Proverbs

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 15:28):

[hebrew]LB cDYQ YHGH L(nWT
WpY R$(YM YBY( R(WT[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

lēb tsaddīq yehgeh la‘^anōt,
ūpī r^eshā‘īm yabbīa‘ rā‘ōt.

Translation (Waltke):

The heart of a righteous person ponders [its] answer,
but the mouth of wicked people blurts out evil things.

Comment (brackets added):

The heart (lēb; [...]) of a righteous person (tsaddīq; [...]) ponders (yehgeh [= Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of hāgah / [hebrew]HGH[/hebrew]]) [its] answer (la‘^anōt [= prepositional prefix (la / [hebrew]L[/hebrew]) + Qal infinitive construct of ‘ānah / [hebrew](nH[/hebrew]]). Hgh [[hebrew]HGH[/hebrew]] here has the meaning "ponder, reflect," "meditate" [...] because considered speech stands in contrast to rash talk. The wise person has a ready answer [...], but still thinks long and hard about what he says and how he says it [...]. But the mouth of wicked people (ūpī r^eshā‘īm; [...]) blurts out (yabbīa‘ [= Hiphil imperfect 3 m.s. of nāba‘ / [hebrew]nB([/hebrew]]) evil (i.e., morally repulsive) or harmful things (rā‘ōt; [...]).

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 1-15 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2004)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 15:29):

[hebrew]RXWQ YHWH mR$(YM
WTpLT cDYQYM Y$m([/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

rākhōq YHWH mēr^eshā‘īm,
ūt^epillat tsaddīqīm yishmā‘.

Translation (Waltke):

The LORD is far from wicked people,
but he hears the prayer of righteous people.

Comment (brackets added):

The LORD (YHWH; see 15:26) is far (rākhōq) signifies that his beneficent presence is remote from wicked people (mēr^eshā‘īm; see 15:28). [...] but [ū / [hebrew]W[/hebrew]] he hears (yishmā‘ [= Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of shāma‘ / [hebrew]$m([/hebrew]]) signifies the he gives his ear externally and responds internally to the prayer (t^epillat; see 15:8) of righteous people (tsaddīqīm; see 15::28).

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 1-15 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2004)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 15:30):

[hebrew]m)WR (YnYM Y$mX LB
$mW(H +WBH TD$N (cM.[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

m^e’ōr ‘ēnayim y^esammakh lēb,
sh^emū‘ā tōbā t^edashshen ‘ātsem.

Translation (Waltke):

The light of the eyes makes the heart glad,
and good news revives the whole person.

Comment (brackets added):

The rare metaphor the light (m^e’ōr) of the eyes (‘ēnayim) connotes the manifestation of the inward vitality and joy of the one bringing good news, as the parallel clause suggests, and is associated with righteousness [...]. [...] Makes ... glad (y^esammakh [Piel imperfect 3 m.s. of sāmakh / [hebrew]$mX[/hebrew] make glad 15:20]) the heart [lēb] refers to the disciple's heart as the parallel clause also suggests. [...] Good (tōbā, ... 15:23) news (sh^emū‘ā) denotes a verbal report of a recent event that advances life. [...] Revives (t^edashshen [Piel imperfect 3 m.s. of dāshēn / [hebrew]D$N[/hebrew] revive]) paraphrases the verb meaning "to make fat"; its passive counterpart "to be made fat," connotes abundance, full satisfaction, and health (11:25) The whole person (‘ātsem; [...]) paraphrases the noun meaning "bone," a synecdoche for the entire person, both physical and psychical.

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 15:31):

[hebrew])ZN $m(T TWkXT XYYM
BQRB XkmYM TLYN[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

’ōzen shōma‘at tōkakhat khayyīm
b^eqereb kh^akāmīm tālīn.

Translation (Waltke):

The ear that listens to life-giving correction
dwells among the wise.

