Amsal 15:31-32

15:31 The person ¹  who hears the reproof that leads to life ² 

is at home ³  among the wise. ⁴ 

15:32 The one who refuses correction despises himself, ⁵ 

but whoever hears ⁶  reproof acquires understanding. ⁷ 

Amsal 1:23

1:23 If only ⁸  you will respond ⁹  to my rebuke, ¹⁰ 

then ¹¹  I will pour ¹²  out my thoughts ¹³  to you

and ¹⁴  I will make ¹⁵  my words known to you.

Amsal 6:23

6:23 For the commandments ¹⁶  are like ¹⁷  a lamp, ¹⁸ 

instruction is like a light,

and rebukes of discipline are like ¹⁹  the road leading to life, ²⁰ 

Amsal 19:20

19:20 Listen to advice ²¹  and receive discipline,

that ²²  you may become wise ²³  by the end of your life. ²⁴ 

Amsal 25:12

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

so is a wise reprover to the ear of the one who listens. ²⁶ 

[15:31]  ¹ tn Heb “ear” (so KJV, NRSV). The term “ear” is a synecdoche of part (= ear) for the whole (= person).

[15:31]  ² tn “Life” is an objective genitive: Reproof brings or preserves life. Cf. NIV “life-giving rebuke”; NLT “constructive criticism.”

[15:31]  ³ tn Heb “lodges.” This means to live with, to be at home with.

[15:31]  ⁴ sn The proverb is one full sentence; it affirms that a teachable person is among the wise.

[15:32]  ⁵ sn To “despise oneself” means to reject oneself as if there was little value. The one who ignores discipline is not interested in improving himself.

[15:32]  ⁶ tn Or “heeds” (so NAB, NIV); NASB “listens to.”

[15:32]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text reads קוֹנֶה לֵּב (qoneh lev), the participle of קָנָה (qanah, “to acquire; to possess”) with its object, “heart.” The word “heart” is frequently a metonymy of subject, meaning all the capacities of the human spirit and/or mind. Here it refers to the ability to make judgments or discernment.

[1:23]  ⁸ tn The imperfect tense is in the conditional protasis without the conditional particle, followed by the clause beginning with הִנֵּה (hinneh, “then”). The phrase “If only…” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied by the syntax; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:23]  ⁹ tn Heb “turn.” The verb is from שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to respond; to repent”).

[1:23]  ¹⁰ sn The noun תּוֹכַחַת (tokhakhat, “rebuke”) is used in all kinds of disputes including rebuking, arguing, reasoning, admonishing, and chiding. The term is broad enough to include here warning and rebuke. Cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV “reproof”; TEV “when I reprimand you”; CEV “correct you.”

[1:23]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Behold!”

[1:23]  ¹² tn The Hiphil cohortative of נָבַע (nava’, “to pour out”) describes the speaker’s resolution to pour out wisdom on those who respond.

[1:23]  ¹³ tn Heb “my spirit.” The term “spirit” (רוּחַ, ruakh) functions as a metonymy (= spirit) of association (= thoughts), as indicated by the parallelism with “my words” (דְּבָרַי, dÿbaray). The noun רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) can have a cognitive nuance, e.g., “spirit of wisdom” (Exod 28:3; Deut 34:9). It is used metonymically for “words” (Job 20:3) and “mind” (Isa 40:13; Ezek 11:5; 20:32; 1 Chr 28:12; see BDB 925 s.v. רוּחַ 6). The “spirit of wisdom” produces skill and capacity necessary for success (Isa 11:2; John 7:37-39).

[1:23]  ¹⁴ tn The conjunction “and” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.

[1:23]  ¹⁵ tn Here too the form is the cohortative, stressing the resolution of wisdom to reveal herself to the one who responds.

[6:23]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the commandment” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[6:23]  ¹⁷ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[6:23]  ¹⁸ sn The terms “lamp,” “light,” and “way” are all metaphors. The positive teachings and commandments will illumine or reveal to the disciple the way to life; the disciplinary correctives will provide guidance into fullness of life.

[6:23]  ¹⁹ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[6:23]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the way of life” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NIV, NLT “the way to life.” The noun “life” is a genitive following the construct “way.” It could be an attributive genitive modifying the kind of way/course of life that instruction provides, but it could also be objective in that the course of life followed would produce and lead to life.

[19:20]  ²¹ sn The advice refers in all probability to the teachings of the sages that will make one wise.

[19:20]  ²² tn The proverb is one continuous thought, but the second half of the verse provides the purpose for the imperatives of the first half.

[19:20]  ²³ tn The imperfect tense has the nuance of a final imperfect in a purpose clause, and so is translated “that you may become wise” (cf. NAB, NRSV).

[19:20]  ²⁴ tn Heb “become wise in your latter end” (cf. KJV, ASV) which could obviously be misunderstood.

[25:12]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ 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.”