PROV 20:4 Interlinear View

20:4 OSHB variant note: ישאל: (x-qere) ’וְ/שָׁאַ֖ל’: lemma_c/7592 morph_HC/Vqq3ms id_2096q וְ/שָׁאַ֖ל

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 10:1–22:16: This is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs

This section is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs. It has a very different structure from the longer poetic lectures of chapters 1–9. It consists mostly of individual couplets (two-line poems) that are each one verse in length. With the exception of the title (10:1a), paragraph breaks will not be indicated in the Notes or Display. You may of course choose to start each proverb as a separate paragraph in your translation.

In chapters 10–15, most of these one-verse couplets express a contrast between the two lines. One of the more common contrasts is between the righteous/wise and the wicked/foolish and the different consequences of their conduct.

In chapters 16:1–22:16, more topics are discussed. There is more emphasis on the role of the king and other leaders. In these chapters, there are few proverbs with contrasting lines. Some of the parallel lines are similar in meaning. More frequently, the second line adds to what the first line says or gives an example. Most of the verses have no obvious connection with the previous or following proverbs.UBS (page 214), Fox (page 509), McKane (page 413). Many scholars, including McKane, point out that there are some topical groupings as well as poetic connections. These include the repetition of certain words or sounds. This observation does not deny the individual nature of most of the proverbs in this Section.

Two of the types of proverbs in this section are not found in chapters 1–9. One type contains logical reasoning from the lesser to the greater. See 11:31 for a list of these proverbs. There are also several varieties of complex “better than” proverbs. The most common have a contrasting situation in each line (see 12:9). For other varieties, see 16:16, 19:1, and 21:9.

Many of the proverbs in this section refer to categories of people who share a common trait. For example, they refer to the righteous, the wise, the poor, and the lazy. In Hebrew, some verses use singular forms to refer to these groups of people. Other verses use plural forms. Still others use a combination of singular and plural. See the note on 10:30a–b for one example. For most of these verses, the Notes will not comment on the difference between singular and plural forms. Use a natural way in your language to refer to one or more people who are in the same category.

Many of the proverbs in this section express a general principle in abstract terms. They are not addressed specifically to the readers. For example, 10:2a–b says:

Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,

but righteousness delivers from death.

However, the author intended his readers to understand these proverbs as advice that they should follow. In some languages, authors or speakers give advice more directly, using pronouns such as you^(sing), you^(plur), we^(dual), or we^(incl). See the note on 10:2 for translation suggestions.

Some other headings for this section are:

Proverbs of Solomon (NIV)

The Wise Words of Solomon (NCV)

Here are many wise things that Solomon said

20:4

This proverb is an implied warning against laziness.

^4aThe slacker does not plow in season;

^4bat harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.

The second line describes the unfortunate results of not doing necessary work at the right time. This work is described in the first line.

20:4a

The slacker does not plow in season;

A lazy person does not plow his fields at plowing/planting time.
People who are too lazy to prepare the soil for planting seeds at the proper time,

The slacker does not plow in season: This clause describes a lazy farmer. This lazy man does not plow his field at the right time to prepare it for planting the seed.

plow: In the eastern Mediterranean culture, to plow (or “plough”) meant to use a sharply pointed wooden tool to break up the soil before planting seeds. A plow was usually pulled by an ox or a donkey. The farmer held the plow in order to keep it going in a straight line.

