PROV 15:14 Interlinear View

15:14 OSHB variant note: ו/פני: (x-qere) ’וּ/פִ֥י’: lemma_c/6310 morph_HC/Ncmsc id_204qd וּ/פִ֥י

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

15:14

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^14a A discerning heart seeks knowledge,

^14bbut the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

In this verse, “heart” and “mouth” are figures of speech in which a part of the body represents the entire person. The proverb contrasts the desire of a sensible person to gain more knowledge with the desire of a fool to fill himself with foolishness.

15:14a

A discerning heart seeks knowledge,

Anyone who has good sense is eager/hungry to learn,
An intelligent/sensible person wants to increase what he knows.

A discerning heart seeks knowledge: This line means that a discerning person wants to increase his knowledge. He searches for ways to learn more. Another way to translate this is:

Anyone with good sense is eager to learn more(CEV)

It is possible to translate this with an expression for seeks that has to do with hunger. This fits well with the parallel expression “feeds on” in 15:14b. For example:

A wise person is hungry for truth (NLT96)

discerning: This word refers to someone who is perceptive, intelligent, or sensible. This word last occurred in 14:33a. See discerning in the Glossary.

15:14b

but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

but a fool has a hunger/craving for more foolishness.
A fool only wants to fill his mind with foolishness.

but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly: The word that the BSB translates as feeds on is used elsewhere of animals eating grass in a field. The author may have chosen this word to create a mental picture of a fool who “grazes” like a sheep on foolishness.Fox (p. 594) says that the verb raʿah in 15:14b is very similar in meaning to the verb biqqeš “seeks” in 15:14a. He points out an interesting play on words. The word raʿah can refer to the action of a shepherd who both “feeds” and “pursues” his sheep, as well as the action of sheep that “feed” or “graze” on grass. Here it means that a fool wants to fill his mind with foolishness. Some versions express this meaning directly. For example:

but fools just want more foolishness (NCV)

In some languages, it may be possible to use figurative language (as in the NLT96 example in 15:14a). For example:

while the fool feeds on trash (NLT96)

but fools are hungry for foolishness (CEV)

Another way this has been translated is:

stupid people are satisfied with ignorance (GNT)

However, in such a translation, the word “satisfied” may imply “no longer hungry.”

For the words fool and folly, see fool 2 and folly in the Glossary.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

לֵ֣ב נָ֭בוֹן יְבַקֶּשׁ־דָּ֑עַת וּפִ֥י

mind discerning seeks knowledge (Some words not found in UHB: mind discerning seeks knowledge and_[the],mouth_of fools feeds_on folly )

The heart, the understanding one, and the mouth represent these things and type of people in general, not one particular heart, understanding one, or mouth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “The hearts of the understanding ones seek knowledge … but the mouths of”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

לֵ֣ב & וּפִ֥י

mind & (Some words not found in UHB: mind discerning seeks knowledge and_[the],mouth_of fools feeds_on folly )

In this verse, heart and mouth refer to the whole person. See how you translated the same use of heart in [6:18](../06/18.md) and mouth in [4:5](../04/05.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

יְבַקֶּשׁ

seeks

See how you translated the same use of seeks in [11:27](../11/27.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

דָּ֑עַת & אִוֶּֽלֶת

knowledge & folly

See how you translated the abstract nouns knowledge in [1:4](../01/04.md) and folly in [5:23](../05/23.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

יִרְעֶ֥ה

feeds_on

Here Solomon refers to stupid ones being satisfied with folly as if folly were something they feed on like cattle feed on grass. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “are satisfied by”

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

15:14 OSHB variant note: ו/פני: (x-qere) ’וּ/פִ֥י’: lemma_c/6310 morph_HC/Ncmsc id_204qd וּ/פִ֥י

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 15:14

Hebrew word order

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

15:14

15:14a

15:14b

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