PROV 23:7 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.

23:7

This verse gives a reason for not eating with a stingy person. The reason has to do with his selfish attitude. Even though he encourages his guest to eat heartily, he actually resents the cost of the food that he has served.

This reason is expressed in two parallel lines. The first line describes the actual thoughts of the stingy person. The second line gives the nice-sounding-but-insincere words that he says to his guest.

^7afor he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost.

^7b“Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

23:7a

for he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost.

because a person like that always calculates in his mind what he spent/paid for the food.
That kind of person is always thinking about his expenses to feed you^(sing).

for: Some versions use a specific word, such as for, to introduce the reason in this verse. Others do not. Introduce this reason in a natural way in your language.

he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost: There is a textual issue here:

The Masoretic Text has: “for as he calculates (šaʿar) in his self/soul (nepeš), thus he.” This clause means that in his mind, the stingy person calculates or thinks about either the cost of the food or himself. For example:
for he is like one who is inwardly calculating (ESV) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, KJV, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, RSV, GNT)
The LXX apparently understood the text to say: “for as a hair (śeʿar) in his throat (nepeš), thus he.”NIDOTTE (H9132). This clause means that the delicacies will stick in the guest’s throat like a hair.”The word used in the Masoretic Text (šaʿar) occurs only once in the Old Testament. According to Waltke (page 227), the LXX translators probably misunderstood the word and used different vowels to get (śeʿar) “hair.” This translation would then fit the meaning “throat” for the word nepeš. For example:
for like a hair in the throat, so are they (NRSV) (NRSV, REB)

It is recommended that you follow the Masoretic Text, along with most versions and lexicons.The Masoretic Text is supported by the HOTTP with a “C” rating, indicating considerable doubt. It is also supported by all the major lexicons: NIDOTTE (H9132), HALOT (#9843), TWOT (#2438) and BDB (#8176). The meaning “calculate” or “reckon” is supported by the usage of this word in modern Hebrew and by its cognates in Aramaic, Ugaritic, and Arabic. Waltke (page 227) and Kidner (page 151) are among the scholars who support this view. Longman (page 420) and McKane (page 385) support the LXX.

The Masoretic Text does not make explicit what the stingy man calculates or thinks about. Nor does it indicate what “thus he” refers to. There are three ways to interpret the implied information:

The stingy man is the kind of person who thinks about the cost of the food. For example:
for he is like someone calculating the cost in his mind (NET) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, NET, NIV, NJPS, NLT, RSVThe ESV “inwardly calculating” and the RSV “inwardly reckoning” do not make the object of the verbs explicit. They have been listed under interpretation (1), because the verbs “calculating” and “reckoning” would not reflect natural English usage for interpretations (2) or (3).)
What the stingy man thinks about reveals the kind of person he really is. For example:
What he thinks is what he really is. (GNT) (KJV, NASB, GNT)
The stingy man thinks about himself. For example:
For what he is really thinking about is himself (NJB) (NJB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions. This interpretation better fits the meaning of the verb “calculate/reckon.” It also fits his insincere invitation (in the next line) to eat and drink.

Some other ways to express this meaning are:

He is like one keeping accounts (NJPS)

Selfish people are always worrying about how much the food costs. (NCV)

23:7a–b

(combined/reordered)

Although he says, “Come on, eat and drink until you^(sing) are full,” he really does not want you to do that. Selfish people like that are always thinking about how expensive the food was.

23:7b

“Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

He says, “Please eat and drink some more,” but he does not mean what he says.
He tells you^(sing) to eat and drink as much as you want, but his words are not sincere.

“Eat and drink,” he says to you: The words of this quote are intended to show hospitality and generosity. They indicate that the guest should eat and drink all that he wants. Other ways to express this meaning in English are:

They say, “Take all you want!” (CEV)

“Come on and have some more,” he says (GNT)

In some languages, it may be more natural to use an indirect quote. For example:

He will bid you eat and drink (REB)

He tells you to eat and drink a lot

but his heart is not with you: This clause contrasts the man’s actual feelings with his hospitable words in the preceding clause. The BSB translates the Hebrew text here quite literally. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

but he doesn’t really mean it (GW)

but he is not sincere

General Comment on 23:7a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder these two lines. For example:

“Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.

They are always thinking about how much it costs. (NLT96)

With this reordering, the insincere words of stingy people precede the two clauses that describe what they actually think.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

כִּ֤י

that/for/because/then/when

For here indicates that what follows is a reason for the commands in the previous verse. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that what follows is a reason for what came before. Alternate translation: “Don’t do those things because”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

כְּמוֹ־שָׁעַ֥ר

like calculating

The writer is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from the context if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “like one who calculates the cost of the food”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

בְּ⁠נַפְשׁ֗⁠וֹ

in,self_of,his

Here, the writer uses soul to refer a person’s inner being or mind. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “in his inner being” or “in his mind”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations

אֱכֹ֣ל וּ֭⁠שְׁתֵה יֹ֣אמַר לָ֑⁠ךְ

eat and,drink says to/for=you(fs)

If it would be more natural in your language, you could express this as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: “He will tell you to eat and drink”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ֝⁠לִבּ֗⁠וֹ בַּל־עִמָּֽ⁠ךְ

and,heart_of,his not [is]_with,you

The phrase his heart is not with you is an idiom that means “he is not being sincere with you.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “but he is not speaking sincerely to you” or “but he is not being honest with you”

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 23:7