PROV 13:10 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

13:10

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^10a Arrogance leads only to strife,

^10bbut wisdom is with the well-advised.

The inexact contrast implies that a proud person does not take advice, and a wise person does not cause quarrels.

Some English versions follow the order of the Hebrew, as the BSB does. Other versions reorder the parallel parts in the form of a chiasm. For example:

^10a Pride leads only to arguments,

^10bbut those who take advice are wise. (NCV)

You may use whatever order is more natural in your language.

13:10a

Arrogance leads only to strife,

If a person is too proud/arrogant to listen to advice, this situation will result in nothing but arguments between him and others.
People who are arrogant/insolent will always/only cause quarrelling,

Arrogance leads only to strife: There is a textual issue here with the word that the BSB translates as only:

The Masoretic Text has raq “only.” For example:
Arrogance produces only quarreling (GW) (BSB, ESV, GW, KJV, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NJPS, GNT)
Some scholars think that the original text was req “empty-headed, heedless.” For example:
By insolence the heedless make strife (NRSV) (NAB, REB, NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions.Option (1) is followed by Longman, Murphy, Waltke, Ross, Garrett, and Delitzsch. Scott, Whybray, McKane, and Fox support option (2). According to Fox (p. 565), it would be “pointless” to limit the cause of strife to arrogance. A third option, proposed by Toy (p. 271) is to omit raq + bǝ “only by” on the grounds of dittography with the preceding word. The NLT and the CEV omit the word “only,” but this omission may have been due to stylistic reasons rather than textual ones.

Arrogance: This word refers to people who are proud, arrogant, or insolent. Such people do not want to accept the advice of others, so they respond by arguing and causing a quarrel.

leads only to strife: The word that the BSB translates as leads…to means to cause, produce, bring about, or result in something.

The English versions that follow the Masoretic Text all understand the word only to modify strife.Many commentators, including Toy, Ross, McKane, and Delitzsch also take the MT text “only” to modify “strife.” But Garrett (p. 136) says that the line should be rendered, “It is only from arrogance that one makes strife.” Waltke (p. 560) also argues rather persuasively that “only” must be connected to the following word “with-pride,” not to “strife” or to the whole clause, because it is followed by the preposition bǝ-. In other words, if a person is too arrogant to listen to advice, there is bound to be strife. However, no versions translate this way, so the Notes have not listed it as an interpretational difference. One way to express this meaning is:

Arrogance causes nothing but trouble (GNT)

In some languages, a translation such as “Arrogance produces only quarreling” (GW), quoted above, would wrongly imply that quarreling was the only result of arrogance. (See 11:2, 16:18, and 29:23 for other results of pride.) If that is true in your language, some other ways to translate this clause are:

Arrogance inevitably leads to quarrelling

Whenever a person displays his pride and arrogance, arguments will always be the result.

13:10b

but wisdom is with the well-advised.

If a person is wise, he will listen to the advice of his fellowman.
but those who humbly listen to the advice of others are wise.

but wisdom is with the well-advised: This line means that wisdom is a characteristic of people who are humble enough to listen to advice. Some versions express this line as a command. For example:

Be sensible and take advice. (CEV)

This may be a good option in some languages.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

רַק־בְּ֭⁠זָדוֹן יִתֵּ֣ן מַצָּ֑ה & חָכְמָֽה

only with,presumption he/it_gave strife & wisdom

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of presumptuousness, contention, and wisdom, you could express the same ideas in other ways. See how you translated presumptuousness in [11:2](../11/02.md) and wisdom in [1:2](../01/02.md). Alternate translation: “When people are presumptuous they only make people contend with each other … being wise”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

רַק־בְּ֭⁠זָדוֹן יִתֵּ֣ן מַצָּ֑ה

only with,presumption he/it_gave strife

Solomon says only as an overstatement for emphasis. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different way to express the emphasis. Alternate translation: [With presumptuousness one should expect contention]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ⁠אֶת־נ֖וֹעָצִ֣ים חָכְמָֽה

and=DOM take_advice wisdom

Solomon is leaving out a word that in many languages a clause would need in order to be complete. You could supply this word from the previous clause if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “but with those who are counseled comes wisdom”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

נ֖וֹעָצִ֣ים

take_advice

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: “those whom people counsel”

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.

OET interlinear PROV 13:10

Hebrew word order

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

13:10

13:10a

13:10b

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