PROV 2:17 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.

2:17

Notice the parallel parts that are similar.

^17awho abandons the partner of her youth

^17band forgets the covenant of her God.

2:17a

who abandons the partner of her youth

A woman like this has abandoned her husband, whom she married when she was young,
This kind of woman leaves her husband, who has been her companion ever since she was young.

who abandons the partner of her youth: This phrase indicates that the woman has abandoned her husband, who has been her lifetime friend or companion ever since they were young. Some ways to translate this phrase are:

who leaves her husband, the closest friend of her youth (GW)

who has abandoned the man whom she married when she was young

In some languages, a translation of this phrase may wrongly imply that the woman has had more than one husband. It may also wrongly stress the woman’s youth or immature judgment at the time when she got married. One way to avoid these wrong implications is to leave the phrase of her youth implied. For example:

She has abandoned her husband (NLT)

2:17b

and forgets the covenant of her God.

and has thus rejected/ignored her agreement that she made before God.
As a result, she breaks her wedding vows that she made in God’s sight.

and forgets the covenant of her God: In this context, the Hebrew word that the BSB translates as forgets indicates that the woman deliberately ignores, rejects, or breaks the covenant that she made. It does not indicate that she has forgotten information that she once knew. The term covenant here refers to the marriage agreement between the woman and her husband. This agreement was of her God in the sense that God witnessed the agreement.Most scholars agree that the expression “covenant of her God” does not refer to the Sinai Covenant, but to the woman’s marriage vows, of which her God, Yahweh, was the witness and guarantor. Other ways to translate this whole phrase are:

forgets her sacred vows (GNT)

ignores the promise she made before God (NCV)

rejects the marriage vows that she made before God

General Comment on 2:17a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of these two lines. For example:

^17bwho breaks her wedding vows (CEV)

^17aand leaves the man she married when she was young (CEV)

The relationship between these two lines may also be expressed in other ways. For example:

^17bA woman like these has broken/rejected her sacred wedding vows ^17aby leaving her husband, whom she married when she was young.

^17aThis kind of woman has abandoned her husband, her companion ever since she was young. ^17bAs a result, she has broken the marriage agreement that she made before God.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אַלּ֣וּף

partner_of

Here, companion refers to the husband of the adulterous woman mentioned in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “the husband of”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

אַלּ֣וּף נְעוּרֶ֑י⁠הָ

partner_of her_youth(s)_of,her

Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe the companion whom this woman married while she was in her youth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “the companion whom she married in her youth”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

נְעוּרֶ֑י⁠הָ

her_youth(s)_of,her

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of youth, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “the time when she was young”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

בְּרִ֖ית אֱלֹהֶ֣י⁠הָ

covenant_of her_God_of,her

Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe the covenant that this woman made with her God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “the covenant that she made with her God”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

בְּרִ֖ית אֱלֹהֶ֣י⁠הָ

covenant_of her_God_of,her

Here, covenant refers specifically to the covenant that a man and woman made with each other and God when they married. This covenant included promising not to commit adultery. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “the covenant that she made with her God when she married her husband”

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 2:17