PROV 1:9 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:8–19: First lesson: Avoid evil companions

This first lesson may be summarized as follows:

Introduction: Pay attention to your parents’ advice, because it will improve your character (1:8–9).
Lesson: If robbers try to persuade you to do evil (1:10–14), refuse to join them (1:15), because they will destroy their own lives (1:16–18).
Conclusion: People who are greedy and try to obtain wealth illegally will die (1:19).This outline is based on “The Design of Lecture 1” in Fox (page 92).

Some other headings for this section are:

Warnings against Bad Friends (CEV)

Advice to a young man to not be tempted by evil people

Paragraph 1:8–9

The words “my son” or “my sons” introduce each of the ten lessons in Proverbs 1–9. These words sometimes also occur for various reasons at the beginning of a paragraph within a lesson. These reasons will be pointed out in each context (1:10a, 1:15a, 3:11a, 5:7a, 7:24a–b.)

1:9

This verse contains two parallel metaphors. The metaphors compare the advice of a person’s father and mother to a garland and a chain/necklace.

^9aFor they are a garland of grace on your head

^9band a pendant around your neck.

1:9a–b

(combined/reordered)

for these teachings are as desirable as a beautiful wreath/hat or a necklace that makes you^(sing) look good.
You should do that because our^(excl) teachings will improve your character just like a beautiful turban/hat or necklace improves your appearance.

Both a garland/wreath and a necklace/pendant gave the person wearing them an attractive appearance and may have indicated honorable status. The meaning of both metaphors is that wearing a wreath or necklace gives a person honor and makes him physically attractive. In the same way, the advice of a person’s parents (if heeded) will make his character attractive and honored in the eyes of others. If the meaning of these metaphors is not clear in your language, you may need to use one of the following translation options:

Change the metaphors to similes. For example:
For they will be like an elegant garland on your head, and like pendants around your neck. (NET)
Change the metaphors to similes. Instead of “garland,” use a figure of speech that has a similar meaning in your culture. For example:
Their teaching will be like flowers in your hair or a necklace around your neck. (NCV)
as…a lovely hat or a pretty necklace (CEV)
Use one or more figures of speech that have a similar meaning in your culture and make the point of similarity explicit. For example:
Their teaching will improve your character as a handsome turban or a necklace improves your appearance. (GNT)

1:9a

For they are a garland of grace on your head

because their teaching will be like a beautiful turban/hat on your^(sing) head
What we^(excl) teach you will improve your character like a beautiful headband

For: The Hebrew text for this sentence begins with a word that the BSB translates as For, which introduces the reason why a person should obey his parents’ advice.

they: The word they refers to the advice of a person’s father and mother. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this more explicit. For example:

Their teaching (GNT)

What you learn from them (NLT)

a garland of grace on your head: The word garland refers to a wreath made from flowers or small leafy branches. It was worn on the head.

1:9b

and a pendant around your neck.

or like an attractive chain around your^(sing) neck.
or a fine necklace improves your appearance.

pendant: The word that the BSB translates as pendant refers to a “necklace” (GNT).

General Comment on 1:9a–b

In some languages, it may be clearer to combine and/or reorder the ideas in these verse parts. For example:

Your parents’ teaching will improve your character like ornaments improve your appearance.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

כִּ֤י

that/for/because/then/when

For here indicates that what follows is a reason for the commands in the previous verse. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that what follows is a reason for what came before. Alternate translation: “Obey these instructions because”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן הֵ֬ם לְ⁠רֹאשֶׁ֑⁠ךָ וַ֝⁠עֲנָקִ֗ים לְ⁠גַרְגְּרֹתֶֽי⁠ךָ

garland_of graciousness/kindness/favour/beauty they for,head_of,your and,necklaces for,neck(s)_of,your

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: “they are a garland of grace for your head, yes, even pendants for your neck”

Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns

הֵ֬ם

they

Here, the pronoun they refers to the instruction and teaching of one’s parents, as stated in the previous verse. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “the instruction and law from your parents are” or “the things your parents taught you are”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן הֵ֬ם לְ⁠רֹאשֶׁ֑⁠ךָ וַ֝⁠עֲנָקִ֗ים לְ⁠גַרְגְּרֹתֶֽי⁠ךָ

garland_of graciousness/kindness/favour/beauty they for,head_of,your and,necklaces for,neck(s)_of,your

Here Solomon speaks of the rules and instructions that parents teach their children as if they were a garland or pendants. These two items make a person look more attractive to other people and may cause other people to respect that person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use similes. Alternate translation: “they make you look more beautiful and respectable” or “they are like a garland of grace for your head and like pendants for your neck”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן

garland_of graciousness/kindness/favour/beauty

Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe a garland that is characterized by grace. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: “are a gracious garland”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן

garland_of graciousness/kindness/favour/beauty

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of grace, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “a gracious garland” or “an attractive garland”

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 1:9

Hebrew word order