Proverbs 6:28

6:28 Can ¹  a man walk on hot coals

without scorching his feet?

Proverbs 9:6

9:6 Abandon your foolish ways ²  so that you may live, ³ 

and proceed ⁴  in the way of understanding.”

Proverbs 15:22

15:22 Plans fail ⁵  when there is no counsel,

but with abundant advisers they are established. ⁶ 

[6:28]  ¹ tn The particle indicates that this is another rhetorical question like that in v. 27.

[9:6]  ² tn There are two ways to take this word: either as “fools” or as “foolish ways.” The spelling for “foolishness” in v. 13 differs from this spelling, and so some have taken that as an indicator that this should be “fools.” But this could still be an abstract plural here as in 1:22. Either the message is to forsake fools (i.e., bad company; cf. KJV, TEV) or forsake foolishness (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT).

[9:6]  ³ tn The two imperatives are joined with vav; this is a volitive sequence in which result or consequence is expressed.

[9:6]  ⁴ tn The verb means “go straight, go on, advance” or “go straight on in the way of understanding” (BDB 80 s.v. אָשַׁר).

[15:22]  ³ tn Heb “go wrong” (so NRSV, NLT). The verb is the Hiphil infinitive absolute from פָּרַר, parar, which means “to break; to frustrate; to go wrong” (HALOT 975 s.v. I פרר 2). The plans are made ineffectual or are frustrated when there is insufficient counsel.

[15:22]  ⁴ sn The proverb says essentially the same thing as 11:14, but differently.