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Prov C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31

Prov 30 V1 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29 V30 V31 V32 V33

OET interlinear PROV 30:2

◄ ← PROV 30:2 ↓ → ► ║ ©

Hebrew word order

    1. Hebrew word
    2. Hebrew lemma
    3. OET-LV words
    4. OET-RV words
    5. Strongs
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. Gloss
    8. CAPS codes
    9. OET tags
    10. OET word #
    1. כִּי
    2. 397921
    3. If/because
    4. -
    6. S-C
    7. if/because
    8. S
    9. Y-700
    10. 277710
    1. בַעַר
    2. 397922
    3. +am stupid
    4. stupid
    5. 1198
    6. P-Aamsa
    7. [am]_stupid
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277711
    1. אָנֹכִי
    2. 397923
    3. I
    4. I'm
    5. 595
    6. S-Pp1cs
    7. I
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277712
    1. מֵ,אִישׁ
    2. 397924,397925
    3. from man
    4. -
    5. 376
    6. S-R,Ncmsa
    7. from=man
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277713
    1. וְ,לֹא
    2. 397926,397927
    3. and not
    4. ≈and
    5. 3808
    6. S-C,Tn
    7. and=not
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277714
    2. 397928
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-maqqef
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 277715
    1. בִינַת
    2. 397929
    3. +the understanding of
    4. understanding
    5. 998
    6. S-Ncfsc
    7. [the]_understanding_of
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277716
    1. אָדָם
    2. 397930
    3. a person
    4. -
    5. 120
    6. S-Ncmsa
    7. a_person
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277717
    1. לִ,י
    2. 397931,397932
    3. to me
    4. -
    6. P-R,Sp1cs
    7. to=me
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277718
    2. 397933
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-sof-pasuq
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 277719

OET (OET-LV) If/because am_stupid I from_man and_not the_understanding_of a_person to_me.

OET (OET-RV) I’m certainly among the stupid people
 ⇔ ≈ and lack the understanding that most people have,

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 30:1–33: Here are the sayings of Agur

This section is a collection of verses that were written or organized by Agur the son of Jakeh.Some scholars think that Agur wrote or collected only verses 1–4, 1–6, 1–9, or 1–14. UBS (page 617), Toy (page 518), and Longman (page 513) are among those who list some of these possibilities. The GNT indicates with quotation marks that Agur’s words end after v.6. No other versions indicate that Agur’s words end before the end of the chapter. Waltke (volume I, page 26) strongly defends the entire chapter as the “oracle” of Agur on the basis of its structural unity. Kidner (page 178) divides the chapter into two sections (1–9) and (10–33), but identifies both as coming from “the sage.” The title of this section (30:1a) is the only place in Scripture that Agur is mentioned. The section is divided into paragraphs that vary from one to five verses. The Notes will suggest a paragraph heading for all paragraphs after 30:1a. It is suggested that you use similar headings in your translation to help the readers follow the changes of topic and audience.

The first nine verses contain Agur’s personal thoughts and prayers. Some are addressed to God, others to his audience. The rest of the chapter contains proverbs on various topics. Some are individual warnings or statements (30:10, 17, 20, 32–33). Others contain several kinds of lists of four items each. The lists in verses 15b–16, 18–19, 21–23, and 29–31 have the same form as the numerical proverb in 6:16–19. (See the paragraph summary for 6:16–19 and the notes on 6:16a–b.) The lists in verses 11–14 and 24–28 have different forms. These will be described in the paragraph summaries where they first occur.

Some other headings for this section are:

The Words of Agur (ESV)

Wise Words from Agur (NCV)

Words that the LORD caused Agur to make known

Paragraph 30:1b–3 Agur prayed to God

This is the first paragraph with a paragraph heading. It is suggested that you use a heading with similar wording in your translation.

This paragraph introduces Agur’s inspired words. It is a prayer to God. In this prayer, Agur admits that he feels very discouraged and lacks understanding (1b–3).

Three Hebrew words for God are used in 30:1–9. The word ʾel occurs in 30:1b–c, the word ʾelohim in 30:3b and 30:9d, and the word ʾeloah in 30:5a. All three are common nouns. The personal name of God (the LORD or YHWH) occurs in 30:9b.

30:2

In these two lines, Agur admits that he feels as stupid as an animal. The two lines are similar in meaning.

