OET interlinear PROV 29:6

29:6

This proverb contrasts people who are evil with people who are righteous (underlined parts). It also describes the consequences of their behavior (parts in bold print).

^6a An evil man is caught by his own sin,

^6bbut a righteous one sings and rejoices.

29:6a

An evil man is caught by his own sin: Some versions translate this line more literally. For example:

In the transgression of an evil person there is a snare (NET)

However, most versions translate this line as the BSB does, since it is the evil person’s own sin that snares him.Several scholars point out that while the MT has the noun form moqeš, the Syriac and Targum are based on the passive form muqaš (for example, see Waltke, pp. 399–400, and Whybray, p. 399). The Notes have not discussed this as a textual issue, since the passive forms in English (“is snared” or “is caught”) are just as likely to be an issue of natural English usage. This line is a metaphor. It compares an evil man who deliberately sins with a bird or animal that gets caught in a net or trap. The similarity is that neither the man nor the animal will escape the bad consequences.

Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

  Evil people are trapped by their own sin (NCV)

  When an evil man wrongs another person, he is ensnared/trapped by his own sin.

• Change the metaphor to a simile. Make one or more of the similarities explicit if necessary. For example:

  The sin of an evil person is like a trap that catches him.

• Translate the non-figurative meaning along with a figure of speech. For example:

  When a wrongdoer sins against someone, he will not escape the punishment for his sin. His sin is like a snare.

is caught by his own sin: In Hebrew, this word for caught is the same word that occurs in 22:25b, where the BSB translates it as “entangle yourself in a snare.” See the note and footnote there for more details.

sin: In Hebrew, this word for sin refers here to a deliberate sin, crime, or offense against another person.This Hebrew word (pešaʿ) often refers to rebellion against God, involving violation of his covenant. In Proverbs, however, the word refers primarily to deliberate offenses against other people. See NIDOTTE (H7322) for a complete discussion.

29:6b

but a righteous one sings and rejoices: In contrast to an evil person, a righteous person does not habitually sin against other people. So he does not need to worry about his sin being like a trap that catches him. Instead, he can sing and be glad.

sings and rejoices: In Hebrew, the verb that the BSB translates as sings means “to shout with joy.”UBS (p. 606), Waltke (p. 434). Some other ways to translate 29:6b are:

but the righteous sing out joyously (NJPS)

but everyone who lives right will sing and celebrate (CEV)