PROV 10:11 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Πηγὴ ζωῆς ἐν χειρὶ δικαίου, στόμα δὲ ἀσεβοῦς καλύψει ἀπώλεια.
(Paʸgaʸ zōaʸs en ⱪeiri dikaiou, stoma de asebous kalupsei apōleia. )

BrTr There is a fountain of life in the hand of a righteous man; but destruction shall cover the mouth of the ungodly.

ULT A fountain of life is the mouth of the righteous one,
⇔ but the mouth of the wicked ones covers violence.

UST What righteous people say is like a spring that enables people to live long and well;
⇔ but what wicked people say prevents others from knowing about the violent acts that they do.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life,
⇔ but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET The teaching of the righteous is a fountain of life,
⇔ but the speech of the wicked conceals violence.

LSV A fountain of life [is] the mouth of the righteous,
And the mouth of the wicked covers violence.

FBV What good people say is a spring that gives life, but what the wicked say hides their violent nature.

T4T ⇔ What righteous people say [MTY] is like a fountain that ◄gives life/enables people to live many years► [MET],
⇔ but what wicked people say [MTY] hides the fact that they intend to act violently.

LEB • A fountain of life is a mouth of righteousness, and a mouth of wickedness conceals violence.

BBE The mouth of the upright man is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the evil-doer is a bitter cup.

Moff The talk of good men is a life-giving fountain:
⇔ the talk of bad men overflows with harm.

JPS The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life; but the mouth of the wicked concealeth violence.

ASV The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life;
⇔ But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

DRA The mouth of the just is a vein of life: and the mouth of the wicked covereth iniquity.

YLT A fountain of life [is] the mouth of the righteous, And the mouth of the wicked cover doth violence.

Drby The mouth of a righteous [man] is a fountain of life; but the mouth of the wicked covereth violence.

RV The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
(The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life: but violence covereth/covers the mouth of the wicked. )

SLT A fountain of life the mouth of the just one: and violence shall cover the mouth of the unjust.

Wbstr The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

KJB-1769 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
(The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth/covers the mouth of the wicked. )

KJB-1611 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence couereth the mouth of the wicked.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but the mouth of the vngodly kepeth mischiefe in secrete.
(The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but the mouth of the ungodly keepeth/keeps mischief in secret.)

Gnva The mouth of a righteous man is a welspring of life: but iniquitie couereth the mouth of the wicked.
(The mouth of a righteous man is a welspring of life: but iniquity covereth/covers the mouth of the wicked. )

Cvdl The mouth of a rightuous man is a well of life, but ye mouth of the vngodly is past shame, & presumptuous.
(The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life, but ye/you_all mouth of the ungodly is past shame, and presumptuous.)

Wycl The veyne of lijf is the mouth of a iust man; but the mouth of wickid men hilith wickidnesse.
(The vain of life is the mouth of a just man; but the mouth of wicked men healeth/heals wickedness.)

Luth Des Gerechten Mund ist ein lebendiger Brunn; aber den Mund der GOttlosen wird ihr Frevel überfallen.
(Des righteous_(ones) mouth is a more_lively well(n); but the mouth the/of_the godless_one(s) becomes you(pl)/their/her sacrilege attacked.)

ClVg [Vena vitæ os justi, et os impiorum operit iniquitatem.
([Vena of_life mouth just, and mouth of_the_wicked covers iniquity. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 10:1–22:16: This is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs

This section is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs. It has a very different structure from the longer poetic lectures of chapters 1–9. It consists mostly of individual couplets (two-line poems) that are each one verse in length. With the exception of the title (10:1a), paragraph breaks will not be indicated in the Notes or Display. You may of course choose to start each proverb as a separate paragraph in your translation.

In chapters 10–15, most of these one-verse couplets express a contrast between the two lines. One of the more common contrasts is between the righteous/wise and the wicked/foolish and the different consequences of their conduct.