Comment (brackets added):

This verse shifts the focus from the illuminated reporter and the revived heart to the disciple's other receptive organ, the ear [’ōzen], a synecdoche for the whole person. If the sage has the student's ear that listens (shōma‘at [Qal active participle feminine singular construct of shāma‘ / [hebrew]$m([/hebrew] hear, listen to, heed, obey]) to life-giving (khayyīm; [...]) correction (or rebuke, tōkakhat; [...]), he has the key to his heart [...]. This uniquely single-sentence proverb in Collection II motivates the disciple to have such an ear, for it dwells (tālīn [Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of līn / [hebrew]LYN[/hebrew] remain, stay = dwell]) among (b^eqereb; [...]) the honored company of the wise [kh^akāmīm].

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 15:32):

[hebrew]pWR( mWSR mW(S np$W
W$Wm( TWkXT QWnH LB[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

pōrēa‘ mūsār mō’ēs napshō,
w^eshōmēa‘ tōkakhat qōneh lēb.

Translation (Waltke):

The person who flouts instruction is one who despises life,
but the person who hears correction is one who acquires sense.

Comment (brackets added):

The person who flouts [pōrēa‘, Qal active participle of pāra‘ / [hebrew]pR([/hebrew]] instruction [mūsār] is one who despises [mō’ēs, Qal active participle of mā’as / [hebrew]m)S[/hebrew]] his life (napshō; [...]). But [w^e / [hebrew]W[/hebrew]] the person who hears [shōmēa‘, Qal active participle of shāma‘ / [hebrew]$m([/hebrew]] correction [tōkakhat] is one who acquires (qōneh [Qal active participle of qānā / [hebrew]QnH[/hebrew]]) sense (lēb; literally, "a heart"). As kh^asar lēb ("one who lacks heart = sense") denotes one who lacks the essential mental and moral capacity to survive [...], so qānā lēb ("to acquire a heart") signifies to acquire the mental and moral capacity to live, as its chiastic parallel in 15:31a "life," makes clear.

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 15:33):

[hebrew]YR)T YHWH mWSR XkmH
WLpnY kBWD (nWH[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

yi‘rat YHWH mūsar khokmā,
w^elipnē kābōd ‘^anāwā.

Translation (Waltke):

The instruction that gives wisdom is the fear of the LORD,
and humility [comes] before honor.

Comment (brackets added):

The instruction [mūsar; see 15:32] that gives wisdom (khokmā; [...]) is the fear of the LORD (yi‘rat YHWH; see 1:7). Wisdom is a matter of the heart. The disposition of humility (‘^anāwā; [...]), which is equated with "the fear of the LORD" in 22:4, brings the disciple into the company of the sage (v. 31), and beyond that into the company of Israel's covenant keeping God. [...]. ‘^anāwā is a religious term for the quality of renouncing one's own personal sufficiency for life and committing oneself to the LORD, who alone is trustworthy to give instruction leading to life [...]. [...]. Waving a white flag of surrender to the LORD in this book always [comes] before [lipnē] honor [kābōd].

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 16:1):

[hebrew]L)DM m(RkY LB
WmYHWH m(nH L$WN[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

l^e’ādām ma‘arkē lēb
ūmēYHWH ma‘^anēh lāshōn.

Translation (Waltke):

To human beings belong the plans of the heart;
from the LORD [comes] the right answer of the heart.

Comment (brackets added):

To human beings belong [l^e’ādām ] gives the earthling the first word, but "from the LORD" gives God the last word. [...]. The meaning of the plans (ma‘arkē; literally, "arrangements") can be deduced from its root ‘rk [[hebrew](RK[/hebrew]], signifying either to set things carefully in order, as in setting a battle array [...], or laying up wood for sacrifice [...] or "to compare" (by setting things over against each other) [...] and "to produce a case for justice" [...], or "to bring forth words" [...]. Since the heart [lēb] is the agent producing the careful and orderly "arrangement," appropriate glosses here are "thought-through plans" or "arguments," not "brainstorming" or "half-baked ideas." The conjunction [ū / [hebrew]W[/hebrew]] means both and and but because the parallel both complements and contrasts the LORD's activity with humans. [...]. From [mē] the LORD [YHWH] casts the ultimate responsibility for good and effective speech on God's grace [...], not on human wit [...]. Ringgren rightly restricts ma‘^anēh (see 15:23) to a good and effective utterance, the right answer. [...] Of the tongue (lāshōn; see 15:2, 15:4) underscores the outward expression, both in its substance and style, of the inward thought of verset A.

