19:1 Antithetic comparison. Verses 1 and 2 are not in the LXX. The antithesis between blameless and perverse is clear, but not so for poor and fool. One would expect “rich” instead of fool. This is the reading of the apparent doublet in 28:6, adopted by many commentators and translations (NAB).

19:2 Synonymous. In Proverbs, hasty action is generally suspect (e.g., 21:5; 28:20; 29:20). It suggests aimless (if not evil) and unplanned activity. The meaning of verse 2b enables one to translate the difficult verse 2a as the NIV does (contrast the NJPS): npš (zeal) that is aimless (without knowledge) will get nowhere.

19:3 Synthetic with intensification. One cannot blame the Lord when, by the very nature of folly, the fool excludes God from consideration (Ps. 14:1—"there is no God!”).

19:4 An…