PROV 16:18 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

16:18

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^18a Pride goes before destruction,

^18band a haughty spirit before a fall.

In Hebrew, there are no verbs in these parallel lines. The proverb is literally:

^18aBefore breaking, pride

^18band before stumbling, haughtiness of spirit

The overall meaning of both lines is that a person who is proud will experience disaster. It is implied that his pride will cause him to do foolish things that lead to his humiliation and ruin.

16:18a–b

(combined/reordered)

If you^(sing) are proud and think you are better/higher than others, you will soon fall from your high position and experience destruction/ruin.

Pride…a haughty spirit: The word that the BSB translates as Pride occurs in 8:13b. The BSB translates it there as “arrogant pride.” The word translated here as a haughty spirit occurs in the phrase “proud in heart” in 16:5a. See the note there.

These words do not contrast in meaning. They both refer to someone who has a high opinion of himself and considers himself to be better than others.

If your language has two expressions for such a person, you may be able to use both of them. Otherwise, it is acceptable to use one expression that covers the same range of meaning.

before destruction…before a fall: The word that the BSB translates as destruction can refer literally to something that “breaks” or “shatters.” The word that it translates as a fall is literally “a stumbling.”Waltke (page 26), NIDOTTE (H4174). In this context, both words have similar meanings. They refer figuratively to humiliation and destruction or ruin. The nature of this destruction is not stated.

Some other ways to translate these parallel lines are:

Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall. (GNT)

Pride will destroy a person; a proud attitude leads to ruin. (NCV)

Pride precedes disaster, and an arrogant attitude precedes a fall. (GW)

General Comment on 16:18a–b

In some languages, a literal translation of the parallel lines may wrongly imply that there is a contrast between “pride” and a “haughty spirit.” It may also wrongly imply a contrast between “destruction” and “a fall.” If that is true in your language, you may need to reorder the parallel parts. See 16:18a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.

16:18a

Pride goes before destruction,

The person who is proud will certainly be ruined/destroyed.

16:18b

and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Yes, a high-minded person will stumble and fall down.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

לִ⁠פְנֵי־שֶׁ֥בֶר גָּא֑וֹן וְ⁠לִ⁠פְנֵ֥י כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן גֹּ֣בַהּ רֽוּחַ

to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before destruction pride and,[is],before_of fall haughty_of spirit

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the phrases with a word other than and in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “Before the face of breaking is pride; indeed, before the face of a stumbling is a height of spirit”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

לִ⁠פְנֵי־שֶׁ֥בֶר גָּא֑וֹן

to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before destruction pride

Here Solomon refers to someone having pride before experiencing breaking as if breaking were a person with a face that pride could be in front of. See how you translated the same use of Before the face of in [8:25](../08/25.md). Alternate translation: “Pride exists before breaking”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

לִ⁠פְנֵי־שֶׁ֥בֶר גָּא֑וֹן

to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before destruction pride

Here Solomon implies that pride results in breaking. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Pride results in breaking”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

שֶׁ֥בֶר

destruction

Here Solomon refers to a person being destroyed as if they experience breaking. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “destruction” or “being destroyed”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

גָּא֑וֹן

pride

See how you translated the abstract noun pride in [8:13](../08/13.md).

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

וְ⁠לִ⁠פְנֵ֥י כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן גֹּ֣בַהּ רֽוּחַ

and,[is],before_of fall haughty_of spirit

Here Solomon refers to someone having height of spirit before experiencing stumbling as if stumbling were a person with a face that height of spirit could be in front of. See how you translated the same use of before the face of in the previous clause. Alternate translation: “a height of spirit exists before stumbling”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ⁠לִ⁠פְנֵ֥י כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן גֹּ֣בַהּ רֽוּחַ

and,[is],before_of fall haughty_of spirit

Here Solomon implies that a height of spirit results in stumbling. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “and a height of spirit results in a stumbling”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן

fall

Here Solomon refers to a person being destroyed as if they experience stumbling. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “destruction” or “being destroyed”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

גֹּ֣בַהּ רֽוּחַ

haughty_of spirit

Here Solomon refers to a person being proud as if pride were a height of spirit. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is pride” or “is being proud”

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 16:18