Amsal 15:21-24

15:21 Folly is a joy to one who lacks sense, ¹ 

but one who has understanding ²  follows an upright course. ³ 

15:22 Plans fail ⁴  when there is no counsel,

but with abundant advisers they are established. ⁵ 

15:23 A person has joy ⁶  in giving an appropriate answer, ⁷ 

and a word at the right time ⁸  – how good it is!

15:24 The path of life is upward ⁹  for the wise person, ¹⁰ 

to ¹¹  keep him from going downward to Sheol. ¹² 

[15:21]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text reads לַחֲסַר־לֵב (lakhasar-lev, “to one who lacks heart”). The Hebrew term “heart” represents the mind, the place where proper decisions are made (cf. NIV “judgment”). The one who has not developed this ability to make proper choices finds great delight in folly.

[15:21]  ² tn Heb “a man of understanding” (so KJV, NIV); NLT “a sensible person.”

[15:21]  ³ tn The Hebrew construction is יְיַשֶּׁר־לָכֶת (yÿyasher-lakhet, “makes straight [to] go”). This is a verbal hendiadys, in which the first verb, the Piel imperfect, becomes adverbial, and the second form, the infinitive construct of הָלַךְ, halakh, becomes the main verb: “goes straight ahead” (cf. NRSV).

[15:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “go wrong” (so NRSV, NLT). The verb is the Hiphil infinitive absolute from פָּרַר, parar, which means “to break; to frustrate; to go wrong” (HALOT 975 s.v. I פרר 2). The plans are made ineffectual or are frustrated when there is insufficient counsel.

[15:22]  ⁵ sn The proverb says essentially the same thing as 11:14, but differently.

[15:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “joy to the man” or “the man has joy.”

[15:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “in the answer of his mouth” (so ASV); NASB “in an apt answer.” The term “mouth” is a metonymy of cause for what he says. But because the parallelism is loosely synonymous, the answer given here must be equal to the good word spoken in season. So it is an answer that is proper or fitting.

[15:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “in its season.” To say the right thing at the right time is useful; to say the right thing at the wrong time is counterproductive.

[15:24]  ⁹ tn There is disagreement over the meaning of the term translated “upward.” The verse is usually taken to mean that “upward” is a reference to physical life and well-being (cf. NCV), and “going down to Sheol” is a reference to physical death, that is, the grave, because the concept of immortality is said not to appear in the book of Proverbs. The proverb then would mean that the wise live long and healthy lives. But W. McKane argues (correctly) that “upwards” in contrast to Sheol, does not fit the ways of describing the worldly pattern of conduct and that it is only intelligible if taken as a reference to immortality (Proverbs [OTL], 480). The translations “upwards” and “downwards” are not found in the LXX. This has led some commentators to speculate that these terms were not found in the original, but were added later, after the idea of immortality became prominent. However, this is mere speculation.

[15:24]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “to the wise [man],” because the form is masculine.

[15:24]  ¹¹ tn The term לְמַעַן (lema’an, “in order to”) introduces a purpose clause; the path leads upward in order to turn the wise away from Sheol.

[15:24]  ¹² tn Heb “to turn from Sheol downward”; cf. NAB “the nether world below.”