Amsal 5:15-23
Konteks5:15 Drink water from your own cistern
and running water from your own well. 1
5:16 Should your springs be dispersed 2 outside,
your streams of water in the wide plazas?
5:17 Let them be for yourself 3 alone,
and not for strangers with you. 4
5:18 May your fountain be blessed, 5
and may you rejoice 6 in your young wife 7 –
5:19 a loving doe, 8 a graceful deer;
may her breasts satisfy you at all times,
may you be captivated 9 by her love always.
5:20 But why should you be captivated, 10 my son, by an adulteress,
and embrace the bosom of a different woman? 11
5:21 For the ways of a person 12 are in front of the Lord’s eyes,
and the Lord 13 weighs 14 all that person’s 15 paths.
5:22 The wicked 16 will be captured by his 17 own iniquities, 18
and he will be held 19 by the cords of his own sin. 20
5:23 He will die because 21 there was no discipline;
because of the greatness of his folly 22 he will reel. 23
Amsal 12:4
Konteks12:4 A noble wife 24 is the crown 25 of her husband,
but the wife 26 who acts shamefully is like rottenness in his bones. 27
Amsal 19:14
Konteks19:14 A house and wealth are inherited from parents, 28
but a prudent wife 29 is from the Lord.
Amsal 31:10-31
Konteks31:10 Who can find 31 a wife 32 of noble character? 33
For her value 34 is far more than rubies.
31:11 The heart of her husband has confidence 35 in her,
and he has no lack of gain. 36
31:12 She brings him 37 good and not evil 38
all the days of her life.
31:13 She obtains 39 wool and flax,
and she is pleased to work with her hands. 40
31:14 She is like 41 the merchant ships; 42
she brings her food from afar.
31:15 She also gets up 43 while it is still night,
and provides food 44 for her household and a portion 45 to her female servants.
31:16 She considers 46 a field and buys it;
from her own income 47 she plants a vineyard.
31:17 She begins 48 her work vigorously,
and she strengthens 49 her arms.
31:18 She knows 50 that her merchandise is good,
and her lamp 51 does not go out in the night.
31:19 Her hands 52 take hold 53 of the distaff,
and her hands grasp the spindle.
31:20 She extends 54 her hand 55 to the poor,
and reaches out her hand to the needy.
31:21 She is not 56 afraid of the snow 57 for her household,
for all of her household are clothed with scarlet. 58
31:22 She makes for herself coverlets; 59
her clothing is fine linen and purple. 60
31:23 Her husband is well-known 61 in the city gate 62
when he sits with the elders 63 of the land.
31:24 She makes linen garments 64 and sells them,
and supplies the merchants 65 with sashes.
31:25 She is clothed 66 with strength 67 and honor, 68
and she can laugh 69 at the time 70 to come.
31:26 She opens her mouth 71 with wisdom,
and loving instruction 72 is on her tongue.
31:27 She watches over 73 the ways of her household,
and does not eat the bread of idleness. 74
31:28 Her children rise up 75 and call her blessed,
her husband 76 also praises her:
31:29 “Many 77 daughters 78 have done valiantly, 79
but you surpass them all!”
31:30 Charm is deceitful 80 and beauty is fleeting, 81
but a woman who fears the Lord 82 will be praised.
31:31 Give 83 her credit for what she has accomplished, 84
and let her works praise her 85 in the city gates. 86
Kejadian 24:67
Konteks24:67 Then Isaac brought Rebekah 87 into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took her 88 as his wife and loved her. 89 So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. 90
Kejadian 29:20-21
Konteks29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. 91 But they seemed like only a few days to him 92 because his love for her was so great. 93
29:21 Finally Jacob said 94 to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. 95 I want to have marital relations with her.” 96
Kejadian 29:28
Konteks29:28 Jacob did as Laban said. 97 When Jacob 98 completed Leah’s bridal week, 99 Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 100
Pengkhotbah 9:9
Konteks9:9 Enjoy 101 life with your beloved wife 102 during all the days of your fleeting 103 life
that God 104 has given you on earth 105 during all your fleeting days; 106
for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work 107 on earth. 108
Hosea 12:12
Konteks12:12 Jacob fled to the country of Aram,
then Israel worked 109 to acquire a wife;
he tended sheep to pay for her.
