Proverbs 22:12

NETBible

The eyes of the Lord 1  guard knowledge, 2  but he overthrows the words of the faithless person. 3 

NIV ©

The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

NASB ©

The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.

NLT ©

The LORD preserves knowledge, but he ruins the plans of the deceitful.

MSG ©

GOD guards knowledge with a passion, but he'll have nothing to do with deception.

BBE ©

The eyes of the Lord keep knowledge, but by him the acts of the false man will be overturned.

NRSV ©

The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the faithless.

NKJV ©

The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the faithless.

KJV
The eyes
<05869>
of the LORD
<03068>
preserve
<05341> (8804)
knowledge
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and he overthroweth
<05557> (8762)
the words
<01697>
of the transgressor
<0898> (8802)_.
{the words: or, the matters}
NASB ©
The eyes
<5869>
of the LORD
<3068>
preserve
<5341>
knowledge
<1847>
, But He overthrows
<5557>
the words
<1697>
of the treacherous
<898>
man.
LXXM
oi
<3588> 
T-NPM
de
<1161> 
PRT
ofyalmoi
<3788> 
N-NPM
kuriou
<2962> 
N-GSM
diathrousin
<1301> 
V-PAI-3P
aisyhsin
<144> 
N-ASF
faulizei {V-PAI-3S} de
<1161> 
PRT
logouv
<3056> 
N-APM
paranomov {A-NSM}
NET [draft] ITL
The eyes
<05869>
of the Lord
<03068>
guard
<05341>
knowledge
<01847>
, but he overthrows
<05557>
the words
<01697>
of the faithless person
<0898>
.
HEBREW
dgb
<0898>
yrbd
<01697>
Ployw
<05557>
ted
<01847>
wrun
<05341>
hwhy
<03068>
ynye (22:12)
<05869>
NETBible

The eyes of the Lord 1  guard knowledge, 2  but he overthrows the words of the faithless person. 3 

NET Notes

1 sn The “eyes of the Lord” is an anthropomorphic expression; the omniscience of God is the intended meaning. When scripture uses the “eyes” of the Lord, it usually means evaluation, superintending, or safeguarding.

2 tn There is a slight difficulty in that the abstract noun “knowledge” is used nowhere else in the book of Proverbs with the word “watch.” C. H. Toy (Proverbs [ICC], 418) wants to make a major change to read “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,” but there is no support for this and it reduces the line to a common idea. D. W. Thomas suggests changing the word “knowledge” to “lawsuit” based on an Arabic cognate (“A Note on דַּעַת in Proverbs 22:12,” JTS 14 [1963]: 93-94).

3 tn The object of the verb is the “words of the traitor” (בֹגֵד דִּבְרֵי, divre voged); cf. NASB “the words of the treacherous man.” What treacherous people say is treachery. In this context “traitor, treacherous” refers to one who is “unfaithful” (cf. NIV).

3 sn The proverb affirms that God in safeguarding true knowledge will frustrate deception from faithless people – what they say will not have its intended effect.