Amsal 2:6

2:6 For ¹  the Lord gives ²  wisdom,

and from his mouth ³  comes ⁴  knowledge and understanding.

Amsal 2:11

2:11 Discretion ⁵  will protect you, ⁶ 

understanding will guard you,

Amsal 3:13

Blessings of Obtaining Wisdom

3:13 Blessed ⁷  is the one ⁸  who finds ⁹  wisdom,

and the one who obtains ¹⁰  understanding.

Amsal 3:19

3:19 By wisdom the Lord laid the foundation of the earth; ¹¹ 

he established the heavens by understanding. ¹² 

Amsal 4:1

Admonition to Follow Righteousness and Avoid Wickedness ¹³ 

4:1 Listen, children, ¹⁴  to a father’s instruction, ¹⁵ 

and pay attention so that ¹⁶  you may gain ¹⁷  discernment.

Amsal 8:12

8:12 “I, wisdom, live with prudence, ¹⁸ 

and I find ¹⁹  knowledge and discretion.

Amsal 9:10

9:10 The beginning ²⁰  of wisdom is to fear the Lord, ²¹ 

and acknowledging ²²  the Holy One ²³  is understanding.

Amsal 10:23

10:23 Carrying out a wicked scheme ²⁴  is enjoyable ²⁵  to a fool,

and so is wisdom for the one who has discernment. ²⁶ 

Amsal 14:6

14:6 The scorner ²⁷  seeks wisdom but finds none, ²⁸ 

but understanding is easy ²⁹  for a discerning person.

Amsal 14:29

14:29 The one who is slow to anger has great understanding,

but the one who has a quick temper ³⁰  exalts ³¹  folly.

Amsal 16:16

16:16 How much better it is to acquire ³²  wisdom than gold;

to acquire understanding is more desirable ³³  than silver.

Amsal 17:24

17:24 Wisdom is directly in front of ³⁴  the discerning person,

but the eyes of a fool run ³⁵  to the ends of the earth. ³⁶ 

Amsal 17:27

17:27 The truly wise person ³⁷  restrains ³⁸  his words,

and the one who stays calm ³⁹  is discerning.

Amsal 28:11

28:11 A rich person ⁴⁰  is wise in his own eyes, ⁴¹ 

but a discerning poor person can evaluate him properly. ⁴² 

Amsal 30:2

30:2 Surely ⁴³  I am more brutish ⁴⁴  than any other human being, ⁴⁵ 

and I do not have human understanding; ⁴⁶ 

[2:6]  ¹ tn This is a causal clause. The reason one must fear and know the Lord is that he is the source of true, effectual wisdom.

[2:6]  ² tn The verb is an imperfect tense which probably functions as a habitual imperfect describing a universal truth in the past, present and future.

[2:6]  ³ sn This expression is an anthropomorphism; it indicates that the Lord is the immediate source or author of the wisdom. It is worth noting that in the incarnation many of these “anthropomorphisms” become literal in the person of the Logos, the Word, Jesus, who reveals the Father.

[2:6]  ⁴ tn The verb “comes” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.

[2:11]  ⁵ tn The word מְזִמָּה (mÿzimmah, “discretion”) is the ability to know the best course of action for achieving one’s goal. It is knowledge and understanding with a purpose. This kind of knowledge enables one to make the right choices that will protect him from blunders and their consequences (cf. NLT “wise planning”; CEV “sound judgment”).

[2:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “will watch over you.”

[3:13]  ⁷ tn Although the word אַשְׁרֵי (’ashre, “blessed”) is frequently translated “happy” here (so KJV, ASV, NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT), such a translation can be somewhat misleading because the word means more than that – “happiness” depends on one’s circumstances. This word reflects that inner joy and heavenly bliss which comes to the person who is pleasing to God, whose way is right before God.

[3:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “the man” (also again in the following line).

[3:13]  ⁹ tn The perfect tense verb may be classified as a characteristic or gnomic perfect, as the parallel imperfect tense verb suggests (see note on v. 13b).

[3:13]  ¹⁰ tn The imperfect tense verb may be classified as a progressive or habitual imperfect.

[3:19]  ¹¹ tn Heb “founded the earth.” The verb יָסַד (yasad, “to establish; to found”) describes laying the foundation of a building (1 Kgs 5:31 [HT]; 7:10; 2 Chr 3:3; Ezra 3:10-12; Zech 4:9) and God laying the foundation of the earth (Job 38:4; Pss 24:2; 89:12; 102:26; 104:5; Isa 48:13; 51:13, 16; Zech 12:1).

[3:19]  ¹² sn The theme of God’s use of wisdom in creation is developed in Prov 8:22-31. Because God established the world to operate according to the principle of wisdom it is impossible for anyone to live successfully in his world apart from the wisdom that only God can give.

[4:1]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “sons.”

[4:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “discipline.”

[4:1]  ¹⁶ tn The Qal infinitive construct with preposition ל (lamed) indicates the purpose/result of the preceding imperative.

[4:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “know” (so KJV, ASV).

[8:12]  ¹⁸ tn The noun is “shrewdness,” i.e., the right use of knowledge in special cases (see also the discussion in 1:4); cf. NLT “good judgment.” The word in this sentence is an adverbial accusative of specification.

[8:12]  ¹⁹ tn This verb form is an imperfect, whereas the verb in the first colon was a perfect tense. The perfect should be classified as a gnomic perfect, and this form a habitual imperfect, because both verbs describe the nature of wisdom.

[9:10]  ²⁰ sn The difference between תְּחִלַּת (tÿkhillat) here and רֵאשִׁית (re’shit) of 1:7, if there is any substantial difference, is that this term refers to the starting point of wisdom, and the earlier one indicates the primary place of wisdom (K&D 16:202).

