PROV 1:31 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

Paragraph 1:28–31

In the previous paragraph, both the Hebrew text and the English versions use “you” pronouns. These pronouns indicate that Wisdom is directly addressing the foolish people in her audience. In paragraph 1:28–31, the Hebrew text changes from “you” to “they” pronouns. There are two ways to interpret this pronoun change:

Some versions change from “you” to “they” pronouns. This change implies that Wisdom is now talking about the fools rather than addressing them directly. For example:
Then they will call me… (NJB) (BSB, NIV, RSV, REB, NJB, NASB, NJPS, NET, GW, NLT)
Other versions continue to use “you” pronouns. This implies that Wisdom continues to speak to the fools that she addressed in 1:22–27.UBS (page 49). For example:
Then you will call to me… (NCV) (NCV, GNT, CEV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English versions and scholars. Some scholars think that the change of pronouns indicates the climax of this section.Fox (page 101) and Garrett (pages 71–72) both understand 1:28 to be the center of a chiasm, though they differ on the details. The change of pronouns may also imply that Wisdom is talking about the fools to a different audience.Fox (page 101) understands that Wisdom has been addressing a hypothetical audience of fools. In 1:28 she “turns to the real audience, the reader, as she speaks about the fools and draws a lesson from their self-inflicted doom.” However, throughout this section, we have portrayed personified Wisdom as addressing an actual audience, and it is unlikely that many readers of our translations would understand a switch from a hypothetical to a real audience. This audience may be the readers of the book or the “son” mentioned in 1:8 and 1:15. It is also possible that Wisdom summarizes in her own mind what she has just announced to the fools in her audience.

In many languages, it will be necessary to indicate explicitly that Wisdom is no longer addressing the same audience. Some ways to do this are to use one or more of the following options:

Put quotation marks at the end of 1:27.
Supply a statement at the end of 1:27 that Wisdom is no longer addressing the same audience. For example:
That is what Wisdom said to those foolish people.
Start 1:28 with a clause that indicates a new quote. For example:
Then Wisdom said, “…
Add a footnote that explains that Wisdom is no longer addressing the same audience.

1:31

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^31aSo they will eat the fruit of their own way,

^31band be filled with their own devises.

This verse gives the consequences/results of the behavior in 1:29–30.

1:31a

So they will eat the fruit of their own way,

Therefore they will eat the bitter fruit/crop that results from their way of life,
Therefore they will suffer the consequences of what they have done.

So they will eat the fruit of their own way: The clause they will eat the fruit of their own way is a figure of speech. It means “they will suffer the consequences of their conduct/behavior.”

In some languages, a literal translation of this figure of speech may be difficult to understand. Some other ways to translate it are:

Keep the figure of speech, but make explicit part of the meaning. For example, the NLT makes explicit the words “bitter” and “living”:
Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way (NLT)
Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:
So then, you will get what you deserve. (GNT)
Use a different figure of speech with a similar meaning. For example:
Therefore, since you chose to plant evil, you will have to harvest the bitter crop that it bears.

1:31b

and be filled with their own devices.

and they will be overfull from their evil plans.
They will be utterly sickened when they think of what they planned to do to other people.
They will be filled with disgust at the things they planned for others.

and be filled with their own devices: In Hebrew, this expression is literally “be filled from their schemes.” There are two ways to interpret this expression:

The phrase “the fruit” from 31a does not apply. This line describes a parallel but different consequence to the behavior in 1:29–30. It means “filled to the point of disgust with their own plans.” For example:
until you are stuffed full with your own schemes (CEV) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, NASB, NET, NJB, NRSV, REB, GNT)
The phrase “the fruit” from 31a does apply. This line has a similar meaning to the first line, and it means “filled with the bitter consequences that their plans have produced.” For example:
you will get what you planned for others (NCV) (NCV, NIV, NLT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions.With this interpretation, the point of the figure of speech is as follows: In the same way that overeating causes a person to hate the thought of more food, so also a person who gets pleasure from planning the downfall of others will end up being filled with disgust at his own plans. See McKane (page 276) and the NET footnotes.

In some languages, it may be clearer to translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

your own actions will make you sick (GNT)

devices: Another translation for devices is:

what you planned for others (NCV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

וְֽ֭⁠יֹאכְלוּ מִ⁠פְּרִ֣י דַרְכָּ֑⁠ם וּֽ⁠מִ⁠מֹּעֲצֹ֖תֵי⁠הֶ֣ם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ

and,they_will_eat (Some words not found in UHB: and,they_will_eat from_the=fruit their_way_of,their and,from,their_own_of,schemes sated )

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 other than and in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: [And they will eat from the fruit of their way, yes, from their plans they will be satisfied]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְֽ֭⁠יֹאכְלוּ מִ⁠פְּרִ֣י דַרְכָּ֑⁠ם

and,they_will_eat (Some words not found in UHB: and,they_will_eat from_the=fruit their_way_of,their and,from,their_own_of,schemes sated )

Here, people suffering the consequences of their behavior are spoken of as if they were eating the fruit of their way. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a similar idiom from your language or express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [And they will experience the consequences of their behavior]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

וּֽ⁠מִ⁠מֹּעֲצֹ֖תֵי⁠הֶ֣ם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ

(Some words not found in UHB: and,they_will_eat from_the=fruit their_way_of,their and,from,their_own_of,schemes sated )

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [and their plans will satisfy them]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וּֽ⁠מִ⁠מֹּעֲצֹ֖תֵי⁠הֶ֣ם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ

(Some words not found in UHB: and,they_will_eat from_the=fruit their_way_of,their and,from,their_own_of,schemes sated )

Here, the word translated as satisfied means “to be made full of.” This word can have either a positive or negative meaning, but here the meaning is negative. It means that these foolish people will suffer the full consequences of their foolish plans. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [they will experience the consequences of their plans]

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.