Amsal 1:5

1:5 (Let the wise also ¹  hear ²  and gain ³  instruction,

and let the discerning ⁴  acquire ⁵  guidance! ⁶ )

Amsal 1:8

1:8 Listen, ⁷  my child, ⁸  to the instruction ⁹  from ¹⁰  your father,

and do not forsake the teaching ¹¹  from ¹²  your mother.

Amsal 1:33

1:33 But the one who listens ¹³  to me will live in security, ¹⁴ 

and will be at ease ¹⁵  from the dread of harm.

Amsal 4:1

Admonition to Follow Righteousness and Avoid Wickedness ¹⁶ 

4:1 Listen, children, ¹⁷  to a father’s instruction, ¹⁸ 

and pay attention so that ¹⁹  you may gain ²⁰  discernment.

Amsal 4:10

4:10 Listen, my child, ²¹  and accept my words,

so that ²²  the years of your life will be many. ²³ 

Amsal 5:7

5:7 So now, children, ²⁴  listen to me;

do not turn aside from the words I speak. ²⁵ 

Amsal 5:13

5:13 For ²⁶  I did not obey my teachers ²⁷ 

and I did not heed ²⁸  my instructors. ²⁹ 

Amsal 7:24

7:24 So now, sons, ³⁰  listen to me,

and pay attention to the words I speak. ³¹ 

Amsal 8:6

8:6 Listen, for I will speak excellent things, ³² 

and my lips will utter ³³  what is right.

Amsal 8:32

8:32 “So now, children, ³⁴  listen to me;

blessed are those who keep my ways.

Amsal 12:15

12:15 The way of a fool ³⁵  is right ³⁶  in his own opinion, ³⁷ 

but the one who listens to advice is wise. ³⁸ 

Amsal 13:1

13:1 A wise son accepts ³⁹  his father’s discipline, ⁴⁰ 

but a scoffer ⁴¹  does not listen to rebuke.

Amsal 13:8

13:8 The ransom ⁴²  of a person’s ⁴³  life is his wealth,

but the poor person hears no threat. ⁴⁴ 

Amsal 15:31-32

15:31 The person ⁴⁵  who hears the reproof that leads to life ⁴⁶ 

is at home ⁴⁷  among the wise. ⁴⁸ 

15:32 The one who refuses correction despises himself, ⁴⁹ 

but whoever hears ⁵⁰  reproof acquires understanding. ⁵¹ 

Amsal 18:13

18:13 The one who gives an answer ⁵²  before he listens ⁵³  –

that is his folly and his shame. ⁵⁴ 

Amsal 19:20

19:20 Listen to advice ⁵⁵  and receive discipline,

that ⁵⁶  you may become wise ⁵⁷  by the end of your life. ⁵⁸ 

Amsal 19:27

19:27 If you stop listening to ⁵⁹  instruction, my child,

you will stray ⁶⁰  from the words of knowledge.

Amsal 20:12

20:12 The ear that hears and the eye that sees ⁶¹  –

the Lord has made them both. ⁶² 

Amsal 21:28

21:28 A lying witness ⁶³  will perish, ⁶⁴ 

but the one who reports accurately speaks forever. ⁶⁵ 

Amsal 22:17

The Sayings of the Wise ⁶⁶ 

22:17 Incline your ear ⁶⁷  and listen to the words of the wise,

and apply your heart to my instruction. ⁶⁸ 

Amsal 23:19

23:19 Listen, my child, ⁶⁹  and be wise,

and guide your heart on the right way.

Amsal 28:9

28:9 The one who turns away his ear ⁷⁰  from hearing the law,

even his prayer ⁷¹  is an abomination. ⁷² 

[1:5]  ¹ tn The term “also” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.

[1:5]  sn Verse 5 functions as a parenthesis in the purpose statements of 1:1-7. There are two purpose statements in 1:2 (“to know wisdom” and “to discern sayings”). The first is stated in detail in 1:3-4, first from the perspective of the student then the teacher. 1:6 will state the second purpose of 1:2. But between the two the writer notes that even the wise can become wiser. The book is not just for neophytes; it is for all who want to grow in wisdom.

[1:5]  ² tn The verb יִשְׁמַע (yishma’) functions as a jussive of advice or counsel (“Let him hear!”) rather than a customary imperfect (“he will hear”). The jussive is supported by the parallelism with the following Hiphil jussive וְיוֹסֶף (vÿyosef, “Let him add!”).

[1:5]  ³ tn Heb “add.”

