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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Prov C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31
Prov 5 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V22 V23
OET (OET-LV) If/because are_in_front_of the_eyes_of YHWH the_ways_of a_person and_all tracks_of_his he_is_observing.
OET (OET-RV) because everything a person does is in front of Yahweh’s eyes,
⇔ ≈ and he observes all of your decisions?
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)
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning. They form a chiasm. The parts in 5:21a occur in the opposite order from the parallel parts in 5:21b.
21aFor a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD,
21band the LORD examines all his paths.
In Hebrew, the lines are also arranged in the form of a chiasm, but the parallel parts occur in the opposite order.
21aFor before the eyes of the LORD are a man’s ways,
21band all his paths the LORD examines.
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD,
¶ For Yahweh sees everything that a person does.
¶ After all, Yahweh knows everything that we(incl) do,
and the LORD examines all his paths.
Wherever a person goes, Yahweh is watching him.
and he sees everywhere that we(incl) go.
For: The word For introduces another reason not to commit adultery. This verse and the following two verses also serve as a conclusion for the whole chapter. They apply to any sin, not just adultery.
a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths: The parallel phrases before the eyes and examines refer figuratively to the LORD’s knowledge. The parallel phrases a man’s ways and his paths are also figures of speech. They refer to a person’s deeds or conduct. Both parts of the verse mean that the LORD knows everything that a person does.
The LORD’s sight and man’s paths are both figures of speech that occur frequently in the OT. Because of this, you are encouraged to keep at least part of the figurative language, if you can do so without giving any wrong meaning. For example:
The Lord sees everything you do. Wherever you go, he is watching. (GNT)
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
כִּ֤י
that/for/because/then/when
For here introduces the reason for obeying the commands stated in [5:15–20](../05/15.md). Use the most natural way in your language to indicate a reason. Alternate translation: “Do not commit adultery because”
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism
נֹ֨כַח ׀ עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכָל־מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו מְפַלֵּֽס
before both_eyes_of YHWH ways_of (a)_man and=all tracks_of,his examines
These two clauses mean similar things. Solomon is using repetition to emphasize the idea that they express. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine the clauses and express the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “God observes everyone, so he sees how a man lives”
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
נֹ֨כַח ׀ עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה & מְפַלֵּֽס
before both_eyes_of YHWH & examines
Here Solomon speaks of Yahweh knowing what people do as if everything people do is in front of his eyes or is what he observes. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Yahweh is fully aware of … he is fully aware of”
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
דַּרְכֵי & מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו
ways_of & tracks_of,his
See how you translated the same use of ways and paths in [3:6](../03/06.md).
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
אִ֑ישׁ & מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו
(a)_man & tracks_of,his
Although the terms man and his are masculine, Solomon is using these words in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use phrases that make this clear. Alternate translation: “a person … that person’s paths”
5:1-23 These instructions on embracing one’s wife and avoiding immoral women were originally addressed to young men just beginning their professional careers (see also 2:16-22; 7:1-27). This topic is also popular in ancient Egyptian wisdom writing.
OET (OET-LV) If/because are_in_front_of the_eyes_of YHWH the_ways_of a_person and_all tracks_of_his he_is_observing.
OET (OET-RV) because everything a person does is in front of Yahweh’s eyes,
⇔ ≈ and he observes all of your decisions?
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.