Proverbs 20:6

20:6 Many people profess their loyalty, ¹ 

but a faithful person ²  – who can find? ³ 

Isaiah 59:4

59:4 No one is concerned about justice; ⁴ 

no one sets forth his case truthfully.

They depend on false words ⁵  and tell lies;

they conceive of oppression ⁶ 

and give birth to sin.

Isaiah 59:13-15

59:13 We have rebelled and tried to deceive the Lord;

we turned back from following our God.

We stir up ⁷  oppression and rebellion;

we tell lies we concocted in our minds. ⁸ 

59:14 Justice is driven back;

godliness ⁹  stands far off.

Indeed, ¹⁰  honesty stumbles in the city square

and morality is not even able to enter.

59:15 Honesty has disappeared;

the one who tries to avoid evil is robbed.

The Lord watches and is displeased, ¹¹ 

for there is no justice.

[20:6]  ¹ tn Heb “many a man calls/proclaims a man of his loyal love.” The Syriac and Tg. Prov 20:6 render the verb as passive: “many are called kind.” Other suggestions include: “most men meet people who will do them occasional kindnesses” (RSV); “many men profess friendship” (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 384); “many men invite only the one who has shown them kindness.” The simplest interpretation in this context is “many proclaim [themselves to be] a kind person (= a loyal friend).” The contrast is between many who claim to be loyal friends and the one who actually proves to be faithful.

[20:6]  ² tn The shift to the expression “a man of faithfulness[es]” in the second line indicates that of all those who claim to show faithful love, it is rare to find one who is truly reliable (as the word אֱמוּנִים [’emunim] indicates clearly); cf. NAB, NRSV “one worthy of trust.”

[20:6]  ³ sn The point of the rhetorical question is that a truly faithful friend is very difficult to find.

[59:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “no one pleads with justice.”

[59:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “nothing”; NAB “emptiness.”

[59:4]  ⁶ tn Or “trouble” (NIV), or “harm.”

[59:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “speaking.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[59:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”

[59:14]  ⁹ tn Or “righteousness” (ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); KJV, NAB “justice.”

[59:14]  ¹⁰ tn Or “for” (KJV, NRSV).

[59:15]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and it is displeasing in his eyes.”