PROV 22:23 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.

22:23

This verse gives two parallel reasons for not taking advantage of poor people in court:

^23afor the LORD will take up their case

^23band will plunder those who rob them.

The reasons are that the LORD will defend them and will severely punish those who take their possessions. The verse does not specify when the LORD will do this.According to Waltke (page 231), this refers to a heavenly court. It is implied from the saying itself that poor people are cheated in earthly courts because they are helpless to defend themselves in that context.

22:23a

for the LORD will take up their case

For/Because Yahweh will defend poor people
Yahweh will speak on behalf of the poor person.

for: In Hebrew, the word that the BSB translates as for introduces the parallel reasons that follow. Some versions do not use a specific conjunction to introduce the reasons. See the GNT (quoted below).

the LORD will take up their case: This clause means that the LORD will defend them as their lawyer. He will speak on their behalf.UBS (page 479). It also means that he will act as a judge and give a verdict against their oppressors.Waltke (page 231) and Whybray (page 329) both make the point that this Hebrew expression is not limited here to the role of a defense attorney, but includes the role of the judge, who hands down the verdict and punishes the wrongdoers. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

The Lord will argue their case for them (GNT)

The Lord will defend them in court (NCV)

In some languages, it may be preferable to leave the legal context implied. For example:

For the Lord is their defender (NLT)

22:23b

and will plunder those who rob them.

and will take away the life of anyone who takes away their rights.
As for the one who has cheated that person, Yahweh will sentence him to die.

and will plunder those who rob them: In Hebrew, this clause is more literally “and he will rob [those who] rob them life.” The clause probably means that the LORD will take away the life of those who take away the rights of the poor.Some versions, including the BSB, NIV, NET, CEV, and NLT, understand this Hebrew word (napeš) to refer to the person himself rather than his life. The NJPS takes it to refer to the life of the poor person. It has: “And despoil those who despoil them of life.” Most versions (including the ESV, GW, NAB, NASB, NCV, NJB, NRSV, REB, and GNT) as well as most commentaries support the meaning suggested in the Notes. Some other ways to express this meaning are:

and will plunder the lives of those who plunder them (NAB)

and will take the life of those who take away their rights (NCV)

rob: The Hebrew verb that the BSB translates as rob here is a different Hebrew verb than the one the BSB translates as “rob” in 22:22a, but they are synonyms.Waltke (page 231). It occurs elsewhere only in Malachi 3:8–9, where it refers to people robbing God of the tithes that they owed him. The point here is that the LORD will appropriately avenge poor people for the crime that was committed against them.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

יְ֭הוָה יָרִ֣יב רִיבָ֑⁠ם

YHWH plead case_of,their

Here, the writer refers to Yahweh protecting “an afflicted one” as if he were a lawyer defending that person in court. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: “Yahweh will protect them” or “Yahweh will protect them like a lawyer who defends them in court”

Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns

רִיבָ֑⁠ם & אֶת־קֹבְעֵי⁠הֶ֣ם

case_of,their & DOM [those_of,who]_rob_them

In this verse, their and them refer to the afflicted and poor people referenced in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “the dispute of poor people … those who plunder poor people”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

רִיבָ֑⁠ם

case_of,their

See how you translated the abstract noun dispute in [15:18](../15/18.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠קָבַ֖ע & נָֽפֶשׁ

and,he_will_rob & soul

Here, the writer refers to Yahweh killing a person who tries to plunder a poor person as if he were a thief who plunders that person’s life. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “he will cause to die”

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.