12:28

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

28a
There is life in the path of righteousness,

28b but another path leads to death.

12:28a

There is life in the path of righteousness: This clause means that righteous conduct results in life. As in similar verses in Proverbs, life probably implies a long and happy life. Another way to translate this clause is:

Doing what is right is the way to life (New Century Version)

12:28b

but another path leads to death: There are textual as well as interpretation issues in this line. They will be grouped according to the kind of parallelism that results:

(1) The Masoretic Text ends this line with the words “no-death.” The whole line is literally “and way of path no-death.” With this option, the parallel lines have a similar meaning. For example:

in walking its path there is no death (New Revised Standard Version)

(2) The ancient versions and more than 20 Hebrew manuscripts end this line with the words “to-death.” The whole line is literally “but way of path to-death.” There are two ways to interpret the meaning of the difficult phrase “way of path.” They are listed as bulleted options below. With both options, the parallel lines contrast in meaning :

• The phrase means: “way of error/wickedness.” For example:

but the way of error leads to death (Revised Standard Version)

• The phrase means: “there is another way.” For example:

but there is another way that leads to death (New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) and that you put the two parts of option (2) in a footnote. Both options are well supported by the versions and scholars.

A suggestion for a footnote is:

This is the meaning of the Masoretic Text. Other Hebrew texts mean: (a) “but wicked people follow a path that leads to death” or (b) “but there is another path that leads to death.”

to death: The Berean Standard Bible translates is following ancient versions and some Hebrew manuscripts that read to death. As noted above, it is recommended that you follow the Masoretic Text, which reads “no-death.” One way to translate this is:

along that path is immortality (New International Version)

However, since “death” in Proverbs often refers to ⌊premature⌋ physical death, it is recommended that you use a more general term. (See the notes on “death” in 10:2b and 11:4a–b.) For example:

in walking its path there is no death (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
their path does not lead to death (New Living Translation (1996))

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