Proverbs 21:30

21:30 There is no wisdom and there is no understanding,

and there is no counsel against ¹  the Lord. ² 

Proverbs 5:17

5:17 Let them be for yourself ³  alone,

and not for strangers with you. ⁴ 

Proverbs 1:24

1:24 However, ⁵  because ⁶  I called but you refused to listen, ⁷ 

because ⁸  I stretched out my hand ⁹  but no one paid attention,

Proverbs 10:25

10:25 When the storm ¹⁰  passes through, the wicked are swept away, ¹¹ 

but the righteous are an everlasting foundation. ¹² 

Proverbs 13:4

13:4 The appetite ¹³  of the sluggard ¹⁴  craves ¹⁵  but gets nothing,

but the desire of the diligent will be abundantly satisfied. ¹⁶ 

Proverbs 13:7

13:7 There is one who pretends to be rich ¹⁷  and yet has nothing;

another pretends to be poor ¹⁸  and yet possesses great wealth. ¹⁹ 

Proverbs 14:6

14:6 The scorner ²⁰  seeks wisdom but finds none, ²¹ 

but understanding is easy ²²  for a discerning person.

Proverbs 20:4

20:4 The sluggard will not plow ²³  during the planting season, ²⁴ 

so at harvest time he looks ²⁵  for the crop ²⁶  but has nothing.

Proverbs 28:1

28:1 The wicked person flees when there is no one pursuing, ²⁷ 

but the righteous person is as confident ²⁸  as a lion.

Proverbs 28:3

28:3 A poor person ²⁹  who oppresses the weak

is like ³⁰  a driving rain without food. ³¹ 

Proverbs 29:1

29:1 The one who stiffens his neck ³²  after numerous rebukes ³³ 

will suddenly be destroyed ³⁴  without remedy. ³⁵ 

Proverbs 29:19

29:19 A servant ³⁶  cannot be corrected ³⁷  by words,

for although ³⁸  he understands, there is no answer. ³⁹ 

Proverbs 6:15

6:15 Therefore, his disaster will come suddenly;

in an instant ⁴⁰  he will be broken, and there will be no remedy.

Proverbs 29:9

29:9 If a wise person ⁴¹  goes to court ⁴²  with a foolish person,

there is no peace ⁴³  whether he is angry or laughs. ⁴⁴ 

[21:30]  ¹ tn The form לְנֶגֶד (lÿneged) means “against; over against; in opposition to.” The line indicates they cannot in reality be in opposition, for human wisdom is nothing in comparison to the wisdom of God (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 232).

[21:30]  ² sn The verse uses a single sentence to state that all wisdom, understanding, and advice must be in conformity to the will of God to be successful. It states it negatively – these things cannot be in defiance of God (e.g., Job 5:12-13; Isa 40:13-14).

[5:17]  ³ tn The ל (lamed) preposition denotes possession: “for you” = “yours.” The term לְבַדֶּךָ (lÿvadekha) is appositional, underscoring the possession as exclusive.

[5:17]  ⁴ sn The point is that what is private is not to be shared with strangers; it belongs in the home and in the marriage. The water from that cistern is not to be channeled to strangers or to the public.

[1:24]  ⁵ tn The term “however” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the contrast between the offer in 1:23 and the accusation in 1:24-25. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:24]  ⁶ tn The particle יַעַן (ya’an, “because”) introduces a causal clause which forms part of an extended protasis; the apodosis is 1:26.

[1:24]  ⁷ tn The phrase “to listen” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:24]  ⁸ tn The term “because” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[1:24]  ⁹ sn This expression is a metonymy of adjunct; it is a gesture that goes with the appeal for some to approach.

[10:25]  ⁷ sn The word for “storm wind” comes from the root סוּף (suf, “to come to an end; to cease”). The noun may then describe the kind of storm that makes an end of things, a “whirlwind” (so KJV, NASB; NLT “cyclone”). It is used in prophetic passages that describe swift judgment and destruction.

[10:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “the wicked are not”; ASV, NAB, NASB “is no more.”

[10:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “a foundation forever”; NLT “have a lasting foundation.”

[13:4]  ⁹ tn The noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, traditionally “soul”) has a broad range of meanings, and here denotes “appetite” (e.g., Ps 17:9; Prov 23:3; Eccl 2:24; Isa 5:14; Hab 2:5; BDB 660 s.v. 5.c) or (2) “desire” (e.g., Deut 12:20; Prov 19:8; 21:10; BDB 660 s.v. 6.a).

[13:4]  ¹⁰ sn The contrast is between the “soul (= appetite) of the sluggard” (נַפְשׁוֹ עָצֵל, nafsho ’atsel) and the “soul (= desire) of the diligent” (נֶפֶשׁ חָרֻצִים, nefesh kharutsim) – what they each long for.

[13:4]  ¹¹ tn The Hitpael verb means “to lust after; to crave.” A related verb is used in the Decalogue’s prohibition against coveting (Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21).

[13:4]  ¹² tn Heb “will be made fat” (cf. KJV, NASB); NRSV “is richly supplied.”

[13:7]  ¹¹ tn The Hitpael of עָשַׁר (’ashar, “to be rich”) means “to pretend to be rich” (BDB 799 s.v. עָשַׁר Hithp); this is the so-called “Hollywood Hitpael” function which involves “acting” or pretending to be something one is not.

