PROV 27:15 Interlinear View

27:15 OSHB variant note: מדונים: (x-qere) ’מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים’: lemma_4079 n_0.0 morph_HNcmpa id_20BJQ 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 27:15–16

These two verses form a single proverb about a quarrelsome wife. The first verse uses a simile to describe her behavior. The second verse uses two implied similes to describe the difficulty of controlling her behavior.

27:15

A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike—

¶ A wife who repeatedly quarrels is like water that keeps leaking through a hole in the roof on a day when it keeps raining.
¶ When a woman nags and quarrels with her husband, she destroys her family like a constant leak damages their house during a steady/strong rain.

In Hebrew and some English versions, including the BSB, the illustration precedes the topic. For example:

^15aA continual dripping on a rainy day

^15band a quarrelsome wife are alike (ESV)The ESV translation “are alike” follows the Hebrew quite literally. According to Fox (p. 810), this form of comparison “is not used elsewhere.” The Notes have called it a simile, since it has the same function.

In other versions, the first line gives the topic of the simile. The second line gives the illustration. For example:

^15aA quarrelsome wife is like

^15ba constant dripping on a rainy day (NIV)

You may use whatever order is more natural in your language. The Display as well as the following notes will combine the two lines.

A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike: See the notes on 19:13b. That verse does not have the phrase on a rainy day, and there are other minor differences in form, but the implied meaning is the same.

Both verses compare a contentious woman to a constant dripping from a leaking roof. Some ways that they are similar are that:

Both cause damage to a home.
Both are very irritating.

Some ways to translate this simile are:

Keep the simile. For example:
A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm (NIV11)
A nagging wife is like water going drip-drip-drip on a rainy day. (GNT)
Make explicit one or more of the similarities. For example:
A quarreling wife is as bothersome as a continual dripping on a rainy day. (NCV)

A constant dripping on a rainy day: In Hebrew, a rainy day refers to a day on which it rains heavily and steadily. This kind of rain can cause leaks in a flat roof made of boards, earth, and straw, so that water drips continually inside the house.TWOT (#1463a) defines sagrir as a “steady, persistent rain.” NIDOTTE (H6039) identifies it as a “downpour” that causes dripping inside the house. Cook (p. 74) and Toy (p. 488) provide a description of the flat roofs of Eastern houses that had layers of earth and straw on top of boards.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

דֶּ֣לֶף ט֭וֹרֵד בְּ⁠י֣וֹם סַגְרִ֑יר וְ⁠אֵ֥שֶׁת מדונים נִשְׁתָּוָֽה

(Some words not found in UHB: dripping constant in/on=day rainy and,a_wife_of contentious alike )

Here, alike indicates that Solomon is comparing a woman of quarrels to continually dripping water on a rainy day because both are annoying. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. See how you translated the similar use of dripping in [19:13](../19/13.md). Alternate translation: [Bothersome as a continual dripping on a day of steady rain is a woman of quarrels] or [As annoying as a continual dripping of water on a rainy day is a woman of quarrels]

וְ⁠אֵ֥שֶׁת מדונים

(Some words not found in UHB: dripping constant in/on=day rainy and,a_wife_of contentious alike )

See how you translated a woman of quarrels in [21:9](../21/09.md).

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

27:15 OSHB variant note: מדונים: (x-qere) ’מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים’: lemma_4079 n_0.0 morph_HNcmpa id_20BJQ 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 27:15

Hebrew word order

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

Paragraph 27:15–16

27:15

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