PROV 16:28 Interlinear View

16:28 OSHB note: Small letter(s). Shown as small letters without a superscript note number.

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

16:28

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^27a A perverse man spreads dissension,

^27band a gossip divides close friends.

The second line of this proverb is more specific than the first line. A “gossip” is a particular kind of “perverse man.” The parallelism implies that a “perverse man” causes trouble by his harmful words. A specific example is that his words destroy friendships.

16:28a

A perverse man spreads dissension,

A person who twists the truth causes arguments/misunderstandings.
When people tell lies to deceive their fellowmen, the result is quarrels and trouble.

A perverse man: In Hebrew, this phrase refers to someone who twists or turns upside down the standards that the LORD established for human society.Longman (page 337), Waltke (page 33). He is a bad person who causes trouble of various kinds. In this context, parallel with “a gossip,” it probably refers to a person who twists the truth or who tells lies about others.Whybray (page 53), Toy (page 331). See the note on 2:12b.

spreads dissension: The phrase spreads dissension means “causes quarrels or misunderstandings between people.” (See the note on 6:14b.)

Some other ways to translate this line are:

A devious person spreads quarrels (GW)

A dishonest man spreads strife (ESV)

Wicked people cause trouble/misunderstanding

16:28a–b

(combined/reordered)

An evil person who spreads gossip/slander causes quarrels and destroys close friendships.

16:28b

and a gossip divides close friends.

When he gossips about others, he destroys close friendships.
Their gossip/slander causes good/close friends to become enemies.

and a gossip: In Hebrew, the word gossip is literally “whisperer.” It refers to anyone who spreads false or misleading information that will harm another person or ruin his reputation.Fox (page 622), UBS (page 361).

divides close friends: This phrase means “destroys the friendship between close friends” or “causes close friends to become enemies.” It may refer to a close friend of the gossip or to other people who are close friends.McKane (page 494) says that the meaning is not that he “alienates his own friends, but that he makes it his deliberate policy to destroy other men’s friendships.” Fox (page 621) says that he “creates enmity not only toward himself, but also among others.” No versions imply that the close friendship could not involve one of the gossip’s own friends.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

a slanderer divides friend from friend (NJB)

gossip separates the best of friends (NLT)

and tale-bearing breaks up the closest friendship (REB)

General Comment on 16:28a–b

Due to the parallelism, these lines refer to the actions of the same person. No contrast is intended between them or between the results of their evil actions. The GNT makes this clear by reordering the parallel parts. It has:

Gossip is spread by wicked people; they stir up trouble and break up friendships.

See 16:28a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display for another way to reorder the parallel parts. You will need to decide whether reordering the parallel parts makes the meaning clearer in your language.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

אִ֣ישׁ תַּ֭הְפֻּכוֹת & וְ֝נִרְגָּ֗ן מַפְרִ֥יד אַלּֽוּף

(a)_man perverse & (Some words not found in UHB: (a)_man perverse spreads strife and, separates close_friends )

A man of perverse things, a murmurer, one who separates, and a close friend here refer to types of people in general, not specific people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “Any man of perverse things … and any murmurer is a person who separates close friends”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

אִ֣ישׁ תַּ֭הְפֻּכוֹת

(a)_man perverse

Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe a man who is characterized by saying perverse things. If your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: “A perverse man” or “A man who says perverse things”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

יְשַׁלַּ֣ח מָד֑וֹן

spreads strife

Here Solomon refers to A man of perverse things causing strife between other people as if strife were an animal that he lets loose. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “causes strife”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מָד֑וֹן

strife

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of strife, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “arguments” or “confrontations”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ֝נִרְגָּ֗ן

(Some words not found in UHB: (a)_man perverse spreads strife and, separates close_friends )

Here Solomon calls a person who gossips or tells harmful rumors about people a murmurer because that person speaks quietly when he gossips. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and a gossiper” or “and one who whispers gossip”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

מַפְרִ֥יד

separates

Here Solomon refers to causing friends to no longer be friends as if someone separates them from each other. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is one who destroys a person’s friendship with”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

מַפְרִ֥יד אַלּֽוּף

separates close_friends

Solomon assumes that his readers will understand that this phrase refers to separating a close friend from that person’s friend. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “is one who separates a close friend from his friend” or “is one who separates close friends”

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

16:28 OSHB note: Small letter(s). Shown as small letters without a superscript note number.

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 16:28