Proverbial Translation Notes

The *theology of *Adam *extended the *mercies of God to him *because it is the glory of *a man to *forgive an *offense (MAST).

*[theology] literally, the understanding or insight. But insight into what? Solomon has a specific intention here. It is a particular understanding. A greater or unique perspective that is not ordinarily in just any man. This is possessing an understanding of the purpose of man (in God). It is a “theological” understanding or perspective of things pertaining to man in his relationship to God. Solomon is basically stating to the public and “future” reader (his children) how and why he has rendered this proverbial judgment. He is making it clear where he gets his authority and “reasoning” in the purpose of his judgments.

*[Adam] literally, (a)dam. While this may be referring to a group and type of man having the absence of a direct article, it is more likely referring to one man, Adam as a proper noun. The context even calls for the use of the proper noun in relation to the other men. Solomon has been using both of the terms for mankind in a “proverbial” narrative, but here points back, again, to the first man, “the” Adam made in the image of God, “the” Adam made with the likeness (insight and understanding) of God (Gen.1:26). Therefore this is best translated as the “proper” noun. Adam was first of the proper "man” until man became common (less than what he was intended)(Rom.3:7;5:8,19; Gal.2:15,17; 1Tim.1:9,15; Heb.7:26; Jn.9:24; 1Pet.4:18). So Solomon is drawing his theology from the proper man “before” he became common. This is important to Solomon because this is who he draws his understanding from. This is the “theology” of the “proper” man, the “right” man, the spiritual (race), the man created with the Paraclete (the Holy Spirit) (1Cor.2:6-16). It is also important because God in Christ had not “yet” come in the flesh to be Adam’s substitute in Solomon’s theology (Gen.6:2-5;8:21); he wasn’t drawing understanding from the image of a crucified Christ nor a resurrected man as we should (Jer.32:30). Solomon is acting on the revelation that he had.

*[extended] literally, to make long. It may easily be translated, prolong, as well. Solomon often uses it as an image in association with a nose, a long nose. He has also used these together with the image of the “wind,” to give a description of a “long-winded” person (a patient person). But in this context, it is not in relation to his own image but the image of Adam. The verbal voice is causative (Hifil) of the theology of Adam. In other words, the faith of Adam is the cause of this extension. But what is this extension concerned about? The verbal tense is perfective (complete) to the cause but not necessarily perfective to the (effect). These mercies (the effect) were given to Adam to cause grace, but these mercies are not perfective (promised) to the common man.

*[the mercies of God] literally, the nose. Again, whose nose? Pointing back to Adam’s image (in God) he is referring to the life (the breath) that was in Adam. Adam breathed in the breath of God through this nose. But this nose is genitive of anger. But whose anger? Theologically it is God’s anger, but in relation to Adam’s nose, it is mercy, for Adam did not breath in the anger of God but the mercies of God. And so Solomon is making the theological statement that it is because of God’s mercies (to Adam) that the common man is extended (the same mercies). Why? Because it was these same mercies that Adam breathed out to his children. We only “know” about God’s mercies “through” Adam. Therefore the rest of the proverb flows out of this causative proverbial premise in the theology of Adam. The inspiration of these mercies in Adam is through the expiration of these mercies from God. So what is breathed from Adam to extend mercy to Moses is what Solomon is breathing in now (for context) and back out to us (Rom.5:15,20;9:15-16,23).

*[because] literally, and. But in conjunction with the causative stem (Hifil) it is rendered, because.

*[a man] literally, his. But this is the suffixed pronoun of “the same” man of the causative stem. It could equally be translated as “the glory of Adam.” So the pronoun must not be taken out of the causative construct. It is not the glory of just any man to forgive; it is the glory of this type of man, this form of man, this theology of man (Rom.2:20;6:17;9:20,23-24).

*[forgive] literally, a forgiver. The verb is infinitive of the glory of the Hifil stem. It is the glory of Adam to be a forgiver. That’s the thrust of this verb. But this verb is also genitive of the preposition of (towards) another sinner. The basic meaning of the verb means, to pass by, or to pass over. But in conjunction with the preposition, before, it means to come along-side to pass over. If the verb stands alone it means to “ignore” an offense, but because the verb stands along-side the preposition it means to address the sinner’s sin like a face-to-face encounter. The preposition means to “stand before.” So this infinitive (the forgiver) “drags” the offender along on his travels as he passes over others to the glory of God. The broad meaning of the verb and preposition together then mean, “to pull along-side to pass over.” Think of a policeman pulling over a car while the other cars pass right on by. That’s the image (picture) of this encounter (1Cor.11:7-10; 1Tim.2:13; 2Cor.11:3).

*[offense] literally, transgression. In the context of Solomon’s court, it is better rendered, offense, or crime. As a judge of Israel Solomon was given authority to do so. Again, it is not specific what the offense was, but it is specific as to why and how he is making these proverbial judgments. Solomon gets his authority to forgive offenses through the theology of God. He is in the position to forgive these offenses because of God (Rom.13:1-7). But what must be considered here is that Solomon is not in the place of God to forgive or “absolve” the offender but the offense. The distinction must be made here that Solomon is not justifying the sinner but is bypassing the sin (Acts 17:30); that authority is God’s alone (Mk.2:9-10;11:25; Acts 13:38;26:18; Eph.1:7; Col.1:4; 1Jn.1:9;2:12).