PROV 3:3 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–12: Third lesson: Humbly trust in the LORD

This lesson consists of a series of commands. Each set of parallel commands is followed by a promised result, except for 3:12, which gives a reason for the command.

Another heading for this section is:

Trusting in the Lord (NLT)

3:3

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^3a Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you;

^3b bind them around your neck,

^3c write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 3:3b and 3:3c use metaphors to restate and reinforce the meaning of 3:3a.

3:3a–c

These three parallel lines all have a similar meaning. They indicate that the son should make “loving devotion” and “faithfulness” a permanent part of his character, so that he will always demonstrate these qualities in his actions and thoughts.

3:3a

Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you;

Never stop^(sing) loving and being loyal to others.
Always love and be kind to others, and be trustworthy/loyal in your dealings with others.
Continually show love and kindness to others and be trustworthy.

Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you: In Hebrew, this command is more literally “Love and faithfulness, may they not leave you.” This command is an indirect way to say that the son should not stop loving and being faithful. Another way to translate this command is:

Do not stop showing true love and loyalty.

In some languages, it may be more natural to translate this as a positive command. For example:

Always be loving and trustworthy.

loving devotion or faithfulness: The word pair loving devotion and faithfulness occurs in three other verses in Proverbs (14:22b, 16:6a, 20:28a). Most scholars agree that in all these verses loving devotion and faithfulness are qualities that people show, rather than qualities that God shows.Fox (page 144) is the only commentator consulted who advocates the meaning “God’s love and faithfulness.” Toy (page 57) says that these qualities can apply here to either man to man or man to God. UBS (page 71) is similar. Most do not comment in this verse on whether this is love and faithfulness to God or to other people.

English versions do not specify whether people show these qualities to God or to other people. It is recommended that you maintain the same ambiguity if that is possible in your language.

If your language requires that you specify the object of love and faithfulness, then it is recommended that you specify other people. Throughout Proverbs, qualities such as love, kindness, trustworthiness, and justice are directed toward other people, especially toward those who are poor or oppressed. This interpretation also fits better with the result in 3:4, winning favor with both God and man.

loving devotion: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as loving devotion has several aspects of meaning:

steadfastness, loyalty
love
kindness, mercyRoss (page 916) stresses the aspect of covenant loyalty, but Fox (pages 145–146) argues that while ḥesed often operates within the context of a covenantal relationship, its qualities are not inherently covenantal, nor does it essentially mean “loyalty.” He feels that the primary meaning is “kindness,” “gracious benevolence.” TWOT (#698a) agrees. It says God was obviously in a covenant relationship with Israel, and he expressed this relationship in eternal ḥesed, but ḥesed does not necessarily involve a covenant nor does it mean loyalty to a covenant. Rather, it is a kind of love, including mercy, close to the KJV translation “lovingkindness.” Vine (page 142) insists that three basic meanings of the word always interact: kindness, steadfastness, and love. He says that ḥesed is not only a matter of obligation within a relationship; it is also generosity. It is not only a matter of loyalty, but also of mercy.

A number of English versions translate one aspect of the meaning. For example:

love (CEV)

loyalty (GNT)

kindness (NCV)

The NJB has two aspects:

faithful love (NJB)

In some languages, it may be possible to express all three aspects. For example:

consistent/unchanging love and kindness

Translate this term in a way that fits naturally in the context.

faithfulness: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as faithfulness has two main senses. When it refers to speech, it usually means “truth” or “truthfulness,” but here it refers to the character quality of “trustworthiness” or “reliability.”

