Proverbs 3:31

3:31 Do not envy a violent man, ¹ 

and do not choose to imitate ²  any of his ways;

Proverbs 5:14

5:14 I almost ³  came to complete ruin ⁴ 

in the midst of the whole congregation!” ⁵ 

Proverbs 6:14

6:14 he plots evil with perverse thoughts ⁶  in his heart,

he spreads contention ⁷  at all times.

Proverbs 14:23

14:23 In all hard work ⁸  there is profit,

but merely talking about it ⁹  only brings ¹⁰  poverty. ¹¹ 

Proverbs 15:3

15:3 The eyes of the Lord ¹²  are in every place,

keeping watch ¹³  on those who are evil and those who are good.

Proverbs 17:17

17:17 A friend ¹⁴  loves at all times,

and a relative ¹⁵  is born to help in adversity. ¹⁶ 

[3:31]  ¹ tn Heb “a man of violence.” The noun חָמָס (khamas, “violence”) functions as an attributive genitive. The word itself means “violence, wrong” (HALOT 329 s.v.) and refers to physical violence, social injustice, harsh treatment, wild ruthlessness, injurious words, hatred, and general rudeness (BDB 329 s.v.).

[3:31]  ² tn Heb “do not choose.”

[5:14]  ³ tn The expression כִּמְעַט (kim’at) is “like a little.” It means “almost,” and is used of unrealized action (BDB 590 s.v. 2). Cf. NCV “I came close to”; NLT “I have come to the brink of.”

[5:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “I was in all evil” (cf. KJV, ASV).

[5:14]  ⁵ tn The text uses the two words “congregation and assembly” to form a hendiadys, meaning the entire assembly.

[6:14]  ⁵ tn The noun is an adverbial accusative of manner, explaining the circumstances that inform his evil plans.

[6:14]  ⁶ tn The word “contention” is from the root דִּין (din); the noun means “strife, contention, quarrel.” The normal plural form is represented by the Qere, and the contracted form by the Kethib.

[14:23]  ⁷ sn The Hebrew term עֶצֶב (’etsev, “painful toil; labor”) is first used in scripture in Gen 3:19 to describe the effects of the Fall. The point here is that people should be more afraid of idle talk than of hard labor.

[14:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “word of lips.” This construct phrase features a genitive of source (“a word from the lips”) or a subjective genitive (“speaking a word”). Talk without work (which produces nothing) is contrasted with labor that produces something.

[14:23]  ⁹ tn The term “brings” does not appear in the Hebrew, but is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[14:23]  ¹⁰ sn The noun מַחְסוֹר (makhsor, “need; thing needed; poverty”) comes from the verb “to lack; to be lacking; to decrease; to need.” A person given to idle talk rather than industrious work will have needs that go unmet.

[15:3]  ⁹ sn The proverb uses anthropomorphic language to describe God’s exacting and evaluating knowledge of all people.

[15:3]  ¹⁰ tn The form צֹפוֹת (tsofot, “watching”) is a feminine plural participle agreeing with “eyes.” God’s watching eyes comfort good people but convict evil.

[17:17]  ¹¹ sn The verse uses synonymous parallelism, so “friend” and “relative” are equated. Others, however, will take the verse with antithetical parallelism: W. G. Plaut argues that friendship is a spiritual relationship whereas a brother’s ties are based on a blood relationship – often adversity is the only thing that brings brothers together (Proverbs, 189).

[17:17]  ¹² tn Heb “a brother.”

[17:17]  ¹³ tn Heb “is born for adversity.” This is not referring to sibling rivalry but to the loyalty a brother shows during times of calamity. This is not to say that a brother only shows loyalty when there is trouble, nor that he always does in these times (e.g., 18:19, 24; 19:7; 27:10). The true friend is the same as a brotherly relation – in times of greatest need the loyal love is displayed.