PROV 22:25 Interlinear View

22:25 OSHB variant note: ארחת/ו: (x-qere) ’אֹֽרְחֹתָ֑י/ו’: lemma_734 n_1 morph_HNcbpc/Sp3ms id_202eu אֹֽרְחֹתָ֑י/ו

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.

22:25

This verse gives the reason or motivation for obeying the commands in 22:24. The reason is to avoid the bad consequences of disobeying those commands.

^25aor you may learn his ways

^25band entangle yourself in a snare.

These consequences are closely related. The first consequence leads to the second.Waltke (page 233).

22:25a

or you may learn his ways

If you^(sing) do not obey this advice, you will learn to follow his/their behavior.
For if you have an angry companion, you might become like him/them,

or you may learn his ways: In Hebrew, this verse begins with a word that introduces the bad consequences of associating with a person who is always angry. If a person does this, his behavior will become like the behavior of the angry person. Some other ways of expressing this relationship are:

lest you learn his ways (ESV)

If you do, you will be like them (NCV)

You might learn their habits (GNT)

22:25b

and entangle yourself in a snare.

Then you^(sing) will be like an animal that gets caught in a trap.
and you will not be able to escape/avoid the dangerous consequences that may destroy you.

and entangle yourself in a snare: This is a metaphor. It compares a person who learns to behave in an angry way to a bird or animal that gets caught in a net or trap. The similarity is that both the bird/animal and the person will be in danger of losing their lives and will not be able to escape. In some languages, a literal translation of this metaphor may be difficult to understand. If that is true in your language, some other ways to translate this metaphor are:

Change the metaphor to a simile. Make one or more of the similarities explicit if necessary. For example:
Then you will be like an animal that gets caught in a trap. Your life will be in danger.
Express the meaning directly. For example:
Then you will be in real danger. (NCV)

in a snare: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates here as snare can refer to:

a net with weights around the edge that a hunter releases from the lower branches of a tree. The net falls onto a bird that comes to the bait underneath the net.
a trip wire or loop to catch small animals

If your language has words for specific nets or traps like these, you may use them. If not, you may use a more general word for anything that is used to catch birds or animals.See NIDOTTE (H4613) for more details about the nets and snares that were used during Old Testament times.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

פֶּן

lest

Here, lest indicates that this verse continues the sentence that began in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this a new sentence. Alternate translation: “Do not do that, lest”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

תֶּאֱלַ֥ף אֹֽרְחֹתָ֑יו

learn (Some words not found in UHB: lest learn ways_of,his and,you_will_take snare for,self_of,your )

Here, the writer speaks of someone behaving like someone else as if that person learns the paths which the other person walks on. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. See how you translated the same use of paths in [2:15](../02/15.md). Alternate translation: “you behave like him”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠לָקַחְתָּ֖ מוֹקֵ֣שׁ לְ⁠נַפְשֶֽׁ⁠ךָ

and,you_will_take snare for,self_of,your

Here, the writer speaks of a person causing his life to be in danger as if that person were an animal that gets caught in a snare. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: “and you will put your life in danger” or “and you will be like an animal that gets caught in a snare and cannot escape”

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

22:25 OSHB variant note: ארחת/ו: (x-qere) ’אֹֽרְחֹתָ֑י/ו’: lemma_734 n_1 morph_HNcbpc/Sp3ms id_202eu אֹֽרְחֹתָ֑י/ו

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 22:25

Hebrew word order

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

22:25

22:25a

22:25b

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