translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: PRO

label: NET translator note

text: Some English versions take the Hebrew noun translated “oracle” here as a place name specifying the kingdom of King Lemuel; cf. NAB “king of Massa”; CEV “King Lemuel of Massa.”


text: The form מַה ( mah ), normally the interrogative “what?” (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB) is best interpreted here as an exclamation. Tg . Prov 31:2 has “Woe!”


text: In all three occurrences in this verse the word “son” has the Aramaic spelling, ַַבּר ( bar ), rather than the Hebrew בֵּן ( ben ). The repetition of the word “son” shows the seriousness of the warning; and the expression “son of my womb” and “son of my vows” are endearing epithets to show the great investment she has made in his religious place in God’s program. For a view that “son of my womb” should be “my own son,” see F. Deist, “ Proverbs 31:1 , A Case of Constant Mistranslation,” JNSL 6 (1978): 1-3; cf. TEV “my own dear son.”


text: The construction uses Qal infinitive construct לַמְחוֹת ( lamkhot , “to wipe out; to blot out; to destroy”). The construction is somewhat strange, and so some interpreters suggest changing it to מֹחוֹת ( mokhot , “destroyers of kings”); cf. BDB 562 s.v. מָחָה Qal.3. Commentators note that the form is close to an Aramaic word that means “concubine,” and an Arabic word that is an indelicate description for women.


text: Heb “[It is] not for kings.”


text: The MT has אֵו (’ ev ), a Kethib / Qere reading. The Kethib is אוֹ (’ o ) but the Qere is אֵי (’ ey ). Some follow the Qere and take the word as a shortened form of וַֹיֵּה , “where?” This would mean the ruler would be always asking for drink (cf. ASV). Others reconstruct to אַוֵּה (’ avveh , “to desire; to crave”). In either case, the verse would be saying that a king is not to be wanting/seeking alcohol. tn Here “strong drink” probably refers to barley beer (cf. NIV, NCV “beer”).


text: The verb means “change,” perhaps expressed in reversing decisions or removing rights.


text: Heb “all the children of poverty.” This expression refers to the poor by nature. Cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV “the afflicted”; NIV “oppressed.”


text: Heb “to the bitter of soul.” The phrase לְמָרֵי נָפֶשׁ ( lÿmare nafesh ) has been translated “of heavy hearts” (KJV); “in anguish” (NIV); “in misery” (TEV); “in bitter distress” (NRSV); “sorely depressed” (NAB); “in deep depression (NLT); “have lost all hope” (CEV). The word “bitter” ( מַר , mar ) describes the physical and mental/spiritual suffering as a result of affliction, grief, or suffering – these people are in emotional pain. So the idea of “bitterly distressed” works as well as any other translation.


text: The subjects and suffixes are singular (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). Most other English versions render this as plural for stylistic reasons, in light of the preceding context.


text: The king was not to “drink and forget”; the suffering are to “drink and forget.”


text: Or “of all the defenseless.” The noun חֲלוֹף ( khalof ) means “passing away; vanishing” (properly an infinitive); in this construction “the sons of the passing away” means people who by nature are transitory, people who are dying – mortals. But in this context it would indicate people who are “defenseless” as opposed to those who are healthy and powerful.


text: The noun צֶדֶק ( tsedeq ) serves here as an adverbial accusative of manner. The decisions reached ( שְׁפָט , shÿfat ) in this advocacy must conform to the standard of the law. So it is a little stronger than “judging fairly” (cf. NIV, NCV), although it will be fair if it is done righteously for all.


text: The first word in the Hebrew text ( אֵשֶׁת , ’ eshet ) begins with א ( alef ), the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet.


text: Heb “a woman of valor.” This is the same expression used to describe Ruth (e.g., Ruth 3:11 ). The term חַיִל ( khayil ) here means “moral worth” (BDB 298 s.v.); cf. KJV “a virtuous woman.” Elsewhere the term is used of physical valor in battle, e.g., “mighty man of valor,” the land-owning aristocrat who could champion the needs of his people in times of peace or war (e.g., Judg 6:12 ). Here the title indicates that the woman possesses all the virtues, honor, and strength to do the things that the poem will set forth.