Hosea 12:1
Konteks12:1 Ephraim continually feeds on the wind;
he chases the east wind all day;
he multiplies lies and violence.
They make treaties 110 with Assyria,
and send olive oil as tribute 111 to Egypt.
Kolose 1:2
Konteks1:2 to the saints, the faithful 112 brothers and sisters 113 in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you 114 from God our Father! 115
[5:15] 1 sn Paul Kruger develops this section as an allegory consisting of a series of metaphors. He suggests that what is at issue is private versus common property. The images of the cistern, well, or fountain are used of a wife (e.g., Song 4:15) because she, like water, satisfies desires. Streams of water in the street would then mean sexual contact with a lewd woman. According to 7:12 she never stays home but is in the streets and is the property of many (P. Kruger, “Promiscuity and Marriage Fidelity? A Note on Prov 5:15-18,” JNSL 13 [1987]: 61-68).
[5:16] 2 tn The verb means “to be scattered; to be dispersed”; here the imperfect takes a deliberative nuance in a rhetorical question.
[5:17] 3 tn The ל (lamed) preposition denotes possession: “for you” = “yours.” The term לְבַדֶּךָ (lÿvadekha) is appositional, underscoring the possession as exclusive.
[5:17] 4 sn The point is that what is private is not to be shared with strangers; it belongs in the home and in the marriage. The water from that cistern is not to be channeled to strangers or to the public.
[5:18] 5 sn The positive instruction is now given: Find pleasure in a fulfilling marriage. The “fountain” is another in the series of implied comparisons with the sexual pleasure that must be fulfilled at home. That it should be blessed (the passive participle of בָּרַךְ, barakh) indicates that sexual delight is God-given; having it blessed would mean that it would be endowed with fruitfulness, that it would fulfill all that God intended it to do.
[5:18] 6 tn The form is a Qal imperative with a vav (ו) of sequence; after the jussive of the first half this colon could be given an equivalent translation or logically subordinated.
[5:18] 7 tn Or “in the wife you married when you were young” (cf. NCV, CEV); Heb “in the wife of your youth” (so NIV, NLT). The genitive functions as an attributive adjective: “young wife” or “youthful wife.” Another possibility is that it refers to the age in which a man married his wife: “the wife you married in your youth.”
[5:19] 8 tn The construct expression “a doe of loves” is an attributive genitive, describing the doe with the word “loves.” The plural noun may be an abstract plural of intensification (but this noun only occurs in the plural). The same construction follows with a “deer of grace” – a graceful deer.
[5:19] sn The imagery for intimate love in marriage is now employed to stress the beauty of sexual fulfillment as it was intended. The doe and deer, both implied comparisons, exhibit the grace and love of the wife.
[5:19] 9 sn The verb שָׁגָה (shagah) means “to swerve; to meander; to reel” as in drunkenness; it signifies a staggering gait expressing the ecstatic joy of a captivated lover. It may also mean “to be always intoxicated with her love” (cf. NRSV).
[5:20] 10 tn In the interrogative clause the imperfect has a deliberative nuance.
[5:20] 11 tn Heb “foreigner” (so ASV, NASB), but this does not mean that the woman is non-Israelite. This term describes a woman who is outside the moral boundaries of the covenant community – she is another man’s wife, but since she acts with moral abandonment she is called “foreign.”
