PROV 12:12 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences 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 Ἐπιθυμίαι ἀσεβῶν κακαὶ, αἱ δὲ ῥίζαι τῶν εὐσεβῶν ἐν ὀχυρώμασι.
(Epithumiai asebōn kakai, hai de ɽizai tōn eusebōn en oⱪurōmasi. )

BrTr The desires of the ungodly are evil; but the roots of the godly are firmly set.

ULT A wicked one desires the snare of the evil,
⇔ but the root of the righteous will give.

UST Wicked people want what evil people steal,
⇔ but righteous people benefit others like a tree with deep roots.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE The wicked desires the plunder of evil men,
⇔ but the root of the righteous flourishes.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET The wicked person desires a stronghold,
⇔ but the righteous root endures.

LSV The wicked has desired the net of evildoers,
And the root of the righteous gives.

FBV Wicked people long for ill-gotten gains, but good people are productive themselves.

T4T ⇔ Wicked people desire to take away what other evil people have,
⇔ but Yahweh enables righteous/godly people to be steadfast and productive [MET].

LEB • The wicked covets the proceeds of evil, but the root of the righteous bears fruit .[fn]

12:? Literally “gives, sets up”

BBE The resting-place of the sinner will come to destruction, but the root of upright men is for ever.

Moff Vice proves a net for vicious men,
⇔ but a good man’s root remains untouched.
¶ 

JPS The wicked desireth the prey of evil men; but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

ASV The wicked desireth the net of evil men;
⇔ But the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

DRA The desire of the wicked is the fortification of evil men: but the root of the just shall prosper.

YLT The wicked hath desired the net of evil doers, And the root of the righteous giveth.

Drby The wicked desireth the net of evil [men]; but the root of the righteous yieldeth [fruit].

RV The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
(The wicked desireth/desires the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth/yields fruit. )

SLT The unjust one desired the net of the evil: and the root of the just will give.

Wbstr The wicked desireth the net of evil men : but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit .

KJB-1769 The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.[fn]
(The wicked desireth/desires the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth/yields fruit. )

12.12 the net: or, the fortress

KJB-1611 [fn]The wicked desireth the net of euill men: but the roote of the righteous yeeldeth fruit.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above apart from footnotes)

12:12 Or, the fortresse.

Bshps The desire of the vngodly is a net of euyls: but the roote of the ryghteous bryngeth foorth fruite.
(The desire of the ungodly is a net of evils: but the root of the righteous bringeth/brings forth fruit.)

Gnva The wicked desireth the net of euils: but the roote of the righteous giueth fruite.
(The wicked desireth/desires the net of evils: but the root of the righteous giveth/gives fruit. )

Cvdl The desyre of ye vngodly hunteth after myschefe, but the rote of the righteous bryngeth forth frute.
(The desire of ye/you_all ungodly hunteth/hunts after mischief, but the root of the righteous bringeth/brings forth fruit.)

Wycl The desir of a wickid man is the memorial of worste thingis; but the roote of iust men schal encreesse.
(The desire of a wicked man is the memorial of worst things; but the root of just men shall increase.)

Luth Des GOttlosen Lust ist, Schaden zu tun; aber die Wurzel der Gerechten wird Frucht bringen.
(Des godless_one(s) desire/lust(n) is, damage/harm(n) to/for do/put; but the root(n) the/of_the righteous_(ones) becomes fruit bring/get.)

ClVg Desiderium impii munimentum est pessimorum; radix autem justorum proficiet.][fn]
(Desiderium wicked munimentum it_is of_the_worst; root however of_the_righteous proficiet.] )

12.12 Desiderium. Desiderat impius, etc., usque ad dicit e contra de bonis. Radix autem justorum proficiet, fides, spes, charitas, quibus in Christo sunt radicati non eos fallunt; sed plus quam sperant in futuro percipient.

12.12 Desiderium. Desiderat impious/ungodly, etc., until to he_says e on_the_contrary from/about good. Radix however of_the_righteous proficiet, faith, hope, charity, to_whom in/into/on to_Christ/Messiah are radicati not/no them fallunt; but plus how they_hope in/into/on future percipient.

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

12:12

Notice the parallelism:

^12a The wicked desire the plunder of evil men,

^12bbut the root of the righteous flourishes.

The underlined parallel parts contrast in meaning. The parts in bold print do not directly contrast. The part in bold print in 12:12a describes the bad desires of wicked men. The part in bold print in 12:12b describes the good result of being a righteous person.

12:12a

The wicked desire the plunder of evil men,

A wicked person strongly wants to get wealthy by stealing things from others, just like his wicked companions do.
A person who is wicked covets the kind of riches that can be obtained by wicked methods.

