Proverbs

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:12):

[hebrew]BZ LR(HW XSR LB
W)Y$ TBWnWT YXRY$[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

bāz l^erē‘ēhū kh^asar lēb,
w^e’īsh t^ebūnōt yakh^arīsh.

Translation (Waltke):

A person who has no sense despises his neighbor,
but an understanding person holds his tongue.

Comment (scripture citations expanded; color & brackets added):

Assuming that "an understanding person" [’īsh t^ebūnōt] is the topic of the B verset, a person who has no sense [kh^asar lēb] is the topic of verset A, creating a chiastic structure with the subjects standing on the inside and their predicates on the outside. Despises (bāz; see 1:7; [...]) leads one to disrespect for right order, to subjection of others, and to sin [...]. [...] But an understanding person (’īsh t^ebūnōt; [...]) intentionally holds his tongue (yakh^arīsh) -- a parallel "to set a hand upon your mouth" (Judges 18:19) -- so as not to destroy the community. [...] The wise hold themselves in check because they love their neighbor and do not harbor hatred in their hearts (10:12, 10:18). Moreover, the competent waits for the right time and place to speak [...] even as the LORD does [...]. Verset B resonates with the Egyptian ideal of "the silent one."

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:13):

[hebrew]HWLK RkYL mGLH SWD
Wn)mN RWX mkSH DBR[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

hōlēk rākīl m^egalleh sōd,
w^ene’^eman rūakh m^ekasseh dābār.

Translation (Waltke):

He who goes about as a slanderer is one who reveals a secret,
but he who is faithful in spirit is one who conceals a word.

Comment (scripture citations expanded; color & brackets added):

He who goes about (hōlēk) denotes a person undertaking something and acting according to certain criteria [...]. Out of the six instances of as a slanderer (rākīl), all, apart from Ezekiel 22:9, occur with the verb hālak [[hebrew]HLK[/hebrew]], showing that the expression is an idiom for communicating slander. [...] One who reveals (m^egalleh) means "to make open, to make uncovered," and with "confidence" more specifically "to make audible," "to divulge" wantonly [...]. Sōd (secret; [...]) refers to "the conversation" that takes place among friends and especially their secret "plans," which are necessary to assure victory in war [...]. [...] But he who is faithful (ne’^eman) designates a person who remains loyally attached to another and can be relied on, and in spirit (rūakh; [...]) signifies that this is his moral state. He is as true to the interests of others as he is to his own. Such a person is on who conceals (m^ekasseh; [...]) a word (or matter, dābār; [...]) that , if disclosed, will sever friends.

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:14):

[hebrew]B)YN TXBLWT YpL (M
WT$W(H BRB YW(C[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

b^e’ēn takhbulōt yippol ‘ām,
ūt^eshū‘ā b^erōb yō‘ēts.

Translation (Waltke):

Where there is no guidance a people falls,
but safety [lies] in a multitude of counselors.

Comment (scripture citations expanded; color & brackets added):

In its chiastic parallels the outer frame with prepositional phrases introduced by b^e ("where" and "in") sets forth the conditions, the sphere wherein one finds safety, and the inner core sets forth the consequences. [...] Where there is no (’ēn) is a categorical statement. Although guidance (takhbulōt, [...]) is more important than physical strength, it should not be pitted against heroic strength (cf. Proverbs 8:14; Proverbs 21:31). [...] A people (‘ām) has the fundamental notion of relationship. Its members understand themselves as related to a group (familial, ethnic, judicial, political, and/or religious) and to each other and find their protection there. The whole group, however, trips up and falls (yippol; see 11:5) without supervision, counsel, and direction. [...] The verb but [there is] safety (ūt^eshū‘ā, root ysh‘ [[hebrew]Y$([/hebrew]]) [...] is the commonest soteriological term in religious contexts but the rarest in everyday language, and it implies bringing help to those in trouble rather than rescuing them from it. [...] Counselors (yō‘ēts) is a technical term from a root [[hebrew]Y(C[/hebrew]] that means "determine," "plan," or "advise." [...] In a multitude (b^erōb); [...]) denotes the many whose arguments and counterarguments guarantee that their agreed-upon plan will not miscarry but succeed in spite of danger.

