26:20 Where there is no wood, a fire goes out,
and where there is no gossip, 1 contention ceases. 2
31:18 She knows 3 that her merchandise is good,
and her lamp 4 does not go out in the night.
1 sn Gossip (that is, the one who goes around whispering and slandering) fuels contention just as wood fuels a fire. The point of the proverb is to prevent contention – if one takes away the cause, contention will cease (e.g., 18:8).
2 tn Heb “becomes silent.”
3 tn The first word of the ninth line begins with ט (tet), the ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
4 sn The line may be taken literally to mean that she is industrious throughout the night (“burning the midnight oil”) when she must in order to follow through a business deal (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 668); cf. TEV. But the line could also be taken figuratively, comparing “her light” to the prosperity of her household – her whole life – which continues night and day.