PROV 25:3 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

25:3

This verse compares “the hearts of kings” to “the heavens” and “the earth.” The underlined parts identify the things that are being compared. The parts in bold print describe the ways in which they are similar:

^3aAs the heavens are high and the earth is deep,

^3bso the hearts of kings cannot be searched.

The overall meaning is that people are not able to fully understand the “hearts”/minds of kings. Although kings investigate things that happen in their kingdom and explain some of their decisions and policies (25:2b), people cannot know a king’s inner thoughts and motives.

25:3a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ People/We^(incl) cannot know all the thoughts/intentions of a king. They are like the highest part of the sky or the deepest part of the earth. They cannot be reached.

As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings cannot be searched: In Hebrew, this verse is a metaphor. These two lines are literally:

^3aHeavens for height and earth for depth,

^3band the hearts of kings there is no searching.

The topic of this metaphor (the hearts of kings) is in the second line. The two illustrations (the heavens and the earth) are in the first line. The words high, and deep, and the phrase cannot be searched are similar. They all refer to things that cannot be completely measured, reached, or understood.

Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

Change it to a simile, as the BSB has done. For example:
^3aLike the heavens in their height, like the earth in its depth,
^3bis the mind of kings—unfathomable. (NJPS)
Change it to a simile and make the similarity more explicit. For example:
^3a No one can measure the height of the skies or the depth of the earth.
^3bSo also, no one can understand the mind of a king. (NCV)

25:3a

As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,

¶ It is not possible to measure the height of the sky or the depth of the earth/ground.
¶ No one can reach the highest/farthest part of the sky or dig to the deepest part of the earth.

the heavens are high: This clause refers to the sky, including the heavenly bodies, such as the sun, moon, and stars.

the earth is deep: This clause probably refers to the depth of the earth as most people perceive it. Even if a person digs a deep well or an underground mine, it is impossible for him to reach or penetrate the full depth of the ground that extends beneath him.Garrett (page 205) and Whybray (page 361) both mention that the word “earth” (Hebrew: ʾereṣ) can refer to the underworld. Toy (page 459) describes the earth as “indefinitely deep, reaching down to Sheol.” However, no versions specify “Sheol” or “the world of the dead.” In Hebrew, a number of verses in Proverbs refer specifically to “Sheol” (for example, 5:5, 9:18, 15:24). The author could have used the same term here if that had been his intention.

General Comment on 25:3a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of these two lines so that the topic of the comparison precedes the two illustrations. For example:

^3bYou never know what a king is thinking. His thoughts are beyond us,

^3alike the highest part of the sky or the deepest part of the earth.This example is adapted from the GNT, which has “like the heights of the sky or the depths of the ocean” in the second line. Although the GNT’s rendering fits the significance of the comparison, other versions and commentaries do not support this translation. See NIDOTTE (H6679 “depths,” H3542 “sea,” H9333 “deeps,” and H4784 “waters”) for details about word usage.

25:3b

so the hearts of kings cannot be searched.

Likewise, it is not possible to discover what is in the hearts/minds of kings.
The mind of a king is like those things. No one can understand it.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

שָׁמַ֣יִם לָ֭⁠רוּם וָ⁠אָ֣רֶץ לָ⁠עֹ֑מֶק

heavens for,height and,earth for,depth

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a clause 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: “Heavens are an example of height and earth is an example of depth”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

לָ֭⁠רוּם & לָ⁠עֹ֑מֶק

for,height & for,depth

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of height and depth, you could express the same ideas in other ways. Alternate translation: “for what is high … for what is deep”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠לֵ֥ב מְ֝לָכִ֗ים

and_[the],heart_of kings

Here, and indicates that Solomon is comparing what follows to what he said in the previous clause. Solomon is saying that the heart of kings is like Heavens and earth because they are difficult to fully understand. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “in the same way the heart of kings”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

וְ⁠לֵ֥ב מְ֝לָכִ֗ים

and_[the],heart_of kings

The word heart represents hearts in general, not one particular heart. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a more natural expression. Alternate translation: “and the hearts of kings”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ⁠לֵ֥ב

and_[the],heart_of

See how you translated the same use of “hearts” in [15:11](../15/11.md).

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אֵ֣ין חֵֽקֶר

not investigated

Here Solomon speaks of it being difficult to understand the heart of kings as if it were something that could not be searched for. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is difficult to comprehend”

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 25:3