Amsal 1:25

1:25 because ¹  you neglected ²  all my advice,

and did not comply ³  with my rebuke,

Amsal 5:8

5:8 Keep yourself ⁴  far ⁵  from her,

and do not go near the door of her house,

Amsal 7:2

7:2 Keep my commands ⁶  so that you may live, ⁷ 

and obey ⁸  my instruction as your most prized possession. ⁹ 

Amsal 8:18

8:18 Riches and honor are with me,

long-lasting wealth and righteousness.

Amsal 8:26

8:26 before he made the earth and its fields, ¹⁰ 

or the beginning ¹¹  of the dust of the world.

Amsal 18:15

18:15 The discerning person ¹²  acquires knowledge,

and the wise person ¹³  seeks ¹⁴  knowledge.

[1:25]  ¹ tn Heb “and.”

[1:25]  ² tn The verb III פָּרַע means “to let go; to let alone” (BDB 828 s.v.). It can refer to unkempt hair of the head (Lev 10:6) or lack of moral restraint: “to let things run free” (Exod 32:25; Prov 28:19). Here it means “to avoid, neglect” the offer of wisdom (BDB 829 s.v. 2).

[1:25]  ³ tn The verbs are characteristic perfects or indefinite pasts. For the word “comply, consent,” see 1:20.

[5:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “your way.”

[5:8]  ⁵ sn There is a contrast made between “keep far away” (הַרְחֵק, harkheq) and “do not draw near” (וְאַל־תִּקְרַב, vÿ’al-tiqrav).

[7:2]  ⁶ tc Before v. 2 the LXX inserts: “My son, fear the Lord and you will be strong, and besides him, fear no other.” Although this addition has the precedent of 3:7 and 9 and harmonizes with 14:26, it does not fit here; the advice is to listen to the teacher.

[7:2]  ⁷ tn The construction of an imperative with the vav (ו) of sequence after another imperative denotes a logical sequence of purpose or result: “that you may live,” or “and you will live.”

[7:2]  ⁸ tn The term “obey” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied for the sake of clarity and smoothness. Some English versions, in light of the second line of v. 1, supply “guard” (e.g., NIV, NCV, NLT).

[7:2]  ⁹ tn Heb “the little man in your eye.” Traditionally this Hebrew idiom is translated into English as “the apple of your eye” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV); a more contemporary rendering would be “as your most prized possession.” The word for “man” has the diminutive ending on it. It refers to the pupil, where the object focused on – a man – is reflected in miniature. The point is that the teaching must be the central focus of the disciple’s vision and attention.

[8:26]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “open places.”

[8:26]  ¹¹ tn Here רֹאשׁ (ro’sh) means “beginning” with reference to time (BDB 911 s.v. 4.b).

[18:15]  ¹² tn Heb “discerning heart.” The term “heart” is a synecdoche of part (= heart) for the whole (= person); cf. TEV, NLT “intelligent people.” By paralleling “heart” and “ear” the proverb stresses the full acquisition of knowledge. The “ear” listens to instruction, and the heart considers what is heard to acquire knowledge.

[18:15]  ¹³ tn Heb “the ear of the wise.” The term “ear” is a synecdoche of part (= ear) for the whole (= person): “wise person.”

[18:15]  sn The wise continually seek more knowledge. D. Kidner says, “Those who know most know best how little they know” (Proverbs [TOTC], 129).

[18:15]  ¹⁴ sn This line features a mixed metaphor: The “ear” is pictured “seeking.” The “ear of the wise” actually means the wise person’s capacity to hear, and so the wise are seeking as they hear.