Proverbs 1

2 a. understand or discern

5 b. acquire

12 c. Or the grave

13 d. Lit. wealth

13 e. plunder

17 f. futility

17 g. Lit. lord of the wing

20 h. in the street

21 i. LXX, Syr., Tg. top of the walls; Vg. the head of multitudes

22 j. naive

22 k. naivete

32 l. waywardness

33 m. at ease

Proverbs 2

18 a. sinks

19 b. Lit. reach

22 c. destroyed

22 d. land

Proverbs 3

4 a. Lit. good understanding

6 b. Or make smooth or straight

8 c. Body, lit. navel

8 d. Lit. drink

18 e. hold her fast

27 f. Lit. its owners

Proverbs 4

16 a. Lit. robbed

18 b. Lit. light

24 c. devious

Proverbs 5

1 a. Lit. Bow

2 b. appreciate good judgment

3 c. Lit. a strange

5 d. Or Sheol

9 e. vigor

10 f. Lit. strength

16 g. Channels

19 h. Lit. intoxicated

21 i. observes, lit. weighs

Proverbs 6

1 a. guaranty or collateral

1 b. Lit. struck

5 c. One who catches birds in a trap or snare

7 d. Lit. leader

8 e. Lit. bread

9 f. Lit. lie down

13 g. gives signals, lit. scrapes

16 h. Lit. His soul

17 i. Lit. Haughty eyes

22 j. Lit. it

26 k. Wife of another, lit. a man’s wife

35 l. Lit. lift up the face of any

Proverbs 7

7 a. Lit. sons

7 b. lacking

13 c. shameless

19 d. Lit. the man

20 e. Lit. in his hand

20 f. at the full moon

21 g. By the greatness of her words

21 h. compelled

22 i. LXX, Syr., Tg. as a dog to bonds; Vg. as a lamb . . . to bonds

22 j. shackles

23 k. Lit. is for

27 l. Or Sheol

Proverbs 8

2 a. Lit. heights

5 b. naive

16 c. MT, Syr., Tg., Vg. righteousness; LXX, Bg., some mss. and editions earth

20 d. walk about on

26 e. outer places

26 f. Lit. beginning of the dust

30 g. A Jewish tradition one brought up

Proverbs 9

2 a. arranged

13 b. boisterous

16 c. naive

18 d. Or Sheol

Proverbs 10

8 a. Lit. the foolish of lips

8 b. be thrust down or ruined

13 c. Lit. lacks heart

17 d. leads

21 e. Lit. heart

30 f. land

Proverbs 11

1 a. deceptive

1 b. Lit. perfect stone

5 c. Or make smooth or straight

12 d. Lit. lacks heart

15 e. guaranty

15 f. those pledging guaranty, lit. those who strike hands

21 g. Lit. hand to hand

22 h. taste

27 i. Lit. seeks

30 j. Lit. takes, in the sense of brings, cf. 1 Sam. 16:11

31 k. rewarded

Proverbs 12

4 a. Lit. A wife of valor

9 b. lightly esteemed

11 c. works or cultivates

11 d. Lit. vain things

11 e. Lit. heart

21 f. harm

Proverbs 13

15 a. gives

18 b. Lit. ignores

23 c. uncultivated

23 d. Lit. what is swept away

24 e. early

Proverbs 14

4 a. manger or feed trough

9 b. Lit. guilt

14 c. Lit. from above himself

20 d. Lit. many are the lovers of the rich

23 e. Lit. talk of the lips

25 f. saves lives

29 g. Lit. short of spirit

34 h. shame or disgrace

Proverbs 15

4 a. Lit. healing

5 b. Lit. keeps

7 c. spread

11 d. Or Sheol

11 e. Heb. Abaddon

13 f. face

17 g. Or vegetables

21 h. Lit. heart

23 i. Lit. in its time

24 j. Or Sheol

30 k. Lit. fat

Proverbs 16

1 a. plans

3 b. Lit. Roll

4 c. Lit. evil

5 d. Lit. hand to hand

11 e. concern

18 f. stumbling

19 g. plunder

27 h. Lit. A man of Belial

30 i. Lit. compresses

Proverbs 17

1 a. Or sacrificial meals

4 b. Lit. destructive

18 c. Lit. heart

18 d. Lit. strikes the hands

18 e. guaranty or collateral

20 f. crooked

22 g. Or makes medicine even better

23 h. Under cover, lit. from the bosom

Proverbs 18

1 a. sound wisdom

8 b. gossip or slanderer

8 c. A Jewish tradition wounds

8 d. Lit. rooms of the belly

10 e. secure, lit. set on high

24 f. So with Gr. mss., Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT may come to ruin

