InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEUT JOB YEHO (JOS) HERO (JDG) RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG YOEL (JOEL) MIC ISA ZEP HAB YIR (JER) LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBAD DAN EZEK EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL 2 PS WIS TOB MAN BAR G DAN G ESD L ESD ESG JDT 3 MAC SIR 1 MAC 2 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL LAOD 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
InterlinearVerse Prov C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31
Prov 9 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V15 V16 V17 V18
This section summarizes the main themes of chapters 1–8. It contains parallel appeals by Wisdom (9:1–6) and Folly (9:13–18), both personified as women. Both Wisdom and Folly appeal to the same audience, inviting them to come and eat in their homes. Between these two appeals is a summary of two opposite ways to respond to Wisdom (9:7–12). In the center of this paragraph, 9:10 contains a restatement of the first line of 1:7. These key verses mark chapters 1 and 9 as the beginning and end of the first major division of the book.
Some other headings for this section are:
Invitations of Wisdom and of Folly (NIV)
Wisdom and Foolishness each give a feast
Being Wise or Foolish (NCV)
This paragraph contains an invitation from Woman Folly that is obviously parallel to Wisdom’s invitation in 9:1–6. Folly’s character and the location from which she gives her invitation are described in 9:13–15. Her invitation is found in 9:16–17. In 9:18, the author concludes the paragraph by describing the consequences of accepting Folly’s invitation.
When you translate this paragraph, pay careful attention to the wording that you used in 9:1–6 so that the parallels between Wisdom’s invitation and Folly’s invitation will be clear.
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
14aShe sits at the door of her house,
14b on a seat in the heights of the city,
She sits at the door of her house,
She sits at the doorway/entrance of her house,
on a seat in the heights of the city,
at the highest part of the city,
which is located at the highest part of her city.
She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the heights of the city: There are two ways to interpret the place where Folly sits:Scholars supporting the view of one location include Delitzsch, Hubbard, and Murphy. Those supporting two locations include Scott, UBS, and Whybray.
Folly sits in one place. Her house is located at the highest point of the city. For example:
She sits at the door of her house at the highest place in the city. (NCV) (BSB, NCV, NLT, NIV, NRSV, NJB, REB)
Folly sits in different places. She sits at her house, and she also sits at the highest point of the city. For example:
She sits at the door of her house or on a seat in the highest part of town (GNT) (GNT, CEV)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions. The Hebrew text here has no conjunctions, such as “and” or “or.” It seems likely that the first line describes Folly’s location in a general way. The second line further specifies the location.
sits at the door of her house, on a seat: These parallel phrases mean that Folly sits in the “doorway” of her house (GW). In some languages, this may be expressed in this way:
in front of her house (CEV)
The word translated as seat almost always refers to a throne or seat of honor. This is probably why the NJB has “on a throne” and GW has “enthroned.” However, most versions prefer the more general term seat or combine it with the verb sits in the first line, as in the NCV above.
For the phrase “in the heights of the city,” see the identical phrase in 9:3b.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun
וְֽ֭יָשְׁבָה לְפֶ֣תַח בֵּיתָ֑הּ עַל־כִּ֝סֵּ֗א מְרֹ֣מֵי קָֽרֶת
(Some words not found in UHB: and,she_sits to,the_doorway_of her_house_of,her on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in seat high_places_of city )
If you translated the phrase “woman of stupidity” as a plural form in the previous verse, then you should use plural forms in this verse. Alternate translation: [And they sit at the opening of their houses, on seats by the heights of the city]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
לְפֶ֣תַח בֵּיתָ֑הּ
to,the_doorway_of (Some words not found in UHB: and,she_sits to,the_doorway_of her_house_of,her on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in seat high_places_of city )
See how you translated this phrase in 5:8.
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
עַל־כִּ֝סֵּ֗א
on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in (Some words not found in UHB: and,she_sits to,the_doorway_of her_house_of,her on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in seat high_places_of city )
This clause could refer to: (1) the specific location of the opening of her house. Alternate translation: [which is on a seat]; (2) a second location where she sits. Alternate translation: [or on a seat]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
מְרֹ֣מֵי קָֽרֶת
high_places_of city
See how you translated this phrase in 9:3.
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.