Mazmur 141:5

141:5 May the godly strike me in love and correct me!

May my head not refuse ¹  choice oil! ² 

Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds. ³ 

Amsal 9:9

9:9 Give instruction ⁴  to a wise person, ⁵  and he will become wiser still;

teach ⁶  a righteous person and he will add to his ⁷  learning.

Amsal 17:10

17:10 A rebuke makes a greater impression on ⁸  a discerning person

than a hundred blows on a fool. ⁹ 

Amsal 25:12

25:12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold, ¹⁰ 

so is a wise reprover to the ear of the one who listens. ¹¹ 

Amsal 27:21

27:21 As the crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold, ¹² 

so a person ¹³  is proved ¹⁴  by the praise he receives. ¹⁵ 

Amsal 28:23

28:23 The one who reproves ¹⁶  another ¹⁷  will in the end ¹⁸  find more favor

than the one who flatters ¹⁹  with the tongue.

[141:5]  ¹ tn The form יָנִי (yaniy) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nu’). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (yÿna’), a Piel from נָאָה (na’ah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 271). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.

[141:5]  ² sn May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.

[141:5]  ³ tc Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (kiy-’od u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְפלָּתִי (“indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.

[9:9]  ⁴ tn The noun “instruction” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation.

[9:9]  ⁵ sn The parallelism shows what Proverbs will repeatedly stress, that the wise person is the righteous person.

[9:9]  ⁶ tn The Hiphil verb normally means “to cause to know, make known”; but here the context suggests “to teach” (so many English versions).

[9:9]  ⁷ tn The term “his” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for the sake of smoothness and clarity.

[17:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “goes in deeper” (cf. NASB, NRSV). The verb נָחֵת (nakhet) “to go down; to descend” with the preposition בְּ (bet) means “to descend into; to make an impression on” someone.

[17:10]  ⁹ tn The form is the Hiphil infinitive of נָכָה (nakhah) with the comparative מִן, min. The word “fool” then would be an objective genitive – more than blows to/on a fool.

[25:12]  ¹⁰ sn This saying is another example of emblematic parallelism; the first half is the simile, and the second half makes the point from it: A wise rebuke that is properly received is of lasting value. The rebuke in the ear of an obedient student is like ornaments of fine jewelry.

[25:12]  ¹¹ tn The “ear of the listener” refers to the obedient disciple, the one who complies with the reproof he hears. Cf. KJV, ASV, NAB “an obedient ear.”

[27:21]  ¹² sn Once again this proverb uses emblematic parallelism. The crucible and the furnace are used to refine and thus reveal the pure metals. The analogy is that praise will reveal the person because others will examine and evaluate what an individual has done in order to make the public acclamation.

[27:21]  ¹³ tn Heb “and a man,” but the context does not indicate this is limited only to males.

[27:21]  ¹⁴ tn The verb “is proved” was supplied in the translation in view of the analogy. Many English versions supply “tested” for the same reason.

[27:21]  sn The proverb is saying that public praise is usually a good measure of the qualities and contributions of a person. The other side of it is that righteousness is often denounced, but the proverb is not addressing everything that people say.

[27:21]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “by [the] praise of him.” The pronominal suffix is an objective genitive, meaning “the praise about him” (= “the praise he receives”). Some commentators would take the suffix as a subjective genitive, meaning “the praise he gives”; this would mean people stand revealed by what they praise (D. Kidner, Proverbs [TOTC], 168). That does not seem to work as well with the emblem of the first line which indicates being tested. The LXX adds a couplet: “The heart of the transgressor seeks evil; but the upright heart seeks knowledge.”

[28:23]  ¹⁶ tn Or “rebukes” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[28:23]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “a man,” but the context does not indicate this should be limited only to males.

[28:23]  ¹⁸ tn There is a problem with אַחֲרַי (’akharay), which in the MT reads “after me.” This could be taken to mean “after my instructions,” but that is forced. C. H. Toy suggests simply changing it to “after” or “afterward,” i.e., “in the end” (Proverbs [ICC], 504), a solution most English versions adopt. G. R. Driver suggested an Akkadian cognate ahurru, “common man,” reading “as a rebuker an ordinary man” (“Hebrew Notes,” ZAW 52 [1934]: 147).

[28:23]  ¹⁹ tn The construction uses the Hiphil participle מַחֲלִיק (makhaliq, “makes smooth”) followed by the adverbial accusative of means, the metonymy “tongue” – he makes what he says smooth. This will be pleasing for the moment, but it will offer no constructive help like the rebuke would.