Proverbs 14:27

14:27 The fear of the Lord is like a life-giving fountain,

to turn people from deadly snares.


sn The verse is similar to Prov 13:14 except that “the fear of the Lord” has replaced “the teaching of the wise.”

tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.

tn Heb “fountain of life.”

tn The infinitive construct with prefixed ל (lamed) indicates the purpose/result of the first line; it could also function epexegetically, explaining how fear is a fountain: “by turning….”

tn The term “people” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.

tn Heb “snares of death” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); CEV “deadly traps.”