PROV 28:25 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

28:25

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^25a A greedy man stirs up strife,

^25bbut he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

The parallelism is not exact. It implies that a greedy person does not trust in the LORD. It also implies that a person who stirs up dissension will not prosper.

28:25a

A greedy man stirs up strife,

A greedy person causes quarrels/conflict,
Greed causes fighting/trouble.

A greedy man stirs up strife: In Hebrew, the phrase greedy man is literally “wide of appetite.”See UBS (p. 600), Waltke (p. 427), and Longman (p. 486) for more details on the meaning of this Hebrew idiom. This idiom refers to a person who has a strong desire for something, such as money, possessions, or food.In the few OT verses where nepeš refers to appetite or desire, it can also refer to the desire for revenge or sex, the craving for food (Proverbs 23:2), or thirst for a cold drink (Proverbs 25:25). In the context of the result (causing conflict), it implies that:

The person does not restrain his desire.
His desire cannot be satisfied.
He desires something that belongs to or should be shared with someone else.

English versions use different words to translate the idiom “wide of appetite.” The three main words are:

greedy (ESV)
covetous (NJB)
selfish (GNT)

You should choose a term in your language that best fits the context of this line. See the notes on 28:22a, where an idiom of similar meaning is used in a different context.

stirs up strife: This phrase refers to a person who causes arguments, disagreements, or conflict. The same phrase was also used in 15:18.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

A greedy man provokes quarrels (NJPS)

A greedy person causes trouble (NCV)

Greed causes fighting (NLT)

28:25b

but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

but the person who trusts in Yahweh will enjoy prosperity/success.
When a person relies on Yahweh to meet his needs, he will be completely satisfied and prosperous/successful.

but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper: The phrase trusts in the LORD indicates that the person relies on the LORD to meet his needs. The phrase will prosper is literally “shall be made fat,” as in the KJV. In that culture, being fat implied good health and prosperity. Some other ways to translate the last phrase are:

will be enriched (NRSV)

shall enjoy prosperity (NJPS)

will succeed (NCV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

רְחַב־נֶ֭פֶשׁ & וּ⁠בוֹטֵ֖חַ

broad_of creature & and,[one_who]_relies

One wide of appetite and one who trusts refer to types of people in general, not specific people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “Any person wide of appetite … but any person who trusts”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

רְחַב־נֶ֭פֶשׁ

broad_of creature

The phrase wide of appetite refers to being greedy. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “A greedy one”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

יְגָרֶ֣ה

stirs_up

Here Solomon refers to starting strife as if it were something that a person stirs up. See how you translated the same use of this phrase in [15:18](../15/18.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מָד֑וֹן

strife

See how you translated the abstract noun strife in [16:28](../16/28.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

יְדֻשָּֽׁן

prosper

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “he will fatten”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

יְדֻשָּֽׁן

prosper

See how you translated the same use of fattened in [11:25](../11/25.md).

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 28:25

Hebrew word order

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

28:25

28:25a

28:25b

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