Amsal 1:19

1:19 Such ¹  are the ways ²  of all who gain profit unjustly; ³ 

it ⁴  takes away the life ⁵  of those who obtain it! ⁶ 

Amsal 11:19

11:19 True ⁷  righteousness leads to ⁸  life,

but the one who pursues evil pursues it ⁹  to his own death. ¹⁰ 

Amsal 11:29

11:29 The one who troubles ¹¹  his family ¹²  will inherit nothing, ¹³ 

and the fool ¹⁴  will be a servant to the wise person. ¹⁵ 

Amsal 20:21

20:21 An inheritance gained easily ¹⁶  in the beginning

will not be blessed ¹⁷  in the end. ¹⁸ 

Ulangan 7:26

7:26 You must not bring any abhorrent thing into your house and thereby become an object of divine wrath ¹⁹  along with it. ²⁰  You must absolutely detest ²¹  and abhor it, ²²  for it is an object of divine wrath.

Yosua 6:18

6:18 But be careful when you are setting apart the riches for the Lord. If you take any of it, you will make the Israelite camp subject to annihilation and cause a disaster. ²³ 

Yosua 7:11-12

7:11 Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenantal commandment! ²⁴  They have taken some of the riches; ²⁵  they have stolen them and deceitfully put them among their own possessions. ²⁶  7:12 The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation. ²⁷  I will no longer be with you, ²⁸  unless you destroy what has contaminated you. ²⁹ 

Yosua 7:24-25

7:24 Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, ox, donkey, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster. ³⁰  7:25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster ³¹  on us? The Lord will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death. (They also stoned and burned the others.) ³² 

Yosua 7:1

Achan Sins and is Punished

7:1 But the Israelites disobeyed the command about the city’s riches. ³³  Achan son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, ³⁴  son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, stole some of the riches. ³⁵  The Lord was furious with the Israelites. ³⁶ 

1 Samuel 8:3-5

8:3 But his sons did not follow ³⁷  his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice. ³⁸ 

8:4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. 8:5 They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons don’t follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead ³⁹  us, just like all the other nations have.”

1 Samuel 8:2

8:2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beer Sheba.

Kisah Para Rasul 5:27

5:27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, ⁴⁰  and the high priest questioned ⁴¹  them,

Yesaya 5:8-10

Disaster is Coming

5:8 Those who accumulate houses are as good as dead, ⁴² 

those who also accumulate landed property ⁴³ 

until there is no land left, ⁴⁴ 

and you are the only landowners remaining within the land. ⁴⁵ 

5:9 The Lord who commands armies told me this: ⁴⁶ 

“Many houses will certainly become desolate,

large, impressive houses will have no one living in them. ⁴⁷ 

5:10 Indeed, a large vineyard ⁴⁸  will produce just a few gallons, ⁴⁹ 

and enough seed to yield several bushels ⁵⁰  will produce less than a bushel.” ⁵¹ 

Yeremia 17:11

17:11 The person who gathers wealth by unjust means

is like the partridge that broods over eggs but does not hatch them. ⁵² 

Before his life is half over he will lose his ill-gotten gains. ⁵³ 

At the end of his life it will be clear he was a fool.” ⁵⁴ 

Habakuk 2:9-11

2:9 The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. ⁵⁵ 

He does this so he can build his nest way up high

and escape the clutches of disaster. ⁵⁶ 

2:10 Your schemes will bring shame to your house.

Because you destroyed many nations, you will self-destruct. ⁵⁷ 

2:11 For the stones in the walls will cry out,

and the wooden rafters will answer back. ⁵⁸ 

Zakharia 5:3-4

5:3 The speaker went on to say, “This is a curse ⁵⁹  traveling across the whole earth. For example, according to the curse whoever steals ⁶⁰  will be removed from the community; or on the other hand (according to the curse) whoever swears falsely will suffer the same fate.” 5:4 “I will send it out,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and it will enter the house of the thief and of the person who swears falsely in my name. It will land in the middle of his house and destroy both timber and stones.”

