Proverbs 10:6-8 New English Translation
6 Blessings[a] are on the head of the righteous,
but the speech[b] of the wicked conceals[c] violence.[d]
7 The memory[e] of the righteous is a blessing,
but the reputation[f] of the wicked will rot.[g]
8 The wise person[h] accepts instructions,[i]
but the one who speaks foolishness[j] will come to ruin.[k]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:6 sn The word “blessings” has the sense of gifts, enrichments, that is, the rewards or the results of being righteous. The blessings come either from the people the righteous deal with, or from God. CEV understands the blessings as praise for good behavior (“Everyone praises good people”).
- Proverbs 10:6 tn Heb “the mouth.” The term פֶּה (peh, “mouth”) functions as a metonymy of cause for speech.
- Proverbs 10:6 tn Heb “covers.” Behind the speech of the wicked is aggressive violence (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 422).
- Proverbs 10:6 tn The syntax of this line is ambiguous. The translation takes “the mouth of the wicked” as the nominative subject and “violence” as the accusative direct object; however, the subject might be “violence,” hence: “violence covers the mouth of the wicked” (cf. KJV, ASV, NIV).
- Proverbs 10:7 sn “Memory” (זֵכֶר, zekher) and “name” are often paired as synonyms. “Memory” in this sense has to do with reputation, fame. One’s reputation will be good or bad by righteousness or wickedness respectively.
- Proverbs 10:7 tn Heb “name.” The term “name” often functions as a metonymy of association for reputation (BDB 1028 s.v. שֵׁם 2.b).
- Proverbs 10:7 tn The editors of BHS suggest a reading “will be cursed” to make a better parallelism, but the reading of the MT is more striking as a metaphor.sn To say the wicked’s name will rot means that the name will be obliterated from memory (Exod 17:14; Deut 25:19), leaving only a bad memory for a while.
- Proverbs 10:8 tn Heb “the wise of mind.” The noun לֵב (lev, “mind, heart”) functions as a genitive of specification: “wise in the mind” or “wise-minded.” Cf. “wise hearted” NASB, ESV, NRSV; “wise in heart” KJV, NIV. The term לֵב (lev) represents the person in this case (a synecdoche of part for the whole) because it is the seat of thinking and wisdom.
- Proverbs 10:8 tn Heb “commandments.”
- Proverbs 10:8 tn Heb “fool of lips.” The phrase is a genitive of specification: “a fool in respect to lips.” The term “lips” is a metonymy of cause (= lips) for effect (= speech). This person talks foolishness; he is too busy talking to pay attention to instruction.
- Proverbs 10:8 tn The Niphal verb לָבַט (lavat) means “to be thrust down [or, away]”; that is, “to be ruined; to fall” or “to stumble” (e.g., Hos 4:14). The fool who refuses to listen to advice—but abides by his own standards which he freely expresses—will suffer the predicaments that he creates.
New English Translation (NET)
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