text: The first word of the second line begins with בּ ( bet ), the second letter in the Hebrew alphabet. The verb בָּטַח ( batakh ) means “to trust; to have confidence in.” With the subject of the verb being “the heart of her husband,” the idea is strengthened – he truly trusts her. Cf. NCV “trusts her completely”; NIV “has full confidence in her.”


text: The first word of the third line begins with ג ( gimel ), the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet.


text: The first word of the fourth line begins with דּ ( dalet ) the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The verb דָרַשׁ ( darash ) means “to seek; to inquire; to investigate.” The idea is that she looks for the wool and flax to do her work, but the whole verse assumes she has obtained it. This verb also occurs in the hymn of , which says in v. 2 that “the works of the Lord are searched .” One word used in another passage is not that significant; but the cumulative effect of words and ideas suggest that the composition of this poem is influenced by hymnology.


text: Heb “and she works in the pleasure of her hands.” The noun חֵפֶץ ( khefets ) means “delight; pleasure.” BDB suggests it means here “that in which one takes pleasure,” i.e., a business, and translates the line “in the business of her hands” (BDB 343 s.v. 4 ). But that translation reduces the emphasis on pleasure and could have easily been expressed in other ways. Here it is part of the construct relationship. The “hands” are the metonymy of cause, representing all her skills and activities in making things. It is also a genitive of specification, making “pleasure” the modifier of “her hands/her working.” She does her work with pleasure. Tg . Prov 31:13 has, “she works with her hands in accordance with her pleasure.”


text: The first word of the fifth line begins with ה ( he ), the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.


text: The first word of the sixth line begins with ו ( vav ), the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.


text: The first word of the seventh line begins with ז ( zayin ), the seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet. sn The word “considers” means “to plan carefully” in accordance with her purposes. The word is often used in the book of Proverbs for devising evil; but here it is used positively of the woman’s wise investment.


text: Heb “from the fruit of her hands.” The expression employs two figures. “Hands” is a metonymy of cause, indicating the work she does. “Fruit” is a hypocatastasis, an implied comparison meaning what she produces, the income she earns. She is able to plant a vineyard from her income.


text: The first word of the eighth line begins with ח ( khet ), the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. tn Heb “she girds her loins with strength.” The idea is that of gathering up the long robes with a sash or belt so that they do not get in the way of the work. The point of the figure is readiness for work. But to say she girds herself with “strength” means that she begins vigorously. “Strength” here would be a comparison with the sash.


text: The first word of the ninth line begins with ט ( tet ), the ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. sn This is the word for “taste.” It means her opinion or perception, what she has learned by experience and therefore seems right.


text: The first word of the tenth line begins with י ( yod ) the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. sn The words for “hands” are often paired in poetry; the first ( יָד , yad ) means the hand and the forearm and usually indicates strength, and the second ( כַּף , kaf ) means the palm of the hand and usually indicates the more intricate activity.


text: The verb שִׁלַּח ( shilakh ), the Piel perfect of the verb “to send,” means in this stem “to thrust out; to stretch out.” It is a stronger word than is perhaps necessary. It is a word that is also used in military settings to describe the firmness and forthrightness of the activity ( Judg 5:26 ).


text: The first word of the eleventh line begins with כּ ( kaf ), the eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet.


text: The first word of the twelfth line begins with ל ( lamed ), the twelfth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.


text: For the MT’s “scarlet” the LXX and the Latin have “two” or “double” – the difference being essentially the vocalization of a plural as opposed to a dual. The word is taken in the versions with the word that follows (“covers”) to means “double garments.” The question to be asked is whether scarlet would keep one warm in winter or double garments. The latter is the easier reading and therefore suspect.