The wicked desire the plunder of evil men: There is a textual issue here:

The Masoretic Text is literally: “The wicked person desires/covets a net of evil.”The Hebrew word raʿim is plural. The BSB translates it as “evil men.” The NRSV has “wickedness.” BART has “evil [things].” For example:
The godless delights in the snare of the wicked (NJB) (BSB, ESV, GW, KJV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, NRSV)
Some scholars think that the original text had: “The stronghold of the wicked person will be destroyed.” For example:
The strong tower of the wicked comes to ruin (RSV) (NAB, RSV, REB)
The LXX has: “The desires of the wicked are evil.” The Syriac is similar. It has: “The wicked desire to do evil.” For example:
All that wicked people want is to find evil things to do (GNT) (GNT)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions and scholars.There are several reasons for preferring the MT. Although it is difficult to decide between the homonyms “net” and “stronghold” (mǝṣod), scholars have proposed understandable interpretations for both words. When the MT is clearly understandable, it seems ill-advised to follow a substantially different text, as the RSV or REB have done. As for the LXX and Syriac, they have apparently chosen to simply not translate mǝṣod. If this word were not in the original text, it is difficult to see why scribes would have inserted it, since it results in a more difficult reading. Scholars that recommend the MT include Waltke, McKane, Garrett, Delitzsch, Kidner, Cook, Fox, and Murphy. Ross simply lists the options. Scott supports a different text. Waltke (pp. 528–529) provides a complete discussion of both textual options and interpretations.

The wicked…evil men: The words wicked and evil are synonyms. In Hebrew, the word translated as wicked is singular, and the word translated as evil men is plural. This difference probably implies that a wicked person desires the same kind of things as other people who are evil/wicked like himself.

desire: Other ways to translate the word that the BSB translates as desire are:

delights in (NJB)

covets (NRSV)

the plunder of evil men: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as plunder is literally “net/snare.”The actual situation is far more complicated. The Hebrew word meṣod may be derived from a homonym that means “stronghold.” This meaning is supported by NIDOTTE and HALOT, as well as by Waltke and Cohen. However, no versions that follow textual option (1) translate this word as “stronghold” except the NET, which has: “The wicked person desires a stronghold.” BDB, Delitzsch, McKane, Murphy, Garrett, and Ross support the homonym “net,” though not with the same interpretation. The GW is an example of a different interpretation from the BSB. It has: “A wicked person delights in setting a trap for other evil people.” The whole phrase has at least two figures of speech. The word “net” represents what is caught in the net. It is also a metaphor. It compares the wealth that evil people obtain by violent or dishonest means to an animal or bird that a hunter catches in a net or snare.

In most languages, it will not be possible to make explicit all the parts of this complex metaphor. Most English versions translate this phrase without using a figure of speech. For example:

the proceeds of wickedness (NRSV)

what other evil people have stolen (NCV)

each other’s loot (NLT)

12:12b

but the root of the righteous flourishes.

In contrast, righteous people are like a firmly-rooted tree that produces fruit.
But as for people who do what is right, their lives are useful and productive.

but the root of the righteous flourishes: There is a textual issue here:

The Masoretic Text has: “but the root of the righteous gives.” The object of “gives” is not expressed, but most versions understand the phrase to mean “bears fruit.” With this text, the line describes the productive lives of the righteous. It contrasts their lives with the temporary wealth that the wicked desire to gain dishonestly. For example:
but the root of the righteous bears fruit (ESV) (BSB, ESV, GW, KJV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, NRSV)
The LXX has: “but the root of the righteous endures.” With this text, the line describes the secure lives of the righteous. It contrasts their lives with the dishonestly gained wealth on which the wicked rely. For example:
but the root of the righteous stands firm (RSV) (NET, NIV11, REB, RSV, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions. However, there is also good support for option (2).The verb “gives” (yitten) normally has an explicit object, so the MT, as it stands, is an incomplete clause. The meaning of the verb “stands firm” (ʾetan) is elsewhere used in connection with the figure of a root, so internal evidence favors the idea of stability/security over productivity. Scholars who support “stands firm” include Waltke, Whybray, McKane, Cohen, Fox, and Longman. However, the choice of “net” in 12:12a (followed by most versions) favors the idea of productivity for the parallel in 12:12b. This idea is supported by Murphy, Garrett, and Delitzsch. The BSB translation flourishes is actually ambiguous, since a flourishing root connotes a tree that is both secure (firmly rooted) and productive (bears fruit). You may be able to include both ideas in your translation, as the BSB has done.

The phrase that the BSB translates as the root of the righteous flourishes is a metaphor. This metaphor compares the productive life of righteous people to a tree with a strong root system that produces fruit. In some languages, a literal translation of this metaphor may not be clear or natural. If that is true in your language, some other ways to translate the metaphor are:

Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
but righteous people are like a fruit-bearing tree with strong roots
good people are like trees with deep roots (CEV)
Express the meaning without a figure of speech. For example:
but the lives of righteous people are useful/beneficial to others

Parallel PROV 12:12

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

12:12

12:12a

12:12b