Proverbs 16:20
He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. KJV
Footnotes are important in Bible study. So is a little detective work. The word “matter” in the above verse is translated as “word” in the NKJV, ESV, NASB, and “instruction” in the NIV. Only the ESV had the footnote “matter.”
In Bible studies, it is a good thing for people to have different Bible translations because they help us understand words in the original language that have several meanings or that are difficult to translate.
When this happens it is time to dig deeper. It turns out the Hebrew word is used over 1390 times in my Hebrew concordance. Most often it is translated as “word” as in “the word of the Lord…” but not always. It could be “the words of a transgressor.” “The wicked,” “thing,” or “matter” to name a few of the 80 plus English words used in the KJV. These are events we can observe and learn from; as we filter them through the wisdom we have gained from our relationship with the Lord and our Bible Study.
Read, observe, trust the Lord, and be blessed.