PROV 23:32 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 23:29–35 Saying 18

In this saying, the father indirectly warns his son not to get drunk. He first asks him to identify the kind of person who experiences the effects of drinking (23:29–30). He then warns him to avoid the tempting appearance and taste of wine and gives him a reason for the warning (23:31–32). Finally, he describes what a drunk person imagines, says (23:33) and feels (23:33–34). The last verse gives the drunk person’s concluding words (23:35).UBS (page 506), Fox (page 741), Ross (page 1072).

23:32

This verse has two similes with similar meanings:

^32aIn the end it bites like a snake

^32band stings like a viper.

These similes describe the eventual effect of wine on a person who drinks too much.

This verse gives a reason for the warning in 23:31. The reason is that wine harms a person who gets drunk. This reason may be introduced in at least three ways:

The reason connects back to the command “Do not gaze…” at the beginning of 23:31a. It explains why the young man should not gaze at wine. The NLT uses the word “for” to make this connection explicit. It has:
Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is,…how smoothly it goes down. For in the end it bites…
The reason contrasts with the tempting appearance and taste of wine. The REB uses the word “but” to make this contrast explicit. It has:
Do not gulp down the wine, the strong red wine,…It may flow smoothly, but in the end it will bite…
The reason is left implied in Hebrew and in the BSB. It is introduced without an explicit conjunction. For example:
Don’t stare at the wine when it is red,…when it goes down smoothly. Later it bites… (NCV)

You may use any of these options. The option you choose will depend on the way you have connected the parts of 23:31.

23:32a–b

(combined/reordered)

But afterward it will cause you^(sing) pain/harm like the bite of a snake.
The next morning you will feel like a poisonous snake has bitten you.

In the end: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “its end” or “its afterward.” It refers to the final or eventual effect of the wine. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

Later (GW)

Afterward (NET)

The next morning (GNT)

it bites like a snake and stings like a viper: In these similes, wine is compared to a poisonous snake that bites a person. Here are some ways that they are similar:

Both are poisonous. They can harm and even kill a person.
Their effects can be hidden and unexpected.

bites…stings: Both these words refer here to the action of a poisonous snake. The second word may refer to the way that a poisonous snake “strikes” its victim and “injects” poison through its fangs. Another way to translate these words is:

bites…strikes (GW)

snake…viper: In Hebrew, the first word is a general word for snake. Some versions translate the second word as viper or “adder” (ESV). Scholars do not know what species of poisonous snake it refers to. If possible, use a term in your language that can refer to any poisonous snake.

General Comment on 23:32a–b

In some languages, it may be redundant to keep the parallel terms. If that is true in your language, you may:

Combine and/or reorder the parallel terms. For example:
Later it bites like a snake with poison in its fangs. (NCV)
The next morning you will feel as if you had been bitten by a poisonous snake. (GNT)
Use a simile for one term. For the other term, use an expression in your language that refers to the painful effects of drunkenness. For example:
When you wake up, you will have a terrible hangover. You will feel like a snake has bitten you.
Use a different kind of poisonous creature for one of the terms. For example:
But the result is painful. It is as if a snake has bitten you. It is as if a scorpion/centipede has stung you.

23:32a

In the end it bites like a snake

For its result/outcome is painful. It is like a poisonous snake that bites you^(sing).
But afterward you will feel like you have been bitten by a snake

23:32b

and stings like a viper.

It is like a viper/adder that strikes you^(sing) unexpectedly.
or stung by a scorpion/centipede.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

אַ֭חֲרִית⁠וֹ כְּ⁠נָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽ⁠כְ⁠צִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ

end_of,its like,a_snake bites and,like,a_viper stings

These two phrases 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 to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “Its end bites like a snake; yes, it stings like a viper”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אַ֭חֲרִית⁠וֹ

end_of,its

Its end refers to the result of drinking too much wine. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “The result of drinking too much of it”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

כְּ⁠נָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ

like,a_snake bites

The writer is saying that the result of drinking too much wine is like a snake biting the person, because it harms that person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “is harm” or “harms the person”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וּֽ⁠כְ⁠צִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ

and,like,a_viper stings

The writer is saying that the result of drinking too much wine is like a viper stinging the person, because it harms that person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “and it harms the person”

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 23:32

Hebrew word order