21:22

This proverb teaches that good strategy is more important than physical force. It emphasizes the value of wise military leadership in defeating a strong enemy protected by a fortified city.

22a A wise man scales the city of the mighty

22b and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.

21:22a

A wise man scales the city of the mighty: This clause implies that the plan of one wise man can accomplish the defeat of a city that is defended with a mighty army. In the context of a battle, it is implied that the wise man directs his own troops in attacking the city.

A wise man: The wise man referred to here is probably a military leader, such as a general. If that is not clear from the context, you may want to make it explicit. For example:

A shrewd general (Good News Translation)

scales the city of the mighty: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as scales is literally “goes up.” In the context of “pulls down” in 21:22b, it probably indicates that the wise man and his troops climb over the walls of the city. If it is awkward to make these details explicit, you may translate in a general way, as most English versions have done. For example:

attack a city full of armed men (Revised English Bible)
-or-
can defeat a city full of soldiers (Contemporary English Version)

21:22b

and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pulls down is a causative verb. It indicates that the attacking soldiers cause the strong walls of the city to be broken down or destroyed. This may have involved the use of battering rams.

stronghold: In Hebrew, this word is literally “strength.” In 18:10a it occurs in the phrase “strong tower” Here “strength” may refer to a fortified area in the city walls or simply to the walls themselves.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

and destroy the walls they relied on (Good News Translation)
-or-
and tear down the defenses they trust in (New Century Version)

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