PROV 1:26 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

1:26–27

In 1:26 the writer used two similar terms: “calamity” and “terror.” In the Hebrew of the next verse he used the same terms but changed the order (chiasm), but the BSB does not follow the Hebrew order. He also added a simile to each line: “dread comes like a storm” and “destruction like a whirlwind.” In the last line he added two other synonyms: “distress” and “anguish.” By organizing these verses in this way, he created the impression of an intense, certain, and sudden disaster. It may not be natural to use a chiasm in your language. It is also unlikely that your language will have the same range of parallel terms, but you should try to keep the implication of increasing or fearful disasters. Because the NIV retains the parallelism of the original, it will be used in the Display for these verses.

1:26

Notice that the NIV retains the parallel parts that are similar in meaning in the Hebrew:

^26a I in turn will laugh at your disaster; (NIV)

^26b I will mock when calamity overtakes you— (NIV)

1:26a–b

(combined/reordered)

So when something happens to you^(plur) that causes awful damage and causes you to be afraid, I for my part will laugh and make fun of you.
So as for me, I will laugh and jeer at you when the dread-producing disaster that you deserve comes upon you,

(NIV) I in turn: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “I also.” It shifts the focus from the foolish behavior of the people in Wisdom’s audience to the reaction that Wisdom will have when they face judgment. Some other ways to express this shift of focus in English are:

I, for my part (NJB)

As for me, I will…

(NIV) will laugh at…will mock: These verbs are parallel, but mock has a stronger meaning. It means to ridicule or make fun of someone.

(NIV) your disaster…when calamity overtakes you: The Hebrew word that the NIV translates as disaster refers to any sudden event that causes great damage or destruction. In Hebrew, the parallel word translated as calamity is literally “terror/panic” or “dread.” For example:

I will mock when panic strikes you (NRSV)

The NJB is similar:

I shall jeer when terror befalls you. (NJB)

However, the Hebrew phrase that the NIV translates as calamity is literally “your calamity.” This phrase may mean “the terror that you feel” (as in the NRSV above) or “what causes you terror.” You may translate it either way. Together, the two lines refer to a disaster that causes people to be afraid.

(NIV) overtakes: In Hebrew, this word is literally “comes.” In contexts like this verse, it implies “comes as a consequence.”Waltke (page 207) says that “in wisdom literature boʾ frequently expresses the connection between conduct and consequence.” He quotes Preuss (TDOT) as saying that boʾ would be better translated as “come necessarily.” So another way to translate this verse is:

I will scoff when the dreadful disaster you deserve comes.Waltke (page 208).

General Comment on 1:26a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts in this verse. See 1:26a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.

1:26a

in turn I will mock your calamity;

this is what I will do: I will laugh when some terrible disaster happens to you^(plur).
So as for me, I will laugh when a dreadful thing happens to you.

1:26b

I will sneer when terror strikes you,

I will ridicule you^(plur) when you are filled with terror. You certainly deserve it.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

גַּם־אֲ֭נִי

also/yet I

[1:26–27](../01/26.md) state the result of what was stated in [1:24–25](../01/24.md). If you divided [1:24–27](../01/24.md) into two sentences and removed Because from [1:24](../01/24.md), then you will need to add a word here to express the result of the reasons given in [1:24–25](../01/24.md). Alternate translation: “As a result, I too” or “So, I too”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

גַּם־אֲ֭נִי בְּ⁠אֵידְ⁠כֶ֣ם אֶשְׂחָ֑ק אֶ֝לְעַ֗ג בְּ⁠בֹ֣א פַחְדְּ⁠כֶֽם

also/yet I at,calamity_of,your(pl) laugh mock when,comes dread_of,your(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 shows that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “I too shall laugh at your calamity, yes, I shall mock when your dread comes”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

גַּם־אֲ֭נִי

also/yet I

The phrase translated as I too shifts the focus from the foolish people mentioned in [1:24–25](../01/24.md) to the person speaking, who represents wisdom. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation,n: “I, in turn,” or “I, for my part”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

בְּ⁠אֵידְ⁠כֶ֣ם & בְּ⁠בֹ֣א פַחְדְּ⁠כֶֽם

at,calamity_of,your(pl) & when,comes dread_of,your(pl)

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of calamity and dread, you could express the same ideas in other ways. Alternate translation: “when you suffer … when you are scared”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

בְּ⁠בֹ֣א פַחְדְּ⁠כֶֽם

when,comes dread_of,your(pl)

Here, wisdom speaks of experiencing dread as if it were a person who comes to someone. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “when you experience dread”

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 1:26

Hebrew word order