PROV 12:21 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 10:1–22:16: This is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs

This section is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs. It has a very different structure from the longer poetic lectures of chapters 1–9. It consists mostly of individual couplets (two-line poems) that are each one verse in length. With the exception of the title (10:1a), paragraph breaks will not be indicated in the Notes or Display. You may of course choose to start each proverb as a separate paragraph in your translation.

In chapters 10–15, most of these one-verse couplets express a contrast between the two lines. One of the more common contrasts is between the righteous/wise and the wicked/foolish and the different consequences of their conduct.

In chapters 16:1–22:16, more topics are discussed. There is more emphasis on the role of the king and other leaders. In these chapters, there are few proverbs with contrasting lines. Some of the parallel lines are similar in meaning. More frequently, the second line adds to what the first line says or gives an example. Most of the verses have no obvious connection with the previous or following proverbs.UBS (page 214), Fox (page 509), McKane (page 413). Many scholars, including McKane, point out that there are some topical groupings as well as poetic connections. These include the repetition of certain words or sounds. This observation does not deny the individual nature of most of the proverbs in this Section.

Two of the types of proverbs in this section are not found in chapters 1–9. One type contains logical reasoning from the lesser to the greater. See 11:31 for a list of these proverbs. There are also several varieties of complex “better than” proverbs. The most common have a contrasting situation in each line (see 12:9). For other varieties, see 16:16, 19:1, and 21:9.

Many of the proverbs in this section refer to categories of people who share a common trait. For example, they refer to the righteous, the wise, the poor, and the lazy. In Hebrew, some verses use singular forms to refer to these groups of people. Other verses use plural forms. Still others use a combination of singular and plural. See the note on 10:30a–b for one example. For most of these verses, the Notes will not comment on the difference between singular and plural forms. Use a natural way in your language to refer to one or more people who are in the same category.

Many of the proverbs in this section express a general principle in abstract terms. They are not addressed specifically to the readers. For example, 10:2a–b says:

Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,

but righteousness delivers from death.

However, the author intended his readers to understand these proverbs as advice that they should follow. In some languages, authors or speakers give advice more directly, using pronouns such as you^(sing), you^(plur), we^(dual), or we^(incl). See the note on 10:2 for translation suggestions.

Some other headings for this section are:

Proverbs of Solomon (NIV)

The Wise Words of Solomon (NCV)

Here are many wise things that Solomon said

12:21

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^21a No harm befalls the righteous,

^22bbut the wicked are filled with trouble.

12:21a–b

harm…trouble: The Hebrew words that the BSB translates as harm and trouble can both refer to moral evil or wickedness. But in this verse, they probably represent the results of evil, such as harm, injury, trouble, or misfortune.

12:21a

No harm befalls the righteous,

A person who does what is right is spared from harm/trouble,
Nothing bad can happen to people who obey the laws of Yahweh,

No harm befalls the righteous: According to UBS (p. 278), the form of the Hebrew verb used here (the Piel) means “allows or permits to happen,” implying that the LORD is the one who preserves the righteous from harm. However, no versions translate this statement as a passive or causative verb or make explicit that the LORD is the subject. None of the other commentaries used in preparing these Notes deals with the implications of the Piel verb. This statement seems to contradict our actual experience, so a few versions have tried to limit the meaning of harm to “ultimate spiritual harm.” For example:

No lasting harm comes to a righteous person (GW)

However, it is probably better to understand this line as a general principle and to translate harm without limiting the normal meaning.As Longman states, proverbs should be understood as “generally true principles by which to live,” not as promises that will always be fulfilled (p. 277). Job provides a clear example of a righteous person who experienced physical harm. There are also numerous verses in Psalms that seem to promise categorically that righteous people will not suffer physical harm (such as from arrows or sunstroke), so specifying “real” (NLT) or “lasting” (GW) harm may be going beyond what the author of Proverbs intended. For example:

Nothing bad happens to righteous people (GNT)

Righteous people never have trouble

12:21b

but the wicked are filled with trouble.

but there is no end to the woes/troubles of wicked people.
but the wicked face/experience trouble all the time.
but many bad things happen in the lives of evil people.

but the wicked are filled with trouble: In contrast to the righteous, the wicked experience much trouble. Another way to translate this clause is:

but wicked people have lots of trouble (GW)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

לֹא־יְאֻנֶּ֣ה לַ⁠צַּדִּ֣יק כָּל־אָ֑וֶן

not befalls to,righteous all/each/any/every harm

Solomon is saying this as a generalization for emphasis. If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the emphasis in a different way, as in the UST.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

אָ֑וֶן

harm

Here, iniquity refers to harm that someone might experience as a result of iniquity. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “harm”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

לֹא־יְאֻנֶּ֣ה

not befalls

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “Yahweh will not allow to happen”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

לַ⁠צַּדִּ֣יק

to,righteous

See how you translated the righteous in [10:16](../10/16.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מָ֣לְאוּ רָֽע

filled trouble

The phrase full of evil could mean: (1) the wicked ones experience much evil. Alternate translation: “experience much evil” (2) the wicked ones do much evil. Alternate translation: “do much evil”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

רָֽע

trouble

Here, evil refers to trouble that someone might experience as a result of evil. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “trouble”

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.