In chapters 16:1–22:16, more topics are discussed. There is more emphasis on the role of the king and other leaders. In these chapters, there are few proverbs with contrasting lines. Some of the parallel lines are similar in meaning. More frequently, the second line adds to what the first line says or gives an example. Most of the verses have no obvious connection with the previous or following proverbs.UBS (page 214), Fox (page 509), McKane (page 413). Many scholars, including McKane, point out that there are some topical groupings as well as poetic connections. These include the repetition of certain words or sounds. This observation does not deny the individual nature of most of the proverbs in this Section.

Two of the types of proverbs in this section are not found in chapters 1–9. One type contains logical reasoning from the lesser to the greater. See 11:31 for a list of these proverbs. There are also several varieties of complex “better than” proverbs. The most common have a contrasting situation in each line (see 12:9). For other varieties, see 16:16, 19:1, and 21:9.

Many of the proverbs in this section refer to categories of people who share a common trait. For example, they refer to the righteous, the wise, the poor, and the lazy. In Hebrew, some verses use singular forms to refer to these groups of people. Other verses use plural forms. Still others use a combination of singular and plural. See the note on 10:30a–b for one example. For most of these verses, the Notes will not comment on the difference between singular and plural forms. Use a natural way in your language to refer to one or more people who are in the same category.

Many of the proverbs in this section express a general principle in abstract terms. They are not addressed specifically to the readers. For example, 10:2a–b says:

Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,

but righteousness delivers from death.

However, the author intended his readers to understand these proverbs as advice that they should follow. In some languages, authors or speakers give advice more directly, using pronouns such as you^(sing), you^(plur), we^(dual), or we^(incl). See the note on 10:2 for translation suggestions.

Some other headings for this section are:

Proverbs of Solomon (NIV)

The Wise Words of Solomon (NCV)

Here are many wise things that Solomon said

10:11

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning.

^11a The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,

^11bbut the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

In Hebrew, the parallel parts form a chiasm. The parts in 10:11b occur in the opposite order from the parallel parts in 10:11a. The NAB is one of the few versions that preserves the chiasm in English. It has:

^11a A fountain of life is the mouth of the just,

^11bbut the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

You will need to decide whether it is effective to use a chiasm here in your language.

10:11a

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,

The words of a person who does what is right are like a spring/well that gives life-giving water,
When a righteous person speaks, his words give life, just like a spring/well that is the source of good/drinkable water.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life: The mouth is a figure of speech (metonymy). It represents the words that the mouth speaks. The whole line is a metaphor. The words that a righteous person speaks are compared to a spring or other source of life-giving water. See the note on “fountain” in 5:18a.

If this metaphor does not express the meaning clearly in your language, some other ways to translate the metaphor are:

Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
The words of a good person give life, like a fountain of water (NCV)
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
The words of good people are a source of life (CEV)

However, a source of good drinking water, such as a spring or well, is a meaningful figure of speech in most parts of the world. It helps people to think about the meaning. So if possible, you should keep the figure of speech.

10:11b

but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

but a wicked person hides his cruel/violent intentions with his words.
But a person who does what is wrong says good things to cover up the cruel/violent things that he does.

but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence: See the notes on the identical line in 10:6b.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

מְק֣וֹר חַ֭יִּים

fountain_of life(pl)

Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe a fountain that gives life. If your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: “A fountain that gives life”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מְק֣וֹר חַ֭יִּים

fountain_of life(pl)

Here Solomon is speaking of the mouth of the righteous one as if it were a fountain of life. He means that what a righteous person says is beneficial to the life of that person and to others' lives. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Something that benefits people's lives”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

פִּ֣י

mouth_of

In this verse, mouth refers to what a person says by using his mouth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is the speech of”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

צַדִּ֑יק

law-abiding/just

The phrase the righteous one represents all righteous people in general, not one particular righteous person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a more natural expression. Alternate translation: [any righteous person]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וּ⁠פִ֥י רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים יְכַסֶּ֥ה חָמָֽס

and_[the],mouth_of wicked conceals violence/cruelty

See how you translated the identical clause in [10:6](../10/06.md).

Parallel PROV 10:11

Section 10:1–22:16: This is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs

10:11

10:11a

10:11b