Proverbs 8:24-25

8:24 When there were no deep oceans ¹  I was born, ² 

when there were no springs overflowing ³  with water;

8:25 before the mountains were set in place –

before the hills – I was born,

Proverbs 3:20

3:20 By his knowledge the primordial sea ⁴  was broken open, ⁵ 

and the clouds drip down dew. ⁶ 

Proverbs 7:26

7:26 for she has brought down ⁷  many fatally wounded,

and all those she has slain are many. ⁸ 

Proverbs 24:31

24:31 I saw ⁹  that thorns had grown up all over it,

the ground ¹⁰  was covered with weeds,

and its stone wall was broken down.

Proverbs 1:25

1:25 because ¹¹  you neglected ¹²  all my advice,

and did not comply ¹³  with my rebuke,

Proverbs 1:29-30

1:29 Because ¹⁴  they hated moral knowledge, ¹⁵ 

and did not choose to fear the Lord, ¹⁶ 

1:30 they did not comply with my advice,

they spurned ¹⁷  all my rebuke.

Proverbs 7:14

7:14 “I have ¹⁸  fresh meat at home; ¹⁹ 

today I have fulfilled my vows!

Proverbs 8:28

8:28 when he established the clouds above,

when the fountains of the deep grew strong, ²⁰ 

Proverbs 8:31

8:31 rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, ²¹ 

and delighting ²²  in its people. ²³ 

Proverbs 1:24

1:24 However, ²⁴  because ²⁵  I called but you refused to listen, ²⁶ 

because ²⁷  I stretched out my hand ²⁸  but no one paid attention,

Proverbs 5:13

5:13 For ²⁹  I did not obey my teachers ³⁰ 

and I did not heed ³¹  my instructors. ³² 

Proverbs 31:22

31:22 She makes for herself coverlets; ³³ 

her clothing is fine linen and purple. ³⁴ 

[8:24]  ¹ sn The summary statements just given are now developed in a lengthy treatment of wisdom as the agent of all creation. This verse singles out “watery deeps” (תְּהֹמוֹת, tÿhomot) in its allusion to creation because the word in Genesis signals the condition of the world at the very beginning, and because in the ancient world this was something no one could control. Chaos was not there first – wisdom was.

[8:24]  ² tn The third parallel verb is חוֹלָלְתִּי (kholalti), “I was given birth.” Some (e.g., KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV) translate it “brought forth” – not in the sense of being presented, but in the sense of being “begotten, given birth to.” Here is the strongest support for the translation of קָנָה (qanah) as “created” in v. 22. The verb is not literal; it continues the perspective of the personification.

[8:24]  ³ tn Heb “made heavy.”

[3:20]  ⁴ sn The word תְּהוֹמוֹת (tÿhomot, “primordial sea”) alludes to the chaotic “deep” in Gen 1:2 (BDB 1063 s.v. תְּהוֹם 3). This was viewed in the ancient world as a force to be reckoned with. However, God not only formed it but controls it (see J. Emerton, “Spring and Torrent in Ps 74:15,” VT 15 [1965]: 125).

[3:20]  ⁵ sn This might refer to God’s action of dividing the waters to form the dry ground on the third day (Gen 1:9-10) or, less likely, to the breaking up of the fountains of the deep at the flood (Gen 7:11).

[3:20]  ⁶ sn The two colons form a merism: The wisdom of God is behind all forces of nature, whether the violent breaking forth of its watery forces at creation or the provision of the gentle rain and dew throughout history (T. T. Perowne, Proverbs, 55).

[7:26]  ⁷ tn Heb “she has caused to fall.”

[7:26]  ⁸ tn Heb “numerous” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT) or “countless.”

[24:31]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew term וְהִנֵּה (vÿhinneh, traditionally “and, lo” [KJV, ASV]) is a deictic particle that calls attention to what comes next. “And look” is too abrupt here; “I saw” calls attention to the field that was noticed.

[24:31]  ¹¹ tn Heb “its face” (so KJV, ASV).

[1:25]  ¹³ tn Heb “and.”