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:16):

[hebrew])$T XN TTmK kBWD
W(RYcYM YTmkW ($R[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

’ēshet khēn titmōk kābōd,
w^e‘ārītsīm yitm^ekū ‘ōsher.

Translation (Waltke):

A gracious woman lays hold of honor,
but violent men lay hold of wealth.

Comment (scripture citations expanded; color & brackets added):

[...] Although gracious (khēn; [...]) could refer to her physical beauty [...], more probably her inner beauty is in view. [...] Woman (’ēshet) contrasts with "violent men"; both in gender and in number she is physically weaker than they. Nevertheless, through her nobility she lays hold of and retains (titmōk; [...]) honor (kābōd), which entails wealth [...]. In opposition to her stand the violent men (‘ārītsīm). The verbal root of ‘ārītsīm [[hebrew](RC[/hebrew]] means "to tremble," "to fear," and BDB glosses it by "terrifying" [...], "ruthless" [...], and "awe inspiring" (in the bad sense), [...), to which NIV adds "fierce" [...], "cruel" [...], and "mighty" [...] and HALOT "tyrant." Here it is bound with "cruel" [...]. [...] Despots lay hold of (yitm^ekū) wealth (‘ōsher; [...]), which often has a favorable sense [...] but does not necessarily bring social esteem, can alienate from God [...] and can provide a false security [...].

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:17):

[hebrew]GmL np$W )Y$ XSD
W(kR $)RW )kZRY[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

gōmēl napshō ’īsh khesed,
w^e‘ōkēr sh^e’ērō ’akzārī.

Translation (Waltke):

A kind person is one who rewards himself,
but the cruel person is one who harms his own flesh.

Comment (brackets added):

Perhaps verses 16 and 17 are connected by khēn "gracious" and khesed "kind." The reward of khesed in 3:3 is khēn in 3:4, suggesting that the "gracious woman" is benevolent. A kind person (’īsh khesed) denies himself to help his needy neighbor and thereby wins his favor. (see 3:2). Paradoxically, however, denying oneself to help others pays off, for in fact he is one who rewards (gōmēl) himself (napshō; [...]) [...] The cruel (’akzārī; [...]) or merciless unrelentingly, insensitively, yet knowingly and willingly, inflicts pain on others. In fact, however, he is the one who harms (‘ōkēr). [...] Here his antisocial action violently damages the well-being of his own flesh (sh^e’ērō; [...]).

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:18):

[hebrew]R$( ($H p(LT $QR
WZR( cDQH $QR )mT[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

rāshā‘ ‘ōseh p^e‘ullat sheqer,
w^ezōrēa‘ ts^edaqa seker ’^emet.

Translation (Waltke):

A wicked person is one who works for a deceptive wage,
but one who sows righteousness [works for] true pay.

Comment (brackets added):

A wicked person (rāshā‘; [...]) is depicted as a worker (‘ōseh; see 10:4) for a deceptive wage (sheqer, i.e., its appearance differs from its reality; [...]) wage (p^e‘ullat, i.e., the reward of painful work; see 10:16). [...] By contrast, the benevolent person is implicitly compared to a farmer, one who sows (zōrēa‘, i.e., scatters seed). [...] His righteousness (ts^edaqa; [...]) is implicitly compared to the farmer's scattered seed. Such a "farmer" [works for] true (’^emet, i.e., sure, certain, and reliable; see 11:13) pay (seker), a rare word for payment for services presumably used for its paronomasia with "deceptive" sheqer.

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:19):

[hebrew]kN cDQH LXYYM
WmRDP R(H LmWTW[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

kēn ts^edāqā l^ekhayyīm,
ūm^eraddēp rā‘ā l^emōtō.

Translation (Waltke):

Yes, indeed! The righteous attains life,
but the one who pursues evil attains his death.

Comment (brackets added):

The dramatic yes, indeed! (kēn) underscores the truth of what is about to be said (cf. "hand to hand in v. 21). The righteous (ts^edāqāh; [...]) attains life (l^ekhayyīm; [...]). By contrast, the one who pursues in a chase or hunt (m^eraddēp; [,,,]) evil (rā‘ā; [...]) due to his inner compulsion [...] attains his death (l^emōtō, i.e., his eternal separation from the realm of life).

