PROV 31:18 Interlinear View

31:18 OSHB variant note: ב/ליל: (x-qere) ’בַ/לַּ֣יְלָה’: lemma_b/3915 morph_HRd/Ncmsa id_20UMb בַ/לַּ֣יְלָה

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 31:10–31: This poem describes a capable wife who has good character

In Hebrew, this section is arranged in the form of an acrostic poem. Each of its twenty-two verses begins with a different letter, following the normal order of the Hebrew alphabet. The poem praises the character and abilities of an ideal wife. After an introduction that describes her value (vv. 10–12), the poem describes her activities and achievements in various areas (vv. 13–27). It concludes with praise by her family (vv. 28–29) and all the people (vv. 30–31). The last two verses also serve as the poet’s final conclusion. They summarize what is truly important in an ideal wife.Waltke (page 515) says that the final two verses are praise “by all.” Murphy (page 245) agrees that the “praise” in the final two verses is the “goal or purpose of the poem.”

Some other headings for this section are:

A good wife with many abilities

Description of a Worthy Woman (NASB)

A truly good wife (CEV)

Paragraph 31:16–18

This paragraph describes the wife’s wise purchase and use of additional land (v. 16), her physical strength (v. 17), and her motivation to work even at night (v. 18).

31:18

The wife’s success in trading (v. 18a) encourages her to work until late at night (v. 18b).There is nothing in the verse itself that explicitly indicates that her success encourages her to stay up late at night and continue to work, but according to several commentaries, that is the implication. Garrett (page 250) says, “Encouraged by previous business success, she continues her work into the night.” Delitzsch (page 484) says, “Her profits from all the sales spurs on her active industry to redoubled effort.” Murphy (page 247) says, “The verse suggests that the woman is urged on by her own success. McKane (page 668) says, “trading conditions are good and so she burns the midnight oil to make the most of them while they last.”

^18aShe sees that her gain is good,

^18band her lamp is not extinguished at night.

31:18a

She sees that her gain is good,

She realizes/knows that she is becoming more wealthy from her work/trading.
She sees/knows that the result of her business is good.

She sees that her gain is good: This line is literally “She tastes that her profit is good.” The word “tastes” is figurative. It means “knows or learns by experience.” There are two ways to interpret this line:

The wife knows that her business activities are making a good profit. For example:
She sees that her business goes well (REB) (BSB, ESV, GW, KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, REB)
The wife knows how her business works. She understands the value of her merchandise and the right time to trade. With this interpretation, she does not necessarily know whether her business is successful or not. For example:
She knows the value of everything she makes (GNT) (CEV, NCV, NET, NLT96, GNT)The NCV and NET have been listed under this interpretation, because knowing that the merchandise is of good quality is not the same as knowing that she will make a profit from selling it.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions and commentaries.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

She perceives that her merchandise is profitable (NRSV)

She senses that her gain is good (NASB)

31:18b

and her lamp is not extinguished at night.

Her lamp continues to burn the entire night.
So she uses a lamp to keep working until late at night.

and her lamp is not extinguished at night: This statement is a hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration).Fox (page 889) identifies this as a hyperbole. Some commentaries understand the statement literally. They conclude that keeping a lamp burning all night is a sign of wealth. These commentaries include Waltke (page 527), Hubbard (page 481), and Toy (page 545). But Garrett (page 250) comments that in connection with 31:15, the verse indicates that the woman rises early and stays up late because of her work. The Notes have not treated this as an interpretation issue, because versions such as the NIV “her lamp does not go out at night” do not imply a reason for the lamp remaining lit. It means that the wife keeps her lamp burning until late at night so that she can keep working.

lamp: The word lamp refers to an oil-burning lamp with a wick.UBS (page 658).

Some other ways to translate this line are:

Keep the hyperbole. For example:
her lamp keeps burning the entire night
Translate the meaning without the hyperbole. For example:
Her lamp burns late at night. (GW)
and under lamplight she works deep into the night (VOICE)
and works late into the night (GNT)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

סַחְרָ֑⁠הּ

profit_of,her_trading

See how you translated the abstract noun profit in [3:14](../03/14.md).

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

לֹֽא־יִכְבֶּ֖ה בַלַּ֣יְלָה נֵרָֽ⁠הּ

not go_out (Some words not found in UHB: perceives that/for/because/then/when good profit_of,her_trading not go_out in,night lamp_of,her )

Here, Lemuel’s mother implies that this woman’s lamp does not go out because the woman is working. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “her lamp does not go out in the night because she is working”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

לֹֽא־יִכְבֶּ֖ה בַלַּ֣יְלָה נֵרָֽ⁠הּ

not go_out (Some words not found in UHB: perceives that/for/because/then/when good profit_of,her_trading not go_out in,night lamp_of,her )

Lemuel’s mother uses this clause as an overstatement in order emphasize that such a woman works until late at night, but not necessarily all night long. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different way to express the emphasis. Alternate translation: “she uses a lamp to work until late a night”

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

31:18 OSHB variant note: ב/ליל: (x-qere) ’בַ/לַּ֣יְלָה’: lemma_b/3915 morph_HRd/Ncmsa id_20UMb בַ/לַּ֣יְלָה

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.