Amsal 15:9

15:9 The Lord abhors ¹  the way of the wicked,

but he loves those ²  who pursue ³  righteousness.

Amsal 15:17

15:17 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love ⁴ 

than a fattened ox where there is hatred. ⁵ 

[15:9]  ¹ tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the Lord”) functions as a subjective genitive: “the Lord abhors.”

[15:9]  ² tn Heb “the one who” (so NRSV).

[15:9]  ³ 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).

[15:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “and love there.” This clause is a circumstantial clause introduced with vav, that becomes “where there is love.” The same construction is used in the second colon.

[15:17]  ⁵ sn Again the saying concerns troublesome wealth: Loving relationships with simple food are better than a feast where there is hatred. The ideal, of course, would be loving family and friends with a great meal in addition, but this proverb is only comparing two things.