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Prov 25 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28

OET interlinear PROV 25:23

◄ ← PROV 25:23 ↓ → ► ║ ©

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. רוּחַ
    2. 396400
    3. A wind of
    4. wind
    5. 7307
    6. S-Ncbsc
    7. a_wind_of
    8. S
    9. Y-700
    10. 276536
    1. צָפוֹן
    2. 396401
    3. +the north
    4. northerly
    5. 6828
    6. S-Ncfsa
    7. [the]_north
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276537
    1. תְּחוֹלֵל
    2. 396402
    3. it brings forth
    4. brings it
    6. V-Voi3fs
    7. it_brings_forth
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276538
    1. גָּשֶׁם
    2. 396403
    3. rain
    4. -
    5. 1653
    6. O-Ncmsa
    7. rain
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276539
    1. וּ,פָנִים
    2. 396404,396405
    3. and faces
    4. and looks
    5. 6440
    6. SO-C,Ncbpa
    7. and,faces
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276540
    1. נִזְעָמִים
    2. 396406
    3. indignant
    4. indignant
    5. 2194
    6. O-VNrmpa
    7. indignant
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276541
    1. לְשׁוֹן
    2. 396407
    3. a tongue of
    4. tongue
    5. 3956
    6. S-Ncbsc
    7. a_tongue_of
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276542
    1. סָתֶר
    2. 396408
    3. secrecy
    4. -
    6. S-Ncmsa
    7. secrecy
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276543
    2. 396409
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-sof-pasuq
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 276544

OET (OET-LV) A_wind_of the_north it_brings_forth rain and_faces indignant a_tongue_of secrecy.

OET (OET-RV) The northerly wind brings rain with it,
 ⇔ and a gossipping tongue brings indignant looks.

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

25:23

In this proverb, “a backbiting tongue” (25:23b) is compared to “the north wind” (25:23a). The similarity is that both produce expected results.

23aAs the north wind brings forth rain,

23bso a backbiting tongue brings angry looks.

In Hebrew and some versions, the comparison is only implied. The illustration and the topic look like two statements connected by the word “and.” For example:

23a The north wind produces rain,

23band a backbiting tongue, angry looks. (NRSV)

The BSB and some versions have supplied the words “As” and “so” to make the comparison explicit. Use a natural way in your language to translate this comparison.

In some languages, it may be helpful to make the similarity between the two lines explicit. For example:

23a People know/expect that a north wind…

23b They also know/expect that …

25:23a

As the north wind brings forth rain,

As the north wind brings forth rain: This statement means that a wind from the north blows in rain clouds and causes it to rain. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

As surely as rain blows in from the north (CEV)

We(incl) expect that a wind from the north will cause it to rain.

When the north wind blows, it will certainly rain.

In some parts of the world, a north wind does not bring rain.Many scholars point out that in Palestine a west wind, not a north wind, brings rain. Waltke (pages 332–333) attempts to solve this problem by saying that the proverb is talking about unexpected consequences. The NIV11 follows this interpretation. It has: “Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain…” But it’s hard to see how the consequences of gossip would be unexpected. The REB understands the verb to mean “holds back” rather than “brings.” In the second line it then has: “so an angry glance holds back slander.” This does not correspond to other verses about slander. Other versions are similar to the NIV and NRSV. Toy (pages 468–469) and Hubbard (page 406) both take the word “north” in a more general sense to mean “northwest,” and say that rain may have come from the northern mountains as well as from the sea. Fox (pages 788–789) agrees with this view. He adds that popular sayings such as this one do not need to be geographically precise. If that makes the meaning of the proverb unclear, you may substitute a local weather condition that is known to produce rain. For example:

When there is a cold wind, it will soon start to rain.

Wind that comes from the mountains/sea brings rain.

If you use a local weather condition, you may want to add a footnote that gives the meaning in the Hebrew text. Here is a suggested footnote:

In Hebrew, it says “a north wind.” In Palestine, a wind from the north or northwest brings rain.

25:23a–b

(combined/reordered)

25:23b

so a backbiting tongue brings angry looks.

so a backbiting tongue brings angry looks: The phrase a backbiting tongue is literally “a tongue of secrecy.” It probably refers to a person who spreads slander or gossip about someone else. The phrase angry looks is literally “angry faces.” This phrase is also a figure of speech. It represents the anger that is felt by the whole person.

Some ways to translate this line are:

telling gossip brings angry looks (NCV)

a gossiping tongue causes anger (NLT)

General Comment on 25:23a–b

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

Gossip brings anger just as surely as the north wind brings rain. (GNT)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ר֣וּחַ צָ֭פוֹן

wind_of north

Here, wind of the north refers to cold wind that came from the north. In Israel, this type of wind often brought rain. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “The cold wind that comes from the north”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וּ⁠פָנִ֥ים נִ֝זְעָמִ֗ים לְשׁ֣וֹן סָֽתֶר

and,faces angry tongue_of backbiting

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a clause would need in order to be complete. Here, the first phrase is the result of the second phrase. You could supply these words from the context if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “and a tongue of secrecy brings forth indignant faces” or “and a tongue of secrecy causes indignant faces”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וּ⁠פָנִ֥ים נִ֝זְעָמִ֗ים

and,faces angry

In this verse, Solomon compares The wind of the north bringing rain to a tongue of secrecy bringing indignant faces. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly: Alternate translation: “and similarly, indignant faces”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

וּ⁠פָנִ֥ים נִ֝זְעָמִ֗ים

and,faces angry

Here, faces refers to the people who are indignant. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and indignant people”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

לְשׁ֣וֹן סָֽתֶר

tongue_of backbiting

Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe a tongue that tells the secrets of others. If your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: “a tongue that tells the secrets of others”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

לְשׁ֣וֹן סָֽתֶר

tongue_of backbiting

Here, tongue refers to the whole person who is speaking. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “a person who tells secrets”

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. A wind of
    2. wind
    3. 7390
    5. 396400
    6. S-Ncbsc
    8. S
    9. Y-700
    10. 276536
    1. +the north
    2. northerly
    3. 6682
    5. 396401
    6. S-Ncfsa
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276537
    1. it brings forth
    2. brings it
    3. 2770
    5. 396402
    6. V-Voi3fs
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276538
    1. rain
    2. -
    3. 1445
    5. 396403
    6. O-Ncmsa
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276539
    1. and faces
    2. and looks
    3. 1987,6376
    5. 396404,396405
    6. SO-C,Ncbpa
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276540
    1. indignant
    2. indignant
    3. 2130
    5. 396406
    6. O-VNrmpa
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276541
    1. a tongue of
    2. tongue
    3. 3834
    5. 396407
    6. S-Ncbsc
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276542
    1. secrecy
    2. -
    3. 5375
    5. 396408
    6. S-Ncmsa
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276543

OET (OET-LV) A_wind_of the_north it_brings_forth rain and_faces indignant a_tongue_of secrecy.

OET (OET-RV) The northerly wind brings rain with it,
 ⇔ and a gossipping tongue brings indignant looks.

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 25:23 ↑ → ► ║ ©