Job 34:2-3

34:2 “Listen to my words, you wise men;

hear ¹  me, you learned men. ² 

34:3 For the ear assesses ³  words

as the mouth ⁴  tastes food.

Job 34:34

34:34 Men of understanding say to me –

any wise man listening to me says –

Proverbs 6:32

6:32 A man who commits adultery with a woman lacks wisdom, ⁵ 

whoever does it destroys his own life. ⁶ 

Proverbs 15:32

15:32 The one who refuses correction despises himself, ⁷ 

but whoever hears ⁸  reproof acquires understanding. ⁹ 

[34:2]  ¹ tn Heb “give ear to me.”

[34:2]  ² tn The Hebrew word means “the men who know,” and without a complement it means “to possess knowledge.”

[34:3]  ³ tn Or “examines; tests; tries; discerns.”

[34:3]  ⁴ tn Or “palate”; the Hebrew term refers to the tongue or to the mouth in general.

[6:32]  ⁵ tn Heb “heart.” The term “heart” is used as a metonymy of association for discernment, wisdom, good sense. Cf. NAB “is a fool”; NIV “lacks judgment”; NCV, NRSV “has no sense.”

[6:32]  ⁶ tn Heb “soul.” The noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) functions as a metonymy of association for “life” (BDB 659 s.v. 3.c).

[15:32]  ⁷ sn To “despise oneself” means to reject oneself as if there was little value. The one who ignores discipline is not interested in improving himself.

[15:32]  ⁸ tn Or “heeds” (so NAB, NIV); NASB “listens to.”

[15:32]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew text reads קוֹנֶה לֵּב (qoneh lev), the participle of קָנָה (qanah, “to acquire; to possess”) with its object, “heart.” The word “heart” is frequently a metonymy of subject, meaning all the capacities of the human spirit and/or mind. Here it refers to the ability to make judgments or discernment.