This saying contrasts the person who likes to sleep all the time (see also 6.9-11) with the person who gets up to work and provides for his needs.

“Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty”: To “love sleep” means to sleep a lot, or “sleep all the time” (Contemporary English Version). “Lest you . . .” means “so that you will not. . .”; New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and others say “Do not love sleep or you will. . ..” Another way to express this line is “If you are a person who sleeps all the time, you will become poor” (see Good News Translation). The meaning of the Hebrew word translated “come to poverty” is “be dispossessed” or perhaps “lose your inheritance” (Scott); the intended sense seems to be that lazy people lose what they have or what they could have and hence “become poor.”

“Open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread”: The two parts of this line are the contrasts or opposites of the two parts of the previous line. “Open your eyes” contrasts with “Love . . . sleep”, so it probably means “stay awake” (New International Version) or “keep awake” (Revised English Bible). In the light of the rest of the line, however, and in contrast to the inactivity of sleep, we may also understand the expression to refer to being active; so Contemporary English Version has “get up and work” and Good News Translation “keep busy.” Since “bread” was the staple or common food for people in Israel in Bible times, this reference is to “plenty of food” or “plenty to eat” (Good News Translation, Scott). The form of this line in Hebrew is two imperatives, “Open your eyes, be fully satisfied with bread”; but clearly the second is the consequence of the first. Most English versions follow the “and” construction of Revised Standard Version; but another good option for translators is the conditional “If you get up and work, you will have enough food” (Contemporary English Version).

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This saying contrasts the feelings of good or righteous people and those of wicked people about the execution of justice. The second line adds the element of contrast to the straightforward statement of the first line.

“When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous”: “When justice is done” is literally “doing judgment.” Some interpreters take the line to mean that “the righteous” are happy (“it is a joy”) when they themselves act in a just or fair way. Others take it to mean that when “justice” is upheld in the community, perhaps by the punishment of “evildoers”, “the righteous” are glad (because that is what they want). “When justice is done” clearly gives this second meaning in English; to express the other possible sense, we must say something like “Doing what is right. . .” (New Jerusalem Bible).

“But dismay to evildoers”: In Hebrew this line is identical to the second line of 10.29. See the comments there. By itself this line is only part of a sentence; it is the counterpart or contrast to “a joy to the righteous” in the previous line. The Hebrew term rendered “dismay” means “terror,” “destruction,” or “ruin.” As an opposite to “joy” it expresses the feeling of “terror” (New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version) that evildoers may have when they see right behavior upheld and wrong behavior punished. Contemporary English Version expresses it in a more colloquial way in English: “crooks are terrified.” Another possible sense for this line is that “it means destruction for evildoers,” because this is the outcome of justice being done. Scott translates “this spells ruin for evildoers.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

As Scott says, “The translation and meaning of this verse are doubtful.” Some take the verse as a single sentence; others regard it as having two parallel lines that express a contrast. The general sense seems to be that greed defeats itself.

“He who oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth”: For “oppresses” see 14.31. To “increase . . . wealth” means in this context to get more wealth or to cause the wealth to grow. See 13.11. This line is literally “one who oppresses a poor man to make increase for him.” Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version take the final “him” as referring to the person who oppresses, as do Good News Translation and some others. In this case the line is the beginning of a statement that is completed in the next line. However, the final “him” may also be taken as referring to the poor man who is oppressed. In this case the line makes a complete statement in itself: “Harsh treatment enriches the poor” (New Jerusalem Bible).

“Or gives to the rich, will only come to want”: A literal rendering of this line is “one who gives to a rich man, only for lack.” “Giving to the rich” (New Revised Standard Version) is taken by most as a second activity along with “oppressing the poor to enrich oneself,” and the result of both activities is what the final words of this line express. Those who follow this approach render the final words as something like “will lead only to loss” (New Revised Standard Version), “you will become poor yourself” (Good News Translation), or “both come to poverty” (New International Version). Although there are alternative renderings in some versions, the Handbook recommends this approach as the best way of handling the difficult text. Contemporary English Version gives a good expression of it in colloquial English: “Cheat the poor to make profit or give gifts to the rich—either way you lose.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

“Hear, my son, and be wise”: For “Hear, my son” see 1.8. For “be wise” see 6.6; 8.33. In this context it is taken by some to mean “become wise,” that is, “by listening to what I am going to tell you now.” Others take it to mean “you must act wisely [in your life, in the situation I am going to speak about now].” The next line continues this advice, so it will have a bearing on the way we express the verb in this line.

