“people.” The Hebrew text reads adam, “man,” in the singular, but it was understood as a uniplural noun, like the English “fish” or “deer” which can be singular or plural depending on the context. Here the word is to be understood as plural, so literally, “man” (men); but it is meant for both men and women so “people,” “mankind,” or “humanity.” We went with “people” to be clear that women were included.

This verse reveals the fact that Proverbs says things that are generally true, not universally true. People who show covenant loyalty and faithfulness will generally find favor and have a good reputation among the population, but not among everyone, because evil people will resent and stand against them.