Proverbs 6:15

6:15 Therefore, his disaster will come suddenly;

in an instant ¹  he will be broken, and there will be no remedy.

Proverbs 29:9

29:9 If a wise person ²  goes to court ³  with a foolish person,

there is no peace ⁴  whether he is angry or laughs. ⁵ 

[6:15]  ¹ tn This word is a substantive that is used here as an adverbial accusative – with suddenness, at an instant.

[29:9]  ² tn Heb “a wise man…a foolish man.”

[29:9]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn The noun נָחַת (nakhat) is a derivative of נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”) and so means “quietness” or “rest,” i.e., “peace.”

[29:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he is angry and he laughs.” The construction uses the conjunctive vav to express alternate actions: “whether…or.”