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 16:2):

[hebrew]kL DRkY )Y$ ZK B(YnYW
WTkN RWXWT YHWH[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

kol darkē ’īsh zak b^e‘ēnāyw,
w^etōkēn rūkhōt YHWH.

Translation (Waltke):

All the ways of a person [are] pure in his own eyes,
but the LORD is the one who evaluates motives.

Comment (brackets added):

All [kol] the ways (darkē; [...]) of a person [or man, ’īsh] [are] pure (zak) in his own eyes [b^e‘ēnāyw] (i.e., in his deluded opinion [...]). [...]. But [w^e, prefixed to the first word in verset B] the LORD [YHWH, the last word in verset B] is the one who evaluates (tōkēn [Qal active participle of tākan / [hebrew]TkN[/hebrew] examine]). [...]. Motives (rūkhōt; literally, "spirits"; [...]) [...]. The best [a person] can do is to commit all he does to the LORD and depend on God to make his motives and ways pleasing to God [...].

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 16:3):

[hebrew]GL )L YHWH m($YK
WYknW mX$BTYK[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

gōl ’el YHWH ma‘^asehkā,
w^eyikkōnū makhsh^ebōtehkā.

Translation (Waltke):

Commit to the LORD your works,
and your thoughts will be established.

Comment (brackets added):

The admonition commit to (gōl ’el, literally "roll to/upon" [gōl = Qal imperative 2 m.s. of gālal / [hebrew]GLL[/hebrew]]) connotes a sense of finality; roll it unto the LORD and leave it there. [...]. The direct object the LORD [YHWH], the subunit's key word, infers rolling away from oneself. Works (ma‘^aseh [NB: here minus the 2 m.s. suffix kā your in the form transliterated above]). [...] Conjunctive and [w^e / [hebrew]W[/hebrew]] links "your works" with your thoughts [makhsh^ebōtehkā] that inform the deed. [...]. Plans and deeds performed in conjunction with a total commitment with the LORD will be established [yikkōnū = Niphal imperfect 3 m.p. of kūn / [hebrew]kWN[/hebrew]].

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 16:4a):

[hebrew]kL p(L YHWH Lm(nHW[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

kōl pā‘al YHWH lamma‘^anēhū.

Translation (Waltke):

The LORD works everything to its counterpart

Comment (brackets added):

The LORD [YHWH] brings every word and deed to its appropriate "answer" at the time of judgment. Verse 4a looks back to the sovereignty of the LORD over human initiative in verses 1-3, and its catchword ma‘^aneh [...] links it to verse 1. Kōl ("all" / "everything") brings verses 1-4a to closure [...]. [...]. [...]. Works (pā‘al [verb: Qal perfect 3 m.s.]) means "executes," "puts into action the necessary means to secure the success of the enterprise," and is often used as here of the LORD's sovereign control [...]. Everything [kōl] allows no exception, no loose ends. [...]. Its counterpart (lamma‘^anēhū [a compound word consisting of a prefixed preposition (l^e, assimilated in the form of the l in lam) + definite article (ha, assimilated in the form of the am in lam) + noun (ma‘^aneh) + possessive pronoun suffix (hu = "its", literally masculine singular "his")]) is literally "its" (i.e., all things) answer. McKane comments: "Yahweh has made everything in relation to what answers to it ('with its counterpart,' Scott)."

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 16:4b):

[hebrew]WGM R$( LYWM R(H[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

w^egam rāshā‘ l^eyōm rā‘ā.

Translation (Waltke):

even the wicked person for an evil day.

Comment (brackets added):

Providence works to bring even [gam : puts stress on the next phrase] the wicked person [rāshā‘] for an evil [rā‘ā] day (yōm, i.e., "time, a point in time"; [...]). The question of when this will happen is left in the hands of God. If even the wicked, who do not entrust themselves to the LORD, will get their "answer," how much more will the righteous, who entrust their planning, speaking, and acting to the LORD, in due course get their right "answer" [See 16:4a].