[1:19]  ¹ tn The exclamation כֵּן (ken, “so; thus; such”) marks a conclusion (BDB 485 s.v.). It draws a comparison between the destruction of the wicked in v. 18 and the concluding statement in v. 19.

[1:19]  ² tc The MT reads אָרְחוֹת (’orkhot, “paths; ways” as figure for mode of life): “so are the ways [or, paths] of all who gain profit unjustly.” The BHS editors suggest emending the text to אַחֲרִית (’akharit, “end” as figure for their fate) by simple metathesis between ח (khet) and ר (resh) and by orthographic confusion between י (yod) and ו (vav), both common scribal errors: “so is the fate of all who gain profit unjustly.” The external evidence supports MT, which is also the more difficult reading. It adequately fits the context which uses “way” and “path” imagery throughout 1:10-19.

[1:19]  ³ tn Heb “those who unjustly gain unjust gain.” The participle בֹּצֵעַ (boysea’, “those who unjustly gain”) is followed by the cognate accusative of the same root בָּצַע (batsa’, “unjust gain”) to underscore the idea that they gained their wealth through heinous criminal activity.

[1:19]  sn The verb followed by the cognate noun usually means seeking gain in an unjust way (1 Sam 8:3), or for selfish purposes (Gen 37:26), or gaining by violence. The word may have the sense of covetousness.

[1:19]  ⁴ tn The subject of the verb is the noun בָּצַע (“unjust gain”), which is also the referent of the 3rd person masculine singular suffix on בְּעָלָיו (bÿ’alav, “its owners”). Greed takes away the life of those who live by greed (e.g., 15:27; 26:27). See G. R. Driver, “Problems in the Hebrew Text of Proverbs,” Bib 32 (1951): 173-74.

[1:19]  ⁵ tn The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) is used as a metonymy (= soul) of association (= life). The noun נֶפֶשׁ often refers to physical “life” (Exod 21:23; Num 17:3; Judg 5:18; Prov 12:10; BDB 659 s.v. 3.c).

[1:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “its owners.”

[11:19]  ⁷ tn Heb “the veritable of righteousness.” The adjective כֵּן (ken, “right; honest; veritable”) functions substantivally as an attributive genitive, meaning “veritable righteousness” = true righteousness (BDB 467 s.v. 2; HALOT 482 s.v. I כֵּן 2.b). One medieval Hebrew ms, LXX, and Syriac read בֵּן (ben), “son of righteousness.” That idiom, however, usually introduces bad qualities (“son of worthlessness”). Others interpret it as “righteousness is the foundation of life.” KB identifies the form as a participle and reads it as “steadfast in righteousness”; but the verb does not otherwise exist in the Qal. W. McKane reads it as כָּן (kan, from כּוּן, kun) and translates it “strive after” life (Proverbs [OTL], 435).

[11:19]  ⁸ tn Heb “is to life.” The expression “leads to” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but the idiom implies it; it is supplied in the translation for smoothness.

[11:19]  ⁹ tn The phrase “pursues it” does not appear in the Hebrew but has been supplied in the translation from context.

[11:19]  ¹⁰ sn “Life” and “death” describe the vicissitudes of this life but can also refer to the situation beyond the grave. The two paths head in opposite directions.

[11:29]  ¹¹ tn The verb עָכַר (’akhar, “to trouble”) refers to actions which make life difficult for one’s family (BDB 747 s.v.). He will be cut out of the family inheritance.

[11:29]  ¹² tn Heb “his house.” The term בֵּית (bet, “house”) is a synecdoche of container (= house) for its contents (= family, household).

[11:29]  ¹³ tn Heb “the wind” (so KJV, NCV, NLT); NAB “empty air.” The word “wind” (רוּחַ, ruakh) refers to what cannot be grasped (Prov 27:16; Eccl 1:14, 17). The figure is a hypocatastasis, comparing wind to what he inherits – nothing he can put his hands on. Cf. CEV “won’t inherit a thing.”

[11:29]  ¹⁴ sn The “fool” here is the “troubler” of the first half. One who mismanages his affairs so badly so that there is nothing for the family may have to sell himself into slavery to the wise. The ideas of the two halves of the verse are complementary.

