Discovery BoxProverbs 14:23-35
Context14:23 In all hard work 1 there is profit,
but merely talking about it 2 only brings 3 poverty. 4
14:24 The crown of the wise is their riches, 5
but the folly 6 of fools is folly.
14:25 A truthful witness 7 rescues lives, 8
but the one who breathes lies brings 9 deception. 10
14:26 In the fear of the Lord one has 11 strong confidence, 12
and it will be a refuge 13 for his children.
14:27 The fear of the Lord 14 is like 15 a life-giving fountain, 16
to turn 17 people 18 from deadly snares. 19
14:28 A king’s glory is 20 the abundance of people,
but the lack of subjects 21 is the ruin 22 of a ruler.
14:29 The one who is slow to anger has great understanding,
but the one who has a quick temper 23 exalts 24 folly.
14:30 A tranquil spirit 25 revives the body, 26
but envy 27 is rottenness to the bones. 28
14:31 The one who oppresses 29 the poor insults 30 his Creator,
but whoever shows favor 31 to the needy honors him.
14:32 The wicked will be thrown down in his trouble, 32
but the righteous have refuge 33 even in the threat of death. 34
14:33 Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning;
it is known 35 even in the heart 36 of fools.
14:34 Righteousness exalts 37 a nation,
but sin is a disgrace 38 to any people.
14:35 The king shows favor 39 to a wise 40 servant,
but his wrath falls 41 on one who acts shamefully.
[14:23] 1 sn The Hebrew term עֶצֶב (’etsev, “painful toil; labor”) is first used in scripture in Gen 3:19 to describe the effects of the Fall. The point here is that people should be more afraid of idle talk than of hard labor.
[14:23] 2 tn Heb “word of lips.” This construct phrase features a genitive of source (“a word from the lips”) or a subjective genitive (“speaking a word”). Talk without work (which produces nothing) is contrasted with labor that produces something.
[14:23] 3 tn The term “brings” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
[14:23] 4 sn The noun מַחְסוֹר (makhsor, “need; thing needed; poverty”) comes from the verb “to lack; to be lacking; to decrease; to need.” A person given to idle talk rather than industrious work will have needs that go unmet.
[14:24] 5 sn C. H. Toy suggests that this line probably means that wealth is an ornament to those who use it well (Proverbs [ICC], 269). J. H. Greenstone suggests that it means that the wisdom of the wise, which is their crown of glory, constitutes their wealth (Proverbs, 155).
[14:24] 6 tc The MT reads אִוֶלֶת (’ivelet, “folly”). The editors of BHS propose emending the text to וְלִוְיַת (vÿlivyat, “but the wealth”), as suggested by the LXX. See M. Rotenberg, “The Meaning of אִוֶּלֶת in Proverbs,” LesŒ 25 (1960-1961): 201. A similar emendation is followed by NAB (“the diadem”) and NRSV (“the garland”).
[14:25] 7 tn Heb “a witness of truth”; cf. CEV “an honest witness.”
[14:25] 8 tn The noun נְפָשׁוֹת (nÿfashot) often means “souls,” but here “lives” – it functions as a metonymy for life (BDB 659 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 3.c).
[14:25] 9 tn The term “brings” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. Also possible, “is deceitful.”
[14:25] 10 tc Several commentators suggest emending the text from the noun מִרְמָה (mirmah, “deception”) to the participle מְרַמֶּה (mÿrameh, “destroys”). However, this revocalization is not necessary because the MT makes sense as it stands: A false witness destroys lives.
[14:26] 11 tn Heb “In the fear of the
[14:26] 12 tn Heb “confidence of strength.” This construct phrase features an attributive genitive: “strong confidence” (so most English versions; NIV “a secure fortress”).
[14:26] 13 sn The fear of the
[14:27] 14 sn The verse is similar to Prov 13:14 except that “the fear of the
[14:27] 15 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.
[14:27] 16 tn Heb “fountain of life.”
[14:27] 17 tn The infinitive construct with prefixed ל (lamed) indicates the purpose/result of the first line; it could also function epexegetically, explaining how fear is a fountain: “by turning….”
[14:27] 18 tn The term “people” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
[14:27] 19 tn Heb “snares of death” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); CEV “deadly traps.”
[14:28] 20 tn The preposition serves as the beth essentiae – the glory is the abundant population, not in it.
[14:28] 21 tn Heb “people.” Cf. NLT “a dwindling nation.”
