Proverbs 9:12

9:12 If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage, ¹ 

but if you are a mocker, ²  you alone must ³  bear it. ⁴ 

Proverbs 8:33

8:33 Listen to my instruction ⁵  so that you may be wise, ⁶ 

and do not neglect it.

Proverbs 6:6

6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; ⁷ 

observe its ways and be wise!

Proverbs 9:9

9:9 Give instruction ⁸  to a wise person, ⁹  and he will become wiser still;

teach ¹⁰  a righteous person and he will add to his ¹¹  learning.

Proverbs 13:20

13:20 The one who associates ¹²  with the wise grows wise,

but a companion of fools suffers harm. ¹³ 

Proverbs 19:20

19:20 Listen to advice ¹⁴  and receive discipline,

that ¹⁵  you may become wise ¹⁶  by the end of your life. ¹⁷ 

Proverbs 21:11

21:11 When a scorner is punished, the naive ¹⁸  becomes wise;

when a wise person is instructed, ¹⁹  he gains knowledge.

Proverbs 23:15

23:15 My child, ²⁰  if your heart is wise,

then my heart also will be glad;

Proverbs 23:19

23:19 Listen, my child, ²¹  and be wise,

and guide your heart on the right way.

Proverbs 27:11

27:11 Be wise, my son, ²²  and make my heart glad,

so that I may answer ²³  anyone who taunts me. ²⁴ 

Proverbs 30:24

30:24 There are four things on earth that are small, ²⁵ 

but they are exceedingly wise: ²⁶ 

Proverbs 20:1

20:1 Wine ²⁷  is a mocker ²⁸  and strong drink is a brawler;

whoever goes astray by them is not wise. ²⁹ 

[9:12]  ¹ tn The text simply has the preposition לְ (lamed) with a suffix; but this will be the use of the preposition classified as “interest,” either for advantage or disadvantage (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 48-49, §271).

[9:12]  ² tn The perfect tense is here in a conditional clause because of the conjunction following the first colon of the verse that begins with “if.” The perfect tense then lays down the antithetical condition – “if you mock,” or “if you are a mocker.”

[9:12]  ³ tn The use of the imperfect tense here could be the simple future tense (cf. NASB, NRSV “you…will bear it”), but the obligatory nuance is more appropriate – “you must bear it.” These words anticipate James’ warnings that the words we speak will haunt us through life (e.g., James 3:1-12).

[9:12]  ⁴ tc The LXX has an addition: “Forsake folly, that you may reign forever; and seek discretion and direct understanding in knowledge.”

[8:33]  ⁵ tn Heb “discipline.”

[8:33]  ⁶ tn The construction uses two imperatives joined with the vav (ו); this is a volitive sequence in which result or consequence is being expressed.

[6:6]  ⁹ sn The sluggard (עָצֵל, ’atsel) is the lazy or sluggish person (cf. NCV “lazy person”; NRSV, NLT “lazybones”).

[9:9]  ¹³ tn The noun “instruction” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation.

[9:9]  ¹⁴ sn The parallelism shows what Proverbs will repeatedly stress, that the wise person is the righteous person.

[9:9]  ¹⁵ tn The Hiphil verb normally means “to cause to know, make known”; but here the context suggests “to teach” (so many English versions).

[9:9]  ¹⁶ tn The term “his” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for the sake of smoothness and clarity.

[13:20]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “walks.” When used with the preposition אֶת (’et, “with”), the verb הָלַךְ (halakh, “to walk”) means “to associate with” someone (BDB 234 s.v. הָלַךְ II.3.b; e.g., Mic 6:8; Job 34:8). The active participle of הָלַךְ (“to walk”) stresses continual, durative action. One should stay in close association with the wise, and move in the same direction they do.

[13:20]  ¹⁸ tn The verb form יֵרוֹעַ (yeroa’) is the Niphal imperfect of רָעַע (ra’a’), meaning “to suffer hurt.” Several have attempted to parallel the repetition in the wordplay of the first colon. A. Guillaume has “he who associates with fools will be left a fool” (“A Note on the Roots רִיע, יָרַע, and רָעַע in Hebrew,” JTS 15 [1964]: 294). Knox translated the Vulgate thus: “Fool he ends that fool befriends” (cited by D. Kidner, Proverbs [TOTC], 104).

[19:20]  ²¹ sn The advice refers in all probability to the teachings of the sages that will make one wise.

[19:20]  ²² tn The proverb is one continuous thought, but the second half of the verse provides the purpose for the imperatives of the first half.

[19:20]  ²³ tn The imperfect tense has the nuance of a final imperfect in a purpose clause, and so is translated “that you may become wise” (cf. NAB, NRSV).

[19:20]  ²⁴ tn Heb “become wise in your latter end” (cf. KJV, ASV) which could obviously be misunderstood.

[21:11]  ²⁵ sn The contrast here is between the simple and the wise. The simple gain wisdom when they see the scorner punished; the wise gains knowledge through instruction. The scorner does not change, but should be punished for the benefit of the simple (e.g., Prov 19:25).

[21:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “in the instructing of the wise.” The construction uses the Hiphil infinitive construct הַשְׂכִּיל (haskil) with a preposition to form a temporal clause (= “when”). The word “wise” (חָכָם, khakham) after it is the subjective genitive. The preposition לְ (lamed) on the form is probably dittography from the ending of the infinitive.

[23:15]  ²⁹ tn Heb “my son,” although the context does not limit this exhortation to male children.

[23:19]  ³³ tn Heb “my son,” but the immediate context does not limit this to male children.

[27:11]  ³⁷ tn Heb “my son”; the reference to a “son” is retained in the translation here because in the following lines the advice is to avoid women who are prostitutes.

[27:11]  ³⁸ tn The verb is the cohortative of שׁוּב (shuv); after the two imperatives that provide the instruction, this form with the vav will indicate the purpose or result (indirect volitive sequence).

[27:11]  ³⁹ sn The expression anyone who taunts me refers to those who would reproach or treat the sage with contempt, condemning him as a poor teacher. Teachers are often criticized for the faults and weaknesses of their students; but any teacher criticized that way takes pleasure in pointing to those who have learned as proof that he has not labored in vain (e.g., 1 Thess 2:19-20; 3:8).

[30:24]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “Four are the small things of the earth.” TEV has “four animals,” though in the list of four that follows, two are insects and one is a reptile.

[30:24]  ⁴² tn The construction uses the Pual participle with the plural adjective as an intensive; these four creatures are the very embodiment of wisdom (BDB 314 s.v. חָכַם Pu).

[20:1]  ⁴⁵ sn The drinks are wine and barley beer (e.g., Lev 10:9; Deut 14:26; Isa 28:7). These terms here could be understood as personifications, but better as metonymies for those who drink wine and beer. The inebriated person mocks and brawls.

[20:1]  ⁴⁶ tn The two participles לֵץ (lets, “mocker”) and הֹמֶה (homeh, “brawler”) are substantives; they function as predicates in the sentence. Excessive use of intoxicants excites the drinker to boisterous behavior and aggressive attitudes – it turns them into mockers and brawlers.

[20:1]  ⁴⁷ sn The proverb does not prohibit the use of wine or beer; in fact, strong drink was used at festivals and celebrations. But intoxication was considered out of bounds for a member of the covenant community (e.g., 23:20-21, 29-35; 31:4-7). To be led astray by their use is not wise.