PROV 13:11 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

13:11

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^11a Dishonest wealth will dwindle,

^11bbut what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.

This proverb contrasts wealth that a person gets quickly, dishonestly, or easily with wealth that a person earns gradually.

13:11a–b

Notice that in the Hebrew, the subjects of 13:11a and 13:11b are not quite parallel. Line 11a is talking about wealth, while line 11b is talking about the person who earns wealth. If this is awkward in your language, you may adjust the parallelism, as the BSB and a number of other English translations have done. For example:

Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. (NLT)

A person who cheats to get rich will soon be poor again, but a person who works hard for his money will grow richer and richer.

13:11a

Dishonest wealth will dwindle,

Wealth that is obtained suddenly/quickly will soon be used up.
If a person gets/gains money quickly or dishonestly, it will become steadily less.

Dishonest wealth: The phrase that the BSB translates here as Dishonest refers figuratively to something that lacks substance or is temporary.There is a textual issue relating to the phrase that the BSB translates as “Dishonest”: (1) The Masoretic Text (MT) has hon mehebel “wealth gained from breath/vapor.” According to NIDOTTE (H2039), the word hebel occurs with its literal meaning (“breath/vapor”) three times. The other seventy-five times, it is used figuratively. Here this phrase refers figuratively to wealth that a person gains quickly, dishonestly, or easily. (2) The LXX and Latin Vulgate seem to be a translation of the Hebrew words hon mǝbohal “wealth gained from haste.” This phrase refers to wealth that a person gains quickly. The Masoretic Text is recommended because it is more difficult and it is therefore more likely to be original. It is also possible that the LXX and Vulgate are based on the same word as the MT, because one of the implied meanings of the MT is “quickly.” (Delitzsch (p. 200) says that the translations in the LXX and Latin are not necessarily based on bhl, since the MT hbl refers to wealth “obtained in a windy (unsubstantial) manner and as if by storm,” which would seem to go along with the saying “Quickly come, quickly go.” A footnote in the NET also prefers the MT. It says that in this context, in contrast with “little by little” in the parallel line, hebel means “without working for it” or “quickly.” This textual issue has not been presented in the Notes, because the overlap in implied meanings makes it difficult to know what textual option many versions have followed. The textual choice also makes no difference in the translation options. In contrast to wealth that is earned “through hard work” (13:11b), it implies wealth that is gained in one or more of three ways:

The wealth is gained quickly or hastily. For example:
Wealth gained hastily (ESV)
A sudden fortune (NJB) (ESV, NET, NJB, NLT, NRSV, REB)The footnotes in the NRSV (“hastily gotten”) and REB (“quickly won”) indicate that they have followed the Greek text. Those versions have been listed here because they focus on the same aspect of meaning (“quickly”) as the other versions.
The wealth is gained dishonestly or unjustly.The LXX has “hastily with lawlessness.” The implication of fraud is also supported by the Syriac, which has “wealth acquired unjustly,” and the Targum, which has “a fortune obtained by wickedness.” See Waltke (pp. 561–562). For example:
Wealth gained through injustice (GW) (BSB, CEV, GW, NASB, NIV)
The wealth is gained easily. For example:
Money that comes easily (NCV) (NCV, GNT)

It is recommended that you choose a word or expression that will imply as many as possible of the above three meanings. If you need to choose one meaning, interpretation (1) is recommended. It forms a good contrast with 13:11b.It is also suitable for either textual tradition.

will dwindle: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “becomes little/less.” Most versions do not specify whether the wealth dwindles quickly or slowly. But since the wealth is gained quickly or easily, it may be implied that it dwindles in the same way. For example:

Money that comes easily disappears quickly (NCV)

The more easily you get your wealth, the sooner you will lose it. (GNT)

13:11b

but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.

But wealth/money that is steadily and gradually obtained/earned by hard work will become more.
But if he works diligently and earns money a little at a time, his wealth will accumulate/increase.

but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied: The phrase that the BSB translates as through hard work is literally “by hand.” It describes the way in which money is earned. Versions understand this in two different ways:

The money is earned steadily and gradually. For example:
money earned little by little will grow and grow (CEV) (CEV, ESV, GW, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NRSV, RSV)
The money is earned through honest and diligent work. For example:
wealth from hard work grows over time (NLT) (BSB, CSB, GNT, KJV, NASB, NKJV, NLT)

will be multiplied: The phrase that the BSB translates as will be multiplied is literally “increases it” or “makes it many.”

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

מֵ⁠הֶ֣בֶל

from,vanity

Here, from emptiness refers to obtaining something easily or without effort. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “obtained easily” or “that someone gains without effort”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

וְ⁠קֹבֵ֖ץ עַל־יָ֣ד

and,[one_who]_gathers on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in labour

Solomon is speaking of people who gather by hand in general, not of one particular person gathering by hand. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a more natural expression. Alternate translation: “but any person who gathers by hand”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ⁠קֹבֵ֖ץ עַל־יָ֣ד

and,[one_who]_gathers on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in labour

Here, gathers by hand could refer to: (1) gathering something gradually in small amounts as if one were gathering it in one’s hand. Alternate translation: “but one who gathers gradually” (2) working hard to gather something, as if one were using one’s hands to do the work. Alternate translation: “but one who gathers by laboring”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

יַרְבֶּֽה

increase

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: “will increase wealth”

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.