PROV 30:23 Interlinear View

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 30:21–23 Four types of people that cannot be tolerated

This is a numerical proverb that has the same form as 30:18–19. The author lists four types of people who unexpectedly experience an improved change in status.Ross (page 1125) says that the four types of people “are suddenly elevated in their status in life.” Longman (page 531) says that the “order and hierarchy” in society “is disturbed.” UBS (page 637) speaks of “people who experience a change in their fortunes.” As a result, their attitude and conduct cannot be tolerated.

30:23a

an unloved woman who marries,

a woman whom no one loves who finally gets married,
The third is a woman whom other people hate/reject who gets/gains a husband.

an unloved woman who marries: The word that the BSB translates as unloved is literally “hated” in Hebrew. It refers here to a woman whom other people reject because they strongly dislike her. They consider her to be loathsome or detestable.

A woman like this who gets married cannot be tolerated. The reason is not stated in the verse. She may retaliate in some way against the people who disliked her, because she now has a position of authority within the home.This possibility is suggested by Waltke and Longman.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

a contemptible woman who gets married (NIV11)

an unloved woman when she gets a husband (ESV)

a hated woman who gets married (NCV)

30:23b

and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.

and a slave/servant woman who replaces the woman who owns her.
And the fourth is a maid who takes the place of her master’s wife.

and a maidservant who supplants her mistress: This line refers to a female slave/servant in a household who replaces her owner, the master’s wife. It is possible that she bears the master a child.Some scholars mention the case of Abraham and Hagar and the tension that was created in their household after Hagar bore Abraham a child. It is also possible that her owner dies and then the master marries her. In this way she gains an inheritance.Murphy (page 236), Cohen (page 206). In either case, her unexpected change for the better may make her arrogant and boastful and thus hard to tolerate.

Try to translate in a way that allows for any of these possibilities. Some other ways to translate this line are:

and a servant woman who takes the place of her mistress (GNT)

and a slave who takes the place of the woman who owns her (CEV)

and a maid who replaces her mistress (NCV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

תַּ֣חַת

below/instead_of

See how you translated under in [30:21](../30/21.md).

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

שְׂ֭נוּאָה כִּ֣י תִבָּעֵ֑ל וְ֝⁠שִׁפְחָ֗ה כִּֽי־תִירַ֥שׁ גְּבִרְתָּֽ⁠הּ

unloved that/for/because/then/when gets_a_husband and,a_female_servant that/for/because/then/when succeeds mistress_of,her

Here, a hated woman, she, and a female servant, and her refer to types of women in general, not specific women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “any hated woman when that woman is married, and any female servant when that servant dispossesses her mistress”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

כִּ֣י תִבָּעֵ֑ל

that/for/because/then/when gets_a_husband

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “when someone marries her”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

תִירַ֥שׁ גְּבִרְתָּֽ⁠הּ

succeeds mistress_of,her

Here, dispossesses refers to a female servant replacing her master’s wife as the lead woman of the household. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “she becomes her master’s wife in place of her mistress”

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 30:23

Hebrew word order

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

Paragraph 30:21–23 Four types of people that cannot be tolerated

30:23a

30:23b

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