PROV 27:16 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

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.

27:16

The comparisons in these two lines both describe something that is impossible to do. The verse uses these comparisons to teach that it is impossible to control or stop a contentious/quarrelsome woman/wife from nagging or arguing.

^16arestraining her is like holding back the wind

^16bor grasping oil with one’s right hand.

In Hebrew, these lines are more literally “he who restrains her restrains the wind and olive oil meets his right hand.” The comparisons are implied. The BSB translates them as similes (the word “like” is implied after the word “or” in 27:16b).

27:16a

restraining her is like holding back the wind

To control her behavior is like controlling the wind
It is not possible to prevent a woman like that from nagging/arguing. It is like commanding the wind not to blow.

restraining her is like holding back the wind: Some other ways to translate this line are:

Make some of the implied information explicit. For example:
Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind (NLT)
To control her is as difficult as controlling the wind.
Change the simile to a rhetorical question that implies a negative answer. For example:
How can you keep her quiet? Have you ever tried to stop the wind…? (GNT)

27:16a–b

(combined/reordered)

Can you^(sing) stop the wind? Can you grasp oil with your fingers? Of course not! Similarly, you cannot force a woman who habitually nags/quarrels to be silent.

27:16b

or grasping oil with one’s right hand.

or like picking up oil with the right hand.
It is also like trying to hold something slippery in your hand/fingers.

or grasping oil with one’s right hand: Some other ways to translate this line are:

or pick up olive oil in his right hand

or hold something slippery in his hand

General Comment on 27:16a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to state the topic before the illustrations. For example:

It’s easier to catch the wind or hold olive oil in your hand than to stop a nagging wife. (CEV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-textvariants

צֹפְנֶ֥י⁠הָ צָֽפַן

[those_of,who]_hide_her restrains

The word translated twice as hides in this verse is considered by some scholars to also mean “restrains.” If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT.

Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns

צֹפְנֶ֥י⁠הָ

[those_of,who]_hide_her

Here, her refers to “a woman of quarrels” mentioned in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “The one who hides a woman of quarrels”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

צֹפְנֶ֥י⁠הָ & יְמִינ֣⁠וֹ

[those_of,who]_hide_her & hand_of,his_right

The one who hides and his represent any man with a quarrelsome wife in general, not a specific man. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “Any person who hides her … that person’s right hand”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

צָֽפַן־ר֑וּחַ וְ⁠שֶׁ֖מֶן יְמִינ֣⁠וֹ יִקְרָֽא

restrains wind and,oil_of hand_of,his_right he/it_called/named

Here Solomon speaks of hiding a quarrelsome woman as if one were trying to hide the wind or grasp oil in his hand, both of which are impossible tasks. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: “is doing something impossible” or “is like one who tries to hide the wind or grasp oil in his right hand”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

יִקְרָֽא

he/it_called/named

Here, the word translated as meets refers to trying to grasp or hold on to something in a hand. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “grasps”

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 27:16

Hebrew word order