PROV 26:18 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 26:18–19

These two verses form a single proverb. The first verse is the illustration. The second verse is the topic.

In Hebrew, these verses have four poetic lines. The Notes will discuss each verse as a single line to fit the pattern of other two-line proverbs in this chapter (one line for the illustration, one line for the topic).

26:18–19

The topic of this proverb is a person who thinks that it is a joke to deceive his neighbor. He is compared to a crazy person who shoots arrows that can cause death.

¹⁸Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,

¹⁹so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

The similarity is that both people act recklessly in ways that hurt others. Their actions have serious results that they may not have expected.

26:18

Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows,

¶ Think about a crazy person who shoots burning arrows that cause death. Who/What is he like?
¶ A crazy person may shoot sharp arrows or arrows that are set on fire. A person like that will harm or kill someone.

a madman: In Hebrew, this word occurs only here in the OT. It refers either to a crazy person or a person who acts like he is crazy.HALOT (#4565) defines the word as “behave like a madman.” According to NIDOTTE (H4263), this meaning better fits the idea of joking in 26:19. Toy (page 478) agrees with this reasoning, but concludes that actual madness better fits the context of the whole proverb. Some other ways to translate this word are:

a crazy person (GNT)

a maniac (NRSV)

shooting firebrands and deadly arrows: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “shooting/throwing firebrands, arrows and death.” The verb shooting is more appropriate in the context of arrows.Several English versions use the verb “throw,” and Cohen (page 176) describes “the madman hurling lighted torches or shooting arrows.” There are no other verses in the OT where this Hebrew verb refers to “throwing” a torch. NIDOTTE (H3721) comments that the verb is most often used of “shooting an arrow, usually in the context of warfare.” However, the word for “firebrand” is used only once in the OT, so it is difficult to determine the way it is normally used. However, “throwing” would also fit the context if firebrands refers to burning torches.

The phrase “firebrands, arrows and death” is a figure of speech in which “death” describes both firebrands and arrows.Several scholars mention that this figure of speech is a hendiadys. Fox (page 798) and Toy (page 478) specify that “deadly” modifies both nouns. McKane (page 252) suggests the translation “lethal firebrands and arrows.” It means that these weapons can severely injure or kill people. For example:

deadly firebrands and arrows (NRSV)

firebrands: In Hebrew, this word is used only once in the OT. It probably refers to burning or flaming arrows. Archers sometimes wrapped oily fibers around their arrows and then set them on fire before they shot.Waltke (pages 340–341). However, the word may also refer to burning torches. Either weapon would fit the illustration well.

In some languages, it may be awkward or redundant to make all the details in this verse explicit. Some other ways to translate this verse are:

Refer to burning torches as well as arrows. Describe the use of these weapons in natural ways in your language. For example:
Like a crazy person who throws flaming torches or shoots sharp arrows Notice that in the above example, the idea of “deadly” is implied by the other details.
Refer to deadly arrows. For example:
Like a madman shooting deadly, burning arrows (NCV)
Refer more generally to a deadly weapon. For example:
as a madman shooting a deadly weapon (NLT)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

כְּֽ֭⁠מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַ⁠יֹּרֶ֥ה זִקִּ֗ים חִצִּ֥ים וָ⁠מָֽוֶת

like,a_madman [who],throws firebrands arrows and,death

Like in this verse and so in the next verse indicate that Solomon is comparing an insane one who shoots arrows, firebrands, and death with a man who deceives his neighbor and says, “Was I not joking?” The point is that these are harmful and dangerous acts. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this more explicit. Alternate translation: “Just as an insane one who shoots firebrands, arrows, and death is reckless”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / hendiadys

חִצִּ֥ים וָ⁠מָֽוֶת

arrows and,death

The two words arrows and death express a single idea. The word death describes a characteristic of the arrows. If it would be more natural in your language, you could express this meaning in a different way. Alternate translation: “and arrows that kill”

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 26:18

Hebrew word order

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

Paragraph 26:18–19

26:18–19

26:18

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