OET interlinear PRO 17:16

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

לָ⁠מָּה־זֶּ֣ה מְחִ֣יר בְּ⁠יַד־כְּסִ֑יל לִ⁠קְנ֖וֹת חָכְמָ֣ה וְ⁠לֶב־אָֽיִן

to/for=what this price in/on/at/with,hand_of fool to,buy wisdom and,sense_of no

Solomon is using the question form to emphasize how nonsensical it is for a stupid person to try to buy wisdom. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “It is ridiculous that a payment is in the hand of a stupid one to acquire wisdom but there is no heart!”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

מְחִ֣יר בְּ⁠יַד־כְּסִ֑יל

price in/on/at/with,hand_of fool

Here, a payment, the hand, and a stupid one represent these things and people in general, not specific things or people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a more natural expression. Alternate translation: “payments are in the hands of stupid people”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

מְחִ֣יר בְּ⁠יַד־כְּסִ֑יל

price in/on/at/with,hand_of fool

Here Solomon refers to a stupid one trying to buy wisdom as if he were holding in his hand the money with which to buy it. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “A stupid one tries to pay money”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

חָכְמָ֣ה

wisdom

See how you translated the abstract noun wisdom in [1:2](../01/02.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ⁠לֶב־אָֽיִן

and,sense_of no

Here Solomon uses heart to refer to a person’s ability to think. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. See how you translated the similar phrase “lacking of heart” in [6:32](../06/32.md). Alternate translation: “but he has no ability to think”