Proverbs 27
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The whole Book of Proverbs in the Leningrad Codex (1008 C.E.) from an old fascimile edition.
Book	Book of Proverbs
Category	Ketuvim
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	21

Proverbs 27 is the 27th chapter of the Book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.^[1][2] The book is a compilation of several wisdom literature collections, with the heading in 1:1 may be intended to regard Solomon as the traditional author of the whole book, but the dates of the individual collections are difficult to determine, and the book probably obtained its final shape in the post-exilic period.^[3] This chapter is the last part of the fifth collection of the book,^[4] so-called "the Second Solomonic Collection."^[5]

Text

The original text is written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 27 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).^[6]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC; some extant ancient manuscripts of this version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G))}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G))}$^S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G))}$^A; 5th century).^[7]

Analysis

This chapter belongs to a further collection of Solomonic proverbs, transmitted and edited by royal scribes during the reign of Hezekiah, comprising Proverbs 25–29.^[8] Based on differences in style and subject-matter there could be two originally separate collections:^[8]

1. Proverbs 25–27: characterized by many similes and the 'earthy' tone
2. Proverbs 28–29: characterized by many antithetical sayings and the predominantly 'moral and religious' tone (cf. Proverbs 10–15)

The New King James Version adopts verse 7 as a sub-heading for this chapter,^[9] reflecting the argument from Methodist minister Arno Gaebelein that this section represents "instructions given to Solomon".^[10] Verses 23 to 27 are distinct and commend the life of a shepherd "as providing the best and most enduring kind of wealth".^[11]

Verse 1

Do not boast about tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day may bring forth.^[12]

• "Do not boast": from Hebrew: אַל־תִּתְהַלֵּל, romanized: ʾal tithallel, in the Hitpael jussive negated form of the common verb “to praise,” or in this setting means “to praise oneself” or “to boast.” ^[13]
• "A day": Perowne notes that the Septuagint refers to "the day" (Greek: ἡ ἐπιοῦσα, hē epiousa), meaning the next day, but he considers "a day", meaning " a future day", to be a preferable translation.^[14]

Verse 20

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

and never satisfied are the eyes of man.^[15]

• "Sheol" or "hell" (KJV, NKJV, etc.) is depicted as 'a monster with a voracious appetite for human victims' (cf. Proverbs 1:12; 30:16). Human desires and ambition are just as insatiable and may also be as ruthless.^[11]
• "Abaddon": or "destruction" (KJV, NKJV, etc.).^[16]