Proverbs 14:1-35

Proverbs 14. In this, as in each of the preceding Chapter s in this section, aphorisms on the moral government of the world come first in number. There are rather more in this chapter of a political and social character, while a group that might be called psychological appears for the first time (e.g. Proverbs 14:10; Proverbs 14:13, and in part Proverbs 14:30). The contrast between wisdom and folly, simplicity and prudence, also yields a fairly numerous group.

Proverbs 14:1. MT cannot be translated. Proverbs 14:1 a is probably the quotation of Proverbs 9:1 a, and Proverbs 14:1 b is added as an aphoristic and antithetic comment. Read Wisdom hath builded her house, but folly tears it down with her hands.

Proverbs 14:3. rod: lit. shoot (mg.) or twig, as in Isaiah 11:1, the only other place where the word occurs. Hence, if the text is sound, the fool's mouth is represented as sending forth a branch of folly. But this leaves the antithesis without point. We expect some word conveying the harmfulness of the fool's speech to himself.

Proverbs 14:4 a yields no intelligible contrast; a slight emendation, where there are no oxen there is no corn, gives it.

Proverbs 14:7. The straightforward rendering of the Heb. is, If thou go from the presence of a fool thou hast not known lips of knowledge i.e. time spent in a fool's company is time wasted. But the text is very uncertain. LXX may preserve the original, All things are contrary to a fool, but wise lips are instruments of perfection, evidently following Proverbs 20:15 for Proverbs 14:7 b.

Proverbs 14:9. Another very difficult verse. The lit. translation, as far as one can be given, is Guilt (or a guilt offering) mocks fools, but among (lit. between) the upright there is good pleasure. It is hard to extract any sense from this. LXX, evidently with a widely different text in Proverbs 14:9 a, has the houses of transgressors need purification, but the houses of the righteous are acceptable (i.e. to God). The word mocks is the trouble. A slight emendation would give fools go astray by guilt, which yields a possible sense.

Proverbs 14:13. Cf.

Our sincerest laughter with some pain is fraught,

Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thoughts.

Proverbs 14:14. Instead of the difficult from himself, read the necessary from his deeds, the same verb being supplied as in Proverbs 14:14 a.

Proverbs 14:17 b. Omit, with LXX, one Heb. letter, and read, to the improvement of sense and antithesis, but a man of thought endures. The Heb. for a quick-tempered man is lit. one who is short of nostrils; a patient man is long of nostrils i.e. his anger does not soon become apparent, by a snort!

Proverbs 14:18. are covered: the verb (Job 36:2) is Aram. Render the prudent wait for knowledge.

Proverbs 14:21. is happy: rather is blessed by God, as in Psalms 1:1, blessed is the man.

Proverbs 14:24 b is tautologous and yields no antithesis. Read The crown of the wise is their wisdom, the chaplet of fools is their folly (LXX).

Proverbs 14:32. in his death: read, transposing two letters, in his integrity (so LXX).

Proverbs 14:35. causeth shame: properly disappoints i.e. in a political sense, one who is a political or diplomatic failure.