[5:21] 13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[5:21] 14 tn BDB 814 s.v. פָּלַס 2 suggests that the participle מְפַּלֵּס (mÿpalles) means “to make level [or, straight].” As one’s ways are in front of the eyes of the
[5:21] 15 tn Heb “all his”; the referent (the person mentioned in the first half of the verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:22] 16 tn The suffix on the verb is the direct object suffix; “the wicked” is a second object by apposition: They capture him, the wicked. Since “the wicked” is not found in the LXX, it could be an old scribal error; or the Greek translator may have simply smoothed out the sentence. C. H. Toy suggests turning the sentence into a passive idea: “The wicked will be caught in his iniquities” (Proverbs [ICC], 117).
[5:22] 17 tn The word is the subject of the clause, but the pronominal suffix has no clear referent. The suffix is proleptic, referring to the wicked.
[5:22] 18 tn Heb “his own iniquities will capture the wicked.” The translation shifts the syntax for the sake of smoothness and readability.
[5:22] 19 sn The lack of discipline and control in the area of sexual gratification is destructive. The one who plays with this kind of sin will become ensnared by it and led to ruin.
[5:22] 20 tn The Hebrew is structured chiastically: “his own iniquities will capture the wicked, by the cords of his own sin will he be held.”
[5:23] 21 tn The preposition בּ (bet) is used in a causal sense: “because” (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV).
[5:23] 22 sn The word אִוַּלְתּוֹ (’ivvalto, “his folly”) is from the root אול and is related to the noun אֶוִיל (’evil, “foolish; fool”). The noun אִוֶּלֶת (’ivvelet, “folly”) describes foolish and destructive activity. It lacks understanding, destroys what wisdom builds, and leads to destruction if it is not corrected.
[5:23] 23 sn The verb שָׁגָה (shagah, “to swerve; to reel”) is repeated in a negative sense. If the young man is not captivated by his wife but is captivated with a stranger in sinful acts, then his own iniquities will captivate him and he will be led to ruin.
[12:4] 24 tn Heb “a wife of virtue”; NAB, NLT “a worthy wife.” This noble woman (אֵשֶׁת־חַיִל, ’shet-khayil) is the subject of Prov 31. She is a “virtuous woman” (cf. KJV), a capable woman of noble character. She is contrasted with the woman who is disgraceful (מְבִישָׁה, mÿvishah; “one who causes shame”) or who lowers his standing in the community.
[12:4] 25 sn The metaphor of the “crown” emphasizes that such a wife is a symbol of honor and glory.
[12:4] 26 tn Heb “she”; the referent (the wife) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:4] 27 sn The simile means that the shameful acts of such a woman will eat away her husband’s strength and influence and destroy his happiness.
[19:14] 28 tn Heb “inheritance of fathers” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
[19:14] 29 sn This statement describes a wife who has a skillful use of knowledge and discretion that proves to be successful. This contrasts with the preceding verse. The proverb is not concerned about unhappy marriages or bad wives (both of which exist); it simply affirms that when a marriage works out well one should credit it as a gift from God.
