PROV 31:5 Interlinear View

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. פֶּן
2. 398476
3. Lest
4. -
5. 6435
6. S-C
7. lest
8. S
9. Y-700
10. 278146
2. 398477
3. -
4. -
6. -x-maqqef
8. -
9. -
10. 278147
1. יִשְׁתֶּה
2. 398478
3. he should drink
4. drink
5. 8354
6. V-Vqi3ms
7. he_should_drink
8. -
9. Y-700
10. 278148
1. וְ,יִשְׁכַּח
2. 398479,398480
3. and he will forget
4. forget
5. 7911
6. SV-C,Vqi3ms
7. and,he_will_forget
8. -
9. Y-700
10. 278149
1. מְחֻקָּק
2. 398481
3. that which is decreed
4. -
5. 2710
6. O-VPsmsa
7. [that_which_is]_decreed
8. -
9. Y-700
10. 278150
1. וִ,ישַׁנֶּה
2. 398482,398483
3. and he will change
4. -
6. SV-C,Vpi3ms
7. and,he_will_change
8. -
9. Y-700
10. 278151
1. דִּין
2. 398484
3. +the cause of
4. -
5. 1779
6. O-Ncmsc
7. [the]_cause_of
8. -
9. Y-700
10. 278152
1. כָּל
2. 398485
3. all of
4. -
5. 3605
6. O-Ncmsc
7. of_all_of
8. -
9. Y-700
10. 278153
2. 398486
3. -
4. -
6. -x-maqqef
8. -
9. -
10. 278154
1. בְּנֵי
2. 398487
3. +the sons of
4. -
6. O-Ncmpc
7. [the]_sons_of
8. -
9. Y-700
10. 278155
2. 398488
3. -
4. -
6. -x-maqqef
8. -
9. -
10. 278156
1. עֹנִי
2. 398489
3. affliction
4. -
5. 6040
6. O-Ncmsa
7. affliction
8. -
9. Y-700
10. 278157
2. 398490
3. -
4. -
6. -x-sof-pasuq
8. -
9. -
10. 278158

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 31:1–9: Here are the sayings of King Lemuel

The verses in this section were written or collected by King Lemuel. They contain advice that his mother gave him regarding the way that a good king should rule his people. Her advice focuses on a king’s relationships with women (v. 3), the use of intoxicating drink (vv. 4–7) and justice for the poor (vv. 8–9). English versions divide the paragraphs in this section in several ways. The paragraphs in the Notes will be divided according to these three topics. The title (v. 1) and introduction (v. 2) will each form a separate paragraph.

Some other headings for this section are:

What King Lemuel’s Mother Taught Him (CEV)

Advice to a King (GNT)

Wise Words of King Lemuel (NCV)

Paragraph 31:4–7

In this paragraph, Lemuel’s mother advises him about the harm that results when a king or ruler craves alcoholic beverages (31:4–5). She also advises him about the appropriate use of such beverages (31:6–7).

31:5

This verse gives the reason for the warning not to drink in 31:4. The underlined parallel parts describe what will happen if kings do not heed this warning. The part in 31:5b gives a specific example of the part in 31:5a.

^5alest they drink and forget what is decreed,

^5b depriving all the oppressed of justice.

31:5a

lest they drink and forget what is decreed,

For if they drink, they will forget the laws of the country,
When they get drunk, they will forget their responsibilities.

lest they drink: The word lest introduces the bad consequences of ignoring the warning. Some other ways to introduce these consequences are:

For if they drink (NLT)

or else they will drink (NRSV)

When they drink (GNT)

and forget what is decreed: The phrase what is decreed refers to the laws of the country, not to the law of Moses.No commentaries define “what is decreed” as the Mosaic law. Toy (page 540) defines it as “the civil law of the land,” Waltke (page 508) says it refers to “the just decrees already enacted,” and Murphy (page 240) uses the general phrase “neglect of duty.”

they forget what they have decreed (NJB)

they may forget their duties (NLT96)

31:5b

depriving all the oppressed of justice.

and they will ignore the rights of needy/poor people who cannot defend themselves.
Then they will prevent poor and oppressed people from getting justice.

depriving all the oppressed of justice: The purpose of the civil laws was to ensure all people could have justice, especially the oppressed. The king was responsible to uphold these laws and to ensure that poor people were treated fairly.

depriving: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates here as depriving is literally “change.” In this verse, the word refers to a change that hurts oppressed people. For example:

and change the standard of justice for all oppressed people (GW)

A drunken king could not think clearly about the laws. He either ignored them or incorrectly interpreted their meaning. The result was that the “oppressed” were prevented from getting “justice.”Hubbard (page 475) speaks of overriding the regulations. UBS (page 649) says that the word “change” here clearly refers to “taking away the rights of defenseless people.”

oppressed: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates here as oppressedThe word “oppressed” is literally “sons of oppression.” The word “oppression” (ʿoni) is the noun form of (ʿani). For a list of other verses with this word, see the footnote on “the needy” in 14:21b. refers to people who are poor. It emphasizes that they suffer some kind of distress or disability. Because such people have low status in society, their lives are difficult. Others often oppress them. Some other ways to translate this word are:

all the poor (NJB)

people in need (GNT)

Some other ways to translate this line are:

and violate the rights of all who are in need (NAB)

and alter the course of justice for all the poor and afflicted (VOICE)

and keep the needy from getting their rights (NCV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

יִ֭שְׁתֶּה

drink

Here, he refers to the kings and dignitaries mentioned in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “those kings or dignitaries drink”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

מְחֻקָּ֑ק

decreed

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. This phrase refers to the laws of the country that these kings or dignitaries rule over. Alternate translation: “what the law decrees” or “their laws”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וִֽ֝⁠ישַׁנֶּה דִּ֣ין

and,he_will_change rights_of

Here, pervert the legal claim refers to depriving people of their legal rights. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “and deny the legal rights of”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

דִּ֣ין כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֹֽנִי

rights_of all/each/any/every sons_of oppression

Here, the legal claim and the afflicted one refer to claims and afflicted people in general, not a specific claim or afflicted one. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “any legal claim of all the sons of any afflicted person”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

בְּנֵי־עֹֽנִי

sons_of oppression

Here, the sons of the afflicted one refers to afflicted people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “afflicted people”

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.