[1:5]  ⁴ tn The Niphal substantival participle נָבוֹן (navon, “discerning”), rather than the noun, is used to describe a person who is habitually characterized by discernment. 1:5 forms a striking contrast to 1:4 – there was the simpleton and the youth, here the wise and discerning. Both need this book.

[1:5]  ⁵ tn The Hiphil verb וְיוֹסֶף (vÿyosef) is a jussive rather than an imperfect as the final short vowel (segol) and accent on the first syllable shows (BDB 415 s.v. יָסַף Hiph).

[1:5]  ⁶ tn The noun תַּחְבֻּלָה (takhbulah, “direction; counsel”) refers to moral guidance (BDB 287 s.v.). It is related to חֹבֵל (khovel, “sailor”), חִבֵּל (khibel, “mast”) and חֶבֶל (khevel, “rope; cord”), so BDB suggests it originally meant directing a ship by pulling ropes on the mast. It is used in a concrete sense of God directing the path of clouds (Job 37:12) and in a figurative sense of moral guidance (Prov 11:14; 20:18; 24:6). Here it refers to the ability to steer a right course through life (A. Cohen, Proverbs, 2).

[1:8]  ⁷ tn The imperative שְׁמַע (shÿma’, “Listen!”) forms an urgent exhortation which expects immediate compliance with parental instruction.

[1:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “my son.” It is likely that collections of proverbs grew up in the royal courts and were designed for the training of the youthful prince. But once the collection was included in the canon, the term “son” would be expanded to mean a disciple, for all the people were to learn wisdom when young. It would not be limited to sons alone but would include daughters – as the expression “the children of (בְּנֵי, bÿne) Israel” (including males and females) clearly shows. Several passages in the Mishnah and Talmud record instructions to teach daughters the Mosaic law so that they will be righteous and avoid sin as well. The translation “my child,” although not entirely satisfactory, will be used here.

[1:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “training” or “discipline.” See note on 1:2.

[1:8]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “of.” The noun אָבִיךָ (’avikha, “of your father”) may be classified as a genitive of source.

[1:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “instruction.” In Proverbs the noun תּוֹרַה (torah) often means “instruction” or “moral direction” rather than “law” (BDB 435 s.v. 1.a). It is related to יָרָה (yarah, “to point [or, show] the way” in the Hiphil (BDB 435). Instruction attempts to point a person in the right direction (e.g., Gen 46:28).

[1:8]  ¹² tn Heb “of.” The noun אִמֶּךָ (’immekha, “of your mother”) may be classified as a genitive of source.

[1:33]  ¹³ tn The participle is used substantivally here: “whoever listens” will enjoy the benefits of the instruction.

[1:33]  ¹⁴ tn The noun בֶּטַח (betakh, “security”) functions as an adverbial accusative of manner: “in security.” The phrase refers to living in a permanent settled condition without fear of danger (e.g., Deut 33:12; Ps 16:9). It is the antithesis of the dread of disaster facing the fool and the simple.

[1:33]  ¹⁵ tn The verb שַׁאֲנַן (sha’anan) is a Palel perfect of שָׁאַן (sha’an) which means “to be at ease; to rest securely” (BDB 983 s.v. שָׁאַן). Elsewhere it parallels the verb “to be undisturbed” (Jer 30:10), so it means “to rest undisturbed and quiet.” The reduplicated Palel stem stresses the intensity of the idea. The perfect tense functions in the so-called “prophetic perfect” sense, emphasizing the certainty of this blessing for the wise.

[4:1]  ¹⁶ sn The chapter includes an exhortation to acquire wisdom (1-4a), a list of the benefits of wisdom (4b-9), a call to pursue a righteous lifestyle (10-13), a warning against a wicked lifestyle (14-19), and an exhortation to righteousness (20-27).

[4:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “sons.”

[4:1]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “discipline.”

[4:1]  ¹⁹ tn The Qal infinitive construct with preposition ל (lamed) indicates the purpose/result of the preceding imperative.

[4:1]  ²⁰ tn Heb “know” (so KJV, ASV).

[4:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “my son” (likewise in v. 20).

[4:10]  ²² tn The vav prefixed to the imperfect verb follows an imperative; this volitive sequence depicts purpose/result.

[4:10]  ²³ tn Heb “and the years of life will be many for you.”

[5:7]  ²⁴ tn Heb “sons.”

[5:7]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the words of my mouth” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV).

[5:13]  ²⁶ tn The vav that introduces this clause functions in an explanatory sense.

