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OET interlinear PROV 23:9

◄ ← PROV 23:9 ↓ → ► ║ ©

Hebrew word order

    1. Hebrew word
    2. Hebrew lemma
    3. OET-LV words
    4. OET-RV words
    5. Strongs
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. Gloss
    8. CAPS codes
    9. OET tags
    10. OET word #
    1. בְּ,אָזְנֵי
    2. 395225,395226
    3. In +the ears of
    4. -
    5. 241
    6. S-R,Ncfdc
    7. in_[the],ears_of
    8. S
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275649
    1. כְסִיל
    2. 395227
    3. a fool
    4. -
    5. 3684
    6. S-Aamsa
    7. a_fool
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275650
    1. אַל
    2. 395228
    3. do not
    4. Don't
    5. 408
    6. S-Tn
    7. do_not
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275651
    2. 395229
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-maqqef
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 275652
    1. תְּדַבֵּר
    2. 395230
    3. speak
    4. speaking
    5. 1696
    6. V-Vpj2ms
    7. speak
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275653
    1. כִּי
    2. 395231
    3. if/because
    4. because
    6. S-C
    7. if/because
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275654
    2. 395232
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-maqqef
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 275655
    1. יָבוּז
    2. 395233
    3. he will despise
    4. despise
    5. 936
    6. V-Vqi3ms
    7. he_will_despise
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275656
    1. לְ,שֵׂכֶל
    2. 395234,395235
    3. (to) the insight of
    4. -
    5. 7922
    6. S-R,Ncmsc
    7. (to)_the,insight_of
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275657
    1. מִלֶּֽי,ךָ
    2. 395236,395237
    3. your(pl) words/messages of your
    4. -
    5. 4405
    6. S-Ncfpc,Sp2ms
    7. your(pl)_words_of,your
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275658
    2. 395238
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-sof-pasuq
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 275659

OET (OET-LV) In_the_ears_of a_fool do_not speak if/because he_will_despise (to)_the_insight_of your(pl)_words/messages_of_your.

OET (OET-RV) Don’t bother speaking to a foolish person
 ⇔ because they’ll despise the wise things that you say.

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).

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

23:9

The first line of this proverb gives a command. The second line gives the reason for the command.

9aDo not speak to a fool,

9bfor he will despise the wisdom of your words.

The overall meaning is that it is useless to give wise advice to a fool, because he will reject it.

23:9a

Do not speak to a fool,

Do not speak to a fool: In Hebrew, this command is literally “Do not speak in the ears of a fool.” To “speak in someone’s ears” is a Hebrew idiom. It means “to speak to someone directly so that they will hear you.” It does not mean “to speak in someone’s hearing.”Quite a few versions translate the Hebrew idiom fairly literally as “in the hearing of a fool.” In English, this phrase incorrectly implies that the speaker should not allow a fool to overhear what he says to someone else. However, none of the commentaries referred to in these Notes support that idea. Commentaries that specifically said that this command indicated direct address, advice, or teaching include UBS, Waltke, Fox, Delitzsch, Kidner, Cohen, Ross, Murphy, Whybray, and Toy.

The second line (23:9b) implies that trying to advise a fool will be useless. In some languages, it may be helpful to make this explicit in the first line. For example:

Do not waste words on a fool (NJB)

Another way to translate this command is:

Do not speak to a fool in order to advise/teach him

fool: In Hebrew, this word for fool refers to someone who does what is stupid and wrong because he is mentally lazy and self-satisfied. He does not understand the need to change his own foolish behavior and does not want to think about the consequences. See fool 2 in the Glossary.

23:9a–b

(combined/reordered)

23:9b

for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

for he will despise the wisdom of your words: This clause means that the fool will reject the wise advice that the young man gives him. It implies that the fool will understand what the advice means, but he will not value it or follow it.

despise: In Hebrew, this word means to despise, reject, or consider to be worthless. See how you translated the same word in 13:13. The context there is similar.

wisdom: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates here as wisdom refers in this context to words that are wise, sensible, or full of insight. See wise dealing in the Glossary.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

who will not appreciate the shrewdness of your remarks (NJB)

they will only ignore your wise words (NCV)

for he will despise the good sense of your words (ESV)

General Comment on 23:9a–b

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

Don’t try to talk sense to a fool; he can’t appreciate it. (GNT)

uW Translation Notes:

[23:9](../23/09.md) is Saying 9 of the 30 “words of the wise ones.”

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

בְּ⁠אָזְנֵ֣י & אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר

in_[the],ears_of & not speak

The phrase speak in the ears refers to speaking directly to someone so that the person can clearly hear with his ears what is being said. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Do not speak directly to”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

כְ֭סִיל & יָ֝ב֗וּז

fool & despise

See how you translated the same use of a stupid one and he in [10:18](../10/18.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

לְ⁠שֵׂ֣כֶל

(to)_the,insight_of

See how you translated the abstract noun insight in [1:3](../01/03.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

מִלֶּֽי⁠ךָ

your(pl)_words_of,your

See how you translated the similar use of words in [1:23](../01/23.md).

TSN Tyndale Study Notes:

23:9 Saying 9: Fools ignore advice (cp. 9:7-12; 10:18), so the wise do not waste their breath (see Matt 7:6).

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

    1. OET-LV words
    2. OET-RV words
    3. Strongs
    4. Hebrew word
    5. Hebrew lemma
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. Gloss
    8. CAPS codes
    9. OET tags
    10. OET word #
    1. In +the ears of
    2. -
    3. 846,758
    5. 395225,395226
    6. S-R,Ncfdc
    8. S
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275649
    1. a fool
    2. -
    3. 3451
    5. 395227
    6. S-Aamsa
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275650
    1. do not
    2. Don't
    3. 515
    5. 395228
    6. S-Tn
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275651
    1. speak
    2. speaking
    3. 1609
    5. 395230
    6. V-Vpj2ms
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275653
    1. if/because
    2. because
    3. 3482
    5. 395231
    6. S-C
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275654
    1. he will despise
    2. despise
    3. 1280
    5. 395233
    6. V-Vqi3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275656
    1. (to) the insight of
    2. -
    3. 3705,8044
    5. 395234,395235
    6. S-R,Ncmsc
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275657
    1. your(pl) words/messages of your
    2. -
    3. 4118,1978
    5. 395236,395237
    6. S-Ncfpc,Sp2ms
    8. -
    9. Y-1000
    10. 275658

OET (OET-LV) In_the_ears_of a_fool do_not speak if/because he_will_despise (to)_the_insight_of your(pl)_words/messages_of_your.

OET (OET-RV) Don’t bother speaking to a foolish person
 ⇔ because they’ll despise the wise things that you say.

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 logo mark

◄ ← PROV 23:9 ↑ → ► ║ ©