text: The first word of the thirteenth line begins with מ ( mem ), the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The word rendered “coverlets” appears in 7:16 , where it has the idea of “covered.” K&D 17:335 suggests “pillows” or “mattresses” here. The Greek version has “lined overcoats” or “garments,” but brings over the last word of the previous verse to form this line and parallel the second half, which has clothing in view.


text: The first word of the fourteenth line begins with נ ( nun ), the fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The form is the Niphal participle of יָדַע ( yada ’); it means that her husband is “known.” The point is that he is a prominent person, respected in the community.


text: Heb “gate”; the term “city” has been supplied in the translation for clarity. sn The “gate” was the area inside the entrance to the city, usually made with rooms at each side of the main street where there would be seats for the elders. This was the place of assembly for the elders who had judicial responsibilities.


text: The construction uses the infinitive construct with the preposition and a pronominal suffix that serves as the subject (subjective genitive) to form a temporal clause. The fact that he “sits with the elders” means he is one of the elders; he sits as a judge among the people.


text: The first word of the fifteenth line begins with ס ( samek ), the fifteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. sn The poet did not think it strange or unworthy for a woman of this stature to be a businesswoman engaged in an honest trade. In fact, weaving of fine linens was a common trade for women in the ancient world.


text: Heb “to the Canaanites.” These are the Phoenician traders that survived the wars and continued to do business down to the exile.


text: The first word of the sixteenth line begins with ע ( ayin ), the sixteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.


text: Heb “day.” This word is a metonymy of subject meaning any events that take place on the day or in the time to come.


text: The first word of the seventeenth line begins with פּ ( pe ), the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. sn The words “mouth” (“opens her mouth”) and “tongue” (“on her tongue”) here are also metonymies of cause, referring to her speaking.


text: The Hebrew phrase תּוֹרַת־חֶסֶד ( torat-khesed ) is open to different interpretations. (1) The word “law” could here refer to “teaching” as it does frequently in the book of Proverbs, and the word “love,” which means “loyal, covenant love,” could have the emphasis on faithfulness, yielding the idea of “faithful teaching” to parallel “wisdom” (cf. NIV). (2) The word “love” should probably have more of the emphasis on its basic meaning of “loyal love, lovingkindness.” It also would be an attributive genitive, but its force would be that of “loving instruction” or “teaching with kindness.”


text: The first word of the eighteenth line begins with צ ( tsade ), the eighteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.


text: The first word of the nineteenth line begins with ק ( qof ), the nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. sn The deliberate action of “rising up” to call her blessed is the Hebrew way of indicating something important is about to be done that has to be prepared for.


text: 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.


text: The first word of the twentieth line begins with ר ( resh ), the twentieth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.


text: Or “women” (NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).


text: The word is the same as in v. 10 , “noble, valiant.”


text: The first word of the twenty-first line begins with שׁ ( shin ), the twenty-first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The graphic distinction between שׁ ( shin ) and שׂ ( sin ) had not been made at the time the book of Proverbs was written; that graphic distinction was introduced by the Masoretes, ca. a.d. 1000.


text: The first word of the twenty-second line begins with ת ( tav ), the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.


text: Heb “Give her from the fruit of her hands.” The expression “the fruit of her hands” employs two figures. The word “fruit” is a figure known as hypocatastasis, an implied comparison, meaning “what she produces.” The word “hand” is a metonymy of cause, meaning her efforts to produce things. So the line is saying essentially “give her her due.” This would either mean give her credit for what she has done (the option followed by the present translation; cf. TEV) or reward her for what she has done (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT).


text: “Gates” is a metonymy of subject. It refers to the people and the activity that occurs in the gates – business dealings, legal transactions, and social meetings. The term “city” is supplied in the translation for clarity. One is reminded of the acclaim given to Ruth by Boaz: “for all the gate of my people knows that you are a noble woman [ אֵשֶׁת חַיִל , ’ eshet khayil ]” ( Ruth 3:11 ).