8:23 From eternity I was appointed, 1
from the beginning, from before the world existed. 2
10:25 When the storm 3 passes through, the wicked are swept away, 4
but the righteous are an everlasting foundation. 5
10:30 The righteous will never be moved,
but the wicked will not inhabit the land. 6
22:28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone 7
which was put in place by your ancestors. 8
23:10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone,
or take over 9 the fields of the fatherless,
27:24 for riches do not last 10 forever,
nor does a crown last 11 from generation to generation.
1 tn The first parallel verb is נִסַּכְתִּי (nissakhti), “I was appointed.” It is not a common word; it occurs here and in Ps 2:6 for the coronation of the king. It means “installed, set.”
2 tn The verb “existed” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation in the light of the context.
3 sn The word for “storm wind” comes from the root סוּף (suf, “to come to an end; to cease”). The noun may then describe the kind of storm that makes an end of things, a “whirlwind” (so KJV, NASB; NLT “cyclone”). It is used in prophetic passages that describe swift judgment and destruction.
4 tn Heb “the wicked are not”; ASV, NAB, NASB “is no more.”
5 tn Heb “a foundation forever”; NLT “have a lasting foundation.”
5 sn This proverb concerns the enjoyment of covenant blessings – dwelling in the land of Israel. It is promised to the righteous for an eternal inheritance, and so the wicked cannot expect to settle there – they will be exiled.
7 sn Moving a boundary stone was (and still is) a major problem. The boundaries that were established by the forefathers were to be preserved, but no law would stop such violations if people lacked integrity (e.g., Deut 19:14; 27:17; 1 Kgs 21:16-19). Boundaries in Israel were sacred because God owned the land and he apportioned the property to the tribes. To extend one’s property illegally by moving a neighbor’s boundary marker was a violation of covenant and oath. Of course, disputes could arise when both sides claim their ancestors established a boundary.
8 tn Heb “your fathers” (so NAB, NASB).
9 tn Or “encroach on” (NIV, NRSV); Heb “go into.”
11 tn Heb “riches are not forever” (so KJV, NASB); TEV “wealth is not permanent.” The term “last” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
12 tn The conjunction and the particle indicate that the same nuance continues here in the second colon, and so “last” has been supplied here as well.