[5:13]  ²⁷ tn The Hebrew term מוֹרַי (moray) is the nominal form based on the Hiphil plural participle with a suffix, from the root יָרָה (yarah). The verb is “to teach,” the common noun is “instruction, law [torah],” and this participle form is teacher (“my teachers”).

[5:13]  ²⁸ sn The idioms are vivid: This expression is “incline the ear”; earlier in the first line is “listen to the voice,” meaning “obey.” Such detailed description emphasizes the importance of the material.

[5:13]  ²⁹ tn The form is the Piel plural participle of לָמַד (lamad) used substantivally.

[7:24]  ³⁰ tn The literal translation “sons” works well here in view of the warning. Cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV “children.”

[7:24]  ³¹ tn Heb “the words of my mouth.”

[8:6]  ³² tn Heb “noble” or “princely.” Wisdom begins the first motivation by claiming to speak noble things, that is, excellent things.

[8:6]  ³³ tn Heb “opening of my lips” (so KJV, NASB). The noun “lips” is a metonymy of cause, with the organ of speech put for what is said.

[8:32]  ³⁴ tn Heb “sons.”

[12:15]  ³⁵ sn The way of a fool describes a headlong course of actions (“way” is an idiom for conduct) that is not abandoned even when wise advice is offered.

[12:15]  ³⁶ sn The fool believes that his own plans and ideas are perfect or “right” (יָשָׁר, yashar); he is satisfied with his own opinion.

[12:15]  ³⁷ tn Heb “in his own eyes.”

[12:15]  ³⁸ tn Or “a wise person listens to advice” (cf. NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[13:1]  ³⁹ tn The term “accepts” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and clarity.

[13:1]  ⁴⁰ tc G. R. Driver suggested reading this word as מְיֻסַּר (mÿyussar, “allows himself to be disciplined”); see his “Hebrew Notes on Prophets and Proverbs,” JTS 41 (1940): 174. But this is not necessary at all; the MT makes good sense as it stands. Similarly, the LXX has “a wise son listens to his father.”

[13:1]  tn Heb “discipline of a father.”

[13:1]  ⁴¹ sn The “scoffer” is the worst kind of fool. He has no respect for authority, reviles worship of God, and is unteachable because he thinks he knows it all. The change to a stronger word in the second colon – “rebuke” (גָּעַר, ga’ar) – shows that he does not respond to instruction on any level. Cf. NLT “a young mocker,” taking this to refer to the opposite of the “wise son” in the first colon.

[13:8]  ⁴² sn As the word “ransom” (כֹּפֶר, cofer) indicates, the rich are susceptible to kidnapping and robbery. But the poor man pays no attention to blackmail – he does not have money to buy off oppressors. So the rich person is exposed to legal attacks and threats of physical violence and must use his wealth as ransom.

[13:8]  ⁴³ tn Heb “the life of a man.”

[13:8]  ⁴⁴ tn The term גְּעָרָה (gÿ’arah) may mean (1) “rebuke” (so KJV, NASB) or (2) “threat” (so NIV; cf. ASV, NRSV, NLT ). If “rebuke” is the sense here, it means that the burdens of society fall on the rich as well as the dangers. But the sense of “threat” better fits the context: The rich are threatened with extortion, but the poor are not (cf. CEV “the poor don’t have that problem”).

[15:31]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “ear” (so KJV, NRSV). The term “ear” is a synecdoche of part (= ear) for the whole (= person).

[15:31]  ⁴⁶ tn “Life” is an objective genitive: Reproof brings or preserves life. Cf. NIV “life-giving rebuke”; NLT “constructive criticism.”

[15:31]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “lodges.” This means to live with, to be at home with.

[15:31]  ⁴⁸ sn The proverb is one full sentence; it affirms that a teachable person is among the wise.

[15:32]  ⁴⁹ 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]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “heeds” (so NAB, NIV); NASB “listens to.”

[15:32]  ⁵¹ 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.

[18:13]  ⁵² tn Heb “returns a word”; KJV “He that answereth a matter.”

[18:13]  ⁵³ sn Poor listening and premature answering indicate that the person has a low regard for what the other is saying, or that he is too absorbed in his own ideas. The Mishnah lists this as the second characteristic of the uncultured person (m. Avot 5:7).

[18:13]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “it is folly to him and shame.” The verse uses formal parallelism, with the second colon simply completing the thought of the first.

[19:20]  ⁵⁵ sn The advice refers in all probability to the teachings of the sages that will make one wise.

