PROV 23:34 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).

23:34

This verse uses two similes to describe the feelings or sensations of the person who is in a drunken stupor. He feels dizzy, nauseated, and unsteady. He may also toss and turn uncomfortably as he tries to sleep.

^34aYou will be like one sleeping on the high seas

^34b lying on top of a mast:

In Hebrew, these two lines are literally:

^34aYou will be like one who lies down in the heart of the sea,

^34band like one who lies down at the top of a mast.

Notice that the underlined parallel parts are identical in Hebrew. The BSB has used terms with similar meaning to avoid redundancy in English.

23:34a

You will be like one sleeping on the high seas

You^(sing) will be like a seasick person who is trying to sleep on a ship in the middle of the ocean.
You will feel nauseated/dizzy like a person who lies down in a ship when there is a storm/typhoon.

You will be like one sleeping on the high seas: The first simile compares the drunk person to someone who lies down to sleep in a sailing ship in the middle of the ocean. It does not refer to someone who is literally lying down in the water. Some other ways to translate this line are:

You will feel dizzy, as if you are lying down in a ship during a storm.

You will feel like a person on a ship. You will turn/roll from side to side as you try to sleep.

23:34a–b

(combined/reordered)

Even when you^(sing) lie down, you will be dizzy. You will be like a person riding in a ship during a terrible storm.

23:34b

or lying on the top of a mast:

You^(sing) will feel like you are at the top of the rigging/mast swaying back and forth because of the large waves.
It will be as if you are clinging to the ropes at the top of the ship and the wind is blowing you in all directions.

lying on the top of a mast: The second simile describes a specific location high above the deck of the ship. It may refer to the ropes that attach the sails to the mast (the rigging). It may also refer to a basket or small platform near the top of the mast of a sailing ship.The Hebrew word ḥibbel “mast” occurs only once in the OT. It is related to the word for “rope.” It may refer to a basket made of rope that was attached to the top part of the mast. This is where the sailor assigned to lookout duty kept watch (Waltke, page 266). It may also refer to a different location high in the rigging of the ship, “possibly the crow’s nest” (Fox, page 742). Here a person would feel the rocking motion of the ship most strongly. Some other ways to translate this line are:

like one lying on top of the rigging (NJPS)

as if you’re on top of a ship’s sails (NCV)

like a person hanging on to the ropes at the highest part of the ship

General Comment on 23:34a–b

In some languages, it may be clearer to combine the two similes and to use more general terms. This is especially true in areas where people are not familiar with the parts of sailing ships. For example:

You will feel tossed about like someone trying to sleep on a ship in a storm. (CEV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

וְ֭⁠הָיִיתָ כְּ⁠שֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּ⁠לֶב־יָ֑ם וּ֝⁠כְ⁠שֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּ⁠רֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל

and,you_will_be like,[one_who]_lies_down in_[the],heart_of sea and,like,[one_who]_lies_down at_[the],top_of mast

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 in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “And you will be like one who lies down in the heart of the sea; yes, like one who lies down at the head of a mast”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

כְּ⁠שֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּ⁠לֶב־יָ֑ם

like,[one_who]_lies_down in_[the],heart_of sea

The writer is saying that a drunk person is like someone who lies down in the heart of the sea because that person feels dizzy, nauseous, and unsteady, like someone on a boat in the middle of the ocean. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “dizzy and nauseous”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

בְּ⁠לֶב־יָ֑ם

in_[the],heart_of sea

Here, heart refers to the middle of the sea, which is far away from land. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “in the middle of the sea” or “far out in the ocean”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וּ֝⁠כְ⁠שֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּ⁠רֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל

and,like,[one_who]_lies_down at_[the],top_of mast

The writer is saying that a drunk person is like someone who lies down at the head of a mast, because that person feels dizzy and stumbles like someone who sways back and forth at the top of the mast of a ship in the ocean. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “and swaying from side to side”

Note 5 topic: translate-unknown

בְּ⁠רֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל

at_[the],top_of mast

The phrase head of a mast refers to the top of a long, wooden pole to which a very large cloth, called a sail, was attached. Wind blown into the sail propelled the ship. The top of the mast would sway back and forth more than any other part of the ship, so someone at the head of a mast could easily become dizzy. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of mast, you could use the name of something similar in your area or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: “at the highest point on a ship”

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 23:34

Hebrew word order