OET interlinear PROV 3:14

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

כִּ֤י

that/for/because/then/when

For here indicates that what follows is the reason what was stated in the previous verse is true. Use the most natural way in your language to state a reason. Alternate translation: “This is due to the fact that”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

ט֣וֹב סַ֭חְרָ⁠הּ מִ⁠סְּחַר־כָּ֑סֶף וּ֝⁠מֵ⁠חָר֗וּץ תְּבוּאָתָֽ⁠הּ

good profit_of,her_trading more,than_[the]_trading_profit_of silver and,more,than_gold gain_of,her

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: “better is its profit than the profit of silver, yes, better than the produce of gold is its produce”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וּ֝⁠מֵ⁠חָר֗וּץ תְּבוּאָתָֽ⁠הּ

and,more,than_gold gain_of,her

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 better than the produce of gold is its produce”

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

סַ֭חְרָ⁠הּ & תְּבוּאָתָֽ⁠הּ

profit_of,her_trading & gain_of,her

In this verse, its refers to wisdom. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “is wisdom’s profit … wisdom’s produce”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

סַ֭חְרָ⁠הּ מִ⁠סְּחַר־כָּ֑סֶף

profit_of,her_trading more,than_[the]_trading_profit_of silver

Although the word profit usually refers to money that someone earns, Solomon uses it here to refer to a benefit in general. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is its benefit than the benefit of silver”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

מִ⁠סְּחַר־כָּ֑סֶף

more,than_[the]_trading_profit_of silver

Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe the profit or wealth that one gains by having silver. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “than the benefit one gets from having silver”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וּ֝⁠מֵ⁠חָר֗וּץ תְּבוּאָתָֽ⁠הּ

and,more,than_gold gain_of,her

Although the word produce usually refers to harvested crops, Solomon uses it here to refer to a benefit in general. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and than gold, its benefit”