Proverbs 26:14

26:14 Like a door that turns on its hinges,

so a sluggard turns on his bed.

Proverbs 8:34

8:34 Blessed is the one who listens to me,

watching at my doors day by day,

waiting beside my doorway.


tn The comparative “like” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied from context in the translation.

sn The sluggard is too lazy to get out of bed – although he would probably rationalize this by saying that he is not at his best in the morning. The humor of the verse is based on an analogy with a door – it moves back and forth on its hinges but goes nowhere. Like the door to the wall, the sluggard is “hinged” to his bed (e.g., Prov 6:9-10; 24:33).

tn The term “turns” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation from the parallelism.

tn Heb “the man.”

tn The form לִשְׁקֹד (lishqod) is the infinitive construct serving epexegetically in the sentence. It explains how the person will listen to wisdom.

tn Heb “keeping” or “guarding.”

tn Heb “at the posts of my doors” (so KJV, ASV).