PROV 17:1 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

17:1

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^1aBetter a dry morsel in quietness

^1bthan a house full of feasting with strife.

The first line describes an inadequate meal where the people who eat together are in harmony. This situation is better than a family that has lots of good food but the family members quarrel together. The reason is that harmonious relationships are more important than the quality of the food. Also, even the most delicious food is ruined by tension and quarreling.Hubbard (page 267).

This is another four-part “better than” proverb. This proverb has the following pattern:

It is better to have A (bad/undesirable situation) + B (very good/desirable situation)

than to have C (good/desirable situation) + D (very bad/undesirable situation)

For 17:1, the four parts are:

A: an inadequate meal (undesirable)

B: harmonious relationships (very desirable)

C: frequent, delicious meals (desirable)

D: quarreling (very undesirable)

See the note on 12:9 for more details on this kind of proverb.

17:1a

Better a dry morsel in quietness

The situation of those who have only a little tasteless food to eat but they get along well together is better
It is better for a family to have peaceful/harmonious relationships, even though they have only a small amount of bread/rice to eat,

Better a dry morsel: The phrase that the BSB translates as a dry morsel in the context of Palestine, probably refers to a piece/scrap of bread that people ate dry or by itself. In other words, there was no accompanying sauce or other foods.Waltke (page 38), Delitzsch (page 254). The word dry may also imply that the bread or other food was leftover or stale.UBS (page 366). It represented a simple meal that was inadequate and not very tasty.

Some ways to express the meaning of this phrase are:

Use a phrase that refers specifically to bread. For example:
a mouthful of dry bread (NJB)
a dry crust of bread (GNT)
In areas where bread is not considered to be a plain or common food, use a more general term. For example:
a little leftover food
a small and simple meal
Use a term that refers to a simple or inadequate meal in your language. For example:
a few bites of riceThis example is taken from UBS (page 366).

in quietness: The phrase that the BSB translates as quietness is a single Hebrew word. It contrasts with the parallel word “strife” in 17:1b. So it refers here to peaceful or harmonious relationships among those who are eating together. It does not refer to silence. Some ways to translate this Hebrew word are:

with peace of mind (GNT)

where there is peacefulness and harmony

17:1b

than a house full of feasting with strife.

than the situation of a family/household that frequently feasts on the best foods but they are arguing with one another.
than to always have lots of tasty food, but at the same time also to have quarrels with one another.

than a house full of feasting: The phrase that the BSB translates as full of feasting is literally “full of sacrifices.” When a family offered an animal sacrifice to the LORD, they had a fellowship meal afterward to eat the meat. In this proverb, the emphasis is on the quantity and quality of the food. The fact that it was a sacrifice is not important. So the phrase “full of sacrifices” refers to a house where the family members frequently held feasts or banquets.Fox (page 623), Whybray (pages 253–254), Hubbard (page 259), Longman (page 340).

with strife: The strife referred to here is probably quarrels/arguments between the family members.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

than a family feast filled with strife (GW)

than have a banquet in a house full of trouble (GNT)

than to have a feast where there is quarreling (NCV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

פַּ֣ת חֲ֭רֵבָה & מִ֝⁠בַּ֗יִת מָלֵ֥א

morsel dry & more,than_a_house full_of

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. See how you translated the same use of these phrases in [15:16–17](../15/16.md). Alternate translation: “is having a dry morsel … than having a house full of”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ⁠שַׁלְוָה

and,security

Here, ease refers to a situation in which someone feels peaceful because there is no quarreling. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “and a peaceful situation”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠שַׁלְוָה־בָ֑⁠הּ

and,security [is]_with,it

Here Solomon refers to feeling peaceful as if that ease were an object that someone could have with a dry morsel. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “while feeling ease” or “while feeling peaceful”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מִ֝⁠בַּ֗יִת מָלֵ֥א

more,than_a_house full_of

Here Solomon refers to a house in which people frequently eat meat from sacrifices as if the house were full of sacrifices. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “than a house in which people frequently have”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

זִבְחֵי

feasting_of

Here, sacrifices refers to feasts in which Israelites would eat the meat from the sacrifices they had offered to Yahweh at the temple in Jerusalem. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “feasts of”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

זִבְחֵי־רִֽיב

feasting_of strife

Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe feasts that are characterized by quarreling. If your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: “feasts characterized by quarreling”

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 17:1

Hebrew word order

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

17:1

17:1a

17:1b

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