PROV 27:18 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

27:18

In Hebrew and in the BSB, this comparison has the same form as 27:17. The illustration precedes the topic.

^18a Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

^18band he who looks after his master will be honored.

The similarity between a servant who cares for his master and a gardener who cares for a fig tree is that both will receive a reward or benefit from their work.

27:18a

Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,

¶ A person who takes care of a fig tree will be rewarded with fruit from that tree.
¶ If you^(sing) work diligently to tend/cultivate a tree that bears fruit, you will enjoy eating its fruit.

Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit: This line refers to a person who takes care of a fig tree. His work includes fertilizing, cultivating, and pruning the tree so that it will bear lots of fruit. The benefit that he receives is that he eats some of its fruit. Some other ways to translate this line are:

As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit (NLT)

Take care of a fig tree and you will have figs to eat. (GNT)

In language areas where fig trees are not known, here are some other ways to translate this line:

Use a general term. For example:
Take care of a tree, and you will eat its fruit (CEV)
Use a loan word from a major language in your area. For example:
If you care for an igos tree, you will enjoy its fruit. (From Spanish higo.) If you use this option, people should clearly understand that the loan word refers to a kind of fruit tree.

27:18a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ When a person does good work, his employer/master will honor/reward him. It is like a gardener who cares for a fig/fruit tree. That person also has a reward. He eats the fruit.

27:18b

and he who looks after his master will be honored.

Similarly, a person/servant who takes care of his master will receive honor/praise.
In the same way, if you^(sing) work hard for your employer, he will reward you.

and he who looks after his master: This phrase may refer to a servant who cares for his master’s personal needs. It may also refer to a person who oversees or protects his employer’s business or investments.

will be honored: This phrase may refer to praise or public recognition. It may also refer to a financial reward.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded (NLT)

Servants who take care of their master will be honored. (GNT)

General Comment on 27:18a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to state the topic before the illustration. See 27:18a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

נֹצֵ֣ר תְּ֭אֵנָה יֹאכַ֣ל פִּרְיָ֑⁠הּ וְ⁠שֹׁמֵ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֣י⁠ו

tends_of (Some words not found in UHB: tends_of fig_tree eat fruit_of,its and,[one_who]_protects master(s)_of,his honoured )

One guarding, a fig tree, its, one protecting, and his represent fig trees and types of people in general. If it would be helpful, you could use more natural expressions in your language. Alternate translation: [Any person who guards any fig tree will eat the fruit of that tree, and any person who protects that person’s master]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠שֹׁמֵ֖ר

(Some words not found in UHB: tends_of fig_tree eat fruit_of,its and,[one_who]_protects master(s)_of,his honoured )

Here, and indicates that Solomon is comparing what follows to what he said in the previous clause. Solomon is saying that one protecting his master is like One guarding a fig tree because both receive a reward for their work. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [and in the same way, one who protects]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

יְכֻבָּֽד

(Some words not found in UHB: tends_of fig_tree eat fruit_of,its and,[one_who]_protects master(s)_of,his honoured )

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [that master will honor]

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 27:18