PROV 1:23 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:20–33: Wisdom warns people not to reject her advice

In this section, Wisdom is personified as a woman teacher or prophetess who publicly warns people not to reject her advice. After an introduction (1:20–21), Wisdom begins her speech. In her speech, she scolds foolish people for ignoring her teaching (1:22–27). She then describes what will happen to such people (1:28–31). She concludes her speech by contrasting the fate of fools with the happiness of those who obey her (1:32–33).

In the verses that contain Wisdom’s speech, the Notes use a capital letter for Wisdom, except where a quoted version has small letters. The Display provides more than one option. You may use either option in your language, depending on what is appropriate in each context. See the note at Section 8:1–36 for more information about using a capital letter to indicate personification.

Some other headings for this section are:

Wisdom Speaks (NCV)

Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom (NIV)

Wisdom’s invitation to people to listen to her advice

1:23

This verse consists of an exhortation followed by two parallel consequences that have similar meaning. The NRSV has been used as the source line, because it follows the recommended interpretation.

^23aGive heed to my reproof; (NRSV)

^23b I will pour out my thoughts to you; (NRSV)

^23c I will make my words known to you. (NRSV)

1:23a–c

(NRSV) Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you: There are two ways to interpret this verse:

Wisdom invites her audience to respond to her warning. If they respond, there will be good consequences. For example:
Pay attention to my warning. To you I will pour out my heart and tell you what I have to say. (NJB) (CEV, ESV, GW, NAB, NASB, NET, NJB, NLT, NRSV, REB, GNT)
Wisdom tells her audience what the good consequences would have been if they had responded (but they had not responded). For example:
If only you had listened when I corrected you, I would have told you what’s in my heart; I would have told you what I am thinking. (NCV) (BSB, NCV, NIV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions. It is clear from the context that Wisdom is still willing to give advice and knowledge if the people will listen to her.

1:23a

If you had repented at my rebuke,

If you^(plur) pay attention to my rebuke,
Listen^(plur) when I rebuke/correct you,

(NRSV) Give heed: In Hebrew, this verb is literally “turn/return.” In this context, it means “respond,” “listen” or “pay attention.”

(NRSV) to my reproof: The word reproof usually indicates verbal correction or rebuke. In many languages, it may be more natural to express these ideas as verbs. For example:

Listen when I reprimand you (GNT)

See rebuke 1 in the Glossary.

1:23b

then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you;

I will tell you^(plur) what is in my heart/liver
and then I will make known to you what I feel

(NRSV) I will pour out my thoughts to you: The Hebrew word ruaḥ that the NRSV translates as thoughts is literally “spirit.” But the verb that the NRSV translates here as pour out usually means to communicate or express a person’s thoughts, feelings, and attitudes.Toy (page 24) and Whybray (page 47) focus more on expressing one’s thoughts. Fox (page 100) says that the verb is used more of emotion than intellect, and includes feelings, will, attitudes, and desires. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

I let you know how I feelFox (page 100).

I will tell you what is in my heart.

1:23c

I would have made my words known to you.

and will make my thoughts known to you^(plur).
and think.

(NRSV) I will make my words known to you: The phrase my words refers here to the thoughts or decisions that Wisdom intends to tell them. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

what I think (CEV)

my knowledge (GNT)

General Comment on 1:23a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder the parts of this verse so that the exhortation comes last. For example:

^23bHow I long to express my feelings to you ^23cand make known to you what is in my thoughts. ^23aSo listen to my rebuke/reprimand to you.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

תָּשׁ֗וּבוּ

turn

Turn here implies turning one’s head in order to listen better to what someone is saying. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Turn your heads and listen”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הִנֵּ֤ה

see/lo/see!

Behold is a term meant to focus the attention of the listener on what the speaker is about to say. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use some emphatic term or expression in your language that would have this same effect. Alternate translation: “Note this” or “Listen”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

אַבִּ֣יעָה לָ⁠כֶ֣ם רוּחִ֑⁠י אוֹדִ֖יעָה דְבָרַ֣⁠י אֶתְ⁠כֶֽם

pour_out to/for=you(pl) my=breath/wind/spirit known words_of,my ,you(pl)

These two clauses 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 that would show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “I shall allow my spirit to gush forth to you, yes, I shall cause you to know my words”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

רוּחִ֑⁠י

my=breath/wind/spirit

Here, spirit refers to a person’s thoughts. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “my thoughts”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אַבִּ֣יעָה לָ⁠כֶ֣ם רוּחִ֑⁠י

pour_out to/for=you(pl) my=breath/wind/spirit

Wisdom telling the people what she thinks is spoken of as if her thoughts were a liquid that would come flowing out. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I shall freely tell you what I think”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

לָ⁠כֶ֣ם & אֶתְ⁠כֶֽם

to/for=you(pl) & ,you(pl)

In this speech from verse 23 through verse 27, Wisdom addresses foolish people directly as a group. Therefore, use the plural forms of address in your translation if your language marks that distinction.

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

דְבָרַ֣⁠י

words_of,my

Here, Wisdom uses the term words to describe what she says by using words. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the things that I have to say”

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 1:23

Hebrew word order