Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Proverbs 3:21--What is Tushiyyah?

What is tushiyyah (תּוּשִׁיָּה)? The term occurs 11x in the Tanakh and it's translated as "practical wisdom" or sound wisdom (Proverbs 3:21). Just what does this mean?

Robert Alter Hebrew Bible: "My son, let these things not slip away from your eyes, keep prudence and cunning"

Notes for 3:21: "This unit of the text, which runs to verse 26, is a series of exhortations to cling to wisdom and thus enjoy its benefits, which parallels the similar series in verses 1–12, forming a kind of frame around the celebration of the supernal force of wisdom in verses 13–20."

NET Bible: "My child, do not let them escape from your sight; safeguard sound wisdom and discretion."

NET Note:
tn Or: [safeguard] “purpose,” “power of devising.”

NWT translates with "practical wisdom."

LXX:
υἱέ μὴ παραρρυῇς τήρησον δὲ ἐμὴν βουλὴν καὶ ἔννοιαν

Vulgate: 
Fili mi, ne effluant haec ab oculis tuis. Custodi legem atque consilium

Tremper Longman III (Proverbs): "These verses are the opening admonition to the son to pursue resourcefulness and discretion, two words that are closely connected to wisdom. He warns his son against letting his focus move away from the way of wisdom. He must be diligent in his cultivation of resourcefulness and discretion. We have already seen the word 'resourcefulness' (tušîyyâ) before this occurrence (2:7) and have agreed with Fox that it may be defined as 'an inner power that helps one escape a fix.' In 2:7, it is likened to a shield because it protects one from the vicissitudes of life. If a problem arises, then the recipient of God’s wisdom will have the wherewithal to deal with it. We have already encountered 'discretion' (mĕzimmâ) before as well (1:4)."

Bruce Waltke suggests the rendering "sound judgment" or "success."

NET Note for Proverbs 2:7:
tn The noun תּוּשִׁיָּה (tushiyyah) has a two-fold range of meanings: (1) “sound wisdom” (so KJV, NRSV); “effective counsel” and (2) result (metonymy of effect): “abiding success” (BDB 444 s.v.; W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 388; cf. NIV “victory”). It refers to competent wisdom and its resultant ability to achieve moral success (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 80).

Compare Proverbs 8:14; 18:1.

See https://www.jstor.org/stable/3259996?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

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