The second group of people are those who are not as good as they make out.

“There are those who are pure in their own eyes”: “Pure” is the same term used in 15.26 and has the sense of being morally good. In some translations this is expressed as “who have no faults.” “In their own eyes”, as in 12.15, means that this is what these people think of themselves: “considers himself pure” (Scott), “laying claim to purity” (New Jerusalem Bible), “think they are perfect” (Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation is similar).

“But are not cleansed of their filth”: “But” indicates that the real situation is the opposite of the claim in the previous line. “Are not cleansed” means “they are unclean.” The literal meaning of the term “their filth” is something that is foul or filthy; it is applied to the vomit of a drunk person in Isa 28.8 and it is added to the Hebrew text as the word to be read aloud in place of the term for human excrement in the written text of 2 Kgs 18.27 and Isa 36.12. It is figurative in this context, referring to sin or wickedness. Contemporary English Version brings this out with “but they are stained by sin”; in one other translation the line is expressed as “But their sins remain and they are very dirty in the sight of God.”

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 .