PROV 3:13 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. אַשְׁרֵי
2. 387897
3. How blessed
4. blessed
5. 835
6. P-Ncmpa
7. how_blessed!
8. S
9. Y-1000
10. 270010
1. אָדָם
2. 387898
3. +is a person
4. person
5. 120
6. S-Ncmsa
7. [is]_a_person
8. -
9. Y-1000
10. 270011
1. מָצָא
2. 387899
3. who he finds
4. -
5. 4672
6. V-Vqp3ms
7. [who]_he_finds
8. -
9. Y-1000
10. 270012
1. חָכְמָה
2. 387900
3. wisdom
4. wisdom
5. 2451
6. O-Ncfsa
7. wisdom
8. -
9. Y-1000
10. 270013
1. וְ,אָדָם
2. 387901,387902
3. and human/ʼĀdām
4. -
5. 120
6. S-C,Ncmsa
7. and=human/ʼĀdām
8. -
9. Y-1000
10. 270014
1. יָפִיק
2. 387903
3. who he obtains
4. obtains
5. 6329
6. V-Ncfsa
7. [who]_he_obtains
8. -
9. Y-1000
10. 270015
1. תְּבוּנָה
2. 387904
3. understanding
4. understanding
5. 8394
6. O-Ncfsa
7. understanding
8. -
9. Y-1000
10. 270016
2. 387905
3. -
4. -
6. -x-sof-pasuq
8. -
9. -
10. 270017

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:13–20: Wisdom is valuable and is useful for both people and the LORD

This section teaches the value of wisdom by showing its usefulness to people and the LORD. It is useful to people, because it results in long life, wealth, honor, pleasantness, and peace (3:13–18). It is useful to the LORD, because he used it to create the world (3:19–20).

Another heading for this section is:

The Value of Wisdom (CEV)

3:13

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^13aBlessed is the man who finds wisdom,

^13b the man who acquires understanding,

There is an ellipsis of the phrase “Blessed is” in 3:13b. In many languages, this phrase will need to be supplied from 3:13a. For example:

^13b blessed is the man who acquires understanding,

3:13a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ The person who succeeds in becoming wise and who acquires common sense is truly fortunate/happy.
¶ If someone becomes wise and competent, he will be truly fortunate/happy.

Blessed: The Hebrew word ʾašre translated here as Blessed is not related to the verb “to bless,” but is close in meaning. Literally it means “The good fortune (of the person)” or “How fortunate (is the person)!”Fox (page 161). It describes the happiness or condition of well-being that comes from being right with the LORD.Ross (page 919). Many English versions translate this word as “happy.” The word or expression you use in your translation should not imply luck or chance.

finds wisdom…acquires understanding: The parallel verbs used here indicate habitual action. They do not imply that wisdom and understanding were lost and have now been found by chance. Instead, they imply deliberate effort to obtain these qualities. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this information explicit. For example:

searches for and finds wisdom

In some languages, it may be unnatural to speak of “finding” wisdom or “acquiring” understanding. If this is true in your language, it may be possible to translate this verse as the GNT has done:

Happy is anyone who becomes wise—who comes to have understanding. (GNT)

3:13a

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,

¶ How fortunate is the man who gains wisdom!
¶ The person who becomes wise is truly happy.

3:13b

the man who acquires understanding,

How happy is the man who becomes competent!
The person who gains common sense is fortunate indeed.

understanding: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates here as understanding means “good sense” or “competence.” See understanding (good sense) in the Glossary.

General Comment on 3:13a–b

In some languages, it may be preferable to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts so that the readers clearly understand that “the man who finds wisdom” is not different from “the man who acquires understanding.” See 3:13a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display for two ways to do this.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

אַשְׁרֵ֣י אָ֭דָם מָצָ֣א חָכְמָ֑ה וְ֝⁠אָדָ֗ם יָפִ֥יק תְּבוּנָֽה

happy humankind he/it_found wisdom and=human/ʼĀdām gains understanding

These two clauses 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 clauses with a word other than and that shows that the second clause is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “Happy is a man who finds wisdom, yes, happy is a man who obtains understanding”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

אָ֭דָם & וְ֝⁠אָדָ֗ם

humankind & and=human/ʼĀdām

In this verse, a man represents a person in general, not one particular man. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use expressions that would be more natural in your language. Alternate translation: “is a person … and a person”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מָצָ֣א חָכְמָ֑ה

he/it_found wisdom

Here Solomon speaks of attaining wisdom as if it were an object that a person finds. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “who attains wisdom”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ֝⁠אָדָ֗ם יָפִ֥יק תְּבוּנָֽה

and=human/ʼĀdām gains understanding

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a clause would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from the previous clause if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “and happy is a man who obtains understanding”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

חָכְמָ֑ה & תְּבוּנָֽה

wisdom & understanding

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

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 3:13