translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: PRO

label: NET study note

text: The noun פֶּה ( peh , “mouth”) functions as a metonymy of cause for what is said (“speech, words, talk”).


text: This saying addresses the problem of legal testimony: A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness does lie – naturally. The first colon uses the verb כָּזַב ( kazav , “to lie”) and the second colon uses the noun כָּזָב ( kazav , “lie; falsehood”).


text: The “scorner” ( לֵץ , lets ) is intellectually arrogant; he lacks any serious interest in knowledge or religion. He pursues wisdom in a superficial way so that he can appear wise. The acquisition of wisdom is conditioned by one’s attitude toward it (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs , 149).


text: The Niphal of קָלַל ( qalal ) means “to appear light; to appear trifling; to appear easy.”


text: No joy is completely free of grief. There is a joy that is superficial and there is underlying pain that will remain after the joy is gone.


text: The contrast is with the simpleton and the shrewd. The simpleton is the young person who is untrained morally or intellectually, and therefore gullible. The shrewd one is the prudent person, the one who has the ability to make critical discriminations.


text: The proverb discusses two character traits that are distasteful to others – the quick tempered person (“short of anger” or impatient) and the crafty person (“man of devices”). C. H. Toy thinks that the proverb is antithetical and renders it “but a wise man endures” ( Proverbs [ICC], 292). In other words, the quick-tempered person acts foolishly and loses people’s respect, but the wise man does not.


text: J. H. Greenstone suggests that this means that they are begging for favors ( Proverbs , 154).


text: The verb חָרַשׁ ( kharash ) means (1) literally: “to cut in; to engrave; to plow,” describing the work of a craftsman; and (2) figuratively: “to devise,” describing the mental activity of planning evil (what will harm people) in the first colon, and planning good (what will benefit them) in the second colon.


text: The Hebrew term עֶצֶב (’ etsev , “painful toil; labor”) is first used in scripture in Gen 3:19 to describe the effects of the Fall. The point here is that people should be more afraid of idle talk than of hard labor.


text: The noun מַחְסוֹר ( makhsor , “need; thing needed; poverty”) comes from the verb “to lack; to be lacking; to decrease; to need.” A person given to idle talk rather than industrious work will have needs that go unmet.


text: C. H. Toy suggests that this line probably means that wealth is an ornament to those who use it well ( Proverbs [ICC], 269). J. H. Greenstone suggests that it means that the wisdom of the wise, which is their crown of glory, constitutes their wealth ( Proverbs , 155).


text: The fear of the Lord will not only provide security for the parent but will also be a refuge for children. The line recalls Exod 20:5-6 where children will reap the benefits of the righteous parents. The line could also be read as “he [= God] will be a refuge for the children.”


text: The verse is similar to Prov 13:14 except that “the fear of the Lord ” has replaced “the teaching of the wise.”


text: The word means “ruin; destruction,” but in this context it could be a metonymy of effect, the cause being an attack by more numerous people that will bring ruin to the ruler. The proverb is purely a practical and secular saying, unlike some of the faith teachings in salvation history passages.


text: The participle “exalts” ( מֵרִים , merim ) means that this person brings folly to a full measure, lifts it up, brings it to the full notice of everybody.


text: In the Piel this verb has the meaning of “to reproach; to taunt; to say sharp things against” someone (cf. NIV “shows contempt for”). By oppressing the poor one taunts or mistreats God because that person is in the image of God – hence the reference to the “Creator.” To ridicule what God made is to ridicule God himself.


text: The phrase “shows favor” is contrasted with the term “oppresses.” To “show favor” means to be gracious to (or treat kindly) those who do not deserve it or cannot repay it. It is treatment that is gratis . This honors God because he commanded it to be done ( Prov 14:21; 17:5; 19:17 ).


text: The righteous have hope in a just retribution – they have a place of safety even in death.


text: The verb תְּרוֹמֵם ( tÿromem , translated “exalts”) is a Polel imperfect; it means “to lift up; to raise up; to elevate.” Here the upright dealings of the leaders and the people will lift up the people. The people’s condition in that nation will be raised.


text: The wise servant is shown favor, while the shameful servant is shown anger. Two Hiphil participles make the contrast: מַשְׂכִּיל ( maskil , “wise”) and מֵבִישׁ ( mevish , “one who acts shamefully”). The wise servant is a delight and enjoys the favor of the king because he is skillful and clever. The shameful one botches his duties; his indiscretions and incapacity expose the master to criticism (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 470).