Amsal 5:21-23
Konteks5:21 For the ways of a person 1 are in front of the Lord’s eyes,
and the Lord 2 weighs 3 all that person’s 4 paths.
5:22 The wicked 5 will be captured by his 6 own iniquities, 7
and he will be held 8 by the cords of his own sin. 9
5:23 He will die because 10 there was no discipline;
because of the greatness of his folly 11 he will reel. 12
Amsal 13:6
Konteks13:6 Righteousness 13 guards the one who lives with integrity, 14
but wickedness 15 overthrows the sinner.
Amsal 21:7
Konteks21:7 The violence 16 done by the wicked 17 will drag them away
[5:21] 2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
[5:21] 3 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] 4 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] 5 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] 6 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] 7 tn Heb “his own iniquities will capture the wicked.” The translation shifts the syntax for the sake of smoothness and readability.
[5:22] 8 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] 9 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] 10 tn The preposition בּ (bet) is used in a causal sense: “because” (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV).
[5:23] 11 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] 12 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.
[13:6] 13 sn Righteousness refers to that which conforms to law and order. One who behaves with integrity will be safe from consequences of sin.
[13:6] 14 tn Heb “blameless of way.” The term דָּרֶךְ (darekh) is a genitive of specification: “blameless in respect to his way.” This means living above reproach in their course of life. Cf. NASB “whose way is blameless”; NAB “who walks honestly.”
[13:6] 15 sn Righteousness and wickedness are personified in this proverb to make the point of security and insecurity for the two courses of life.
[21:7] 16 tn The “violence” (שֹׁד, shod) drags away the wicked, probably either to do more sin or to their punishment. “Violence” here is either personified, or it is a metonymy of cause, meaning “the outcome of their violence” drags them away.
[21:7] 17 tn Heb “violence of the wicked.” This is a subjective genitive: “violence which the wicked do.”
[21:7] 18 tn The second colon of the verse is the causal clause, explaining why they are dragged away. They are not passive victims of their circumstances or their crimes. They choose to persist in their violence and so it destroys them.
[21:7] 19 tn Heb “they refuse to do justice” (so ASV); NASB “refuse to act with justice.”
