Amsal 6:30

6:30 People ¹  do not despise a thief when he steals

to fulfill his need ²  when he is hungry.

Amsal 10:28

10:28 The hope ³  of the righteous is joy,

but the expectation of the wicked will remain unfulfilled. ⁴ 

Amsal 12:10

12:10 A righteous person cares for ⁵  the life of his animal,

but even the most compassionate acts ⁶  of the wicked are cruel.

[6:30]  ¹ tn Heb “they do not despise.”

[6:30]  ² tn Heb “himself” or “his life.” Since the word נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, traditionally “soul”) refers to the whole person, body and soul, and since it has a basic idea of the bundle of appetites that make up a person, the use here for satisfying his hunger is appropriate.

[10:28]  ³ sn This proverb contrasts the hopes of the righteous and the wicked. The righteous will see their hopes fulfilled. The saying is concerned with God’s justice. The words תּוֹחֶלֶת (tokhelet, from יָחַל, yakhal) and תִּקְוַת (tiqvat, from קָוָה, qavah) are synonyms, both emphasizing eager expectations, longings, waiting in hope.

[10:28]  ⁴ tn Heb “will perish”; NAB “comes to nought.”

[12:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “knows”; NLT “concerned for the welfare of.” The righteous take care of animals, not just people.

[12:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “but the mercies.” The additional words appear in the translation for the sake of clarification. The line can be interpreted in two ways: (1) when the wicked exhibit a kind act, they do it in a cruel way, or (2) even the kindest of their acts is cruel by all assessments, e.g., stuffing animals with food to fatten them for market – their “kindness” is driven by ulterior motives (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 129).