Amsal 12:11

12:11 The one who works ¹  his field will have plenty ²  of food,

but whoever chases daydreams ³  lacks wisdom. ⁴ 

Amsal 13:21

13:21 Calamity ⁵  pursues sinners,

but prosperity rewards the righteous. ⁶ 

Amsal 15:9

15:9 The Lord abhors ⁷  the way of the wicked,

but he loves those ⁸  who pursue ⁹  righteousness.

Amsal 21:21

21:21 The one who pursues righteousness and love ¹⁰ 

finds life, bounty, ¹¹  and honor.

Amsal 28:1

28:1 The wicked person flees when there is no one pursuing, ¹² 

but the righteous person is as confident ¹³  as a lion.

Amsal 28:19

28:19 The one who works his land will be satisfied with food, ¹⁴ 

but whoever chases daydreams ¹⁵  will have his fill ¹⁶  of poverty.

[12:11]  ¹ sn In the biblical period agriculture was the most common occupation for the people; so “working a field” describes a substantial occupation, but also represents working in general. Diligent work, not get-rich-quick schemes, is the key to ensuring income.

[12:11]  ² tn Heb “will have his fill of” or “will be satisfied with.”

[12:11]  ³ tn Heb “empty things” or “vain things.” The term רֵיקִים (reqim) refers to worthless pursuits in an effort to make money. The fact that the participle used is “chase after” shows how elusive these are. Cf. NIV “fantasies”; NCV “empty dreams”; TEV “useless projects.”

[12:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “heart.” The term לֵב (lev, “heart”) functions as a metonymy of association for wisdom (BDB 524 s.v. 3).

[13:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “evil.” The term רָעָה (ra’ah, “evil”) here functions in a metonymical sense meaning “calamity.” “Good” is the general idea of good fortune or prosperity; the opposite, “evil,” is likewise “misfortune” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV) or calamity.

[13:21]  ⁶ sn This statement deals with recompense in absolute terms. It is this principle, without allowing for any of the exceptions that Proverbs itself acknowledges, that Job’s friends applied (incorrectly) to his suffering.

[15:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the Lord”) functions as a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.”

[15:9]  ⁸ tn Heb “the one who” (so NRSV).

[15:9]  ⁹ sn God hates the way of the wicked, that is, their lifestyle and things they do. God loves those who pursue righteousness, the Piel verb signifying a persistent pursuit. W. G. Plaut says, “He who loves God will be moved to an active, persistent, and even dangerous search for justice” (Proverbs, 170).

[21:21]  ¹⁰ sn These two attributes, “righteousness” (צְדָקָה, tsÿdaqah) and “loyal love” (חֶסֶד, khesed) depict the life style of the covenant-believer who is pleasing to God and a blessing to others. The first term means that he will do what is right, and the second means that he will be faithful to the covenant community.

[21:21]  ¹¹ sn The Hebrew term translated “bounty” is צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) again, so there is a wordplay on the term in the verse. The first use of the word had the basic meaning of “conduct that conforms to God’s standard”; this second use may be understood as a metonymy of cause, indicating the provision or reward (“bounty”) that comes from keeping righteousness (cf. NIV “prosperity”; NCV “success”). The proverb is similar to Matt 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”

[28:1]  ¹² sn The line portrays the insecurity of a guilty person – he flees because he has a guilty conscience, or because he is suspicious of others around him, or because he fears judgment.

[28:1]  ¹³ tn The verb בָּטַח (batakh) means “to trust; to be secure; to be confident.” Cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “bold.”

[28:1]  sn The righteous, who seek to find favor with God and man, have a clear conscience and do not need to look over their shoulders for avengers or law enforcers. Their position is one of confidence, so that they do not flee.

[28:19]  ¹⁴ tn Or “will have plenty of food” (Heb “bread”); so NAB, NASB, NCV.

[28:19]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “empty things” or “vain things”; NRSV “follows worthless pursuits.”

[28:19]  sn Prosperity depends on diligent work and not on chasing empty dreams. The proverb is essentially the same as Prov 12:11 except for the last expression.

[28:19]  ¹⁶ tn The repetition of the verb strengthens the contrast. Both halves of the verse use the verb יִשְׂבַּע (yisba’, “will be satisfied; will be filled with; will have enough”). It is positive in the first colon, but negative in the second – with an ironic twist to say one is “satisfied” with poverty.