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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Prov C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31
Prov 27 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27
OET (OET-LV) If you_will_pound DOM the_fool in_mortar in_the_middle the_grain(s) with_pestle not it_will_depart from_with_him foolishness_of_his.
OET (OET-RV) Even if you could pound a fool like grain in a mortar,
⇔ → their foolishness can’t be separated from them.
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
This proverb teaches that even if you punish a fool severely, you will not remove his foolishness.
22aThough you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle,
22byet his folly will not depart from him.
The first line describes the process of pounding grain in a mortar with a pestle. The second line (27:22b) gives the result of figuratively pounding or “grinding” the fool in 27:22a.
In Hebrew, this proverb is a metaphor. The implied topic is the punishment of a fool. The illustration is the process of pounding grain in a mortar. The implied result of pounding grain is to remove the useless husks. By contrast, even severe physical punishment will not remove the foolish conduct of a stubborn fool.McKane and Waltke both say that the metaphor of pounding/grinding a fool in a mortar refers to severe punishment. Ross, Longman, and Murphy specify physical punishment.
See fool 1 and folly in the Glossary.
Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle,
¶ You(sing) may pound/grind a stubborn fool like grain in a mortar,
¶ Even though people beat/punish a fool severely,
Though you grind a fool like grain with mortar and a pestle: In Hebrew, this verse part is literally “If/Though you pound/grind a fool in the mortar among the grains with the pestle.” This clause figuratively describes a fool as one of many grains of barley in a mortar.Fox (p. 814) describes the fool as one grain among many grains of barley in a mortar. Waltke (p. 371) also identifies the grain as barley. A person pounds the grain with a pestle to grind or crush the grain and remove the inedible husks. But contrary to what he expects, even severe pounding will not remove the fool’s “husk.”
mortar…pestle: A mortar was a deep bowl or a hollowed stone or log. A pestle was a sturdy wooden or stone pole.Kidner (p. 168) describes a mortar as “a pounding-bowl.” According to Hubbard (p. 438), both mortar and pestle were made from stone. According to the IVP New Bible Dictionary, the mortar was made from either wood or stone, and the pestle was made from wood.
In some languages, it may be clearer or more natural to leave some parts of this metaphor implied and/or to make other parts explicit. Some ways to translate this verse part are:
Keep the illustration of a mortar and pestle. In some languages, it may not be necessary to make “grain” explicit. For example:
You may pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle (REB)
Keep the figurative idea of “grinding” a fool “like grain.” For example:
Even if you ground up a foolish person like grain in a bowl (NCV)
Use a different method of grinding or a specific kind of grain. For example:
Even if you punish a fool as thoroughly as people grind rice in a mill
Translate the meaning without using a metaphor or simile. For example:
Even if you beat fools half to death (GNT)
(combined/reordered)
¶ People pound rice/barley to remove the husks, but if they beat a stubborn fool, they will not be able to remove his foolishness.
¶ When you(sing) use a pestle to pound grain in a mortar, you will separate the husks from the grain. But even if you punish a fool severely/thoroughly, you will not cause his foolishness to leave.
If a person is a stubborn fool, even if you punish him for his foolishness, he will still be a fool.
yet his folly will not depart from him.
but his foolishness will not be removed.
he will still have a foolish character.
yet his folly will not depart from him: This line means that his foolishness will continue to be a part of his character. He will not stop doing things that are foolish. Some other ways to translate this line are:
you will not remove his folly from him (NIV)
still his foolishness will not be separated from him (VOICE)
but his folly will never be knocked out of him (REB)
you will never stop him from acting foolishly
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder some of the parts of this verse. For example:
You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle. (NLT)
If you grind wheat in a mill, the husks will be gone. If you punish a fool, his foolishness will remain.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo
אִ֥ם תִּכְתּֽוֹשׁ־אֶת־הָאֱוִ֨יל ׀ בַּֽמַּכְתֵּ֡שׁ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָ֭רִיפוֹת בַּֽעֱלִ֑י
if crush DOM the,fool in,mortar in_the=middle the,grain(s) with,pestle
Solomon introduces an imaginary situation to help explain how futile it is to try to stop a fool from being foolish. Use a natural method in your language for introducing an imaginary situation. Alternate translation: “Suppose you were to pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle in the midst of ground grains”
Note 2 topic: translate-unknown
תִּכְתּֽוֹשׁ־אֶת־הָאֱוִ֨יל ׀ בַּֽמַּכְתֵּ֡שׁ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָ֭רִיפוֹת בַּֽעֱלִ֑י
crush DOM the,fool in,mortar in_the=middle the,grain(s) with,pestle
The terms mortar and pestle refer to hard tools that are smashed together to crush grains. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of tool, you could use the name of something similar in your area, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: “you pound a fool with tools used for crushing grain”
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun
אֶת־הָאֱוִ֨יל & מֵ֝עָלָ֗יו אִוַּלְתּֽוֹ
DOM the,fool & from,with,him foolishness_of,his
Here, a fool, his, and him refer to fools in general, not one particular fool. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “any fool … that fool’s folly … from on that fool”
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / personification
לֹא־תָס֥וּר מֵ֝עָלָ֗יו אִוַּלְתּֽוֹ
not depart from,with,him foolishness_of,his
Here Solomon speaks of a person being unable to stop behaving foolishly as if his folly were a person who will not turn away from on him. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “he will not stop his folly”
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
אִוַּלְתּֽוֹ
foolishness_of,his
See how you translated the abstract noun folly in [5:23](../05/23.md).
27:22 Foolishness is deeply ingrained in the character of a fool.
OET (OET-LV) If you_will_pound DOM the_fool in_mortar in_the_middle the_grain(s) with_pestle not it_will_depart from_with_him foolishness_of_his.
OET (OET-RV) Even if you could pound a fool like grain in a mortar,
⇔ → their foolishness can’t be separated from 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.