PROV 5:2 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:1–23: Eighth lesson: Avoid the temptation to commit adultery

A summary of this lesson is: Stay away from a woman who commits adultery, or you will bitterly regret it (5:1–14). Instead, be delighted with your own wife (5:15–20), because the LORD sees everything you do and will punish wickedness (5:21–23).

Some other headings for this section are:

Advice to stay away from a woman who commits adultery

Warning About Adultery (NCV)

Avoid Adultery (GW)

Be Faithful to Your Wife (CEV)

Paragraph 5:1–6

In this paragraph, the father urges the son to pay attention to his wise words (5:1) so that he will always be cautious and sensible in what he does and says (5:2). The reason for this caution is that it will enable him to resist the tempting invitation of the adulteress whose path leads straight to death (5:3–6).

5:2

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning. Both lines give the purpose or intended consequence of the admonitions stated in 5:1.

^2athat you may maintain discretion

^2band your lips may preserve knowledge.

5:2a

that you may maintain discretion

Then you^(sing) will always think carefully about what you should do,
Then you will always be prudent/careful in what you do,

that you may maintain discretion: The Hebrew word mǝzimmah, which the BSB translates as discretion, indicates the ability to make an effective plan. It refers to the shrewdness or prudence that causes a person to carefully consider what to do.

To maintain discretion means to always use discretion in your planning and actions. Other ways to translate this line are:

Then you will show discernment (NLT)

Then you will know how to behave properly (GNT)

so that you may act with foresight (GW)

The word “discretion” first occurs in Proverbs in 1:4b. See discretion in the Glossary.

5:2b

and your lips may preserve knowledge.

and your words will show that you have knowledge. (GNT)
and you will always know the right thing to say. (CEV)

your lips may preserve knowledge: The clause that the BSB translates as your lips may preserve knowledge is a figure of speech in which the word lips represents the whole person. It means that the person will be careful in expressing his knowledge. He will express only what he knows to be true.This interpretation is followed by the GNT, CEV, NCV, NLT, and GW. It is supported by Fox (page 191), Delitzsch (page 85), and Waltke (page 307). Whybray (page 85) supports the interpretation that you will be careful not to reveal what you have learned. Some English versions, including the BSB, NIV, RSV, and NJB, are ambiguous. They do not specify how a person will guard or preserve knowledge. Other ways to translate this clause are:

your lips will express what you’ve learned (NLT)

you will always know the right thing to say (CEV)

knowledge: In this context, the word knowledge refers primarily to the information that a person knows. See knowledge in the Glossary.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

לִ⁠שְׁמֹ֥ר מְזִמּ֑וֹת וְ֝⁠דַ֗עַת שְׂפָתֶ֥י⁠ךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ

to=guard/protect discretion and,knowledge lips_of,your guard

In this verse, Solomon speaks of discretion as if it were an object that someone should keep, and he speaks of knowledge as if it were an object that someone’s lips should guard. He means that he wants his son to be wise in his choices and in the things that he says. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “in order to keep making good choices and speaking with knowledge”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מְזִמּ֑וֹת

discretion

See how you translated the abstract noun discretion in [1:4](../01/04.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

וְ֝⁠דַ֗עַת שְׂפָתֶ֥י⁠ךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ

and,knowledge lips_of,your guard

Here, lips represents the person who speaks by moving his lips. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and you may guard knowledge by what you say”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ֝⁠דַ֗עַת

and,knowledge

Here, knowledge refers to what the son has learned from his father. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “and … what you have learned”

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 5:2

Hebrew word order

Section 5:1–23: Eighth lesson: Avoid the temptation to commit adultery

Paragraph 5:1–6

5:2

5:2a

5:2b

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