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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
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Prov 29 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V27
OET (OET-RV) Many people want to plead to the ruler,
⇔ ^ but it’s Yahweh who gives a person justice.
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
Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:
26a Many seek a ruler’s favor,
26bbut a man receives justice from the LORD.
The first line refers to the many people who try to win the favor of a ruler. In contrast, the LORD is the one who ensures that a person is treated with justice.
Many seek the ruler’s favor,
Many people try to speak/meet with the leader of the government to request his help,
Many people request a meeting with the leader who rules their country. They hope that he will give them what they want.
Many seek the ruler’s favor: This clause is literally “many seek the face of a ruler.” It means that many people want to meet with a ruler in order to obtain his favor. They may want the ruler to help them get a good verdict in a legal case or to help them get something else that they want.
ruler’s: In Hebrew, the word that the BSB and most English versions translate as “ruler” refers to a king or another leader of a province or country.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
Many seek the favor of a ruler (NRSV)
Many people speak to a ruler to request his help.
but a man receives justice from the LORD.
but Yahweh alone helps a person to receive the fair decision that he deserves.
But it is Yahweh who determines that people will get their rights.
but a man receives justice from the LORD: This line identifies the LORD as the only consistent source of true justice. It is the LORD alone who ensures that any person who needs help or protection will be treated fairly. Some other ways to translate this line are:
but the rights of each come from Yahweh (NJB)
but only from the Lord can you get justice (GNT)
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
מְבַקְשִׁ֣ים פְּנֵי־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל
seek face/surface_of ruler
Here Solomon implies that these people seek the face of a ruler in order to ask him to help them in some way. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “are those who seek the face of a ruler to ask for his help”
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
מְבַקְשִׁ֣ים
seek
Here Solomon speaks of people trying to meet a ruler as if the ruler’s face were an object that people seek to find. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “are those who try to meet”
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche
פְּנֵי
face/surface_of
Here, face refers to being in the presence of the whole person. See how you translated the same use of face in [7:15](../07/15.md).
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun
מוֹשֵׁ֑ל & אִֽישׁ
ruler & (a)_man
Here, a ruler and a man refer to rulers and other people in general, not a specific ruler or man. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “any ruler … any person”
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
מִשְׁפַּט־אִֽישׁ
justice_of (a)_man
Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe justice that is for the benefit of a man. If your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: “is justice for a man” or “is justice on behalf of a man”
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
מִשְׁפַּט
justice_of
See how you translated the abstract noun justice in [1:3](../01/03.md).
OET (OET-RV) Many people want to plead to the ruler,
⇔ ^ but it’s Yahweh who gives a person justice.
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.