Chapter Overview
Summary
LXX Proverbs is notably more paraphrastic and theologically-expansive than most of the Septuagint — the translator's moralizing tendency regularly amplifies sayings, adds clarifying-couplets, and inserts Hellenistic-wisdom vocabulary. Proverbs 1 lays out the prologue (vv. 1–7), a father's warning against violent-men (vv. 8–19), and Lady Wisdom's public-speech (vv. 20–33). Verse 7's 'fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge' becomes a keystone-axiom in both MT and LXX traditions; verse 16's 'their feet run to evil' supplies the third component of Paul's Romans 3:15–17 catena.
Notable Variants
1:7 'fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom' as foundational-axiom; 1:16 'feet run to evil / swift to shed blood' → Romans 3:15 catena (though Rom 3:15–17 is primarily from Isa 59:7–8); 1:20–33 Lady Wisdom's street-speech as proto-Logos figure.
Structural Notes
MT Prov 1 = LXX Prov 1. 33 verses.
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
'The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel' tracks MT. PAROIMIAI SOLOMŌNTOS — the book's Greek-title. The LXX's paroimia translates Hebrew mashal; John uses paroimia for Jesus' figurative-speech (John 10:6, 16:25, 29), linking Wisdom-literature-genre to Christ's teaching.
To know wisdom and discipline, to discern words of understanding,
'To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight' tracks MT. Six-fold prologue-goals (vv. 2–4): wisdom (sophia), instruction (paideia), insight (phronēsis), dealing-wisely (strophai-logōn), prudence, discretion.
To receive discipline that produces insight — righteousness, justice, and uprightness,
'To receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity' tracks MT.
To give shrewdness to the naive, knowledge and foresight to the young,
'To give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth' tracks MT. PRUDENCE-TO-THE-SIMPLE. The Greek panourgia (prudence, cleverness) is a double-edged term — positive-wisdom or negative-cunning. 2 Cor 4:2 ('walking in craftiness,' en panourgia) uses it negatively; Prov here uses it positively.
Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and the discerning acquire guidance —
'Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance' tracks MT.
to understand a proverb and a figure of speech, the words of the wise and their riddles.
'To understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles' tracks MT. 'PARABLE … DARK SAYING' (parabolēn … ainigmata skoteina). The paraboles of the wise anticipates Jesus' parable-teaching (Matt 13 family), and 1 Cor 13:12's 'we see in a mirror dimly' (en ainigmati) echoes the LXX-aenigma vocabulary.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; wisdom and discipline, fools despise.
'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction' tracks MT. FEAR-OF-LORD KEYSTONE. // Prov 9:10, Ps 111:10, Job 28:28, Eccl 12:13. The book's thesis-statement. The LXX's phobos kyriou archē aisthēseōs — archē (beginning, first-principle) preserves the Hebrew reshit's both-and (temporal-beginning AND chief-part).
Listen, my son, to your father's discipline, and do not abandon your mother's instruction.
'Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching' tracks MT. FATHER-AND-MOTHER TEACHING — covenant-parental-authority. Ephesians 6:1–3 ('honor your father and mother') extends.
For they will be a garland of grace on your head and pendants around your neck.
'For they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck' tracks MT. WISDOM-AS-GARLAND — honorific-imagery.
My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
'My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent' tracks MT.
If they say, 'Come with us — let us lie in ambush for blood, let us lurk unseen for the innocent without cause,
'If they say: Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason' tracks MT. AMBUSH-THE-INNOCENT — classic wicked-men profile.
Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, whole, like those who descend to the pit —
'Like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit' tracks MT. SWALLOW-LIKE-SHEOL imagery.
We will find every kind of precious wealth; we will fill our houses with plunder.'
'We shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder' tracks MT.
'Throw in your lot with us — we will all share one purse.'
'Throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse' tracks MT. ONE-PURSE temptation — shared-criminal-profit.
