PROV 1:32 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

1:32

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^32aFor the waywardness of the simple will slay them,

^32band the complacency of fools will destroy them.

1:32a

For the waywardness of the simple will slay them,

For/Surely easily-deceived people will die because of their rejecting me, Wisdom.
When inexperienced/naive people turn their backs on me, the result will be their death.

For: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as For often introduces a reason for the preceding statement. However, here it introduces a conclusion (1:32–33) to the whole section (1:20–33). This conclusion contrasts the disastrous fate of people who turn away from Wisdom with the peaceful life that is the reward of people who heed Wisdom.

Some English versions introduce this conclusion without an explicit word. For example:

Fools will die because they refuse to listen (NCV)

In other languages, it may be natural to introduce a conclusion with a word like “surely.”Waltke (page 212) suggests “surely” as an appropriate way to translate the Hebrew word ki here. For example:

Surely/Indeed easily-deceived people will die…

Introduce this conclusion in a natural way in your language.

waywardness: In Hebrew, when this word is used elsewhere in the OT, it always means to turn away from God. However, in this context, it means to constantly turn away from Wisdom.Delitzsch (page 74) says that this refers to apostasy from wisdom and from God, and it’s of course true that anyone who rejects wisdom also rejects God. However, two versions specifically refer this to turning from wisdom, and this view is supported by Garrett (page 73), Toy (page 29), Fox (page 103), and Cook (page 18). For example:

reject wisdom (GNT)

Here is another way to translate this:

turn away from me (NLT)

The word “me” refers here to Wisdom.

simple: The word that the BSB translates as simple refers to inexperienced, naive people who allow themselves to be easily persuaded or led astray into foolish behavior. See simple in the Glossary.

will slay them: The phrase will slay them indicates that the easily-deceived person’s persistence in rejecting Wisdom will result in his death. The way he will die is not specified. For example:

Inexperienced people die because they reject wisdom. (GNT)

1:32a–b

(combined/reordered)

Here is the summary of what I have been saying. Inexperienced fools will certainly die because they have turned their backs on me, and yet they are satisfied with their condition.
In conclusion, naive fools reject me, wisdom. They do not care about their foolishness. The result is that they will be totally destroyed.

1:32b

and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

These fools will be destroyed/annihilated because of their indifference.
Since they are satisfied with their foolishness, the result will be their destruction.

and the complacency of fools: The word complacency describes an attitude of careless indifference to important truths and responsibilities. Other ways to translate this word are:

lack of concern (GNT)

self-satisfaction (CEV)

fools: In Hebrew, this word for “fool” refers to someone who does what is stupid and wrong because he is mentally lazy and self-satisfied. See the note on 1:22c. See fool 2 in the Glossary.

will destroy them: In this context, the word destroy means the same as “slay” in 1:32a.

General Comment on 1:32a–b

In some languages, it may be necessary to combine and/or reorder the parallel lines to show that both “the simple” and “fools” describe the same kind of people. They will both experience destruction and death. For example:

Easily-deceived fools will die because they have rejected me, Wisdom, and are complacent about their foolishness.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

כִּ֤י

that/for/because/then/when

For here indicates that what follows in [1:32–33](../01/32.md) is the conclusion to what Wisdom stated in [1:22–31](../01/22.md). Alternate translation: “In conclusion,”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

מְשׁוּבַ֣ת פְּתָיִ֣ם תַּֽהַרְגֵ֑⁠ם וְ⁠שַׁלְוַ֖ת כְּסִילִ֣ים תְּאַבְּדֵֽ⁠ם

waywardness_of simple it,will_ruin_them and_[the],security_of fools it,will_destroy_them

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: “the turning away of the naive ones will slay them, yes, false security will lead stupid ones to ruin”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

מְשׁוּבַ֣ת פְּתָיִ֣ם תַּֽהַרְגֵ֑⁠ם

waywardness_of simple it,will_ruin_them

Here, turning away is spoken of as if it were a person who could slay someone. This expression means that the naive ones will die because of their turning away. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: “the naive ones will die because of their turning away” or “the turning away of the naive ones is like someone who will slay them”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מְשׁוּבַ֣ת פְּתָיִ֣ם

waywardness_of simple

Here, refusing to listen to wisdom is spoken of as turning away from the one who is speaking. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the refusing to listen of the naive ones”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

וְ⁠שַׁלְוַ֖ת

and_[the],security_of

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of false security, you could express the same idea with a different expression. Alternate translation: “wrongly feeling secure”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

וְ⁠שַׁלְוַ֖ת כְּסִילִ֣ים תְּאַבְּדֵֽ⁠ם

and_[the],security_of fools it,will_destroy_them

Here, false security is spoken of as if it were a person who could lead someone. This expression means that stupid ones will die because of their false sense of security. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: “and stupid ones will be ruined because of their false security” or “false security of stupid ones is like someone who will ruin them”

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 1:32