OET interlinear PRO 26:21

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

פֶּחָ֣ם לְ֭⁠גֶחָלִים וְ⁠עֵצִ֣ים לְ⁠אֵ֑שׁ

charcoal to,hot_embers and,wood 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,man_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,man_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,man_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

for,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).