PROV 22:22 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 22:17–24:22: Here are thirty sayings of wise people

This section follows the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs (10:1–22:16). It differs in significant ways from this preceding section:These differences were summarized from a number of commentaries, including UBS (page 472), Waltke (2004, page 22), and Hubbard (page 351).

The preceding section has mostly two-line proverbs that are one verse in length. This section has proverbs of a different form. They are sayings that range from one to seven verses. Most of the sayings are two or three verses in length. Each saying will be marked as a separate paragraph in the Notes.
Many of the proverbs in the preceding section express a general principle. They are not addressed specifically to the readers. Most of the sayings here contain direct commands. They advise the reader or listener either to follow wise behavior or avoid foolish behavior. Most of the sayings also give a reason or motive for following the command.
As in chapters 1–9, the author addresses his reader or listener as a father who advises his son. He uses second person commands and pronouns (you^(sing)). See the note on 23:15 for a list of verses where the words “my son” occur.

Some other headings for this section are:

Thirty Wise Sayings (CEV)

Words of the Wise (ESV)

Thirty Sayings of the Wise (NIV11)

Verse 22:20 mentions “thirty sayings,” but the Hebrew text itself does not number the sayings. Some versions that use the word “thirty” in the section heading also give a number as a separate heading for each saying. The GNT and CEV start numbering the sayings at 22:22. They have a total of thirty-one paragraphs. In these versions, the first paragraph (22:17–21) serves as an introduction to the thirty sayings (22:22–24:22).Scholars who identify 22:17–21 as the first saying include Hubbard (page 352), Fox (page 707), and Waltke (2004, page 22). Scholars who identify these verses as an introduction to the sayings that follow include Whybray (page 325) and Murphy (page 170). See also the NET footnote (b) on 22:16. Whether these introductory verses form the first saying or simply introduce the following sayings, all scholars agree that they function as an introduction to the whole section. Other versions, such as the NIV, NCV, and NLT, divide the paragraphs in the same way but do not have separate headings for each section. You may use either option in your translation.The NIV11 gives a number as a separate heading for each saying. But it counts the first paragraph as the first saying, and has a total of thirty paragraphs. Other versions have more or fewer paragraphs. For example, the ESV and NRSV have fifteen paragraphs. The NJB has thirty-four. Still other versions, such as the RSV, NET, and NJPS, do not group the verses into sayings or paragraphs.

For the convenience of those who decide to identify the number of each saying in their translation, the Notes will put the number in the paragraph headings, using the same numbering system as the GNT or CEV. These numbers will not be used in the Display.

Paragraph 22:22–23 Saying 1

This saying has two parallel commands to not do something followed by two parallel reasons to obey those commands. Saying 2 has a similar structure.

The four lines of this saying are arranged in the form of a chiasm (A B B A).

^22aDo not rob a poor man because he is poor,
^22band do not crush the afflicted at the gate,
^23afor the LORD will take up their case
^23band will plunder those who rob them.

The first command (22a) and the last reason (23b) both refer to forcibly taking something from someone else. The second command (22b) and the first reason (23a) both use words that refer to legal contexts. You will need to decide whether it is effective in your language to keep this chiasm.

22:22

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^22a Do not rob a poor man because he is poor

^22band do not crush the afflicted at the gate,

Both lines of this verse refer to the same situation. The parallel commands prohibit the son from taking advantage of people who are unable to defend themselves in court due to their poverty.

22:22a

Do not rob a poor man because he is poor,

¶ Do not cheat^(sing) a poor person and take what he owns just because he is helpless.

Do not rob a poor man: The verb that the BSB translates as rob can mean to literally rob someone or take their possessions by force. Some versions, including the BSB, translate this verb literally. For example:

Do not rob the poor (ESV)

However, the phrase “at the gate” in 22:22b clarifies that the verb does not refer here to literal robbery. It refers to using the legal system to take someone else’s possessions or to deprive them of their rights. Some other ways to translate this figurative meaning are:

Do not exploit the poor (NIV)

Don’t take advantage of the poor (CEV)

Do not abuse poor people (NCV)

a poor man: In Hebrew, this word is singular. It may refer to any poor person or to poor people in general.

