Proverbs 9:6

9:6 Abandon your foolish ways ¹  so that you may live, ² 

and proceed ³  in the way of understanding.”

Proverbs 31:28

31:28 Her children rise up ⁴  and call her blessed,

her husband ⁵  also praises her:

Proverbs 3:18

3:18 She is like ⁶  a tree of life ⁷  to those who obtain her, ⁸ 

and everyone who grasps hold of her will be blessed. ⁹ 

Proverbs 4:14

4:14 Do not enter the path of the wicked

or walk ¹⁰  in the way of those who are evil.

Proverbs 23:19

23:19 Listen, my child, ¹¹  and be wise,

and guide your heart on the right way.

[9:6]  ¹ 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]  ² tn The two imperatives are joined with vav; this is a volitive sequence in which result or consequence is expressed.

[9:6]  ³ tn The verb means “go straight, go on, advance” or “go straight on in the way of understanding” (BDB 80 s.v. אָשַׁר).

[31:28]  ⁴ tn The first word of the nineteenth line begins with ק (qof), the nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

[31:28]  ⁵ tn The text uses an independent nominative absolute to draw attention to her husband: “her husband, and he praises her.” Prominent as he is, her husband speaks in glowing terms of his noble wife.

[3:18]  ⁷ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[3:18]  ⁸ sn The metaphor compares wisdom to the symbol of vitality and fullness of life. This might be an allusion to Gen 3:22, suggesting that what was lost as a result of the Fall may be recovered through wisdom: long and beneficial life (R. Marcus, “The Tree of Life in Proverbs,” JBL 62 [1943]: 117-20).

[3:18]  ⁹ tn Heb “lay hold of her.”

[3:18]  ¹⁰ tn The singular participle מְאֻשָּׁר (mÿ’ushar, literally, “he will be blessed”) functions as a distributive singular for a plural subject (GKC 464 §145.l): “each and everyone will be blessed.” Not recognizing this point of syntax, the BHS editors unnecessarily suggest emending this singular form to the plural.

[4:14]  ¹⁰ tn The verb אָשַׁר (’ashar, “to walk”) is not to be confused with the identically spelled homonym אָשַׁר “to pronounce happy” as in BDB 80 s.v. אָשַׁר.

[23:19]  ¹³ tn Heb “my son,” but the immediate context does not limit this to male children.