Proverbs 19

7 a. Lit. are not

8 b. Lit. heart

13 c. Irritation

16 d. Is reckless, lit. despises

18 e. Lit. to put him to death; a Jewish tradition on his crying

22 f. Lit. lovingkindness

24 g. LXX, Syr. bosom; Tg., Vg. armpit

28 h. Lit. witness of Belial, worthless witness

Proverbs 20

2 a. Lit. fear or terror, produced by the king’s wrath

6 b. Lit. mercy

14 c. Lit. evil, evil

22 d. repay

27 e. Lit. rooms of the belly

28 f. mercy

30 g. Lit. rooms of the belly

Proverbs 21

1 a. channels

4 b. Or lamp

6 c. LXX Pursue vanity on the snares of death; Vg. Is vain and foolish, and shall stumble on the snares of death; Tg. They shall be destroyed, and they shall fall who seek death

7 d. Lit. drag them away

8 e. Or The way of a man is perverse and strange;

14 f. Under cover, lit. in the bosom

19 g. Lit. in the land of the desert

22 h. Climbs over the walls of

29 i. Qr., LXX understands

Proverbs 22

6 a. Even

8 b. trouble

9 c. Lit. good

21 d. Or send you

26 e. Lit. strikes

26 f. guaranty

28 g. boundary

29 h. is prompt in his business

29 i. obscure

Proverbs 23

5 a. Lit. Will you cause your eyes to fly upon it and it is not?

6 b. Lit. one who has an evil eye

10 c. boundary

14 d. Or Sheol

16 e. Lit. kidneys

18 f. Future, lit. latter end

31 g. goes around

34 h. Lit. heart

Proverbs 24

8 a. Lit. master of evil plots

14 b. Lit. latter end

18 c. Lit. it be evil in His eyes

23 d. Lit. recognize faces

28 e. LXX, Vg. Do not deceive

34 f. Lit. one who walks about

34 g. Lit. a man with a shield

Proverbs 25

8 a. Lit. contend or bring a lawsuit

10 b. the evil report concerning you not pass away

26 c. ruined

Proverbs 26

10 a. Heb. difficult in v. 10; ancient and modern translators differ greatly

13 b. Or plazas, squares

15 c. LXX, Syr. bosom; Tg., Vg. armpit

20 d. gossip or slanderer, lit. whisperer

22 e. gossip or slanderer

22 f. A Jewish tradition wounds

22 g. Lit. rooms of the belly

25 h. Lit. his voice is gracious

Proverbs 27

7 a. tramples on

9 b. Lit. counsel of the soul

16 c. Lit. hides

18 d. protects or tends

20 e. Or Sheol

20 f. Heb. Abaddon

Proverbs 28

3 a. Lit. and there is no bread

12 b. Lit. will be searched for

18 c. delivered

21 d. Lit. recognize faces

Proverbs 29

2 a. become great

10 b. Lit. soul or life

11 c. Lit. spirit

18 d. prophetic vision

24 e. Lit. hears the adjuration or oath

25 f. secure, lit. set on high

26 g. Lit. face

Proverbs 30

5 a. tested, refined, found pure

13 b. In arrogance

16 c. Or Sheol

19 d. Lit. heart

23 e. Or hated

26 f. rock hyraxes

28 g. Or lizard

31 h. Or perhaps strutting rooster, lit. girded of waist

31 i. A Jewish tradition a king against whom there is no uprising

Proverbs 31

5 a. Lit. sons of affliction

8 b. Lit. sons of passing away

10 c. Vv. 10–31 are an alphabetic acrostic in Hebrew; cf. Ps. 119

10 d. Lit. a wife of valor, in the sense of all forms of excellence

16 e. Lit. the fruit of her hands