In Hebrew, this word for poor refers to people who lack material things. They belong to one of the lower social classes, so they also lack power and significance.NIDOTTE (H1924).

Most versions translate this Hebrew word with the general word “poor.” Some versions use a more specific word because of the context. For example:

anyone who is helpless (REB)

the weak (NJB)

See the note on 10:4a and the footnote there for information on the other words for “poor” in Proverbs.

because he is poor: This clause probably gives the reason why someone would take advantage of poor people. It is because they are poor and are helpless to defend themselves. An implied reason is that it is easy to cheat them and get away with it.Many scholars point out that the clause “because they are poor” is ambiguous. There are two interpretations: (1) It gives the reason or motivation for exploiting poor people. Their poverty is a temptation to an oppressor, because they are vulnerable and lack the status and ability to protect themselves. Scholars who support this view include UBS, Waltke, Delitzsch, Toy, Murphy, and McKane. (2) It gives the reason or motivation for not exploiting poor people. It is wrong to exploit anyone, but it is especially wrong to exploit those who already suffer hardship. This view is supported by Fox, Longman, and Hubbard. The GNT and NLT have the same wording and support interpretation (1). Almost all other versions are ambiguous except for the NJB, which has “for he is weak.” This seems to support interpretation (2), but it doesn’t any give any of the implied reasoning. The Notes have not presented this as an interpretation issue, because no versions make explicit any of the implied reasoning behind interpretation (2). An argument against interpretation (2) is that it gives the saying an unbalanced structure. Instead of two prohibitions followed by two reasons for obeying those prohibitions, the saying would have one prohibition with its own reason for obeying it (22:22a), followed by another prohibition (22:22b) with two reasons (22:23a–b). The command in 22:22a prohibits a person from exploiting the poor for such a motive.

In many languages it will be necessary to make some of this implied reasoning explicit. For example:

Don’t take advantage of the poor just because you can (GNT)

Do not oppress a poor person because of his lack of power to defend/protect himself

22:22a–b

(combined/reordered)

When you^(sing) are involved in a court case, do not force a poor person with no power/influence to lose his possessions. Do not take advantage of him just because he cannot defend himself.
Do not cheat helpless poor people just because you can defeat them when a judge decides their case.

22:22b

and do not crush the afflicted at the gate,

When you^(plur) are in court, do not cause^(sing) such a person extreme hardship by judging him unfairly.

and do not crush: The verb that the BSB translates as do not crush has a figurative meaning here. It means “do not oppress” or “treat badly.”UBS (page 479). In this context, it probably refers to causing extreme financial hardship.Waltke (page 229) says that these people who are already “destitute of material resources” are brought to a point where they are unable to pay. Whybray (page 329) speaks of the “ruthless seizure” of property…of those who are “unable to repay their debts.”

the afflicted: In Hebrew, this word occurs frequently in poetry as a synonym of the word “poor” in 22:22a. In some contexts, it emphasizes that poor people suffer some kind of distress or disability. Because such people have low status in society, their lives are difficult. They are weak and helpless, especially in a legal situation.NIDOTTE (H6714).

See the note on “the poor” in 14:21b. The footnote there gives more information about this word and the verses where it occurs in Proverbs.

The BSB translates this same word as “oppressed” in 15:15a. Some other ways to translate this word here in 22:22b are:

poor (NJB)

an oppressed person (GW)

at the gate: The BSB translates this Hebrew phrase literally. The gate of a city was the place where people gathered to talk and conduct business, both commercial and legal. Here the context clearly refers to a legal situation, so some versions, including the NIV, translate it as “in court.” Some other ways to translate 22:22b, using the phrase “in court,” are:

don’t take advantage of those who stand helpless in court (GNT)

and do not take away the rights of the needy in court (NCV)

In some languages, it may be more natural to refer to the legal process in a different way. For example:

and when you judge a helpless person, do not treat him cruelly and unfairly

in the place where you settle arguments, do not ruin the life of a poor person with no resources/influencea

General Comment on 22:22a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder one or more of the parallel pairs so that the verse clearly refers to the same situation. For example:

Do not cheat helpless poor people just because you can defeat them when a judge decides their case.

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 22:22

Hebrew word order