In areas where people are not familiar with plowing, another way to translate this word is to use a descriptive phrase. For example:

prepare the ground for planting

cultivate the soil

in season: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “from/duringThe Hebrew preposition used here (min-) can also mean “by reason of.” For example, the KJV has: “by reason of the cold.” According to Kidner (page 136), this interpretation would provide the lazy person with an excuse for not working. However, most versions and scholars understand the preposition in a temporal sense (“from the time of” or “during”). As Toy (page 384) points out, the person in this proverb stays away from work because of laziness, not because of the cold. autumn.”The BART interlinear has “from autumn.” BDB (#2779) and TWOT (#750a) both use the word “autumn” as one of their glosses. NIDOTTE (H3074) and HALOT (#3258) gloss it as “winter.” It was a cold, wet season of the year (see Jeremiah 36:22), lasting from October to March. The other season was hot and dry. It lasted from April to September (UBS, page 417). For more details regarding the times of year in which various crops were harvested, see Toy (pages 383–384) or Waltke (page 130). In the eastern Mediterranean area, the early rains came in October and November and softened the ground. Starting from this time onward, farmers could begin the work of plowing and then planting.

Terms for seasons of the year and times for plowing differ, depending on the area of the world. Some ways to translate the Hebrew term meaningfully are:

Use a specific term that fits the weather or agricultural season in your area. This option is appropriate if it does not contradict the situation in the land of Israel. For example:
during the planting season (NET)
at plowing time
after the rains arrive
Use a general term that focuses on the time when plowing needs to be done. For example:
at the right time (GNT)
when they should (NCV)

20:4b

at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.

When harvest time comes, there is nothing to find when he looks for a crop.
will find no crop to harvest.

at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there: This clause gives the result of the lazy person’s failure to plow: he will find no crop at harvest time.

he looks, but nothing is there: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “he asks and there is nothing.” The verb “asks” probably has a figurative meaning here. It may mean that he foolishly goes to his field to look for crops. It may also mean that he expects to find crops.An equally common meaning of this Hebrew verb is “to request/beg.” Some versions understand this verse to mean that the lazy person begs his neighbors for a share of the harvest. For example, the NASB has: “he begs during the harvest and has nothing.” However, most versions understand it to mean “look,” as in the BSB. As Toy (page 384) points out, it would have been culturally inappropriate at the harvest season for people to refuse to give any food to someone who requested it. Either way, this clause emphasizes the foolishness of the lazy person.

Some other ways to translate 20:4b are:

when he looks for the harvest, it is not there (NAB)

they expect a harvest, but there is none (NCV)

Some versions leave the verb looks implied. For example:

harvest comes, and there is nothing to be found (NRSV)

This may be a good option if the implied meaning is clear from the context.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

עָצֵ֣ל & וְשָׁאַ֖ל

sluggard & (Some words not found in UHB: from,winter sluggard not plow ישאל at,harvest and,there_[is]_not )

A lazy one and he here refer to a type of person in general, not a specific person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “Any lazy person … and that person begs”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

מֵ֭⁠חֹרֶף

from,winter

The phrase from winter refers to the time when the people in Solomon’s area would prepare their fields to grow crops. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “during the proper time to plow”

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

וְשָׁאַ֖ל

(Some words not found in UHB: from,winter sluggard not plow ישאל at,harvest and,there_[is]_not )

Here, and introduces the result of what happened in the previous verse. Use the most natural way in your language to indicate results. You may need to start a new sentence. Alternate translation: “and it causes him to beg”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְשָׁאַ֖ל

(Some words not found in UHB: from,winter sluggard not plow ישאל at,harvest and,there_[is]_not )

Here Solomon refers to a lazy one looking carefully for crops in his field as if he were begging the field to provide crops. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and he searches his fields carefully for crops”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

בַּ⁠קָּצִ֣יר

at,harvest

Here, the harvest refers to the time of yearwhen farmers harvest their crops. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “during the time of year when farmers harvest crops”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וָ⁠אָֽיִן

and,there_[is]_not

Here Solomon implies that there is nothing for the lazy one to harvest in the harvest. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “but has nothing to harvest”

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

20:4 OSHB variant note: ישאל: (x-qere) ’וְ/שָׁאַ֖ל’: lemma_c/7592 morph_HC/Vqq3ms id_2096q וְ/שָׁאַ֖ל

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 20:4

Hebrew word order

Section 10:1–22:16: This is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs

20:4

20:4a

20:4b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)