Amsal 3:33
Konteks3:33 The Lord’s curse 1 is on the household 2 of the wicked, 3
but he blesses 4 the home 5 of the righteous. 6
Amsal 12:21
Konteks12:21 The righteous do not encounter 7 any harm, 8
but the wicked are filled with calamity. 9
Amsal 19:12
Konteks19:12 A king’s wrath is like 10 the roar of a lion, 11
but his favor is like dew on the grass. 12
Amsal 20:8
Konteks[3:33] 1 tn Heb “the curse of the
[3:33] 2 tn Heb “house.” The term בֵּית (bet, “house”) functions as a synecdoche of container (= house) for the persons contained (= household). See, e.g., Exod 1:21; Deut 6:22; Josh 22:15 (BDB 109 s.v. 5.a).
[3:33] 3 sn The term “wicked” is singular; the term “righteous” in the second half of the verse is plural. In scripture such changes often hint at God’s reluctance to curse, but eagerness to bless (e.g., Gen 12:3).
[3:33] 4 sn The term “bless” (בָּרַךְ, barakh) is the antithesis of “curse.” A blessing is a gift, enrichment, or endowment. The blessing of God empowers one with the ability to succeed, and brings vitality and prosperity in the material realm, but especially in one’s spiritual relationship with God.
[3:33] 5 tn Heb “habitation.” The noun נָוֶה (naveh, “habitation; abode”), which is the poetic parallel to בֵּית (bet, “house”), usually refers to the abode of a shepherd in the country: “habitation” in the country (BDB 627 s.v. נָוֶה). It functions as a synecdoche of container (= habitation) for the contents (= people in the habitation and all they possess).
[3:33] 6 tn The Hebrew is structured chiastically (AB:BA): “The curse of the
[12:21] 7 tn Heb “is not allowed to meet to the righteous.”
[12:21] 8 tn Heb “all calamity.” The proper nuance of אָוֶן (’aven) is debated. It is normally understood metonymically (effect) as “harm; trouble,” that is, the result/effect of wickedness (e.g., Gen 50:20). Rashi, a Jewish scholar who lived
[12:21] 9 tn The expression רָע מָלְאוּ (malÿ’u ra’, “to be full of evil”) means (1) the wicked do much evil or (2) the wicked experience much calamity (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[19:12] 10 sn The verse contrasts the “rage” of the king with his “favor” by using two similes. The first simile presents the king at his most dangerous – his anger (e.g., 20:2; Amos 3:4). The second simile presents his favor as beneficial for life (e.g., 16:14-15; 28:15).
[19:12] 11 tn Heb “is a roaring like a lion.”
[19:12] 12 sn The proverb makes an observation about a king’s power to terrify or to refresh. It advises people to use tact with a king.
[20:8] 13 tn The infinitive construct is דִּין; it indicates purpose, “to judge” (so NIV, NCV) even though it does not have the preposition with it.
[20:8] 14 tn The second line uses the image of winnowing (cf. NIV, NRSV) to state that the king’s judgment removes evil from the realm. The verb form is מִזָרֶה (mÿzareh), the Piel participle. It has been translated “to sift; to winnow; to scatter” and “to separate” – i.e., separate out evil from the land. The text is saying that a just government roots out evil (cf. NAB “dispels all evil”), but few governments have been consistently just.
[20:8] 15 sn The phrase with his eyes indicates that the king will closely examine or look into all the cases that come before him.