PROV 5:9 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 5:7–14

Verses 5:9–14 tell what will happen to the son if he does not follow the advice given in 5:7–8.

5:9–10

Both of these verses begin with a word that the BSB, NIV, and RSV translate as “lest.” This word introduces the bad consequences of not obeying the command in 5:8. The consequences are that the young man will have to give the honor and wealth that he has worked for to others.

The four lines of these two verses are parallel. Notice that the parallel parts “others” and “strangers” in the first line of each verse are plural. The parallel parts “one who is cruel” and “house of a foreigner” in the last line of each verse are singular, though they may refer to a collective group. Although they are more specific than the parallel parts in the first two lines, the text does not identify who these individuals are. See the note on 5:9a–b.

5:9

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning. The ESV has been used as the source line for 5:9a, because it follows the recommended interpretation.

^9alest you give your honor to others (ESV)

^9band your years to one who is cruel;

There is an ellipsis in 5:9b. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing words from 5:9a. For example:

^9band lest you give your years to one who is cruel

5:9a–b

(combined/reordered)

If you^(sing) do enter her house, then you will be humiliated by surrendering what you have gained during your life to a person who will be cruel to you.
Otherwise you will need to give the honor that you have gained during these years to people who have/show no mercy.

to others…to one who is cruel: These phrases are parallel. They refer to an unidentified person or persons who are cruel, ruthless, without mercy.Most scholars think that the cruel person(s) may be: (a) the woman’s husband or other relatives, who demand compensation, or (b) the people to whom the young man owes money. Other possibilities are a judge or the woman’s associates. In some languages, keeping the parallel lines may wrongly imply that others and one who is cruel refer to different people. If that is true in your language, you may want to combine and/or reorder the parallel lines. See 5:9a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display for two ways to do this.

5:9a

lest you concede your vigor to others,

Otherwise other people will take from you^(sing) the things that now give you honor.
If you do not do as I advise you, then you will have to turn over the source of your honor to other people

(ESV) lest you give your honor to others: There are two ways to interpret the Hebrew word that the ESV translates here as your honor. It can refer to either honor or (manly) vigor:

The word refers to honor, respect, or reputation. For example:
you will surrender your reputation to others (GW) (NRSV, NJB,The NJB has “she will hand over your honour to others.” In Hebrew the verb forms for “she will hand over” and “you will hand over” are identical. None of the other English versions consulted has “she” as the subject. GNT, NLT, GW, ESV)
The word refers to strength or vigor. For example:
you will surrender your vigor to others (REB) (BSB, NIV, REB, NASB, NJPS, NET)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most commentaries.According to TWOT (#482a), hod is used predominantly of God’s majesty, splendor, or glory. When used of man, the terms honor and vigor are more appropriate. Toy (page 108) and Whybray (page 88) understand the Hebrew word to refer to honor that results from wealth. McKane, Murphy, Waltke, and UBS also follow interpretation (1). Ross and Fox follow interpretation (2). Ross (page 928) understands vigor in the sense of health, and Fox (page 194) prefers the idea of youthful sexual vigor. “Honor” may be a figure of speech that represents the source of the young man’s honor. His honor or reputation could come from his wealth or from the children that he would be forced to turn over to others. Since there are different interpretations as to the source of his honor, it is recommended that you not specify a particular source.

5:9b

and your years to one who is cruel;

You^(sing) will have to give to a merciless person what you have gained during your life.
who will show you no pity. These people will take what you have earned during the best years of your life.

and your years: This phrase is probably a figure of speech (metonymy) that represents what the young man would produce or earn during his best years, when he is in the prime of life.Fox (page 195) and Ross (page 928). Whybray (pages 87–88) and Toy (page 109) both argue against the interpretation that “give…your years” refers to an early death, because it does not fit the context of financial loss and public humiliation. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

everything you have achieved in life (NLT96)

what you have gained during the best years of your life

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

פֶּן

lest

The word lest here indicates that what follows in this verse is what would happen to young men if they did not obey the commands given in the previous verse. Use a natural form in your language for connecting this statement to the previous one. Alternate translation, beginning a new sentence: “If you fail to obey this, then”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

תִּתֵּ֣ן לַ⁠אֲחֵרִ֣ים הוֹדֶ֑⁠ךָ

give to,others vigor_of,your

Here, splendor could refer to: (1) everything that a person achieves during the time in a person’s life when he is the strongest, which would be the same meaning as your years in the next clause. This includes the offspring that he is giving up to the adulteress and her husband. Alternate translation: “you give to others your vigor” or “you give to others your achievements from your vigorous time of life” (2) a person’s reputation, in which case this clause would refer to a person getting a bad reputation. Alternate translation: “you will lose your good reputation with others”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וּ֝⁠שְׁנֹתֶ֗י⁠ךָ

and,years_of,your

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 earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “and lest you give your years”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וּ֝⁠שְׁנֹתֶ֗י⁠ךָ

and,years_of,your

Here, your years could refer to: (1) everything that a person achieves during the time in a person’s life when he is his healthiest and strongest. Alternate translation: “and all you have achieved in the best years of your life” (2) the years that a person is alive, meaning that a cruel one would kill this person. Alternate translation: “and your life”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

לְ⁠אַכְזָרִֽי

to,a_cruel_[person]

Here, a cruel one could refer to: (1) one person, possibly the husband of the adulterous woman. Alternate translation: “a cruel person” or “a cruel man” (2) a group of cruel people who are called others in the previous clause. Alternate translation: “to cruel people”

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 5:9

Hebrew word order