[31:10] 30 sn The book of Proverbs comes to a close with this poem about the noble wife. A careful reading of the poem will show that it is extolling godly wisdom that is beneficial to the family and the society. Traditionally it has been interpreted as a paradigm for godly women. And while that is valid in part, there is much more here. The poem captures all the themes of wisdom that have been presented in the book and arranges them in this portrait of the ideal woman (Claudia V. Camp, Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs, 92-93). Any careful reading of the passage would have to conclude that if it were merely a paradigm for women what it portrays may well be out of reach – she is a wealthy aristocrat who runs an estate with servants and conducts business affairs of real estate, vineyards, and merchandising, and also takes care of domestic matters and is involved with charity. Moreover, it says nothing about the woman’s personal relationship with her husband, her intellectual and emotional strengths, or her religious activities (E. Jacob, “Sagesse et Alphabet: Pr. 31:10-31,” Hommages à A. Dont-Sommer, 287-95). In general, it appears that the “woman” of Proverbs 31 is a symbol of all that wisdom represents. The poem, then, plays an important part in the personification of wisdom so common in the ancient Near East. But rather than deify Wisdom as the other ANE cultures did, Proverbs simply describes wisdom as a woman. Several features will stand out in the study of this passage. First, it is an alphabetic arrangement of the virtues of wisdom (an acrostic poem). Such an acrostic was a way of organizing the thoughts and making them more memorable (M. H. Lichtenstein, “Chiasm and Symmetry in Proverbs 31,” CBQ 44 [1982]: 202-11). Second, the passage is similar to hymns, but this one extols wisdom. A comparison with Psalm 111 will illustrate the similarities. Third, the passage has similarities with heroic literature. The vocabulary and the expressions often sound more like an ode to a champion than to a domestic scene. Putting these features together, one would conclude that Proverbs 31:10-31 is a hymn to Lady Wisdom, written in the heroic mode. Using this arrangement allows the sage to make all the lessons of wisdom in the book concrete and practical, it provides a polemic against the culture that saw women as merely decorative, and it depicts the greater heroism as moral and domestic rather than only exploits on the battlefield. The poem certainly presents a pattern for women to follow. But it also presents a pattern for men to follow as well, for this is the message of the book of Proverbs in summary.
[31:10] 31 sn The poem begins with a rhetorical question (a figure of speech known as erotesis). This is intended to establish the point that such a noble wife is rare. As with wisdom in the book of Proverbs, she has to be found.
[31:10] 32 tn The first word in the Hebrew text (אֵשֶׁת, ’eshet) begins with א (alef), the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:10] 33 tn 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.
[31:10] 34 sn This line expresses that her value (Heb “her price”), like wisdom, is worth more than rubies (e.g., 3:15; 8:11).
[31:11] 35 tn 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.”
[31:11] 36 sn The Hebrew word used here for “gain” (שָׁלָל, shalal) is unusual; it means “plunder; spoil” of war primarily (e.g., Isa 8:1-4 and the name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz). The point is that the gain will be as rich and bountiful as the spoils of war. The wife’s capabilities in business and domestic matters guarantee a rich profit and inspire the confidence of her husband.
[31:12] 37 tn The first word of the third line begins with ג (gimel), the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:12] 38 sn The joining of these two words, “good” and “evil,” is frequent in the Bible; they contrast the prosperity and well-being of her contribution with what would be devastating and painful. The way of wisdom is always characterized by “good”; the way of folly is associated with “evil.”
[31:13] 39 tn 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 Ps 111, which says in v. 2 that “the works of the
[31:13] 40 tn 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.”
[31:14] 41 tn The first word of the fifth line begins with ה (he), the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:14] 42 sn The point of the simile is that she goes wherever she needs to go, near and far, to gather in all the food for the needs and the likes of the family. The line captures the vision and the industry of this woman.
[31:15] 43 tn The first word of the sixth line begins with ו (vav), the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:15] 44 sn The word for “food” is טֶרֶף (teref, “prey”; KJV “meat”), another word that does not normally fit the domestic scene. This word also is used in a similar way in Ps 111:5, which says the
[31:15] 45 sn The word חֹק (khoq) probably means “allotted portion of food” as before, but some suggest it means the task that is allotted to the servants, meaning that the wise woman gets up early enough to give out the work assignments (Tg. Prov 31:15, RSV, NRSV, TEV, NLT). That is possible, but seems an unnecessary direction for the line to take. Others, however, simply wish to delete this last colon, leaving two cola and not three, but that is unwarranted.
[31:16] 46 tn The first word of the seventh line begins with ז (zayin), the seventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:16] 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.
[31:16] 47 tn 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.
[31:17] 48 tn The first word of the eighth line begins with ח (khet), the eighth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:17] 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.
[31:17] 49 sn The expression “she makes her arm strong” parallels the first half of the verse and indicates that she gets down to her work with vigor and strength. There may be some indication here of “rolling up the sleeves” to ready the arms for the task, but that is not clear.
