PROV 5:3 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).

5:3

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^3aThough the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey

^3band her speech is smoother than oil,

5:3a–b

(combined/reordered)

This is necessary to protect you^(sing) from the temptations of an adulteress, because such a woman says things that are very tempting/alluring and flattering.

the lips of the forbidden woman…her speech: There are two ways to interpret the word that the BSB translates here as lips:

“Lips” is a figure of speech (metonymy) that refers to the words of an adulteress. For example:
The words of another man’s wife may seem sweet as honey (NCV) (CEV, NCV)
“Lips” refers to the literal lips of an adulteress. For example:
The lips of another man’s wife may be as sweet as honey (GNT) (GNT, GW)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because it better fits the parallel expression in 5:3b. It also better fits the preceding context, which deals with the father’s words and the son’s words.

drip honey…smoother than oil: These are parallel metaphors. The first metaphor compares the words of the unfaithful wife to honey that falls drop by drop from the honeycomb. The second metaphor compares her words to olive oil, which was used both for rubbing on the skin and in cooking.

The CEV expresses the point of comparison of both of these figures of speech:

The words of an immoral woman may be as sweet as honey and as smooth as olive oil. (CEV)

In the Hebrew language, these metaphors both refer to flattering, seductive words.See Garrett (page 91) and Ross (page 927). In some languages, “sweet” and “smooth” are not used to describe words, or they may have the wrong meaning. If that is true in your language, you have several options:

Make explicit a point of comparison that fits with words or speech. For example:
Her words are persuasive and flattering like the sweetest honey or like smooth oil.
Use a different figure of speech from your language that emphasizes the nature of flattering words.
State the meaning directly. For example:
The words of an adulteress are delightfully tempting and flattering.

5:3a

Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey

For the words of an adulteress are sweet like honey dripping from the comb.
The reason such carefulness is important is because the immoral wife of another man may say things to tempt you^(sing). Her words are like the sweetest honey.

Though: The word that the BSB translates as Though is translated as “For” in most English versions. This word introduces the reason that the young man should make careful decisions. It is because the words of the adulteress are enticing. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this connection more explicit. For example:

You need to be careful because…

forbidden woman: See the note on 2:16a. This woman was “immoral” (CEV), and she may have been a prostitute. But it is clear from the following verses that she was “another man’s wife” (GNT).

drip honey: In some languages, it may be awkward to make explicit that this phrase refers to honey that drips from a honeycomb. If that is true in your language, you may use a more general expression. For example:

as sweet as honey (GNT)

5:3b

and her speech is smoother than oil,

They are smooth like olive oil.
What she says may flatter you^(sing).

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

כִּ֤י

that/for/because/then/when

For here indicates that what follows is a reason why someone should obey the commands introduced in [5:1](../05/01.md). Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that what follows is a reason for what came before. Alternate translation: “Do what I say, because”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

נֹ֣פֶת תִּ֭טֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתֵ֣י זָרָ֑ה

honey drip lips_of adulteress

Here, lips represent the words that the strange woman speaks, and they are compared to fresh honey. This means that what the strange woman says is sweet and appealing. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the words that a strange woman says seem sweet and appealing”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

זָרָ֑ה

adulteress

See how you translated strange woman in [2:16](../02/16.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠חָלָ֖ק מִ⁠שֶּׁ֣מֶן חִכָּֽ⁠הּ

and_[is],smooth more,than_oil mouth_of,her

Here Solomon represents the tempting words that the strange woman speaks as her palate and he compares them to smooth oil. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: “and are pleasant and persuasive” or “and are as persuasive as olive oil is smooth”

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 5:3