[9:10]  ²¹ tn Heb “fear of the Lord.”

[9:10]  ²² tn Heb “knowledge of the Holy One” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[9:10]  ²³ tn The word is in the plural in the Hebrew (literally “holy ones”; KJV “the holy”). It was translated “holy men” in Tg. Prov 9:10. But it probably was meant to signify the majestic nature of the Lord. As J. H. Greenstone says, he is “all-holy” (Proverbs, 94). This is an example of the plural of majesty, one of the honorific uses of the plural (see IBHS 122-23 §7.4.3b).

[10:23]  ²⁴ tn Heb “doing a plan.” The noun זִמָּה (zimmah, “plan”) is often used pejoratively of a scheme to do wickedness. It is used elsewhere for planning lewdness, murder, incest, adultery, idolatry, and licentiousness. Any planned gross impropriety gives the fool pleasure. The verb עָשָׂה (’asah, “to do”) here means “to carry out (a plan)” (BDB 794 s.v.).

[10:23]  ²⁵ tn Heb “like sport” (so NASB, NRSV). The noun שְׂחוֹק (sÿkhoq, “sport”) is used elsewhere to refer to what is exhilarating and pleasurable (BDB 966 s.v.). As W. G. Plaut says, it is like child’s play (Proverbs, 132). For the fool evil brings such enjoyment; for the discerning wisdom does.

[10:23]  ²⁶ tn Heb “a man of discernment.”

[14:6]  ²⁷ sn The “scorner” (לֵץ, lets) is intellectually arrogant; he lacks any serious interest in knowledge or religion. He pursues wisdom in a superficial way so that he can appear wise. The acquisition of wisdom is conditioned by one’s attitude toward it (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 149).

[14:6]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and there is not.”

[14:6]  ²⁹ sn The Niphal of קָלַל (qalal) means “to appear light; to appear trifling; to appear easy.”

[14:29]  ³⁰ tn Heb “hasty of spirit” (so KJV, ASV); NRSV, NLT “a hasty temper.” One who has a quick temper or a short fuse will be evident to everyone, due to his rash actions.

[14:29]  ³¹ sn The participle “exalts” (מֵרִים, merim) means that this person brings folly to a full measure, lifts it up, brings it to the full notice of everybody.

[16:16]  ³² tn The form קְנֹה (qÿnoh) is an infinitive; the Greek version apparently took it as a participle, and the Latin as an imperative – both working with an unpointed קנה, the letter ה (he) being unexpected in the form if it is an infinitive construct (the parallel clause has קְנוֹת [qÿnot] for the infinitive, but the ancient versions also translate that as either a participle or an imperative).

[16:16]  ³³ tn The form is a Niphal participle, masculine singular. If it is modifying “understanding” it should be a feminine form. If it is to be translated, it would have to be rendered “and to acquire understanding is to be chosen more than silver” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). Many commentaries consider it superfluous. NIV and NCV simply have “to choose understanding rather than silver!”

[17:24]  ³⁴ tn The verse begins with אֶת־פְּנֵי מֵבִין (’et-pÿni mevin), “before the discerning” or “the face of the discerning.” The particle אֶת here is simply drawing emphasis to the predicate (IBHS 182-83 §10.3.2b). Cf. NIV “A discerning man keeps wisdom in view.”

[17:24]  ³⁵ tn The term “run” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for the sake of clarification.

[17:24]  ³⁶ sn To say that “the eyes of the fool run to the ends of the earth” means that he has no power to concentrate and cannot focus his attention on anything. The language is hyperbolic. Cf. NCV “the mind of a fool wanders everywhere.”

[17:27]  ³⁷ tn Heb “the one knowing knowledge.” The cognate accusative underscores the meaning of the participle – this is a truly knowledgeable person.

[17:27]  ³⁸ sn The participle חוֹשֵׂךְ (khosekh) means “withholds; restrains; refrains; spares; holds in check,” etc. One who has knowledge speaks carefully.

[17:27]  ³⁹ tn Heb “cool of spirit.” This genitive of specification describes one who is “calm” (so NCV, TEV, CEV) or “even-tempered” (so NIV, NLT); he is composed.

[28:11]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “a rich man,” although the context does not indicate that this is limited only to males.

[28:11]  ⁴¹ sn The idiom “in his own eyes” means “in his own opinion,” that is, his self conceit. The rich person thinks he is wise because he is rich, that he has made all the right choices.

[28:11]  ⁴² tn The form יַחְקְרֶנּוּ (yakhqÿrennu) means “he searches him” (cf. KJV, ASV) or “he examines him”; a potential imperfect nuance fits well here to indicate that a discerning person, even though poor, can search the flaws of the rich and see through the pretension and the false assumptions (cf. NAB, NASB, NIV “sees through him”). Several commentators have connected the word to the Arabic root hqr, which means “despise” (D. W. Thomas, “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 38 [1937]: 400-403), but that would be both predictable and flat.

[30:2]  ⁴³ tn The particle כִּי (ki) functions in an asseverative sense, “surely; indeed; truly” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 73, §449).

[30:2]  ⁴⁴ tn The noun בַּעַר (ba’ar) means “brutishness”; here it functions as a predicate adjective. It is followed by מֵאִישׁ (me’ish) expressing comparative degree: “more than a man” or “more than any man,” with “man” used in a generic sense. He is saying that he has fallen beneath the level of mankind. Cf. NRSV “I am too stupid to be human.”

[30:2]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “than man.” The verse is using hyperbole; this individual feels as if he has no intelligence at all, that he is more brutish than any other human. Of course this is not true, or he would not be able to speculate on the God of the universe at all.

[30:2]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “the understanding of a man,” with “man” used attributively here.