[31:18] 50 tn The first word of the ninth line begins with ט (tet), the ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:18] sn This is the word for “taste.” It means her opinion or perception, what she has learned by experience and therefore seems right.
[31:18] 51 sn The line may be taken literally to mean that she is industrious throughout the night (“burning the midnight oil”) when she must in order to follow through a business deal (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 668); cf. TEV. But the line could also be taken figuratively, comparing “her light” to the prosperity of her household – her whole life – which continues night and day.
[31:19] 52 tn The first word of the tenth line begins with י (yod) the tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:19] 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.
[31:19] 53 tn 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).
[31:20] 54 sn The parallel expressions here underscore her care for the needy. The first part uses “she spreads her palm” and the second “she thrusts out her hand,” repeating some of the vocabulary introduced in the last verse.
[31:20] 55 tn The first word of the eleventh line begins with כּ (kaf), the eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:21] 56 tn The first word of the twelfth line begins with ל (lamed), the twelfth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:21] 57 sn “Snow” is a metonymy of adjunct; it refers to the cold weather when snow comes. The verse is saying that this time is not a concern for the wise woman because the family is well prepared.
[31:21] 58 tn 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.
[31:22] 59 tn 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.
[31:22] 60 sn The “fine linen” refers to expensive clothing (e.g., Gen 41:42), as does the “purple” (e.g., Exod 26:7; 27:9, 18). Garments dyed with purple indicated wealth and high rank (e.g., Song 3:5). The rich man in Luke 16:19 was clothed in fine linen and purple as well. The difference is that the wise woman is charitable, but he is not.
[31:23] 61 tn 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.
[31:23] 62 tn Heb “gate”; the term “city” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[31:23] 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.
[31:23] 63 tn 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.
[31:24] 64 tn The first word of the fifteenth line begins with ס (samek), the fifteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:24] 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.
[31:24] 65 tn Heb “to the Canaanites.” These are the Phoenician traders that survived the wars and continued to do business down to the exile.
[31:25] 66 sn The idea of clothing and being clothed is a favorite figure in Hebrew. It makes a comparison between wearing clothes and having strength and honor. Just as clothes immediately indicate something of the nature and circumstances of the person, so do these virtues.
[31:25] 67 tn The first word of the sixteenth line begins with ע (ayin), the sixteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:25] 68 sn This word appears in Ps 111:3 which says that the
[31:25] 69 sn Here “laugh” is either a metonymy of adjunct or effect. The point is that she is confident for the future because of all her industry and planning.
[31:25] 70 tn Heb “day.” This word is a metonymy of subject meaning any events that take place on the day or in the time to come.
[31:26] 71 tn The first word of the seventeenth line begins with פּ (pe), the seventeenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:26] sn The words “mouth” (“opens her mouth”) and “tongue” (“on her tongue”) here are also metonymies of cause, referring to her speaking.
[31:26] 72 tn 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.”
[31:27] 73 tn The first word of the eighteenth line begins with צ (tsade), the eighteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:27] 74 sn The expression bread of idleness refers to food that is gained through idleness, perhaps given or provided for her. In the description of the passage one could conclude that this woman did not have to do everything she did; and this line affirms that even though she is well off, she will eat the bread of her industrious activity.
[31:28] 75 tn The first word of the nineteenth line begins with ק (qof), the nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:28] 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.
[31:28] 76 tn 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.
[31:29] 77 tn The first word of the twentieth line begins with ר (resh), the twentieth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:29] 78 tn Or “women” (NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
[31:29] 79 tn The word is the same as in v. 10, “noble, valiant.”
[31:30] 80 tn 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.
[31:30] 81 sn The verse shows that “charm” and “beauty” do not endure as do those qualities that the fear of the
[31:30] 82 sn This chapter describes the wise woman as fearing the
[31:31] 83 tn The first word of the twenty-second line begins with ת (tav), the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
[31:31] 84 tn 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).