[19:20]  ⁵⁶ 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]  ⁵⁷ 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]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “become wise in your latter end” (cf. KJV, ASV) which could obviously be misunderstood.

[19:27]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “Stop listening…!” The infinitive construct לִשְׁמֹעַ (lishmoa’) functions as the direct object of the imperative: “stop heeding [or, listening to].” Of course in this proverb which shows the consequences of doing so, this is irony. The sage is instructing not to stop. The conditional protasis construction does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation.

[19:27]  ⁶⁰ tn The second line has an infinitive construct לִשְׁגוֹת (lishgot), meaning “to stray; to go astray; to err.” It indicates the result of the instruction – stop listening, and as a result you will go astray. The LXX took it differently: “A son who ceases to attend to discipline is likely to stray from words of knowledge.” RSV sees the final clause as the purpose of the instructions to be avoided: “do not listen to instructions to err.”

[20:12]  ⁶¹ sn The first half of the verse refers to two basic senses that the Lord has given to people. C. H. Toy, however, thinks that they represent all the faculties (Proverbs [ICC], 388). But in the book of Proverbs seeing and hearing come to the fore. By usage “hearing” also means obeying (15:31; 25:12), and “seeing” also means perceiving and understanding (Isa 6:9-10).

[20:12]  ⁶² sn The verse not only credits God with making these faculties of hearing and sight and giving them to people, but it also emphasizes their spiritual use in God’s service.

[21:28]  ⁶³ tn Heb “a witness of lies,” an attributive genitive.

[21:28]  ⁶⁴ tn The Hebrew verb translated “will perish” (יֹאבֵד, yo’bed) could mean that the false witness will die, either by the hand of God or by the community. But it also could be taken in the sense that the false testimony will be destroyed. This would mean that “false witness” would be a metonymy of cause – what he says will perish (cf. NCV “will be forgotten”).

[21:28]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “but a man who listens speaks forever.” The first part of it may mean (1) a true witness, one who reports what he actually hears. But it may also refer to (2) someone who listens to the false testimony given by the false witness. The NIV follows the suggestion of a homonym for the Hebrew word with the meaning “will perish/be destroyed”: “will be destroyed forever.” This suggests a synonymous pair of ideas rather than a contrast. Others accept antithetical parallelism. C. H. Toy suggested an idea like “be established” to contrast with “will perish” (Proverbs [ICC], 411). W. McKane suggested it meant the truthful witness “will speak to the end” without being put down (Proverbs [OTL], 556). It is simpler to interpret the words that are here in the sense of a contrast. The idea of speaking forever/to the end would then be hyperbolic.

[22:17]  ⁶⁶ sn A new collection of sayings begins here, forming the fourth section of the book of Proverbs. This collection is not like that of 1:1–9:18; here the introductory material is more personal than 1:1-7, and the style differs, showing great similarity to the Instruction of Amenemope in Egypt (especially the thirty precepts of the sages in 22:17–24:22). Verses 17-21 form the introduction, and then the sayings begin in v. 22. After the thirty sayings are given, there are further sayings in 24:23-34. There is much literature on this material: see W. K. Simpson, ed., Literature of Ancient Egypt; ANET 412-425; and A. Cody, “Notes on Proverbs 22:21 and 22:23b,” Bib 61 (1980): 418-26.

[22:17]  ⁶⁷ sn To “incline the ear” means to “listen carefully” (cf. NCV); the expression is metonymical in that the ear is the instrument for hearing. It is like telling someone to lean over to hear better.

[22:17]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “knowledge” (so KJV, NASB); in this context it refers to the knowledge that is spoken by the wise, hence “instruction.”

[23:19]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “my son,” but the immediate context does not limit this to male children.

[28:9]  ⁷⁰ sn The expression “turn away the ear from hearing” uses a metonymy to mean that this individual will not listen – it indicates a deliberate refusal to follow the instruction of the law.

[28:9]  ⁷¹ sn It is hard to imagine how someone who willfully refuses to obey the law of God would pray according to the will of God. Such a person is more apt to pray for some physical thing or make demands on God. (Of course a prayer of repentance would be an exception and would not be an abomination to the Lord.)

[28:9]  ⁷² sn C. H. Toy says, “If a man, on his part, is deaf to instruction, then God, on his part, is deaf to prayer” (Proverbs [ICC], 499). And W. McKane observes that one who fails to attend to God’s law is a wicked person, even if he is a man of prayer (Proverbs [OTL], 623).