[1:25]  ¹⁴ tn The verb III פָּרַע means “to let go; to let alone” (BDB 828 s.v.). It can refer to unkempt hair of the head (Lev 10:6) or lack of moral restraint: “to let things run free” (Exod 32:25; Prov 28:19). Here it means “to avoid, neglect” the offer of wisdom (BDB 829 s.v. 2).

[1:25]  ¹⁵ tn The verbs are characteristic perfects or indefinite pasts. For the word “comply, consent,” see 1:20.

[1:29]  ¹⁶ tn The causal particle תַּחַת כִּי (takhat ki, “for the reason that”) introduces a second accusation of sin and reason for punishment.

[1:29]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “knowledge.” The noun דָעַת (da’at, “knowledge”) refers to moral knowledge. See note on 1:7.

[1:29]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the fear of the Lord.” The noun is an objective genitive; the Lord is to be the object of fear. See note on 1:7.

[1:30]  ¹⁹ tn The verb “spurned” (נָאַץ, na’ats) is parallel to “comply, accede to, be willing” (e.g., 1:10). This is how the morally stubborn fool acts (e.g., 15:5).

[7:14]  ²² tn Heb “with me.”

[7:14]  ²³ tn Heb “I have peace offerings.” The peace offerings refer to the meat left over from the votive offering made at the sanctuary (e.g., Lev 7:11-21). Apparently the sacrificial worship meant as little to this woman spiritually as does Christmas to modern hypocrites who follow in her pattern. By expressing that she has peace offerings, she could be saying nothing more than that she has fresh meat for a meal at home, or that she was ceremonially clean, perhaps after her period. At any rate, it is all probably a ruse for winning a customer.

[8:28]  ²⁵ tn To form a better parallel some commentators read this infinitive בַּעֲזוֹז (ba’azoz), “when [they] grew strong,” as a Piel causative, “when he made firm, fixed fast” (cf. NIV “fixed securely”; NLT “established”). But the following verse (“should not pass over”) implies the meaning “grew strong” here.

[8:31]  ²⁸ tn The two words are synonymous in general and so could be taken to express a superlative idea – the “whole world” (cf. NIV, NCV). But תֵּבֵל (tevel) also means the inhabited world, and so the construct may be interpreted as a partitive genitive.

[8:31]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and my delights” [were] with/in.”

[8:31]  ³⁰ tn Heb “the sons of man.”

[1:24]  ³¹ tn The term “however” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the contrast between the offer in 1:23 and the accusation in 1:24-25. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:24]  ³² tn The particle יַעַן (ya’an, “because”) introduces a causal clause which forms part of an extended protasis; the apodosis is 1:26.

[1:24]  ³³ tn The phrase “to listen” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:24]  ³⁴ tn The term “because” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[1:24]  ³⁵ sn This expression is a metonymy of adjunct; it is a gesture that goes with the appeal for some to approach.

[5:13]  ³⁴ tn The vav that introduces this clause functions in an explanatory sense.

[5:13]  ³⁵ tn The Hebrew term מוֹרַי (moray) is the nominal form based on the Hiphil plural participle with a suffix, from the root יָרָה (yarah). The verb is “to teach,” the common noun is “instruction, law [torah],” and this participle form is teacher (“my teachers”).

[5:13]  ³⁶ sn The idioms are vivid: This expression is “incline the ear”; earlier in the first line is “listen to the voice,” meaning “obey.” Such detailed description emphasizes the importance of the material.

[5:13]  ³⁷ tn The form is the Piel plural participle of לָמַד (lamad) used substantivally.

[31:22]  ³⁷ tn The first word of the thirteenth line begins with מ (mem), the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The word rendered “coverlets” appears in 7:16, where it has the idea of “covered.” K&D 17:335 suggests “pillows” or “mattresses” here. The Greek version has “lined overcoats” or “garments,” but brings over the last word of the previous verse to form this line and parallel the second half, which has clothing in view.

[31:22]  ³⁸ sn The “fine linen” refers to expensive clothing (e.g., Gen 41:42), as does the “purple” (e.g., Exod 26:7; 27:9, 18). Garments dyed with purple indicated wealth and high rank (e.g., Song 3:5). The rich man in Luke 16:19 was clothed in fine linen and purple as well. The difference is that the wise woman is charitable, but he is not.