8:7

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

7a
For my mouth will speak the truth,

7b and wickedness is detestable to my lips.

8:7a

For: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as For gives the second reason for listening to Wisdom. The first reason is given in 8:6a. This verse does not give a reason or explanation for 8:6b. In some languages, it may be necessary to make explicit the connection to the command “Listen” in 8:6a. For example:

⌊Also listen,⌋ for my mouth speaks what is true

my mouth will speak the truth: The phrase my mouth is a figurative way of referring to Wisdom herself. The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the truth also means “dependable” or “reliable.” In Hebrew, it occurs in an emphatic position in the sentence. Some ways to express this emphasis in English are:

I speak nothing but truth (Revised English Bible)
-or-
I always speak the truth (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Only the truth is what I speak

8:7b

and wickedness is detestable to my lips: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as and is usually translated as “and” or left implicit when it introduces another parallel line with similar meaning. For example:

and my lips hate wickedness (NET Bible)
-or-
wickedness is abhorrent to my lips (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

The clause wickedness is detestable to my lips is a figurative way of saying:

I detest saying anything that is wicked.

The word wickedness contrasts here with “what is true” in 8:7a. In this context, it may be understood specifically as “lies” (Good News Translation). But the word itself means simply “evil” or “wickedness.” For the word translated as detestable (“abomination” in the English Standard Version), see the note on 3:32a.

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