PROV 2:16 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–22: Second lesson: Wisdom will spare you from the dangers of crime and adultery

Here is a summary of the advice in this section: If you accept what I teach and seek to become wise (2:1–4), you will indeed become wise, and because of your wisdom, you will know how to revere the LORD and how to do what is right. You will also be protected (2:5–11). Wisdom will protect you from wicked men (2:12–15) and from adulterous women (2:16–19). Consequently, you will follow a righteous lifestyle and enjoy a long life in your own land, but the wicked will be forced to leave their land (2:20–22).

Some other headings for this section are:

The Benefits of Wisdom (NLT)

The Rewards of Wisdom (GNT)

The rewards/benefits that wisdom gives to people

Paragraph 2:16–19

This paragraph describes the second evil influence from which wisdom will protect a person. It will prevent him from being seduced by an adulteress.

2:16

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^16aIt will rescue you from the forbidden woman,

^16b from the stranger with seductive words

There is an ellipsis of the words “It will rescue you” at the beginning of 2:16b. (See the note on the similar ellipsis at 2:12.)

The “forbidden woman” in 2:16a refers to the same person as the “stranger” in 2:16b. The phrase “seductive words” adds an additional detail. It refers equally to the “forbidden woman” and the “stranger.”

2:16a

It will rescue you from the forbidden woman,

¶ Wisdom will also keep you^(sing) from being tempted by women who commit adultery.
¶ If you are wise you will also avoid women who are unfaithful to their husbands.

It will rescue you from the forbidden woman: In Hebrew, this verse begins with the same word as in 2:12a. It is literally “to save you.” If it is natural in your language, you should use the same word here as in 2:12a. This will make clear to the readers that the forbidden woman is the second thing from which wisdom will save a person.

If it is not clear to your readers what will save a person from the adulteress, you may add the word “wisdom,” as the GW has done:

Wisdom will also save you… (GW)

Here, as in 2:12a, It (wisdom) is personified. In some languages, it may not be natural to talk about wisdom in this way. Another way to express the meaning without using this figure of speech is:

If you are wise, you will not yield to the temptation of the adulteress

the forbidden woman: The Hebrew phrase ʾiššah zarah, which the BSB translates as forbidden woman, is more literally “strange woman.” In Hebrew culture, a wife was considered “strange” to any man other than her husband. The description of this woman in 2:17 makes it clear that this phrase refers to an adulterous/unfaithful wife.See Fox (pages 134–141) for a thorough evaluation of six possible identities for the “strange woman.” He comments that every wife is a “strange woman” to all men but her husband and that men are also “strange” with respect to other men’s wives. He says that an “unmarried woman would probably not be called an ʾiššah zarah, since zarah implies that the woman belongs sexually to another man, and an unmarried woman does not belong to anyone. He concludes that the “strange woman” in Proverbs is the wife of another man. Whybray (page 55) agrees. Ross (page 915) calls her a “licentious woman” but then goes on to say that this is probably an Israelite woman who is acting outside the legal bounds of marriage within the covenant. Scott (page 43) comments that most cult prostitutes in the Canaanite religion were married women. It does not refer to an unmarried, immoral woman.

2:16a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ Not only will wisdom rescue/keep you^(sing) from following evil people, it/wisdom will also rescue/keep you from women who commit adultery who try to seduce/entice men with their flattering/pleasing words.

2:16b

from the stranger with seductive words

These are women who stray from their own husbands. They try to seduce you^(sing) with their flattering/enticing words.
You will not listen to the nice things that they say when they try to persuade you to sleep with them.

the stranger: The Hebrew word nokǝriyyah, which the BSB translates as stranger, usually means “foreign woman” or “strange woman.” However, in Proverbs it refers to a wife who commits adultery (see also 5:20a–b, 7:5, 23:27b).

with seductive words: This phrase is more literally “who makes smooth her words.” It means that she uses flattering words that entice the young man by appealing to his pride. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

who tries to seduce you with her smooth talk (GNT)

from the flattery of the adulterous woman (NLT96)

This same idea is expressed figuratively in 5:3a–b, 6:24a–b and 7:21a–b.

General Comment on 2:16a–b

The parallel terms “forbidden woman” and “stranger” refer to a single class of women who commit adultery. They do not refer to a particular individual. If using parallel expressions implies two kinds of women or if using two synonymous phrases sounds redundant, you may want to combine and/or reorder the parallel terms. For example:

It will save you from the unfaithful wife who tries to lead you into adultery with pleasing words. (NCV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

לְ֭⁠הַצִּ֣ילְ⁠ךָ

to,deliver,you

Here, to indicates that what follows is another purpose for “discretion” and “understanding” guarding a person, as stated in the [2:11](../02/11.md). Use the most natural way in your language to indicate a purpose. If you divided up the long sentence in [2:11–17](../02/11.md) into shorter sentences, then here, beginning a new sentence, you will need to repeat some information from [2:11](../02/11.md). Alternate translation: “Discretion and understanding will guard you for the additional purpose of rescuing you”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מֵ⁠אִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝⁠נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה

from,a_woman forbidden from,a_foreign_[woman]

Here Solomon refers to an immoral and adulterous woman as if she were a stranger or foreigner. God considers such a woman to be strange or foreign because her sinful acts have caused her to be alienated from God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly, as in the UST.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

מֵ⁠אִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝⁠נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה

from,a_woman forbidden from,a_foreign_[woman]

Solomon is speaking of any women who do these things, not of one particular woman. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use expressions that would be more natural in your language. Alternate translation: “from any strange woman, from any foreign woman”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

מִ֝⁠נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה

from,a_foreign_[woman]

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “and to rescue you from a foreign woman”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אֲמָרֶ֥י⁠הָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה

words_of,[who]_her flatters

Here Solomon speaks of this woman speaking seductively as if she were making what she says smooth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “who makes her sayings seductive”

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 2:16

Hebrew word order