PROV 7:3 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 7:1–27: Tenth lesson: Here is an example of a young man who was seduced by a married woman

This lesson is another warning to avoid adultery. It begins with an appeal that the son pay attention to his father’s advice. This advice will protect him from being seduced by an adulteress (7:1–5). The main part of the lesson has the form of a first person narrative. The narrator tells how he observed a young man being seduced (7:6–23). First the story focuses on the young man (7:6–9), then it describes the adulteress (7:10–12) and her enticing words (7:13–20). Finally it tells how the young man yielded to the temptation (7:21–23). The lesson concludes with an appeal that the son follow his father’s advice rather than be seduced by the adulteress, because involvement with her will lead to death (7:24–27).

Some other headings for this section are:

Warning Against the Adulteress (NIV)

The story about an adulteress who tempted a young man

Paragraph 7:1–5

The writer appeals to his son to remember his teaching (7:1–3) and to treat wisdom like a sister in order to avoid being seduced (7:4–5).

7:3

This verse contains parallel metaphors. Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^3a Tie them to your fingers;

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

7:3a

Tie them to your fingers;

Keep them with you^(sing) always as if they were tied on your fingers.
Remember^(sing) my teachings at all times.

Tie them to your fingers: The image of this metaphor is not clear. It may refer to tying written teachings around the fingers (an allusion to the similar expression about God’s law in Deuteronomy 6:8). The point is that anything on the fingers can be seen at all times, so it serves to remind the person of something. The meaning is that the son should always keep his father’s teachings in his mind, ready to obey them.

In some languages, it may be possible to translate this metaphor literally, along with a footnote that explains the meaning and gives Deuteronomy 6:8 as a cross-reference. Other ways to translate this metaphor are:

Change the metaphor to a simile. Make explicit the point of similarity. For example:
Keep them always in your mind like something that you fasten around your finger.
Use a different figure of speech that has a similar meaning. For example:
Keep them at your fingertips (CEV)
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
Keep my teaching with you all the time (GNT)
Remind yourself of them (NCV)

7:3b

write them on the tablet of your heart.

Put them permanently into your^(sing) mind as if you were carving the words in stone.
Keep your heart/mind set on keeping these commands and teachings.
Store these commands and teachings deep in your heart/mind in order to do/follow them.

write them on the tablet of your heart: This clause is identical with 3:3c, but the context is different. In this metaphor, the heart itself is compared to a stone tablet. The son is commanded to engrave his father’s teaching on his heart. The meaning of the metaphor is that he should preserve his father’s teaching in his mind and make it a part of his character.

The options for translating this clause are similar to 7:3a.

Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
write them on your heart as if on a tablet (NCV)
Change the metaphor slightly. For example:
write them in your mind (CEV)
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
Store them permanently in your mind.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

קָשְׁרֵ֥⁠ם עַל־אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑י⁠ךָ

bind,them on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in fingers_of,your

Here Solomon speaks of always remembering something as if what should be remembered were an object tied to the person’s fingers. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Remember them at all times”

Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns

קָשְׁרֵ֥⁠ם & כָּ֝תְבֵ֗⁠ם

bind,them & write,them

In this verse, them refers to “my commandments,” which are referred to in the previous two verses. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Tie my commandments … write my commandments”

Note 3 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

See how you translated this clause in [3:3](../03/03.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable expression or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [know them by heart] or [continually think about them]

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 7:3

Hebrew word order

Section 7:1–27: Tenth lesson: Here is an example of a young man who was seduced by a married woman

Paragraph 7:1–5

7:3

7:3a

7:3b

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