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 16:5):

[hebrew]TW(BT YHWH kL GBH LB
YD WYD L) YnQH[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

tō‘^abat YHWH kol g^ebah-lēb;
yād l^e yād lō’ yinnāqeh.

Translation (Waltke):

An abomination to the LORD is everyone who is haughty;
be sure of this, that person will not go unpunished.

Comment (brackets added):

Since he is an abomination to the LORD [tō‘^abat YHWH], the LORD will get rid of him. The topic of this proverb is everyone (kol) who is haughty (g^ebah-lēb, literally "high of heart"). [...]. [be sure of this (yād l^e yād, literally, "hand to hand") "glosses an idiom probably derived from the practice of clapping hands, either one's own or with someone else, when affirming or guaranteeing something, as when making a pledge to go bail for another person."] [that person will not go unpunished (lō’ yinnāqeh = negative, lō’, + Niphal imperfect 3 m.s. of nāqah / [hebrew]nQH[/hebrew] be hit, struck down)].

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 16:6):

[hebrew]BXSD W)mT YkpR (WN
WBYR)T YHWH SWR mR([/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

b^ekhesed we’^emet y^ekuppar ‘āwōn,
ūb^eyirat YHWH sūr mērā‘.

Translation (Waltke):

Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for,
and through the fear of the LORD is a departing from evil.

Comment (brackets added):

Through (b^e) love and faithfulness [khesed we’^emet] in Proverbs refers to human kindness to the needy, never to divine grace to sinners [...]. Sin [‘āwōn] is atoned for [y^ekuppar [Pual imperfect 3 m.s. of kāpar / [hebrew]kpR[/hebrew] atone]. [...]. And through the fear of the LORD (ūb^eyirat YHWH; [...]) is a departing [sūr Qal infinitive construct] from [prefixed preposition mē] evil (rā‘; [...]), probably, to judge from the parallel "iniquity," a pun for salvation from both the moral aspect of doing evil and its calamitous consequences [...].

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 16:7):

[hebrew]BRcWT YHWH DRkY )Y$
GM )WYBYW Y$LM )TW[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

birtsōt YHWH darkē-’īsh,
gam ’ōy^ebāyw yashlim ittō.

Translation (Waltke):

When the LORD takes pleasure in a person's ways,
he compels even his enemies to surrender to him.

Comment (brackets added):

When (b^e) shows that the circumstantial situation of verset A (the cause) is simultaneous with the situation in the main clause (the consequence). The assertion the LORD [YHWH] takes pleasure in (r^etsōt [Qal infinitive construct of rātsah / [hebrew]RcH[/hebrew]]) the ways of a person (darkē-’īsh; see 16:2) entails that God accepts the person into his beneficent presence [...] and blesses him [...]. More specifically, he compels ... to surrender (yashlim [Hiphil imperfect 3 m.s. of shālēm / [hebrew]$LM[/hebrew]]), a unique grammatical construction [footnote: ... With the LORD as agent and a personal object it means "to regard oneself as forced to surrender" ("you compel me to surrender from day to night," –Isa. 38:12– [NIV's "you made an end of me" is too free]) ....]. Even (gam) his enemies (’ōy^ebāyw) entails a wicked person who opposes the one God favors.

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 16:8):

[hebrew]TWB m(+ BcDQH
mRB TBW)WT BL) m$p+[/Hebrew]

Transliteration:

tōb m^e‘at bitsdāqā,
mērōb t^ebū’ōt b^elō’ mishpāt.

Translation (Waltke):

Better a little with righteousness,
than a large income with injustice.

Comment (brackets added):

Better [tōb] a little [m^e‘at see 15:16] with [b+vowel prefix] righteousness [ts^edāqā] entails that the LORD does not reward piously serving the community with immediate economic prosperity. By contrast, than [m+vowel prefix] a large [rōb] income [t^ebū’ōt] with injustice or "without (b^elō’ [= prefixed preposition (b^e) + negative (lō’)]; see 13:23) justice [mishpāt]," entailing that the LORD may allow the wicked to enjoy morally ill-gotten gain before he executes his justice.

-- Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)