PROV 23:4 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.

23:4

This verse has two similar commands. Both advise the young man not to work too hard to get rich. The first is stated negatively. The second is stated positively.

^4aDo not wear yourself out to get rich;

^4bbe wise enough to restrain yourself.

23:4a

Do not wear yourself out to get rich;

¶ Do not exhaust yourself^(sing) trying to become rich.
¶ Do not work continually in order to gain lots of money. You will just make yourself tired.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich: This command means that a person should not work until he is exhausted in order to become wealthy. It is a command to not spend too much time or energy to obtain something that has no lasting value. It is not a command to avoid hard work, nor does it imply that being wealthy is wrong. Another way to translate this command is:

Do not work so hard to get money that you become exhausted

23:4a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ Please be wise. Stop forcing yourself to work all the time in order to become rich,

23:4b

be wise enough to restrain yourself.

Use your^(sing) intelligence/wisdom and do not do that.
You should be wise/smart enough to stop working like that for such a reason/purpose.

be wise enough to restrain yourself: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “from your understanding cease.” There are at least two ways to interpret this command:

The command means “because of your understanding, stop working too hard in order to get rich.” This probably implies that the young man should use his understanding and stop trying to get rich. For example:
be discerning enough to desist (ESV) (BSB, ESV, GW, NCV, NET, NIV, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, REB, GNT)
The command means “stop thinking about trying to get rich.” This probably implies that the young man should stop using his mind for the purpose of trying to get rich. For example:
stop applying your mind to this (NJB) (NAB, NASB, NJB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions and commentaries. This interpretation fits the normal use of the word “understanding” in Proverbs.Elsewhere in Proverbs, the feminine noun binah refers to a person’s insight or intelligence. It describes his ability to comprehend something. It is not used as a verb to describe the act of thinking. On the other hand, interpretation (1) involves an unusual use of the verb ḥadal “cease” with the preposition min- “from.” Fox (page 723) points out that elsewhere this combination means “cease from” something, not “cease because of” something. BDB (#2308) also understands Proverbs 23:4 to mean “cease regarding,” in other words, “cease thinking about.” Whybray (page 332) cites Gesenius in support of the meaning “cease, in consequence of your understanding.” Some other ways to express this meaning are:

Be sensible, and desist. (REB)

Be smart enough to stop. (GW)

be wise enough: In Hebrew, this word refers to the ability to comprehend ideas, to draw conclusions, and to understand the relationship between things. In this context, a number of versions translate it with a form of the word “wisdom.” For example:

have the wisdom… (NIV)

See understanding (insight) in the Glossary.

to restrain yourself: In Hebrew this verb is literally “cease” or “desist.” It means to stop doing something entirely. But that is clearly not the meaning here. In this context, a literal translation would cause the misunderstanding that the young man should stop working entirely.

The BSB probably translated the Hebrew verb as restrain yourself in order to avoid this misunderstanding. Another version that has translated this verb in a similar way is the NET. It has:

be wise enough to restrain yourself

General Comment on 23:4a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder and/or combine the commands in these two lines. For example:

Be wise enough not to wear yourself out trying to get rich. (GNT)

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 23:4