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 Become wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice, That I may give an answer to my accusers. Better than “be wise” (Luther), we translate “become wise” (lxx σοφὸς γίνου); for he who is addressed might indeed be wise, though not at present so, so that his father is made to listen to such deeply wounding words as these, “Cursed be he who begat, and who educated this man” (Malbim). The cohortative clause 11b (cf. Psa 119:42) has the force of a clause with a purpose (Gesen. §128:1): ut habeam quod iis qui me convicientur regerere possim; it does not occur anywhere in the Hezekiah collection except here.

Verse 12
Pro 27:12    ערום appears to lean on חכם. The prudent man seeth the misfortune, hideth himself; The simple pass on, suffer injury. = Pro 22:3, where וּפתיים for פּתאים, ונסתּר for נסתּר, and ונענשׁוּ for נענשׁוּ; the three asyndeta make the proverb clumsy, as if it counted out its seven words separately to the hearer. Ewald, §349a, calls it a “Steinschrift” an inscription on a stone. The perfects united in pairs with, and yet more without, Vav, express the coincidence as to time.

Verse 13
Pro 27:13    ערום alliterates with ערב. Take from him the garment, for he hath become surety for another, And for the sake of a strange matter put him under bonds. = Pro 20:16, vid., there. נכריּה we interpret neut. (lxx τὰ ἀλλότρια; Jerome, pro alienis), although certainly the case occurs that one becomes surety for a strange woman (Aquila, Theodotion, περὶ ξένης), by whose enticements and flatteries he