2aSurely I am the most ignorant of men,

2band I lack the understanding of a man.

30:2a–b

(combined/reordered)

These lines are a deliberate exaggeration to emphasize a point (hyperbole). They are not literally true. Some ways to translate this figure of speech are:

30:2a

Surely I am the most ignorant of men,

Surely I am the most ignorant of men: In Hebrew, this line is literally “Surely I am more stupid than a man.” It implies that Agur feels as stupid as an animal that lacks the ability to think and reason.

In Hebrew, this line begins with a word that emphasizes Agur’s strong feelings, which the BSB translates as Surely. This word can also be translated as “indeed” or “truly.”

Some other ways to translate this line are:

Surely I am too stupid to be a man. (ESV)

I am the most stupid person there is (NCV)

ignorant: In Hebrew, this word refers to a person who seems as stupid as an animal. He is not able to think and reason. Another way to translate this word is:

like a stupid animal

See stupid in the Glossary.

30:2b

and I lack the understanding of a man.

I lack the understanding of a man: In Hebrew, the phrase understanding of a man refers to the mental ability of any human being to understand ideas and to draw conclusions. See understanding (insight) in the Glossary.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

I do not have the intelligence that a human being should have.

I lack the intelligence of any other person.

General Comment on 30:2a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the ideas in these two lines. For example:

I am far too stupid to be considered human. (CEV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

בַ֣עַר אָנֹכִ֣י מֵ⁠אִ֑ישׁ וְ⁠לֹֽא־בִינַ֖ת אָדָ֣ם לִֽ⁠י

stupid I from=man and=not understanding_of humankind to=me

Agur says these two clauses as extreme statements for emphasis. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different way to express the emphasis. Alternate translation: “I feel like I am more stupid than a man, and that the understanding of mankind is not mine”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

[30:2](../30/02.md)–[33](../30/33.md) is a long quotation of what Agur said. If it would be helpful in your language, you could indicate this with quotation marks or with whatever other punctuation or convention your language uses to indicate a quotation.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

בַ֣עַר אָנֹכִ֣י מֵ⁠אִ֑ישׁ וְ⁠לֹֽא־בִינַ֖ת אָדָ֣ם לִֽ⁠י

stupid I from=man and=not understanding_of humankind to=me

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the phrases with a word other than and in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “I am more stupid than a man; indeed, the understanding of mankind in not mine”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

מֵ⁠אִ֑ישׁ & אָדָ֣ם

from=man & humankind

In this verse, man refers to people in general, not to a specific man. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “than any person … any person”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

בִינַ֖ת

understanding_of

See how you translated the abstract noun understanding in [1:2](../01/02.md).

TSN Tyndale Study Notes:

30:1b-3 Agur expresses his ignorance (cp. Ps 73:22, where the psalmist calls himself a senseless animal). The first step toward wisdom is acknowledging what we do not know.

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

    1. OET-LV words
    2. OET-RV words
    3. Strongs
    4. Hebrew word
    5. Hebrew lemma
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. Gloss
    8. CAPS codes
    9. OET tags
    10. OET word #
    1. If/because
    2. -
    3. 3482
    5. 397921
    6. S-C
    8. S
    9. Y-700
    10. 277710
    1. +am stupid
    2. stupid
    3. 1127
    5. 397922
    6. P-Aamsa
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277711
    1. I
    2. I'm
    3. 697
    5. 397923
    6. S-Pp1cs
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277712
    1. from man
    2. -
    3. 4129,266
    5. 397924,397925
    6. S-R,Ncmsa
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277713
    1. and not
    2. ≈and
    3. 1987,3835
    5. 397926,397927
    6. S-C,Tn
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277714
    1. +the understanding of
    2. understanding
    3. 941
    5. 397929
    6. S-Ncfsc
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277716
    1. a person
    2. -
    3. 638
    5. 397930
    6. S-Ncmsa
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277717
    1. to me
    2. -
    3. 3705,1978
    5. 397931,397932
    6. P-R,Sp1cs
    8. -
    9. Y-700
    10. 277718

OET (OET-LV) If/because am_stupid I from_man and_not the_understanding_of a_person to_me.

OET (OET-RV) I’m certainly among the stupid people
 ⇔ ≈ and lack the understanding that most people have,

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 logo mark

◄ ← PROV 30:2 ↑ → ► ║ ©