[11:29]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “to the wise of heart.” The noun לֵב (lev, “heart”) is an attributed genitive: “wise heart.” The term לֵב (“heart”) also functions as a synecdoche of part (= heart) for the whole (= person); see BDB 525 s.v. 7.

[20:21]  ¹⁶ tc The Kethib reads מְבֻחֶלֶת (mÿbukhelet), “gotten by greed” (based on a cognate Syriac verb, “to be greedy”); but the Qere is מְבֹהֶלֶת (mÿvohelet), “gotten hastily [or, quickly].” A large number of mss and the ancient versions read with the Qere (cf. KJV, ASV “gotten hastily”; NAB “gained hastily”; NIV “quickly gained”; NRSV “quickly acquired”).

[20:21]  sn If the inheritance is obtained quickly, it could mean prematurely (e.g., Luke 15:12) or cruelly (Prov 19:26). The inheritance is gained without labor or without preparation.

[20:21]  ¹⁷ tn The form is the Pual imperfect, “will not be blessed,” suggesting that divine justice is at work.

[20:21]  sn The Hebrew verb means “enriched, made fruitful, prospered.” Whatever the inheritance was, it will not reach its full potential or even remain permanent.

[20:21]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “in its end”; KJV, ASV “the end thereof.”

[7:26]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “come under the ban” (so NASB); NRSV “be set apart for destruction.” The same phrase occurs again at the end of this verse.

[7:26]  sn The Hebrew word translated an object of divine wrath (חֵרֶם, kherem) refers to persons or things placed under God’s judgment, usually to the extent of their complete destruction. See note on the phrase “divine judgment” in Deut 2:34.

[7:26]  ²⁰ tn Or “like it is.”

[7:26]  ²¹ tn This Hebrew verb (שָׁקַץ, shaqats) is essentially synonymous with the next verb (תָעַב, ta’av; cf. תּוֹעֵבָה, to’evah; see note on the word “abhorrent” in v. 25), though its field of meaning is more limited to cultic abomination (cf. Lev 11:11, 13; Ps 22:25).

[7:26]  ²² tn Heb “detesting you must detest and abhorring you must abhor.” Both verbs are preceded by a cognate infinitive absolute indicating emphasis.

[6:18]  ²³ tn Heb “Only you keep [away] from what is set apart [to the Lord] so that you might not, as you are setting [it] apart, take some of what is set apart [to the Lord] and make the camp of Israel set apart [to destruction by the Lord] and bring trouble on it.”

[7:11]  ²⁴ tn Heb “They have violated my covenant which I commanded them.”

[7:11]  ²⁵ tn Heb “what was set apart [to the Lord].”

[7:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and also they have stolen, and also they have lied, and also they have placed [them] among their items.”

[7:12]  ²⁷ tn Heb “they turn [the] back before their enemies because they are set apart [to destruction by the Lord].”

[7:12]  ²⁸ tn The second person pronoun is plural in Hebrew, indicating these words are addressed to the entire nation.

[7:12]  ²⁹ tn Heb “what is set apart [to destruction by the Lord] from your midst.”

[7:24]  ³⁰ tn Or “Trouble” The name is “Achor” in Hebrew, which means “disaster” or “trouble” (also in v. 26).

[7:25]  ³¹ tn Or “trouble.” The word is “achor” in Hebrew (also in the following clause).

[7:25]  ³² tc Heb “and they burned them with fire and they stoned them with stones.” These words are somewhat parenthetical in nature and are omitted in the LXX; they may represent a later scribal addition.

[7:1]  ³³ tn Heb “But the sons of Israel were unfaithful with unfaithfulness concerning what was set apart [to the Lord].”

[7:1]  ³⁴ tn 1 Chr 2:6 lists a “Zimri” (but no Zabdi) as one of the five sons of Zerah (cf. also 1 Chr 7:17, 18).

[7:1]  ³⁵ tn Heb “took from what was set apart [to the Lord].”