[14:28] 22 sn The word means “ruin; destruction,” but in this context it could be a metonymy of effect, the cause being an attack by more numerous people that will bring ruin to the ruler. The proverb is purely a practical and secular saying, unlike some of the faith teachings in salvation history passages.
[14:29] 23 tn Heb “hasty of spirit” (so KJV, ASV); NRSV, NLT “a hasty temper.” One who has a quick temper or a short fuse will be evident to everyone, due to his rash actions.
[14:29] 24 sn The participle “exalts” (מֵרִים, merim) means that this person brings folly to a full measure, lifts it up, brings it to the full notice of everybody.
[14:30] 25 tn Heb “heart of healing.” The genitive מַרְפֵּא (marpe’, “healing”) functions as an attributive adjective: “a healing heart.” The term לֵב (lev, “heart”) is a metonymy for the emotional state of a person (BDB 660 s.v. 6). A healthy spirit is tranquil, bringing peace to the body (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 158).
[14:30] 26 tn Heb “life of the flesh” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NIV “gives life to the body.”
[14:30] 27 tn The term קִנְאָה (qin’ah, “envy”) refers to passionate zeal or “jealousy” (so NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT), depending on whether the object is out of bounds or within one’s rights. In the good sense one might be consumed with zeal to defend the institutions of the sanctuary. But as envy or jealousy the word describes an intense and sometimes violent excitement and desire that is never satisfied.
[14:30] 28 tn Heb “rottenness of bones.” The term “bones” may be a synecdoche representing the entire body; it is in contrast with “flesh” of the first colon. One who is consumed with envy finds no tranquility or general sense of health in body or spirit.
[14:31] 29 tn The verb עָשַׁק (’ashaq) normally means “to oppress” (as in many English versions). However, here it might mean “to slander.” See J. A. Emerton, “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 20 (1969): 202-22.
[14:31] 30 sn In the Piel this verb has the meaning of “to reproach; to taunt; to say sharp things against” someone (cf. NIV “shows contempt for”). By oppressing the poor one taunts or mistreats God because that person is in the image of God – hence the reference to the “Creator.” To ridicule what God made is to ridicule God himself.
[14:31] 31 sn The phrase “shows favor” is contrasted with the term “oppresses.” To “show favor” means to be gracious to (or treat kindly) those who do not deserve it or cannot repay it. It is treatment that is gratis. This honors God because he commanded it to be done (Prov 14:21; 17:5; 19:17).
[14:32] 32 tn The prepositional phrase must be “in his time of trouble” (i.e., when catastrophe comes). Cf. CEV “In times of trouble the wicked are destroyed.” A wicked person has nothing to fall back on in such times.
[14:32] 33 sn The righteous have hope in a just retribution – they have a place of safety even in death.
[14:32] 34 tc The LXX reads this as “in his integrity,” as if it were בְּתוּמּוֹ (bÿtumo) instead of “in his death” (בְּמוֹתוֹ, bÿmoto). The LXX is followed by some English versions (e.g., NAB “in his honesty,” NRSV “in their integrity,” and TEV “by their integrity”).
[14:33] 35 tn The LXX negates the clause, saying it is “not known in fools” (cf. NAB, NRSV, TEV, NLT). Thomas connects the verb to the Arabic root wd` and translates it “in fools it is suppressed.” See D. W. Thomas, “The Root ידע in Hebrew,” JTS 35 (1934): 302-3.
[14:33] 36 tn Heb “in the inner part”; ASV “in the inward part”; NRSV “in the heart of fools.”
[14:34] 37 sn The verb תְּרוֹמֵם (tÿromem, translated “exalts”) is a Polel imperfect; it means “to lift up; to raise up; to elevate.” Here the upright dealings of the leaders and the people will lift up the people. The people’s condition in that nation will be raised.
[14:34] 38 tn The term is the homonymic root II חֶסֶד (khesed, “shame; reproach”; BDB 340 s.v.), as reflected by the LXX translation. Rabbinic exegesis generally took it as I חֶסֶד (“loyal love; kindness”) as if it said, “even the kindness of some nations is a sin because they do it only for a show” (so Rashi, a Jewish scholar who lived
[14:35] 39 tn Heb “the favor of a king.” The noun “king” functions as a subjective genitive: “the king shows favor….”
[14:35] 40 sn The wise servant is shown favor, while the shameful servant is shown anger. Two Hiphil participles make the contrast: מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil, “wise”) and מֵבִישׁ (mevish, “one who acts shamefully”). The wise servant is a delight and enjoys the favor of the king because he is skillful and clever. The shameful one botches his duties; his indiscretions and incapacity expose the master to criticism (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 470).
