PROV 17:18 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

17:18

Notice the parallel parts:

^18aA man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge

^18band puts up security for his neighbor.

The underlined part in 17:18a refers to making an agreement. The part in 17:18b gives specific information about the agreement. It is a guarantee to pay a neighbor’s debt if he is unable to pay.

See the notes on 6:1, 11:15, and 22:26, where the same parallel terms occur. In those verses, they occur in the opposite order.

There are also other differences in these verses. Proverbs 6:1 describes the situation that is faced by a son who has guaranteed someone’s loan. Proverbs 11:15 describes the consequences of guaranteeing another person’s loan. This verse focuses on the foolishness of a person who guarantees a loan for his neighbor.

See the General Comment on 17:18a–b at the end of 17:18b for ways to combine the parallel parts.

17:18a

A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge

A person without good sense shakes hands to guarantee
It is stupid/senseless to promise

A man lacking judgment: This phrase refers to someone who lacks common sense and makes foolish decisions. This phrase last occurred in 15:21a. See lacks judgment in the Glossary.

strikes hands in pledge: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “striking/clapping a palm.” The function of this gesture was to conclude a legal or financial agreement. See the note on 6:1b for ways to translate this gesture.

17:18a–b

(combined/reordered)

People who promise to pay the debts of a friend/companion lack good judgment.

17:18b

and puts up security for his neighbor.

that he will be responsible for his neighbor’s debts.
to pay the loan/debt of your^(sing) neighbor/companion if he cannot pay.

puts up security: This phrase refers here to anything that the loan guarantor gives to the lender to guarantee future payment of the debt. The security could be the person’s oath. It could also be a piece of clothing or something else that belonged to him.See Waltke (page 58).

for his neighbor: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “before” or “in the presence of” his neighbor. There are two main ways to interpret this phrase:

It means that a person guarantees a loan for his neighbor. For example:
puts up financial security for his neighbor (NET) (BSB, CEV, NAB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, GNT)
It means that a person guarantees a loan in the presence of his neighbor. For example:
puts up security in the presence of his neighbor (ESV) (ESV, GW, KJV, NASB, RSV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions.In 6:1 and 11:15, the preposition lǝ “for” is used. Here the preposition is lipne “before.” According to Waltke (page 58) and Delitzsch (page 263), this preposition never means “on behalf of.” According to McKane (page 503), the preposition suggests that the neighbor was present when the agreement was finalized, but he also says that the agreement is made for the benefit of the neighbor. The Targum has: “A man who lacks sense gives his hand and goes surety for his neighbor.” Scholars who support a translation such as “for” or “on behalf of” include UBS, Hubbard, Longman, Ross, Garrett, and Cook. Scholars who support “before” or “in the presence of” include Waltke, Delitzsch, Fox, Toy, and Cohen. Murphy (page 131) says that “in the presence of” is unclear, but concludes that the phrase may point to “the neighbor as a third party and witness to the transaction.” Another way to translate this line is:

become responsible for a neighbor’s debts (NLT96)

neighbor: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates here as neighbor is the same word that it translated as “friend” in 17:17a. It can refer to anyone with whom a person interacts, including a close friend or an acquaintance. See the note on 16:29a.

General Comment on 17:18a–b

In some languages, it may be clearer to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts to indicate that both lines refer to the same agreement. For example:

Only someone with no sense would promise to be responsible for someone else’s debts. (GNT)

It’s stupid to guarantee someone else’s loan. (CEV)

See also 17:18a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

אָדָ֣ם & תּוֹקֵ֣עַ כָּ֑ף & עֲ֝רֻבָּ֗ה & רֵעֵֽ⁠הוּ

humankind & pledges hands & security & his/its=neighbour

A man, one who clasps, a palm, a pledge, and his refer to types of people and things in general, not specific people or things. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “Any person … is a person who clasps palms … any pledge … that person’s neighbor”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

חֲסַר־לֵ֭ב

lacks_of sense

See how you translated the same use of this phrase in [7:7](../07/07.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

תּוֹקֵ֣עַ כָּ֑ף

pledges hands

See how you translated the same idiom in [6:1](../06/01.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

לִ⁠פְנֵ֥י

to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before

This could refer to: (1) being in the presence of his neighbor, as in [14:19](../14/19.md). Alternate translation: “in the presence of” (2) doing something on the behalf of his neighbor. Alternate translation: “on behalf of”

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 17:18