[13:7]  ¹² tn The Hitpolel of רוּשׁ (rush, “to be poor”) means “to pretend to be poor” (BDB 930 s.v. Hithpolel); this is another example of the “Hollywood Hitpael” – the Hitpolel forms of hollow root verbs are the equivalent of Hitpael stem forms.

[13:7]  ¹³ sn The proverb seems to be a general observation on certain people in life, but it is saying more. Although there are times when such pretending may not be wrong, the proverb is instructing people to be honest. An empty pretentious display or a concealing of wealth can come to no good.

[14:6]  ¹³ sn The “scorner” (לֵץ, lets) is intellectually arrogant; he lacks any serious interest in knowledge or religion. He pursues wisdom in a superficial way so that he can appear wise. The acquisition of wisdom is conditioned by one’s attitude toward it (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 149).

[14:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and there is not.”

[14:6]  ¹⁵ sn The Niphal of קָלַל (qalal) means “to appear light; to appear trifling; to appear easy.”

[20:4]  ¹⁵ sn The act of plowing is put for the whole process of planting a crop.

[20:4]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “in the autumn”; ASV “by reason of the winter.” The noun means “autumn, harvest time.” The right time for planting was after the harvest and the rainy season of autumn and winter began.

[20:4]  ¹⁷ tn The Piel of the verb שָׁאַל (sha’al, “to ask”) means “to beg” or “to inquire carefully.” At the harvest time he looks for produce but there is none. The Piel might suggest, however, that because he did not plant, or did not do it at the right time, he is reduced to begging and will have nothing (cf. KJV, ASV; NASB “he begs during the harvest”).

[20:4]  ¹⁸ tn The phrase “for the crop” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[28:1]  ¹⁷ sn The line portrays the insecurity of a guilty person – he flees because he has a guilty conscience, or because he is suspicious of others around him, or because he fears judgment.

[28:1]  ¹⁸ tn The verb בָּטַח (batakh) means “to trust; to be secure; to be confident.” Cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “bold.”

[28:3]  ¹⁹ tc The MT reads “a poor man,” גֶּבֶר רָשׁ (gever rash); cf. KJV, NASB, NLT. The problem is that the poor in the book of Proverbs is not an oppressor and does not have the power to be such. So commentators assume the word is incorrect. By a slight change to רָשָׁע (rasha’) the reading becomes “a wicked ruler” [Heb “a wicked mighty man”]. There is no textual support for this change. The LXX, however, reads, “A courageous man oppresses the poor with impieties.” If “a poor man” is retained, then the oppression would include betrayal – one would expect a poor man to have sympathy for others who are impoverished, but in fact that is not the case. It is a sad commentary on human nature that the truly oppressed people can also be oppressed by other poor people.

[28:3]  ²⁰ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[28:3]  ²¹ sn “Food” is a metonymy of effect here. The picture is of the driving rain that should cause crops to grow so that food can be produced – but does not (some English versions assume the crops are destroyed instead, e.g., NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT). The point the proverb is making is that a show of strength may not produce anything except ruin.

[29:1]  ²¹ tn The idiom “to harden the neck” (מַקְשֶׁה־עֹרֶף, maqsheh-’oref) is the idea of resisting the rebukes and persisting in obstinacy (e.g., Exod 32:9). The opposite of a “stiff neck” would be the bending back, i.e., submission.

[29:1]  ²² tn The Hebrew construction is אִישׁ תּוֹכָחוֹת (’ish tokhakhot, “a man of rebukes”), meaning “a man who has (or receives) many rebukes.” This describes a person who is deserving of punishment and who has been given many warnings. The text says, then, “a man of rebukes hardening himself.”

[29:1]  ²³ sn The stubborn person refuses to listen; he will suddenly be destroyed when the calamity strikes (e.g., Prov 6:15; 13:18; 15:10).

[29:1]  ²⁴ tn Or “healing” (NRSV).

[29:19]  ²³ sn Servants could not be corrected by mere words; they had to be treated like children for they were frequently unresponsive. This, of course, would apply to certain kinds of servants. The Greek version translated this as “a stubborn servant.”

[29:19]  ²⁴ tn The Niphal imperfect here is best rendered as a potential imperfect – “cannot be corrected.” The second line of the verse clarifies that even though the servant understands the words, he does not respond. It will take more.

[29:19]  ²⁵ tn Heb “for he understands, but there is no answer.” The concessive idea (“although”) is taken from the juxtaposition of the two parts.

[29:19]  ²⁶ sn To say “there is no answer” means that this servant does not obey – he has to be trained in a different way.

[6:15]  ²⁵ tn This word is a substantive that is used here as an adverbial accusative – with suddenness, at an instant.

[29:9]  ²⁷ tn Heb “a wise man…a foolish man.”

[29:9]  ²⁸ tn The verb שָׁפַט (shafat) means “to judge.” In the Niphal stem it could be passive, but is more frequently reciprocal: “to enter into controversy” or “to go to court.” The word is usually used in connection with a lawsuit (so many recent English versions), but can also refer to an argument (e.g., 1 Sam 12:7; Isa 43:26); cf. NAB “disputes”; NASB “has a controversy.”

[29:9]  ²⁹ tn The noun נָחַת (nakhat) is a derivative of נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”) and so means “quietness” or “rest,” i.e., “peace.”

[29:9]  ³⁰ tn Heb “and he is angry and he laughs.” The construction uses the conjunctive vav to express alternate actions: “whether…or.”