[31:31] 85 sn Psalm 111 began with the imperative יָה הָלְלוּ (halÿlu yah, “praise the
[31:31] 86 tn “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).
[24:67] 87 tn Heb “her”; the referent has been specified here in the translation for clarity.
[24:67] 88 tn Heb “Rebekah”; here the proper name was replaced by the pronoun (“her”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[24:67] 89 tn Heb “and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.”
[24:67] 90 tn Heb “after his mother.” This must refer to Sarah’s death.
[29:20] 91 tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”
[29:20] 92 sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.
[29:20] 93 tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
[29:21] 94 tn Heb “and Jacob said.”
[29:21] 95 tn Heb “my days are fulfilled.”
[29:21] 96 tn Heb “and I will go in to her.” The verb is a cohortative; it may be subordinated to the preceding request, “that I may go in,” or it may be an independent clause expressing his desire. The verb “go in” in this context refers to sexual intercourse (i.e., the consummation of the marriage).
[29:28] 97 tn Heb “and Jacob did so.” The words “as Laban said” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[29:28] 98 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[29:28] 99 tn Heb “the seven of this one.” The referent of “this one” has been specified in the translation as Leah to avoid confusion with Rachel, mentioned later in the verse.
[29:28] 100 tn Heb “and he gave to him Rachel his daughter for him for a wife.” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:9] 102 tn Heb “the wife whom you love.”
[9:9] 103 tn As discussed in the note on the word “futile” in 1:2, the term הֶבֶל (hevel) has a wide range of meanings, and should not be translated the same in every place (see HALOT 236–37 s.v. I הֶבֶל; BDB 210–11 s.v. I הבֶל). The term is used in two basic ways in OT, literally and figuratively. The literal, concrete sense is used in reference to the wind, man’s transitory breath, evanescent vapor (Isa 57:13; Pss 62:10; 144:4; Prov 21:6; Job 7:16). In this sense, it is often a synonym for “breath; wind” (Eccl 1:14; Isa 57:13; Jer 10:14). The literal sense lent itself to the metaphorical sense. Because breath/vapor/wind is transitory and fleeting, the figurative connotation “fleeting; transitory” arose (e.g., Prov 31:30; Eccl 6:12; 7:15; 9:9; 11:10; Job 7:16). In this sense, it is parallel to “few days” and “[days] which he passes like a shadow” (Eccl 6:12). It is used in reference to youth and vigor (11:10) or life (6:12; 7:15; 9:9) which are “transitory” or “fleeting.” In this context, the most appropriate meaning is “fleeting.”
[9:9] 104 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:9] 105 tn Heb “under the sun”
[9:9] 106 tc The phrase כָּל יְמֵי הֶבְלֶךָ (kol yÿme hevlekha, “all your fleeting days”) is present in the MT, but absent in the Greek versions, other medieval Hebrew
[9:9] 107 tn Heb “in your toil in which you toil.”
[9:9] 108 tn Heb “under the sun.”
[12:12] 109 tn Heb “served” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); NLT “earned a wife.”
[12:1] 110 tn Heb “a treaty” (so NIV, NRSV); KJV, NASB “a covenant”; NAB “comes to terms.”
[12:1] 111 tn The phrase “as tribute” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. Cf. NCV “send a gift of olive oil.”
[1:2] 112 tn Grk “and faithful.” The construction in Greek (as well as Paul’s style) suggests that the saints are identical to the faithful; hence, the καί (kai) is best left untranslated (cf. Eph 1:1). See ExSyn 281-82.
[1:2] 113 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).
[1:2] 114 tn Or “Grace to you and peace.”
[1:2] 115 tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א A C F G I [P] 075 Ï it bo), read “and the Lord Jesus Christ” at the end of this verse, no doubt to conform the wording to the typical Pauline salutation. However, excellent and early witnesses (B D K L Ψ 33 81 1175 1505 1739 1881 al sa) lack this phrase. Since the omission is inexplicable as arising from the longer reading (otherwise, these
