PROV 26:3 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

26:3

This proverb teaches that fools may need a beating before they do what they are told (26:3b). They are like a horse or donkey that need a whip or bridle to guide and control them (26:3a).

^3a A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

^3band a rod for the backs of fools!

The three parallel phrases imply that fools are similar to animals, because they do not respond to reason. Like horses and donkeys, they require force, not only words.

26:3a

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

¶ It is necessary to whip a horse or bridle a donkey to make them do what you^(sing) want them to do.
¶ You need a bridle and a whip to control/guide horses and donkeys.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey: In Palestine, the horse was used mostly for battle, so the rider or chariot driver used a whip to make the horse obey promptly. Common people usually rode on a donkey. They used a bridle to make the animal go where they wanted.

These two phrases are parallel. They do not necessarily imply that whips were only used for horses and that bridles were only used for donkeys.

Some other ways to translate these phrases are:

Use verbs rather than nouns. For example:
You have to whip a horse, you have to bridle a donkey (GNT)
Make explicit the purpose of the whip and bridle. For example:
Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle (NLT)
Make it clear that people used whips and bridles for both kinds of animals. For example:
Horses and donkeys must be beaten and bridled (CEV)

bridle: This word refers to pieces of leather or rope that were fitted around the neck and head of a horse or donkey. The bridle was often attached to a piece of metal in the animal’s mouth. Some other ways to translate this word are:

halter (NIV)

reins/rope

26:3a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ You^(sing) cannot simply tell fools what to do. They also need to be beaten the way that horses and donkeys need to be whipped or bridled.
¶ A fool will not follow advice until/unless he feels a stick/rod on his back. He is like a horse or donkey that only obey when they feel a whip or the pressure of the reins.

26:3b

and a rod for the backs of fools!

Likewise, it is necessary to beat a fool.
You^(sing) need a stick/cane to make fools obey your instructions.

and a rod for the backs of fools: The word rod was last used in 23:14. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

General Comment on 26:3a–b

Use a verb rather than a noun. In some languages, it may be more natural to leave the rod and backs implied. For example:
and you have to beat a fool (GNT)
Make explicit the purpose of the rod. For example:
you need to use a stick if you want a fool to obey you

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the three parallel phrases in these two lines. See 26:3a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

שׁ֣וֹט לַ֭⁠סּוּס מֶ֣תֶג לַ⁠חֲמ֑וֹר וְ֝⁠שֵׁ֗בֶט לְ⁠גֵ֣ו כְּסִילִֽים

whip [is]_for,horse bridle [is]_for,donkey (Some words not found in UHB: whip [is]_for,horse bridle [is]_for,donkey and,a_rod [is]_for_[the],back_of fools )

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence 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: [A whip is for the horse, a bridle is for the donkey, and a rod is for the back of stupid ones]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

שׁ֣וֹט לַ֭⁠סּוּס מֶ֣תֶג לַ⁠חֲמ֑וֹר וְ֝⁠שֵׁ֗בֶט לְ⁠גֵ֣ו כְּסִילִֽים

whip [is]_for,horse bridle [is]_for,donkey (Some words not found in UHB: whip [is]_for,horse bridle [is]_for,donkey and,a_rod [is]_for_[the],back_of fools )

A whip, the horse, a bridle, the donkey, a rod, and the back refer to these things and animals in general. If it would be helpful, you could use more natural expressions in your language. Alternate translation: [Whips are for horses, bridles are for donkeys, and rods are for backs of stupid ones]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ֝⁠שֵׁ֗בֶט

(Some words not found in UHB: whip [is]_for,horse bridle [is]_for,donkey and,a_rod [is]_for_[the],back_of fools )

Here, and indicates that Solomon is comparing what follows to what he said in the previous clause. Solomon is saying that people must hit stupid ones with a rod in order to control them, just like they must use a whip to control horses and a bridle to control donkeys. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [in the same way a rod]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ֝⁠שֵׁ֗בֶט לְ⁠גֵ֣ו

(Some words not found in UHB: whip [is]_for,horse bridle [is]_for,donkey and,a_rod [is]_for_[the],back_of fools )

See how you translated the same use of rod for the back in [10:13](../10/13.md).

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 26:3