Proverbs 2:10-11

2:10 For wisdom will enter your heart, ¹ 

and moral knowledge ²  will be attractive ³  to you. ⁴ 

2:11 Discretion ⁵  will protect you, ⁶ 

understanding will guard you,

Proverbs 8:17

8:17 I love ⁷  those who love me,

and those who seek me find me.

Proverbs 8:32

8:32 “So now, children, ⁸  listen to me;

blessed are those who keep my ways.

Proverbs 18:1

18:1 One who has isolated himself ⁹  seeks his own desires; ¹⁰ 

he rejects ¹¹  all sound judgment.

Psalms 119:27

119:27 Help me to understand what your precepts mean! ¹² 

Then I can meditate ¹³  on your marvelous teachings. ¹⁴ 

Psalms 119:97-100

מ (Mem)

119:97 O how I love your law!

All day long I meditate on it.

119:98 Your commandments ¹⁵  make me wiser than my enemies,

for I am always aware of them.

119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers,

for I meditate on your rules.

119:100 I am more discerning than those older than I,

for I observe your precepts.

Psalms 119:2

119:2 How blessed are those who observe his rules,

and seek him with all their heart,

Psalms 2:10

2:10 So now, you kings, do what is wise; ¹⁶ 

you rulers of the earth, submit to correction! ¹⁷ 

[2:10]  ¹ tn The noun לֵב (lev, “heart”) functions as a metonymy of association for “mind” and “thoughts” (BDB 524 s.v. 3). It represents the center of the inner life where the volition and emotions join to bring about actions. It is used here in parallelism with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”), for which see note.

[2:10]  ² tn Heb “knowledge.” For the noun דַּעַת (da’at), see the note on 1:7.

[2:10]  ³ tn Heb “pleasant.” The verb יִנְעָם (yin’am, “to be pleasant”) describes what is attractive. It is used of being physically attracted to one’s lover (Song 7:7) or to a close friendship (2 Sam 1:26). Here wisdom becomes attractive to the righteous, that is, the righteous desires to acquire it.

[2:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “your soul.” The term נַפְשְׁךָ (nafshÿkha, “your soul”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= soul) for the whole person (= you); see BDB 660 s.v. 4.a.2. It also might function as a metonymy of association for emotions and passions (BDB 660 s.v. 6) or mental cognition (BDB 660 s.v. 7).

[2:11]  ⁵ tn The word מְזִמָּה (mÿzimmah, “discretion”) is the ability to know the best course of action for achieving one’s goal. It is knowledge and understanding with a purpose. This kind of knowledge enables one to make the right choices that will protect him from blunders and their consequences (cf. NLT “wise planning”; CEV “sound judgment”).

[2:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “will watch over you.”

[8:17]  ⁷ sn In contrast to the word for “hate” (שָׂנֵא, shaneh) the verb “love” (אָהֵב, ’ahev) includes within it the idea of choosing spontaneously. So in this line loving and seeking point up the means of finding wisdom.

[8:32]  ⁸ tn Heb “sons.”

[18:1]  ⁹ tn The Niphal participle functions substantively and has a reflexive nuance: “one who has separated himself” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). He is not merely anti-social; he is a problem for society since he will defy sound judgment. The Mishnah uses the verse to teach the necessity of being part of a community because people have social responsibilities and need each other (m. Avot 2:4).

[18:1]  ¹⁰ tc The MT has “seeks [his own] desire[s].” The translation in the LXX represents a Hebrew Vorlage of לְתֹאֲנָה (lÿto’anah) instead of לְתַאֲוָה (lÿta’avah); this could be translated “seeks his own occasion,” that is, “his own pretext” (C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 354; cf. NAB). The MT makes sense as it stands and the emendation is not really necessary.

[18:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “breaks out”; NRSV “showing contempt for”; NLT “snarling at.” This individual breaks out in contention against sound judgment. He is in opposition to society (e.g., Prov 17:14; 20:3).

[119:27]  ¹² tn Heb “the way of your precepts make me understand.”

[119:27]  ¹³ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[119:27]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “your amazing things,” which refers here to the teachings of the law (see v. 18).

[119:98]  ¹⁵ tn The plural form needs to be revocalized as a singular in order to agree with the preceding singular verb and the singular pronoun in the next line. The Lord’s “command” refers here to the law (see Ps 19:8).

[2:10]  ¹⁶ sn The speaker here is either the psalmist or the Davidic king, who now addresses the rebellious kings.

[2:10]  ¹⁷ tn The Niphal has here a tolerative nuance; the kings are urged to submit themselves to the advice being offered.