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:20):

[hebrew]TW(BT YHWH (Q$Y LB
WRcWnW TmYmY DRK[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

tō‘^abat YHWH ‘iqq^eshē lēb,
ūr^etsōnō t^emīmē derek

Translation (Waltke):

People with perverse hearts are an abomination to the LORD,
but those who are blameless in their way find his favor.

Comment (brackets added):

The antithetical parallels of v. 20 juxtapose people with perverse hearts (‘iqq^eshē; i.e., "twisted"; [...]) hearts (lēb; [...]) with the blameless (t^emīmē; [...]). [...] They also juxtapose God's response; the former are an abomination to the LORD (tō‘^abat; see [...] 11:1), and the latter find his favor (r^etsōnō; see 11:1). There is no sharp contrast between the metonymies "heart" and way or conduct (derek; [...]).

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:21):

[hebrew]YD LYD L) YnQH R(
WZR( cDYQYM nmL+[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

yād l^eyād lō’-yinnāqeh rā‘,
w^ezera‘ tsaddīqīm nimlāt.

Translation (Waltke):

Be sure of this: an evil person will not go unpunished,
but such as are righteous will escape.

Comment (brackets added):

The chiastic, antithetical parallels of v. 21 contrast an evil person (rā‘; [...]) with such as are righteous (zera‘ tsaddīqīm [literally, the seed of the righteous]) in the inner core and the respective predicates, will not go unpunished (lō’-yinnāqeh; [...]) with will escape (nimlāt) in the outer frame. [...] The initial asseverative be sure of this (yād l^eyād "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 (see Proverbs 6:1; Job 17:3).

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:22):

[hebrew]nZM ZHB B)P XZYR
)$H YpH WSRT +(M[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

nezem zāhāb b^e’ap kh^azīr
’ishshā yāpā w^esārat tā‘am.

Translation (Waltke):

[Like] a gold ring in the snout of a pig [is]
a beautiful woman who turns aside from discretion.

Comment (brackets added):

A gold ring (nezem zāhāb) refers to the nose ring that Middle Eastern women wear. [...] In the snout of a pig (b^e’ap kh^azīr) refers either to a boar [...] or to a domesticated pig [...]. [...] yāpā (beautiful) [...] refers to the outward appearance of the woman (’ishshā; see 11:16). [...] And (w^e) links as a unit the misplaced beauty. One who turns aside (sārat "to turn off an adopted course"; [...]) represents the woman as an apostate from that which is normative through conscience and/or the rearing special revelation. Tā‘am, glossed discretion (cf. "judicious" in Proverbs 26:16), has a wide semantic range. [...]

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:23):

[hebrew]T)WT cDYQYM )K +WB
TQWT R$(YM (BRH[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

ta’^awat tsaddīqīm ’ak tōb,
tiqwat r^eshā‘īm ‘ebrā.

Translation (Waltke):

The desire of the righteous is only good,
but the hope of the wicked is wrath.

Comment (brackets added):

The desire of the righteous (ta’^awat tsaddīqīm; see 10:24b) denotes their aspirations rooted in their nature to do good to others. [...] Only (’ak ) highlights "an unexpected conclusion"[...] and the notion of without exception [...]. [...] There is no mixture of evil, either moral or physical, with good (tōb); [...]). [...] The hope of the wicked (tiqwat r^eshā‘īm; see 10:28) is wrath (‘ebrā; see 11:4).

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:24):

[hebrew]Y$ mpZR WnYSP (WD
WXWSK mY$R )K LmXSWR[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

yēsh m^epazzēr w^enōsāp ‘ōd,
w^ekhōsēk miyyōsher ’ak l^emakhsōr.

Translation (Waltke):

There is one who scatters and is increased still more,
and one who withholds from what is right and comes only to lack.

