Proverbs 17:24

17:24 Wisdom is directly in front of ¹  the discerning person,

but the eyes of a fool run ²  to the ends of the earth. ³ 

Proverbs 28:7

28:7 The one who keeps the law ⁴  is a discerning child, ⁵ 

but a companion of gluttons brings shame ⁶  to his parents. ⁷ 

Proverbs 28:11

28:11 A rich person ⁸  is wise in his own eyes, ⁹ 

but a discerning poor person can evaluate him properly. ¹⁰ 

[17:24]  ¹ tn The verse begins with אֶת־פְּנֵי מֵבִין (’et-pÿni mevin), “before the discerning” or “the face of the discerning.” The particle אֶת here is simply drawing emphasis to the predicate (IBHS 182-83 §10.3.2b). Cf. NIV “A discerning man keeps wisdom in view.”

[17:24]  ² tn The term “run” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for the sake of clarification.

[17:24]  ³ sn To say that “the eyes of the fool run to the ends of the earth” means that he has no power to concentrate and cannot focus his attention on anything. The language is hyperbolic. Cf. NCV “the mind of a fool wanders everywhere.”

[28:7]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew word could refer (1) to “instruction” by the father (cf. NCV) or (2) the Mosaic law (so most English versions). The chapter seems to be stressing religious obedience, so the referent is probably the law. Besides, the father’s teaching will be what the law demands, and the one who associates with gluttons is not abiding by the law.

[28:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “son,” but the immediate context does not suggest limiting this only to male children.

[28:7]  ⁶ sn The companion of gluttons shames his father and his family because such a life style as he now embraces is both unruly and antisocial.

[28:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “father,” but the immediate context does not suggest limiting this only to the male parent.

[28:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “a rich man,” although the context does not indicate that this is limited only to males.

[28:11]  ⁸ sn The idiom “in his own eyes” means “in his own opinion,” that is, his self conceit. The rich person thinks he is wise because he is rich, that he has made all the right choices.

[28:11]  ⁹ tn The form יַחְקְרֶנּוּ (yakhqÿrennu) means “he searches him” (cf. KJV, ASV) or “he examines him”; a potential imperfect nuance fits well here to indicate that a discerning person, even though poor, can search the flaws of the rich and see through the pretension and the false assumptions (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV “sees through him”). Several commentators have connected the word to the Arabic root hqr, which means “despise” (D. W. Thomas, “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 38 [1937]: 400-403), but that would be both predictable and flat.