My son, do not walk on the road with them; hold back your foot from their path,
'My son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths' tracks MT. PATHS-OF-THE-WICKED warning — Psalm 1's 'walk not in the counsel of the wicked' echoed.
for their feet run toward evil and they rush to shed blood.
Masoretic (WLC)
כִּי רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרוּצוּ וִימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּם
For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood
Septuagint (LXX)
οἱ γὰρ πόδες αὐτῶν εἰς κακίαν τρέχουσιν καὶ ταχινοὶ τοῦ ἐκχέαι αἷμα
For their feet run to wickedness, and they are swift to shed blood
ROMANS 3:15 ECHO. Paul's catena at Romans 3:15–17 — 'their feet are swift to shed blood, in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known' — primarily cites Isaiah 59:7–8 LXX but shares vocabulary with this verse. Some early textual traditions attempt to harmonize the two. The 'swift to shed blood' (taxinoi tou ekcheai haima in Prov 1:16 LXX; oxeis hoi podes autōn ekcheai haima in Isa 59:7 LXX) vocabulary-family underlies Paul's universal-sinfulness argument.
Some LXX manuscripts of Prov 1:16 ARE MISSING in certain witnesses — including the major uncials B and the Sahidic — suggesting some transmission-instability. The verse's absence from those early manuscripts may reflect influence-FROM Rom 3:15's Isa 59:7–8 source-text.
For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird.
'For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird' tracks MT. NET-IN-SIGHT-OF-BIRD — the counterproductive-strategy proverb.
But these men lie in ambush for their own blood; they lurk in hiding for their own lives.
'But these men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives' tracks MT. SELF-AMBUSH theology — wicked's plans destroy themselves.
Such are the paths of all who profit by violence — it takes the life of those who gain it.
'Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors' tracks MT. 1 Timothy 6:10 ('the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils') develops.
Wisdom cries aloud in the street; in the public squares she raises her voice.
'Wisdom cries aloud in the street; in the markets she raises her voice' tracks MT. LADY WISDOM'S STREET-SPEECH — the personified-Wisdom figure that chapter 8 develops into proto-Logos. John 1:1's Logos-Christology and 1 Cor 1:30's 'Christ the wisdom of God' descend from this tradition.
At the busiest corner she calls out; at the entrance of the gates, in the city, she speaks her words:
'At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks' tracks MT.
'How long, you naive ones, will you love naivety? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
'How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?' tracks MT.
Turn back at my reproof! Look — I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
'If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you' tracks MT. POUR-OUT-MY-SPIRIT — Wisdom promises Spirit-outpouring. Acts 2:17–18's Pentecost ('I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,' citing Joel 2:28–29) extends the Wisdom-Spirit-outpouring tradition Christologically.
Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention,
'Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded' tracks MT. Romans 10:21 ('all day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people,' citing Isa 65:2) echoes the outstretched-hand-refused tradition.
and you ignored all my counsel and would not accept my reproof —
'Because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof' tracks MT.
then I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when your dread arrives,
'I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you' tracks MT. WISDOM-LAUGHS-AT-CALAMITY. Parallel to Ps 2:4's divine-laughter at the rebellious-nations.
when your dread arrives like a storm and your disaster sweeps in like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
'When terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you' tracks MT.
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will search for me urgently, but will not find me,
'Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me' tracks MT. CALL-BUT-NOT-ANSWERED. Jeremiah 11:11, Micah 3:4, Zechariah 7:13 share the delayed-grace warning.
because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
'Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD' tracks MT.
they would not accept my counsel; they spurned all my reproof.
'Would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof' tracks MT.
So they will eat the fruit of their own way and be gorged on their own schemes.
'Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices' tracks MT. EAT-THE-FRUIT-OF-YOUR-WAY — retributive-consequence. Galatians 6:7 ('whatever one sows, that will he also reap') extends.
For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
'For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them' tracks MT.
But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and be at ease, without fear of harm.
'But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster' tracks MT. DWELL-SECURE promise — Wisdom's-student outcome. Proverbs 3:24–26 develops the dwell-without-fear theology.