Proverbs 3:17

3:17 Her ways are very pleasant, ¹ 

and all her paths are peaceful.

Proverbs 7:27

7:27 Her house is the way to the grave, ² 

going down ³  to the chambers ⁴  of death.

Proverbs 8:32

8:32 “So now, children, ⁵  listen to me;

blessed are those who keep my ways.

Proverbs 14:12

14:12 There is a way that seems right to a person, ⁶ 

but its end is the way that leads to death. ⁷ 

Proverbs 16:2

16:2 All a person’s ways ⁸  seem right ⁹  in his own opinion, ¹⁰ 

but the Lord evaluates ¹¹  the motives. ¹² 

Proverbs 16:7

16:7 When a person’s ¹³  ways are pleasing to the Lord, ¹⁴ 

he ¹⁵  even reconciles his enemies to himself. ¹⁶ 

Proverbs 16:25

16:25 There is a way that seems right to a person, ¹⁷ 

but its end is the way that leads to death. ¹⁸ 

Proverbs 23:26

23:26 Give me your heart, my son, ¹⁹ 

and let your eyes observe my ways;

Proverbs 5:21

5:21 For the ways of a person ²⁰  are in front of the Lord’s eyes,

and the Lord ²¹  weighs ²²  all that person’s ²³  paths.

[3:17]  ¹ tn Heb “her ways are ways of pleasantness” (so KJV, NRSV). The present translation contracts this expression for the sake of smoothness. The plural of דֶרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) is repeated for emphasis. The noun נֹעַם (no’am, “pleasantness”) functions as an attributive genitive: “pleasant ways.”

[7:27]  ² tn The noun “Sheol” in parallelism to “the chambers of death” probably means the grave. The noun is a genitive of location, indicating the goal of the road(s). Her house is not the grave; it is, however, the sure way to it.

[7:27]  ³ tn The Qal active participle modifies “ways” to Sheol. The “road,” as it were, descends to the place of death.

[7:27]  ⁴ tn “Chambers” is a hypocatastasis, comparing the place of death or the grave with a bedroom in the house. It plays on the subtlety of the temptation. Cf. NLT “Her bedroom is the den of death.”

[8:32]  ³ tn Heb “sons.”

[14:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “which is straight before a man.”

[14:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “the ways of death” (so KJV, ASV). This construct phrase features a genitive of destiny: “ways that lead to [or, end in] death.” Here death means ruin (e.g., Prov 7:27; 16:25). The LXX adds “Hades,” but the verse seems to be concerned with events of this life.

[16:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “ways of a man.”

[16:2]  ⁶ sn The Hebrew term translated “right” (z~E) means “innocent” (NIV) or “pure” (NAB, NRSV, NLT). It is used in the Bible for pure oils or undiluted liquids; here it means unmixed actions. Therefore on the one hand people rather naively conclude that their actions are fine.

[16:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “in his eyes.”

[16:2]  ⁸ tn The figure (a hypocatastasis) of “weighing” signifies “evaluation” (e.g., Exod 5:8; 1 Sam 2:3; 16:7; Prov 21:2; 24:12). There may be an allusion to the Egyptian belief of weighing the heart after death to determine righteousness. But in Hebrew thought it is an ongoing evaluation as well, not merely an evaluation after death.

[16:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “spirits” (so KJV, ASV). This is a metonymy for the motives, the intentions of the heart (e.g., 21:2 and 24:2).

[16:7]  ⁶ tn Heb “ways of a man.”

[16:7]  ⁷ tn The first line uses an infinitive in a temporal clause, followed by its subject in the genitive case: “in the taking pleasure of the Lord” = “when the Lord is pleased with.” So the condition set down for the second colon is a lifestyle that is pleasing to God.

[16:7]  ⁸ tn The referent of the verb in the second colon is unclear. The straightforward answer is that it refers to the person whose ways please the Lord – it is his lifestyle that disarms his enemies. W. McKane comments that the righteous have the power to mend relationships (Proverbs [OTL], 491); see, e.g., 10:13; 14:9; 15:1; 25:21-22). The life that is pleasing to God will be above reproach and find favor with others. Some would interpret this to mean that God makes his enemies to be at peace with him (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT). This is workable, but in this passage it would seem God would do this through the pleasing life of the believer (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV).

[16:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “even his enemies he makes to be at peace with him.”

[16:25]  ⁷ tn Heb “There is a way that is right before a man [to the face of a man].”

[16:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “the ways of death” (so KJV, ASV). This construct phrase features a genitive of destiny: “ways that lead to [or, end in] death.”This proverb is identical to 14:12.

[23:26]  ⁸ tn Heb “my son”; the reference to a “son” is retained in the translation here because in the following lines the advice is to avoid women who are prostitutes.

[5:21]  ⁹ tn Heb “man.”

[5:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:21]  ¹¹ tn BDB 814 s.v. פָּלַס 2 suggests that the participle מְפַּלֵּס (mÿpalles) means “to make level [or, straight].” As one’s ways are in front of the eyes of the Lord, they become straight or right. It could be translated “weighs” since it is a denominative from the noun for “balance, scale”; the Lord weighs or examines the actions.

[5:21]  ¹² tn Heb “all his”; the referent (the person mentioned in the first half of the verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.