PROV 8:25 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 8:1–36: Wisdom calls out to people and reminds them of the benefits of being wise

In contrast to the previous section describing the adulterous woman, this section describes personified Wisdom. The public setting for Wisdom’s speech is described in 8:1–3. In 8:4–11, she addresses all mankind and describes her own character. In 8:12–21, she provides reasons why people should choose her. Additional motivation is given in 8:22–31: Wisdom was with the LORD when he created the world. The section ends with Wisdom appealing to mankind to follow her teaching (8:32–36).

This section is a speech by personified Wisdom. As in Wisdom’s speech in 1:20–33, the Notes have used a capital letter for Wisdom in most verses. However, in her speech, Wisdom sometimes refers to “wisdom” as an ability that people have or use or should try to obtain. In some of these contexts, the Notes have used small letters for “wisdom.” The Display will often give more than one option. You may use either option in your language, depending on what is appropriate in each context.

Some other headings for this section are:

Wisdom’s Call (NIV)

Listen to Wisdom (NCV)

The good qualities of Wisdom

Wisdom’s second invitation to people

Paragraph 8:22–31

In this paragraph, Wisdom gives additional reasons why people should choose her. The LORD created Wisdom before anything else (8:22–26), and she was present with the LORD when he created the world (8:27–29). She also delighted in what the LORD created (8:30–31).

8:25

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^25a Before the mountains were settled,

^25b before the hills, I was brought forth,

There is an ellipsis in 8:25b. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing words from 8:25a. For example:

^25b before the hills were settled, I was brought forth,

8:25a–b

(combined/reordered)

He gave birth to me before he set the mountainous areas in place.
He brought me into existence when he had not yet put the mountains and hills in their places/positions.

mountains…hills: These two words overlap in meaning. The word mountains refers to both mountains and hills. The word hills generally refers to high areas that are lower than mountains. In languages that do not distinguish between “mountains” and “hills,” one word may be used. Some languages have also used a term such as “mountain ranges” or “mountainous areas.”

8:25a

Before the mountains were settled,

He caused me to exist before he had put the mountains in their locations,

Before the mountains were settled: There are two ways to interpret the verb phrase were settled:

It literally means “were sunk.” According to the Israelite view of the world at that time, the mountains rested on pillars. These pillars were sunk or set into sockets deep in the earth, at the bottom of the ocean. For example:
I was born before the mountains were settled in their places (GW) (BSB, GNT, REB, NAB, NJB, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJPS, GW)
It means “shaped” or “formed.” This is one meaning of the root in Arabic.McKane (pages 355–356) mentions that the root has the meaning “fashioned” in Arabic. He does not give other supporting evidence. Whybray (page 132) mentions McKane, but says that the meaning “settled” would be more appropriate. For example:
My birth was before mountains were formed (CEV) (CEV, ESV, NLT, NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with a majority of versions and scholars. It fits the normal meaning of the Hebrew word and other OT passages that describe the foundation of the earth and mountains, such as Job 38:6 and Jonah 2:6. The LORD is the implied agent who put the mountains in place. The word settled is another way of describing the LORD’s creative activity, along with the parallel terms “brought forth” (8:24–25), “made” (8:26), and “established” (8:27).

8:25b

before the hills, I was brought forth,

before he set in position the hills.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

בְּ⁠טֶ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים הָטְבָּ֑עוּ לִ⁠פְנֵ֖י גְבָע֣וֹת חוֹלָֽלְתִּי

before, mountains shaped to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before hills brought_forth

If it would be helpful in your language, you could change the order of these phrases. Alternate translation: “I was brought forth before the mountains were sunk and before the face of the hills”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

הָרִ֣ים הָטְבָּ֑עוּ

mountains shaped

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “Yahweh sunk the mountains”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הָרִ֣ים הָטְבָּ֑עוּ

mountains shaped

Here Wisdom speaks of the creation of the mountains as if their foundations were sunk in the earth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the mountains were established”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

לִ⁠פְנֵ֖י גְבָע֣וֹת

to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before hills

Here, to the face of is a common expression that means “before.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [before the existence of the hills]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

חוֹלָֽלְתִּי

brought_forth

See how you translated this phrase in the previous verse.

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 8:25