3:3b

bind them around your neck,

Make sure that these virtues/things are always seen/present in your^(sing) behavior as if they were tied/fastened like a necklace around your neck.
Never abandon^(sing) these virtues of love, kindness, and trustworthiness.

bind them around your neck: This command is a metaphor. In this metaphor, love and faithfulness are compared to a necklace or to a signet ring that is hung on a chain around the son’s neck.In Old Testament times, some people wore a signet ring on a finger of the right hand or hung it around the neck by a cord or necklace. The signet ring was very important. It contained an image or name that identified the owner. It represented the owner’s authority and was used to seal or sign official documents. For examples, see Genesis 38:18, Esther 3:12, and Daniel 6:17. (http:www.bible-history.com/isbe/R/RING/) A person who wears a ring or necklace has it with him wherever he goes. In the same way, the son is supposed to display these qualities in his character at all times. Some other ways to translate this metaphor are:

Change it to a simile. For example:
Wear them like a necklace. (NCV)
Change it to a simile and make one or more points of similarity explicit. For example:
Let love and loyalty always show like a necklace (CEV)
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
Make sure that these qualities/things are always part of your character.

In some cultures, a ring or necklace implies an ornament that can be taken off at any time. If that is true in your culture, it may be better to translate the meaning directly or to use a figure of speech with the correct meaning in your language.

3:3c

write them on the tablet of your heart.

Keep/Store them permanently in your^(sing) mind/heart, like words that are carved in a flat stone.
Keep your^(sing) mind/heart set on doing them.

write them on the tablet of your heart: This is another metaphor. The person addressed should permanently keep these virtues within his heart/mind. He should make them an unchanging part of his character just as the ten commandments were permanently engraved on a stone tablet.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

חֶ֥סֶד וֶ⁠אֱמֶ֗ת אַֽל־יַעַ֫זְבֻ֥⁠ךָ קָשְׁרֵ֥⁠ם עַל־גַּרְגְּרוֹתֶ֑י⁠ךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗⁠ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽ⁠ךָ

loyalty and,faithfulness not may,they_leave_you bind,them on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in neck(s)_of,your write,them on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in tablet_of your_heart_of,your

These three clauses mean basically the same thing. The second and third clauses emphasize the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use a word that shows the connection between these three clauses. Alternate translation: “Do not let covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness leave you, yes, bind them on your throats, indeed, write them on the tablet of your heart”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

חֶ֥סֶד וֶ⁠אֱמֶ֗ת אַֽל־יַעַ֫זְבֻ֥⁠ךָ

loyalty and,faithfulness not may,they_leave_you

Here Solomon speaks of covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness as if they were people who could leave someone. He means that a person should not stop being faithful and trustworthy. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Do not stop being faithful and trustworthy”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives

חֶ֥סֶד וֶ⁠אֱמֶ֗ת אַֽל־יַעַ֫זְבֻ֥⁠ךָ

loyalty and,faithfulness not may,they_leave_you

Solomon is using a figure of speech here, consisting of the negative particle not and the negative word leave. If it would be clearer in your language, you could use a positive expression to translate this. Alternate translation: “Retain covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

חֶ֥סֶד וֶ⁠אֱמֶ֗ת

loyalty and,faithfulness

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness, you could express the same ideas in other ways. Alternate translation: “being faithful and trustworthy”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

קָשְׁרֵ֥⁠ם עַל־גַּרְגְּרוֹתֶ֑י⁠ךָ

bind,them on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in neck(s)_of,your

Here Solomon speaks of covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness as if they were objects that a person could tie around his neck like a necklace. He means that these are valuable qualities that people should display outwardly by their behavior. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “show them outwardly by how you behave” or “display them like one would wear a necklace”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

כָּ֝תְבֵ֗⁠ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽ⁠ךָ

write,them on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in tablet_of your_heart_of,your

See how you translated the same use of heart in [2:2](../02/02.md).

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

כָּ֝תְבֵ֗⁠ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽ⁠ךָ

write,them on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in tablet_of your_heart_of,your

Here Solomon speaks of the heart as if it were a tablet upon which someone could write covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness. He means that people should always remember to behave with covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “keep these things in your mind” or “always remember them, as if you had written them permanently on a tablet”

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 3:3