“And direct your mind in the way”: “Direct your mind” is literally “make your heart go straight.” “The way” refers to a person’s “way of life” or “lifestyle.” The meaning of Revised Standard Version is not very clear. Some clearer expressions are “set your mind on the right course” (Revised English Bible), “Give attention to following the right path” (Scott), “have enough sense to follow the right path” (Contemporary English Version), and “give serious thought to the way you live” (Good News Translation).

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls”: The warning “Do not rejoice” means “don’t be happy” (Contemporary English Version), don’t take pleasure, because of what happens to someone else. For “enemy” see 16.7. “Falls” is the same word as in verse 15 and is used in the same sense: “when your enemies meet disaster” (Good News Translation).

“And let not your heart be glad when he stumbles”: “Let not your heart be glad” has the same sense as “Do not rejoice” in the previous line. “When he stumbles” matches “when your enemy falls”. “Stumbles” is the same word as used in verse 16. Because the sense of the two lines is very similar, Contemporary English Version combines them: “Don’t be happy to see your enemies trip and fall down.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

“He who sings songs to a heavy heart”: The first line of Revised Standard Version is the final line in the Hebrew verse. “He who sings songs” must be understood here as someone singing happy or “cheerful songs” (New Living Translation). One difficulty with this line is that it is uncertain who has the “heavy heart”, the singer or the one sung to; most versions understand it as the person sung to. “Heavy heart” describes someone who is sad or depressed (see Good News Translation).

“Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day” is almost identical in its consonants with line 2 of verse 19. This appears to have resulted from copying this line from verse 19. Later scribes kept it but gave it different vowels and therefore a different meaning. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends deleting the line (“C” rating); New Revised Standard Version and some other versions also omit it.

“And like vinegar on a wound”: Revised Standard Version prints the verse as having three lines, but in Hebrew this line has no verb and no comparison marker; it is literally “vinegar on soda.” Note that Revised Standard Version has followed the Septuagint “wound”, where, according to the Revised Standard Version footnote, the Hebrew has “lye,” which is often translated “soda.” Most other versions also follow the Septuagint here.

In translating this verse it seems best to understand that singing to a broken-hearted person causes pain and that pain is given two descriptions or comparisons: exposing the body to the cold and pouring vinegar into a wound.
Good News Translation has substituted “salt” for vinegar as a more common expression of causing pain in a wound. Contemporary English Version translates “Singing to someone in deep sorrow is like pouring vinegar in an open cut.” Contemporary English Version, which has deleted the second line of Revised Standard Version, says in its footnote “cut: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 20.” Note that Good News Translation, on the other hand, has kept the three lines of Revised Standard Version. In this case translators may follow either option for the text.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

“Though his hatred be covered with guile”: “Hatred” translates the same word as used in 10.12. “Guile” translates a word used for the first time here and means “deceit” or “trickery.” The sense is that the person first mentioned in verse 24 may hide or cover up his hatred through deception.

“His wickedness will be exposed in the assembly”: “Wickedness” renders the same Hebrew term as “evil [heart]” in verse 23. There is a contrast between the hatred that the person tries to cover or hide in the previous line and the wicked or evil thoughts that will be “exposed” or revealed here. “Assembly” translates the same word rendered “assembled” in 5.14 and probably refers to a public meeting more than to a religious gathering. Many translate it as “everybody.” This verse may be rendered, for example, “Even if he tries to hide his hatred, his evil will be found out by everybody.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

“A poor man who oppresses the poor”: This line in Revised Standard Version has the poor oppressing the poor. However, various changes have been proposed for the word rendered “A poor man” to give “the wicked man” and “the violent man.” Some translations follow the Septuagint and translate “A tyrant” (New English Bible/Revised English Bible). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates the text of “A poor man” as “B” and translates “a poor leader.” However, “a poor leader” is ambiguous in English, as it may mean a leader who suffers from poverty (which is what Hebrew Old Testament Text Project intends) or one who is incapable. Translations are divided between those like Good News Translation that seem to follow the Septuagint and those like Revised Standard Version. Contemporary English Version appears to follow the advice of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, combining “poor” and “leader” by saying “When someone poor takes over. . ..” “Oppresses”, as in 14.31, means to exploit, abuse, mistreat. “The poor” refers to poor people in general.

“Is a beating rain that leaves no food”: The poor oppressing the poor is disastrous, and the situation is compared here to destructive rains that ruin the crops and leave the people hungry. “Leaves no food” is literally “and there is no bread.” See Good News Translation “that destroys the crops.” Scott says “is like a devastating rain which ruins the harvest.” One translation of the whole verse says “A leader who treats the poor harshly is like a hurricane that flattens all food in the gardens.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .