PROV 25:19 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 25:1–29:27: This is Hezekiah’s collection of Solomon’s proverbs

This section is the second collection of Solomon’s proverbs. These proverbs were organized and copied by men who served King Hezekiah. Most scholars divide this section into two groups. These groups differ in several ways.

The first group (chapters 25–27) has many more comparisons and admonitions. In Hebrew, most of these comparisons are metaphors in which one or more illustrations precede the topic. Some English versions change the order so that the topic precedes the illustration(s). You should follow the order that expresses the meaning naturally and effectively in your language.

In the first group, many proverbs are one verse long. As with the individual proverbs in the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs (Section 10:1–22:16), they are not related to the proverbs around them. Other proverbs in this group are two or more verses long. Still others are one-verse proverbs that are closely related in theme. Proverbs in all three categories will be marked as separate paragraphs.

The second group (chapters 28–29) has more contrastive proverbs. The proverbs in this group are each one verse long. They will not be marked as separate paragraphs.

Some other headings for this section are:

More Proverbs of Solomon (NIV)

Proverbs of Solomon Collected by Hezekiah (NET)

These are also wise things that Solomon said

25:19

This proverb teaches that it is useless and frustrating to rely on a person who is not trustworthy (19b). To depend on such a person is like having a broken tooth or a crippled foot (19a).

^19aLike a broken tooth or a foot out of joint

^19bis confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.

The similarity between the illustrations and the topic is that:

They are ineffective or useless.
They fail to do what we expect.
They cause pain and frustration.

See the General Comment on 25:19a–b for a way to reorder these two lines.

25:19a

Like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint

¶ What is like a painful/broken tooth or a twisted ankle?
¶ A tooth that hurts when you^(sing) chew, a foot that slips when you walk,

Like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint: In some languages, the comparison may be clearer if you make explicit the action that is associated with a tooth or a foot. For example:

like eating with a broken tooth or walking with a crippled foot (NCV)

a broken tooth: In Hebrew, this phrase can refer to various tooth conditions. All cause pain and make it difficult to use the tooth effectively. For example:

a bad tooth (NIV)

a decaying tooth (REB)

an infected tooth (NAB)

a loose tooth (GNT)

You may use any term in your language that refers to a similar tooth condition.

a foot out of joint: In Hebrew, this phrase refers to a foot or ankle that causes pain and twists/collapses when a person tries to walk. He cannot depend on it to bear his weight. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

a crippled foot (NCV)

a sprained ankle (REB)

a lame foot (NIV)

a foot that slips (ESV)

Some languages may have a word that refers to the whole leg or to the lower leg and foot. For example:

an unsteady leg (NJPS)

You may use any of the above options.

25:19a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ Confidence in a traitor during times of trouble can be compared to eating when your^(sing) tooth aches or walking when you are crippled.
¶ To depend on an unreliable/untrustworthy person when you are in trouble is like chewing with a loose tooth or walking with a lame foot.
¶ If you face hardship/trouble, and you rely on a friend who cannot be trusted, you are like a person with a rotten tooth who tries to eat or a person with a broken foot/leg who tries to walk.

25:19b

is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble.

Is it not a treacherous person whom people trust at a time of trouble/difficulty?
so/such is a person on whom you^(sing) rely when you have trouble, but unexpectedly, that person cannot be trusted.

confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble: This phrase indicates that someone depends on a person who cannot be trusted. He relies on this person to help him when he experiences hardship or trouble.

faithless: In Hebrew, this word describes someone who acts treacherously or breaks an agreement. See the note in 2:22a–b.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

confidence in an unfaithful person at the time of trouble (NET)

trust in a traitor to help you in a time of hardship

if you face trouble and you depend on a friend who cannot be trusted

General Comment on 25:19a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of these two lines. For example:

Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips. (ESV)

Depending on an unreliable person in a crisis is like trying to chew with a loose tooth or walk with a crippled foot. (GNT)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

שֵׁ֣ן רֹ֭עָה וְ⁠רֶ֣גֶל מוּעָ֑דֶת מִבְטָ֥ח בּ֝וֹגֵ֗ד בְּ⁠י֣וֹם צָרָֽה

tooth bad and,a_foot lame trust faithless in/on=day (Some words not found in UHB: tooth bad and,a_foot lame trust faithless in/on=day trouble )

If it would be helpful in your language, you could reverse the order of these clauses. Alternate translation: “Confidence in one who acts treacherously in the day of distress is a broken tooth and a shaky foot”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

שֵׁ֣ן רֹ֭עָה וְ⁠רֶ֣גֶל מוּעָ֑דֶת

tooth bad and,a_foot lame

In this verse, Solomon speaks of the uselessness of having confidence in a treacherous person as if that confidence were A broken tooth and a shaky foot. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: “Very useless” or “Like a broken tooth and a shaky foot”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מִבְטָ֥ח

trust

See how you translated the abstract noun confidence in [3:26](../03/26.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

בּ֝וֹגֵ֗ד

faithless

See how you translated one who acts treacherously in [21:18](../21/18.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

בְּ⁠י֣וֹם צָרָֽה

in/on=day (Some words not found in UHB: tooth bad and,a_foot lame trust faithless in/on=day trouble )

See how you translated this phrase in [24:10](../24/10.md).

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 25:19