PROV 26:14 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

Paragraph 26:13–16

This paragraph is about a lazy person or “slacker” (BSB). The first three verses ridicule the lazy person and imply a progression in his laziness. First, he makes a ridiculous excuse for staying at home and not going to work (26:13). Second, he just stays in bed (26:14). Third, he is too lazy to even put food in his mouth (26:15). The conclusion or climax comes in 26:16. In spite of his laziness, he considers himself to be extremely wise.See Fox (page 798) and Waltke (page 355). Both of these scholars analyze this paragraph in a similar way. According to Fox, the first three proverbs ridicule the lazy person. Waltke considers the fourth proverb to be the climax of the paragraph. Fox notes that this last proverb is a “non-ironic observation.”

26:14

This proverb compares a lazy person who turns over in bed (26:14b) to a door that swings back and forth on its hinges (26:14a).

^14aAs a door turns on its hinges,

^14bso the slacker turns on his bed.

The similarity is that both the illustration (a door) and the topic (a lazy person) turn back and forth but do not go anywhere.

In Hebrew, there is an ellipsis (deliberate omission) of the verb “turns” in 26:14b. For example:

so does a sluggard on his bed (ESV)

In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing verb “turns” from 26:14a, as the BSB has done.

26:14a

As a door turns on its hinges,

Like a door that repeatedly rotates/swings on its hinges,
A door regularly opens and closes, but it is still attached to the house/frame.

As a door turns on its hinges: In Hebrew, the form of the verb turns indicates repeated or habitual action. Another way to translate this line is:

As a door swings back and forth on its hinges (NLT)

Languages describe the movement of a door in different ways. Use a word or phrase that is normally used in your language.

hinges: The purpose of the hinges is to hold the door in place and to allow the door to open and close. In areas where people are not familiar with hinges, translators may describe the purpose of the hinges instead. For example:

Like a door that opens and shuts and goes nowhere

26:14a–b

(combined/reordered)

A lazy person is like a door that keeps swinging/turning on its hinges. He rolls/turns to the left, then to the right, but he never gets out of bed.

26:14b

so the slacker turns on his bed.

a lazy person just turns back and forth on his bed.
Similarly, a lazy person rolls onto one side, then rolls back. But he stays in his bed.

so the slacker turns on his bed: This clause means that a lazy person turns or rolls from one side of his body to the other on his bed. In the context of the parallel line, it implies that he does not get out of bed. He simply stays there and goes nowhere. Another way to translate this clause is:

the lazy person turns over and over in bed (NCV)

General Comment on 26:14a–b

See 26:14a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display for a way to change the order of these two lines.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-unknown

הַ֭⁠דֶּלֶת תִּסּ֣וֹב עַל־צִירָ֑⁠הּ

the,door turns on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in hinge[s]_of,its

A hinge is a metal or leather piece attached to a door in order to allow the door to swing back and forth. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of item, you could use the name of something similar in your area, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: “The door swings back and forth” or “The door swings open and shut”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ֝⁠עָצֵ֗ל עַל־מִטָּתֽ⁠וֹ

and,a_sluggard on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in bed_of,his

Solomon is leaving out a word that in many languages a clause would need in order to be complete. You could supply this word from the previous clause if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “and a lazy one turns on his bed”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

וְ֝⁠עָצֵ֗ל עַל־מִטָּתֽ⁠וֹ

and,a_sluggard on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in bed_of,his

See how translated a lazy one and his in [13:4](../13/04.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ֝⁠עָצֵ֗ל

and,a_sluggard

Here, and indicates that Solomon is comparing what follows to what he said in the previous clause. Solomon is saying that a lazy one on his bed is like a door that turns on its hinge because both move without going anywhere. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “in the same way a lazy one”

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 26:14

Hebrew word order