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OET interlinear PROV 26:4

◄ ← PROV 26:4 ↓ → ► ║ ©

Hebrew word order

    1. Hebrew word
    2. Hebrew lemma
    3. OET-LV words
    4. OET-RV words
    5. Strongs
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. Gloss
    8. CAPS codes
    9. OET tags
    10. OET word #
    1. אַל
    2. 396519
    3. Do not
    4. Don't
    5. 408
    6. S-Tn
    7. do_not
    8. S
    9. Y-700
    10. 276630
    2. 396520
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-maqqef
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 276631
    1. תַּעַן
    2. 396521
    3. answer
    4. -
    6. V-Vqj2ms
    7. answer
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276632
    1. כְּסִיל
    2. 396522
    3. a fool
    4. -
    5. 3684
    6. O-Aamsa
    7. a_fool
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276633
    1. כְּ,אִוַּלְתּ,וֹ
    2. 396523,396524,396525
    3. according to of his foolishness
    4. foolish
    5. 200
    6. S-R,Ncfsc,Sp3ms
    7. according,to_of,his_foolishness
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276634
    1. פֶּֽן
    2. 396526
    3. lest
    4. -
    5. 6435
    6. S-C
    7. lest
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276635
    2. 396527
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-maqqef
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 276636
    1. תִּשְׁוֶה
    2. 396528
    3. you should become like
    4. -
    6. V-Vqi2ms
    7. you_should_become_like
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276637
    2. 396529
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-maqqef
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 276638
    1. לּ,וֹ
    2. 396530,396531
    3. for him/it
    4. -
    6. S-R,Sp3ms
    7. for=him/it
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276639
    1. גַם
    2. 396532
    3. also
    4. -
    5. 1571
    6. S-D
    7. also
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276640
    2. 396533
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-maqqef
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 276641
    1. אָתָּה
    2. 396534
    3. you
    4. -
    6. S-Pp2ms
    7. you
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276642
    2. 396535
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-sof-pasuq
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 276643

OET (OET-LV) Do_not answer a_fool according_to_of_his_foolishness lest you_should_become_like for_him/it also you.

OET (OET-RV) Don’t answer a fool with a foolish answer,
 ⇔ otherwise you’ll just end up like them.

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 26:4–5

These two proverbs are closely related. They assume a situation in which a fool has started to argue with someone or has said something in a foolish, angry, or insulting way.

The first lines advise the reader how to respond to the fool. The second lines give the undesirable result of not following the advice.

4aDo not answer a fool according to his folly,

4bor you yourself will be like him.

5aAnswer a fool according to his folly,

5blest he become wise in his own eyes.

In Hebrew and in many English versions, the first lines of each verse are identical except for the negative command “Do not” in 26:4a. They appear to give contradictory advice. Some ways to explain the apparent contradiction are:

  1. Different situations may require a different response.

  2. The meaning of the phrase “according to his folly” differs in 26:4a and 26:5a.

  3. The results in the second lines differ from one another. Verse 26:4b describes the result on the reader. Verse 26:5b describes the result on the fool. These different results fit the different meanings of the first lines.

There are different ways to interpret the advice in each of the first lines. These will be discussed separately in the notes on 26:4a and 26:5a.

26:4a

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

Do not answer a fool according to his folly: Two ways to interpret this advice are:

  1. Do not answer a fool in a way that is similar to his foolishness. When a person answers a fool, he should not speak foolishly, angrily, or insultingly like a fool speaks. For example:

    Do not answer a fool in the terms of his folly (NJB) (BSB, ESV, GW, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NRSV)

  2. Do not answer a fool who says something foolish.Scholars who support this interpretation include Hubbard (page 398), Ross (page 1088), and McKane (page 596). These scholars all conclude that in some situations it is better to remain silent rather than to participate in a foolish discussion. For example:

    Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools (NLT) (CEV, NLT, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The phrase according to his folly implies some kind of answer.UBS (page 559) points out that the LXX translated the Hebrew preposition in two different ways in these proverbs. In 26:4a it used a Greek preposition that means “in favor of.” In 26:5a it used a preposition that means “against.” Waltke (pages 348–349) concludes that the two verses refer to different kinds of answers, not to silence in verse 4 versus an answer in verse 5. Fox (pages 793–794) agrees with Waltke.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

Don’t give fools a foolish answer (NCV)

When you answer a fool, do not speak foolishly

26:4b

or you yourself will be like him.

or: The word that the BSB translates as or is literally “lest.” It introduces the bad result of ignoring the preceding command. Other ways to introduce this result are to start a new sentence with a word such as “Otherwise” or a phrase such as “If you answer him like that.”

you yourself will be like him: In Hebrew, the pronoun yourself is emphatic. It focuses the reader’s attention on the contrast between his current wisdom and what he would become if he answered like a fool.Waltke (page 349).

Some other ways to translate this line are:

or you will be like him yourself (NIV)

or you will become as foolish as they are (NLT)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

כְּ֭סִיל כְּ⁠אִוַּלְתּ֑⁠וֹ & לּ֥⁠וֹ

fool according,to_of,his_foolishness & for=him/it

Here, a stupid one, his, and him refer to a type of person in general, not a specific person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. See how you translated a stupid one in [10:18](../10/18.md). Alternate translation: “any stupid person according to that person’s folly … that person”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

כְּ⁠אִוַּלְתּ֑⁠וֹ

according,to_of,his_foolishness

This could mean: (1) according to the reasoning of a stupid one. Alternate translation: “according to his foolish reasoning” (2) in the same manner as a stupid one. Alternate translation: “in a foolish manner”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

כְּ⁠אִוַּלְתּ֑⁠וֹ

according,to_of,his_foolishness

See how you translated the abstract noun folly in [5:23](../05/23.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rpronouns

תִּשְׁוֶה & גַם־אָֽתָּה

like & also/even you(ms)

Solomon uses the word yourself to emphasize how important it is to not become like a stupid one. Use a way that is natural in your language to indicate this significance. Alternate translation: “even you become like”

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

    1. OET-LV words
    2. OET-RV words
    3. Strongs
    4. Hebrew word
    5. Hebrew lemma
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. Gloss
    8. CAPS codes
    9. OET tags
    10. OET word #
    1. Do not
    2. Don't
    3. 515
    5. 396519
    6. S-Tn
    8. S
    9. Y-700
    10. 276630
    1. answer
    2. -
    3. 5969
    5. 396521
    6. V-Vqj2ms
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276632
    1. a fool
    2. -
    3. 3451
    5. 396522
    6. O-Aamsa
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276633
    1. according to of his foolishness
    2. foolish
    3. 3418,255,1978
    5. 396523,396524,396525
    6. S-R,Ncfsc,Sp3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276634
    1. lest
    2. -
    3. 6267
    5. 396526
    6. S-C
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276635
    1. you should become like
    2. -
    3. 7786
    5. 396528
    6. V-Vqi2ms
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276637
    1. for him/it
    2. -
    3. 3705,1978
    5. 396530,396531
    6. S-R,Sp3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276639
    1. also
    2. -
    3. 1471
    5. 396532
    6. S-D
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276640
    1. you
    2. -
    3. 611
    5. 396534
    6. S-Pp2ms
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 276642

OET (OET-LV) Do_not answer a_fool according_to_of_his_foolishness lest you_should_become_like for_him/it also you.

OET (OET-RV) Don’t answer a fool with a foolish answer,
 ⇔ otherwise you’ll just end up like them.

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 logo mark

◄ ← PROV 26:4 ↑ → ► ║ ©