Proverbs 7:20

7:20 He has taken a bag of money with him; ¹ 

he will not return until ²  the end of the month.” ³ 

Proverbs 18:15

18:15 The discerning person ⁴  acquires knowledge,

and the wise person ⁵  seeks ⁶  knowledge.

Proverbs 31:16

31:16 She considers ⁷  a field and buys it;

from her own income ⁸  she plants a vineyard.

[7:20]  ¹ tn Heb “in his hand.”

[7:20]  ² tn Heb “he will come back at.”

[7:20]  ³ tn Heb “new moon.” Judging from the fact that the husband took a purse of money and was staying away until the next full moon, the woman implies that they would be safe in their escapade. If v. 9 and v. 20 are any clue, he could be gone for about two weeks – until the moon is full again.

[18:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “discerning heart.” The term “heart” is a synecdoche of part (= heart) for the whole (= person); cf. TEV, NLT “intelligent people.” By paralleling “heart” and “ear” the proverb stresses the full acquisition of knowledge. The “ear” listens to instruction, and the heart considers what is heard to acquire knowledge.

[18:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “the ear of the wise.” The term “ear” is a synecdoche of part (= ear) for the whole (= person): “wise person.”

[18:15]  ⁶ sn This line features a mixed metaphor: The “ear” is pictured “seeking.” The “ear of the wise” actually means the wise person’s capacity to hear, and so the wise are seeking as they hear.

[31:16]  ⁷ tn The first word of the seventh line begins with ז (zayin), the seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[31:16]  ⁸ 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.