OET interlinear PRO 16:10

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

קֶ֤סֶם ׀ עַֽל־שִׂפְתֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ

oracle on/upon lips_of king

Divination usually refers to the practice of trying to get information from spirits, which is a practice that Yahweh prohibited. However, Solomon uses the word here to refer to a king correctly communicating God’s decisions as God’s representative. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Divinely inspired decisions are on the lips of a king”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

קֶ֤סֶם & בְּ֝⁠מִשְׁפָּ֗ט

oracle & in/on/at/with,judgment

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of Divination and judgment, you could express the same ideas in other ways. Alternate translation: “What someone discerns from God … when he judges”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

שִׂפְתֵי

lips_of

See how you translated the same use of lips in [10:21](../10/21.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

מֶ֑לֶךְ

king

This verse describes the traits of an ideal, righteous king, not any king in general. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “an ideal king”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

מֶ֑לֶךְ & פִּֽי⁠ו

king & mouth_of,his

Here, the words king and his represent righteous kings, not one particular king. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “any good king … that king’s mouth”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

פִּֽי⁠ו

mouth_of,his

Solomon is using one part of a person, his mouth*, to represent all of a king in the act of announcing his judgment. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “he will not speak unfaithfully.”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

לֹ֣א יִמְעַל

not sin

Here Solomon speaks of the mouth of a king as if it were a person who would not act unfaithfully. Alternate translation: “will not be unjust”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / litotes

לֹ֣א יִמְעַל

not sin

Solomon is using a figure of speech here that expresses a strongly positive meaning by using a negative word, not, together with an expression that is the opposite of the intended meaning. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the positive meaning by using positive words. Alternate translation: “will certainly act faithfully”