[7:1]  ³⁶ tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel.”

[7:1]  sn This incident illustrates well the principle of corporate solidarity and corporate guilt. The sin of one man brought the Lord’s anger down upon the entire nation.

[8:3]  ³⁷ tn Heb “walk in” (also in v. 5).

[8:3]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and they turned aside after unjust gain and took bribes and perverted justice.”

[8:5]  ³⁹ tn Heb “judge” (also in v. 6).

[5:27]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[5:27]  ⁴¹ tn Or “interrogated,” “asked.”

[5:8]  ⁴² tn Heb “Woe [to] those who make a house touch a house.” The exclamation הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death.

[5:8]  ⁴³ tn Heb “[who] bring a field near a field.”

[5:8]  sn This verse does not condemn real estate endeavors per se, but refers to the way in which the rich bureaucrats of Judah accumulated property by exploiting the poor, in violation of the covenantal principle that the land belonged to God and that every family was to have its own portion of land. See the note at 1:23.

[5:8]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “until the end of the place”; NASB “until there is no more room.”

[5:8]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.”

[5:9]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “in my ears, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].”

[5:9]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “great and good [houses], without a resident.”

[5:10]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “a ten-yoke vineyard.” The Hebrew term צֶמֶד (tsemed, “yoke”) is here a unit of square measure. Apparently a ten-yoke vineyard covered the same amount of land it would take ten teams of oxen to plow in a certain period of time. The exact size is unknown.

[5:10]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “one bath.” A bath was a liquid measure. Estimates of its modern equivalent range from approximately six to twelve gallons.

[5:10]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “a homer.” A homer was a dry measure, the exact size of which is debated. Cf. NCV “ten bushels”; CEV “five bushels.”

[5:10]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “an ephah.” An ephah was a dry measure; there were ten ephahs in a homer. So this verse envisions major crop failure, where only one-tenth of the anticipated harvest is realized.

[17:11]  ⁵² tn The meaning of this line is somewhat uncertain. The word translated “broods over” occurs only here and Isa 34:15. It is often defined on the basis of an Aramaic cognate which means “to gather” with an extended meaning of “to gather together under her to hatch.” Many commentators go back to a Rabbinic explanation that the partridge steals the eggs of other birds and hatches them out only to see the birds depart when they recognize that she is not the mother. Modern studies question the validity of this zoologically. Moreover, W. L. Holladay contests the validity on the basis of the wording “and she does hatch them” (Heb “bring them to birth”). See W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 1:498, and see also P. C. Craigie, P. H. Kelley, J. F. Drinkard, Jeremiah 1-25 (WBC), 229. The point of the comparison is that the rich gather their wealth but they do not get to see the fruits of it.

[17:11]  ⁵³ tn The Hebrew text merely says “it.” But the antecedent might be ambiguous in English so the reference to wealth gained by unjust means is here reiterated for clarity.

[17:11]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “he will be [= prove to be] a fool.”

[2:9]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who profits unjustly by evil unjust gain for his house.” On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.

[2:9]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “to place his nest in the heights in order to escape from the hand of disaster.”

[2:9]  sn Here the Babylonians are compared to a bird, perhaps an eagle, that builds its nest in an inaccessible high place where predators cannot reach it.

[2:10]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “you planned shame for your house, cutting off many nations, and sinning [against] your life.”

[2:11]  ⁵⁸ sn The house mentioned in vv. 9-10 represents the Babylonian empire, which became great through imperialism. Here the materials of this “house” (the stones in the walls, the wooden rafters) are personified as witnesses who testify that the occupants have built the house through wealth stolen from others.

[5:3]  ⁵⁹ tn The Hebrew word translated “curse” (אָלָה, ’alah) alludes to the covenant sanctions that attend the violation of God’s covenant with Israel (cf. Deut 29:12, 14, 20-21).

[5:3]  ⁶⁰ sn Stealing and swearing falsely (mentioned later in this verse) are sins against mankind and God respectively and are thus violations of the two major parts of the Ten Commandments. These two stipulations (commandments 8 and 3) represent the whole law.