Comment (brackets added):

There is (yēsh) indicates that something exists. The verb the one who scatters (m^epazzēr) occurs nine times in the Bible with the sense "to throw widely, loosely, and freely about." [...] Its unspecified object yōsher "what is right" (i.e., the "good" that benefits life, see v. 23) should be supplied from the parallel, debunking the notion that the proverb affirms any big spender. [...] And (w^e) throws together the contradiction in a surprising way to present the truth that the one who freely gives to others what they need, thereby depleting himself, is in fact nōsāp (one who is increased). [...] By contrast, the one who withholds of his own will (khōsēk; see 10:19) from what is right (miyyōsher; [...]) strays from the fixed moral boundaries. Yōsher denotes duty, as in Job 33:23, or behavior appropriate to. Paradoxically the stingy person [comes] only (’ak; see v. 23) to (l^e), the end of departing from generosity, lack (makhsōr; [...]) of life's necessities and riches [...].

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:25):

[hebrew]np$ BRkH TD$N
WmRWH GM HW) YWR)[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

nepesh b^erākā t^edushshān,
ūmarweh gam hū’ yōre’.

Translation (Waltke):

A life bestowing blessing will be fattened,
and as for the one who drenches, he in turn will be drenched.

Comment (brackets added):

A life (nepesh; [...]) bestowing the divine blessing (b^erākā; see 10:6) refers to doing one's duty toward the needy (v. 24), including praying. Surprisingly, the giver will be fattened (t^edushshān). [...] The metaphor as for the one who drenches (ūmarweh; [...]) implies a parched land in need of water, an implicit comparison to the poor and needy. In turn (gam) underscores the principle of reciprosity in the divine order [...]. Emphatic he (hū’) -- to underscore the reciprocity between generosity and self-gain -- will be soaked (yōre’) add to the metaphor of water for blessing the metonymy of water for an abundant harvest.

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:26):

[hebrew]mn( BR YQBHW L)WM
WBRkH LR)$ m$BYR[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

mōnēa‘ bār yiqq^ebuhū l^e’ōm,
ūb^erākā l^erō’sh mashbīr.

Translation (Waltke):

As for the one who withholds grain, people curse him,
but blessing [is] on the head of one who sells it.

Comment (brackets added):

As for the one who withholds (mōnēa‘; [...]) refers to the trader who holds back from sale life's subsistence, exploiting the need of others to advantage himself. Grain (bār) refers to precious cereals/grain of the field [...] brought to the threshing floor [...], from which food was made; it is the opposite of inedible straw [...]. [...] People (l^e’ōm) glosses an archaic or archaizing designation for humanity. Curse him (yiqq^ebuhū) has a wide range of meanings. Fundamentally it means "to bore through"/"pierce" [...], which was expanded to "to prick" and so "to designate," "to distinguish," and thus designate as "bad," with which meaning it becomes "curse." [...] But blessing is on the head (ūb^erākā l^erō’sh) probably refers to the benedictory words whereby the prayerful people mediate the divine blessing see 10:6; [...]). Of the one who sells it (= grain) (mashbīr) is used with reference to Joseph, who, when the famine was severe, "opened the storehouses and sold grain" [...].

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

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 11:27):

[hebrew]$XR TWB YBQ$ RcWN
WDR$ R(H TBW)nW[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

shōkhēr tōb y^ebaqqēsh rātsōn,
w^edōrēsh rā‘ā t^ebō’ennū

Translation (Waltke):

The one who diligently seeks good will find favour,
but as for him who searches for evil, it will come to him.

Comment (brackets added):

The one who diligently seeks (shōkhēr; [...]) denotes a diligent person looking for someone or something in spite of difficulty. Since "evil" in verset B refers to harming others, good (tōb) refers to providing for the well-being of one's neighbor (see 3:27; 11:23). Seeks (y^ebaqqēsh; [...]) denotes the pursuit of something not present to satisfy a desire. Favor (rātsōn) denotes being and/or becoming in a state of acceptance with God [footnote: Favor with people is expressed by khēn and/or sēkel-tōb in 3:4] (see 8:35; 10:32; 11:1; 11:20; passim) and so a metonymy for his blessing. But as for him who searches (w^edōrēsh) denotes a person who carefully and energetically (cf. 31:13) strives to fulfill a passion (cf. 11:19). His quest is for evil (rā‘ā); see 11:19). It [i.e., evil] will come to him (t^ebō’ennū) expresses the inevitability of the moral law of reciprosity upheld by the Creator and the Moral Governor of the Universe [...].

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