Proverbs 1:21

1:21 at the head of the noisy ¹  streets she calls,

in the entrances of the gates in the city ²  she utters her words: ³ 

Proverbs 6:19

6:19 a false witness who pours out lies, ⁴ 

and a person who spreads discord ⁵  among family members. ⁶ 

Proverbs 8:3

8:3 beside the gates opening into ⁷  the city,

at the entrance of the doorways she cries out: ⁸ 

Proverbs 10:9

10:9 The one who conducts himself ⁹  in integrity ¹⁰  will live ¹¹  securely,

but the one who behaves perversely ¹²  will be found out.

Proverbs 15:28

15:28 The heart of the righteous considers ¹³  how ¹⁴  to answer, ¹⁵ 

but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. ¹⁶ 

[1:21]  ¹ tc MT reads הֹמִיּוֹת (homyyot, “noisy streets”; Qal participle feminine plural from הָמָה [hamah], “to murmur; to roar”), referring to the busy, bustling place where the street branches off from the gate complex. The LXX reads τειχέων (teicewn) which reflects חֹמוֹת (khomot), “walls” (feminine plural noun from חוֹמָה [khomah], “wall”): “She proclaims on the summits of the walls.” MT is preferred because it is the more difficult form. The LXX textual error was caused by simple omission of yod (י). In addition, the LXX expands the verse to read, “she sits at the gates of the princes, at the gates of the city she boldly says.” The shorter MT reading is preferred.

[1:21]  ² sn The phrase “in the city” further defines the area of the entrance just inside the gate complex, the business area. In an ancient Near Eastern city, business dealings and judicial proceedings would both take place in this area.

[1:21]  ³ tn Heb “she speaks her words.”

[6:19]  ⁴ sn The Lord hates perjury and a lying witness (e.g., Ps 40:4; Amos 2:4; Mic 1:4). This is a direct violation of the law (Exod 20).

[6:19]  ⁵ sn Dissension is attributed in Proverbs to contentious people (21:9; 26:21; 25:24) who have a short fuse (15:8).

[6:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “brothers,” although not limited to male siblings only. Cf. NRSV, CEV “in a family”; TEV “among friends.”

[8:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “at the mouth of.”

[8:3]  ⁸ tn The cry is a very loud ringing cry that could not be missed. The term רָנַן (ranan) means “to give a ringing cry.” It is often only a shrill sound that might come with a victory in battle, but its use in the psalms for praise shows that it also can have clear verbal content, as it does here. For wisdom to stand in the street and give such a ringing cry would mean that it could be heard by all. It was a proclamation.

[10:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he who walks.” The idiom is used widely in both OT and NT for conduct, behavior, or lifestyle.

[10:9]  ¹¹ sn “Integrity” here means “blameless” in conduct. Security follows integrity, because the lifestyle is blameless. The righteous is certain of the course to be followed and does not fear retribution from man or God.

[10:9]  ¹² tn Heb “walks.”

[10:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “he who perverts his ways” (so NASB); NIV “who takes crooked paths” (NLT similar). The Piel participle מְעַקֵּשׁ (mÿ’aqqesh) means “make crooked; twisted; perverse.” It is stronger than simply taking crooked paths; it refers to perverting the ways. The one who is devious will not get away with it.

[15:28]  ¹³ tn The verb יֶהְגֶּה (yehgeh) means “to muse; to meditate; to consider; to study.” It also involves planning, such as with the wicked “planning” a vain thing (Ps 2:1, which is contrasted with the righteous who “meditate” in the law [1:2]).

[15:28]  ¹⁴ tn The word “how” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[15:28]  ¹⁵ tc The LXX reads: “the hearts of the righteous meditate faithfulness.”

[15:28]  ¹⁶ sn The form is plural. What they say (the “mouth” is a metonymy of cause) is any range of harmful things.