
11 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
12 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
13 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
14 tn Here the term “disfigure” used in a number of translations was not used because it could convey to the modern reader the notion of mutilation. L&N 79.17 states, “‘to make unsightly, to disfigure, to make ugly.’ ἀφανίζουσιν γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ‘for they make their faces unsightly’ Mt 6:16.”
15 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
16 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
17 sn Phylacteries were small leather cases containing OT scripture verses, worn on the arm and forehead by Jews, especially when praying. The custom was derived from such OT passages as Exod 13:9; 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18.
18 tn The term κράσπεδον (kraspedon) in some contexts could refer to the outer fringe of the garment (possibly in Mark 6:56). This edge could have been plain or decorated. L&N 6.180 states, “In Mt 23:5 κράσπεδον denotes the tassels worn at the four corners of the outer garment (see 6.194).”
19 tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here and in the following clause (“out of the evil”) as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
20 sn Mention of the heart shows that Jesus is not interested in what is done, but why. Motives are more important than actions for him.
21 tn The word “treasury” is not repeated in the Greek text at this point, but is implied.
22 sn What one utters from one’s mouth is especially singled out as the example of this principle. James seems to have known this teaching (Jas 1:26; 3:1-12).
23 tn Grk “for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”