Proverbs 27:26

27:26 the lambs will be for your clothing,

and the goats will be for the price of a field. ¹ 

Proverbs 23:10

23:10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone,

or take over ²  the fields of the fatherless,

Proverbs 31:16

31:16 She considers ³  a field and buys it;

from her own income ⁴  she plants a vineyard.

Proverbs 24:27

24:27 Establish your work outside and get your fields ready;

afterward build ⁵  your house. ⁶ 

Proverbs 24:30

24:30 I passed by the field of a sluggard,

by the vineyard of one who lacks wisdom. ⁷ 

[27:26]  ¹ sn Verse 25 is the protasis and v. 26 the apodosis. The two verses say that when the harvest is taken in, then the grass will grow, and they can sell and use their livestock. The lambs will provide clothing, and the goats when sold will pay for land.

[23:10]  ² tn Or “encroach on” (NIV, NRSV); Heb “go into.”

[31:16]  ³ tn The first word of the seventh line begins with ז (zayin), the seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[31:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “from the fruit of her hands.” The expression employs two figures. “Hands” is a metonymy of cause, indicating the work she does. “Fruit” is a hypocatastasis, an implied comparison meaning what she produces, the income she earns. She is able to plant a vineyard from her income.

[24:27]  ⁴ tn The perfect tense with vav following the imperatives takes on the force of an imperative here.

[24:27]  ⁵ sn If the term “house” is understood literally, the proverb would mean that one should be financially secure before building a house (cf. NLT). If “house” is figurative for household (metonymy of subject: children or family), the proverb would mean that one should have financial security and provision before starting a family. Some English versions suggest the latter meaning by using the word “home” for “house” (e.g., TEV, CEV).

[24:30]  ⁵ tn Heb “lacks heart”; KJV “understanding”; NAB, NASB, NLT “sense.”