Amsal 1:14

1:14 Join with us! ¹ 

We will all share ²  equally in what we steal.” ³ 

Amsal 2:1

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom ⁴ 

2:1 My child, ⁵  if ⁶  you receive my words,

and store up ⁷  my commands within you,

Amsal 5:2

5:2 in order to safeguard ⁸  discretion, ⁹ 

and that your lips may guard knowledge.

Amsal 7:1

Admonition to Avoid the Wiles of the Adulteress ¹⁰ 

7:1 My child, ¹¹  keep my words

and treasure up my commands in your own keeping. ¹² 

Amsal 23:12

23:12 Apply ¹³  your heart to instruction

and your ears to the words of knowledge.

Amsal 24:1

24:1 Do not envy evil people, ¹⁴ 

do not desire ¹⁵  to be with them;

[1:14]  ¹ tn Heb “Throw in your lot with us.” This is a figurative expression (hypocatastasis) urging the naive to join their life of crime and divide their loot equally. The noun גּוֹרָל (goral, “lot”) can refer to (1) lot thrown for decision-making processes, e.g., choosing the scapegoat (Lev 16:8), discovering a guilty party (Jonah 1:7) or allocating property (Josh 18:6); (2) allotted portion (Josh 15:1) and (3) allotted fate or future destiny (Prov 1:14; Dan 12:13; see BDB 174 s.v.). Here the criminals urged the lad to share their life. The verb תַּפִּיל (tappil) is an imperfect of injunction: “Throw in…!” but might also be an imperfect of permission: “you may throw.” It functions metonymically as an invitation to join their life of crime: “share with us” (BDB 658 s.v. 3).

[1:14]  ² tn Heb “there will be to all of us.”

[1:14]  ³ tn Heb “one purse” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV). The term כִּיס (kis, “purse; bag”) is a synecdoche of container (= purse) for contents (= stolen goods). The adjective אֶחָד (’ekhad, “one”) indicates that the thieves promised to share equally in what they had stolen.

[2:1]  ⁴ sn The chapter begins with an admonition to receive wisdom (1-4) and then traces the benefits: the knowledge of God and his protection (5-8), moral discernment for living (9-11), protection from evil men (12-15) and immoral women (16-19), and enablement for righteous living (20-22).

[2:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “my son.”

[2:1]  ⁶ sn Verses 1-11 form one long conditional sentence in the Hebrew text: (1) the protasis (“if…”) encompasses vv. 1-4 and (2) the apodosis (“then…”) consists of two parallel panels in vv. 5-8 and vv. 9-11 both of which are introduced by the particle אָז (’az, “then”).

[2:1]  ⁷ sn The verb “to store up” (צָפַן, tsafan; cf. NAB, NLT “treasure”) in the second colon qualifies the term “receive” (לָקַח, laqakh) in the first, just as “commands” intensifies “words.” This pattern of intensification through parallelism occurs throughout the next three verses. The verb “to store up; to treasure” is used in reference to things of value for future use, e.g., wealth, dowry for a bride. Since proverbs will be useful throughout life and not always immediately applicable, the idea of storing up the sayings is fitting. They will form the way people think which in turn will influence attitudes (W. G. Plaut, Proverbs, 43).

[5:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “keep, protect, guard.”

[5:2]  ⁹ sn This “discretion” is the same word in 1:4; it is wise, prudential consideration, careful planning, or the ability to devise plans with a view to the best way to carry them out. If that ability is retained then temptations to digress will not interfere.

[7:1]  ¹⁰ sn The chapter begins with the important teaching of the father (1-5), then it focuses on the seduction: first of the victim (6-9), then the temptress (10-12), then the seduction (13-20), and the capitulation (21-23); the chapter concludes with the deadly results of consorting (24-27).

[7:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “my son.”

[7:1]  ¹² tn Heb “within you” (so NASB, NIV); KJV, ASV, NRSV “with you.” BDB 860 s.v. צָפַן Qal.1 suggests that “within you” means “in your own keeping.”

[23:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “bring.” The Hiphil imperative “come; enter” means “to apply the heart,” to use the heart or mind in the process. The same would be true in the second half: “to bring the ears” would mean to listen very carefully. Cf. TEV “Pay attention.”

[24:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “evil men,” although the context indicates a generic sense.

[24:1]  ¹⁵ tn The Hitpael jussive is from the verb that means “to crave; to desire.” This is more of a coveting, an intense desire.