Proverbs 3:1-2

Exhortations to Seek Wisdom and Walk with the Lord ¹ 

3:1 My child, ²  do not forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep ³  my commandments,

3:2 for they will provide ⁴  a long and full life, ⁵ 

and they will add well-being ⁶  to you.

Proverbs 3:17

3:17 Her ways are very pleasant, ⁷ 

and all her paths are peaceful.

Isaiah 32:17

32:17 Fairness will produce peace ⁸ 

and result in lasting security. ⁹ 

Isaiah 57:21

57:21 There will be no prosperity,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

John 14:27

14:27 “Peace I leave with you; ¹⁰  my peace I give to you; I do not give it ¹¹  to you as the world does. ¹²  Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. ¹³ 

Galatians 5:22-23

5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit ¹⁴  is love, ¹⁵  joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ¹⁶  5:23 gentleness, and ¹⁷  self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 6:15-16

6:15 For ¹⁸  neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for ¹⁹  anything; the only thing that matters is a new creation! ²⁰  6:16 And all who will behave ²¹  in accordance with this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on the Israel of God. ²² 

Philippians 4:7

4:7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds ²³  in Christ Jesus.

[3:1]  ¹ sn The chapter begins with an introductory exhortation (1-4), followed by an admonition to be faithful to the Lord (5-12). Wisdom is commended as the most valuable possession (13-18), essential to creation (19-20), and the way to a long and safe life (21-26). There then follows a warning to avoid unneighborliness (27-30) and emulating the wicked (31-35).

[3:1]  ² tn Heb “my son” (likewise in vv. 11, 21).

[3:1]  ³ tn The verb יִצֹּר (yitsor) is a Qal jussive and the noun לִבֶּךָ (libbekha, “your heart”) functions as the subject: “let your heart keep my commandments.”

[3:2]  ⁴ tn The phrase “they will provide” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.

[3:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “length of days and years of life” (so NASB, NRSV). The idiom “length of days” refers to a prolonged life and “years of life” signifies a long time full of life, a life worth living (T. T. Perowne, Proverbs, 51). The term “life” refers to earthly felicity combined with spiritual blessedness (BDB 313 s.v. חַיִּים).

[3:2]  ⁶ tn The noun שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) here means “welfare, health, prosperity” (BDB 1022 s.v. 3). It can be used of physical health and personal well-being. It is the experience of positive blessing and freedom from negative harm and catastrophe.

[3:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “her ways are ways of pleasantness” (so KJV, NRSV). The present translation contracts this expression for the sake of smoothness. The plural of דֶרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) is repeated for emphasis. The noun נֹעַם (no’am, “pleasantness”) functions as an attributive genitive: “pleasant ways.”

[32:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “and the product of fairness will be peace.”

[32:17]  ⁹ tn Heb “and the work of fairness [will be] calmness and security forever.”

[14:27]  ¹⁰ sn Peace I leave with you. In spite of appearances, this verse does not introduce a new subject (peace). Jesus will use the phrase as a greeting to his disciples after his resurrection (20:19, 21, 26). It is here a reflection of the Hebrew shalom as a farewell. But Jesus says he leaves peace with his disciples. This should probably be understood ultimately in terms of the indwelling of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, who has been the topic of the preceding verses. It is his presence, after Jesus has left the disciples and finally returned to the Father, which will remain with them and comfort them.

[14:27]  ¹¹ tn The pronoun “it” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[14:27]  ¹² tn Grk “not as the world gives do I give to you.”

[14:27]  ¹³ tn Or “distressed or fearful and cowardly.”

[5:22]  ¹⁴ tn That is, the fruit the Spirit produces.

[5:22]  ¹⁵ sn Another way to punctuate this is “love” followed by a colon (love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). It is thus possible to read the eight characteristics following “love” as defining love.

[5:22]  ¹⁶ tn Or “reliability”; see BDAG 818 s.v. πίστις 1.a.

[5:23]  ¹⁷ tn “And” is supplied here as a matter of English style, which normally inserts “and” between the last two elements of a list or series.

[6:15]  ¹⁸ tc The phrase “in Christ Jesus” is found after “For” in some mss (א A C D F G 0278 1881 Ï lat bo), but lacking in Ì⁴⁶ B Ψ 33 1175 1505 1739* and several fathers. The longer reading probably represents a harmonization to Gal 5:6.

[6:15]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “is.”

[6:15]  ²⁰ tn Grk “but a new creation”; the words “the only thing that matters” have been supplied to reflect the implied contrast with the previous clause (see also Gal 5:6).

[6:16]  ²¹ tn The same Greek verb, στοιχέω (stoicew), occurs in Gal 5:25.

[6:16]  ²² tn The word “and” (καί) can be interpreted in two ways: (1) It could be rendered as “also” which would indicate that two distinct groups are in view, namely “all who will behave in accordance with this rule” and “the Israel of God.” Or (2) it could be rendered “even,” which would indicate that “all who behave in accordance with this rule” are “the Israel of God.” In other words, in this latter view, “even” = “that is.”

[4:7]  ²³ tn Grk “will guard the hearts of you and the minds of you.” To improve the English style, the second occurrence of ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “of you”) has not been translated, since it is somewhat redundant in English.