PROV 26:21 Interlinear View

26:21 OSHB variant note: מדונים: (x-qere) ’מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים’: lemma_4079 n_0.0 morph_HNcmpa id_20NA8 מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים

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 26:20–21

Both these proverbs are warnings about people who cause quarrels with their words. The first verse is about people who gossip. The second verse is about people who quarrel.

Both proverbs use illustrations that describe the effect of wood on a fire. The first verse speaks about a lack of wood. The second verse speaks about the effect of adding wood.

26:21

This proverb describes the effect of a quarrelsome person on a disagreement. The effect is the same as adding fuel to hot coals or a fire. The parallel parts in the two illustrations (26:21a) have the same function as the similar parts in the topic (26:21b).

^21a Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire,

^21bso is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

26:21a

Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire,

Just as charcoal and wood cause a fire to continue burning,
Think about what happens to glowing coals or a fire when you^(sing) add charcoal or wood.

Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire: In these parallel illustrations, the words charcoal and wood both refer to kinds of fuel. They keep a fire burning or cause it to burn with greater heat. This relationship is not stated explicitly.

embers: In this context, the word that the BSB translates as embers refers to hot, glowing coals. Some other ways to translate this word are:

hot embers (ESV)

burning coals (NET)

live coals (NAB)

In some languages, it may be helpful to make the relationship between the parallel parts more explicit. For example:

Charcoal keeps the embers glowing, wood keeps the fire burning (GNT)

The NCV combines the parallel words “embers” and “fire” into one term. It has:

Just as charcoal and wood keep a fire going

This may also be a good option in some languages.

26:21a–b

(combined/reordered)

A person who continually argues makes a quarrel worse. It’s like adding/putting wood/fuel on a fire.

26:21b

so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

a quarrelsome person causes an argument to continue.
The same thing happens if you^(sing) have an argument with a person who always quarrels.

so is a quarrelsome man: In Hebrew, the phrase quarrelsome man is literally “person of quarrels” (same Hebrew word as “quarrel” in 26:20b).It refers to a person who frequently argues with other people. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

troublemakers (GNT)

A person who is always arguing

for kindling strife: In the context of the parallel phrases in 26:21a, the verb that the BSB translates as kindling probably refers to increasing the heat of a fire.UBS (page 566) says that “kindling” means “to start a fire” or “to flare up.” Fox (page 799) says that a “querulous man…lights the fire of strife.” However, NIDOTTE (H3081) says that the quarrelsome person “stokes the flames of dissension, raising the temperature of disputes to the boiling point.” Kidner (page 164) says that the quarrelsome person “feeds the fires.” Cohen (page 177) agrees that “kindle” means “keep the fire burning.” Longman, Hubbard, and Garrett have similar comments. If a fire has almost gone out, kindling the fire makes the flames hotter. A person who kindles strife makes a quarrel “hotter” or more severe.

strife: In Hebrew, the word that the BSB translates as strife sometimes refers to a legal dispute. Here it probably refers more generally to any quarrel or argument between people.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

and troublemakers keep arguments alive (GNT)

a quarrelsome person keeps an argument going (NCV)

people who like to argue cause quarrels to become more severe

General Comment on 26:21a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to state the topic before the illustration(s). See 26:21a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

פֶּחָ֣ם לְ֭⁠גֶחָלִים וְ⁠עֵצִ֣ים לְ⁠אֵ֑שׁ

charcoal to,burning_coals and,wood(s) to,fire

Solomon assumes that his readers will understand that Charcoal helps burning coals burn and wood helps fire burn. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “As charcoal is fuel for coals to burn, and wood feeds a fire”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠אִ֥ישׁ מדונים

and,a_person_of quarrelsome

Here, so indicates that Solomon is comparing what follows to what he said in the previous clause. In the same way that Charcoal helps burning coals burn and wood helps fire burn, a man of quarrels produces disputes among other people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “in the same way, a man of quarrels”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

וְ⁠אִ֥ישׁ מדונים & רִֽיב

and,a_person_of quarrelsome & strife

Here, a man of quarrels and a dispute refer to a type of people and disputes in general, not a specific man or dispute. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “and any person of quarrels … any dispute”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

וְ⁠אִ֥ישׁ מדונים

and,a_person_of quarrelsome

Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe a man who is characterized by quarrels. See how you translated “a woman of quarrels” in [21:9](../21/09.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

לְ⁠חַרְחַר־רִֽיב

to,kindling strife

Here Solomon refers to causing a dispute to continue as if it were a fire to which someone adds small, highly flammable sticks of wood, called kindling. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is to starting an argument”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

רִֽיב

strife

See how you translated the abstract nouns dispute in [15:18](../15/18.md).

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

26:21 OSHB variant note: מדונים: (x-qere) ’מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים’: lemma_4079 n_0.0 morph_HNcmpa id_20NA8 מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים

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 26:21

Hebrew word order