PROV 13:12 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=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Hoping for something that never happens causes stress,
⇔ ^ but when a longing is fulfilled, it’s like a new lease of life.

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 Κρείσσων ἐναρχόμενος βοηθῶν καρδίᾳ, τοῦ ἐπαγγελλομένου καὶ εἰς ἐλπίδα ἄγοντος· δένδρον γὰρ ζωῆς, ἐπιθυμία ἀγαθή.
(Kreissōn enarⱪomenos boaʸthōn kardia, tou epangellomenou kai eis elpida agontos; dendron gar zōaʸs, epithumia agathaʸ. )

BrTr Better is he that begins to help heartily, than he that promises and leads another to hope: for a good desire is a tree of life.

ULT Hope deferred makes a heart sick,
⇔ but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

UST People despair when they do not receive what they have been hoping to receive,
⇔ but when people receive what they have been wanting to receive, they feel like they have everything that they need.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
⇔ but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
⇔ but a longing fulfilled is like a tree of life.

LSV Hope prolonged is making the heart sick,
And a tree of life [is] the coming desire.

FBV Hope that's delayed makes you feel sick, but a wish that comes true revives you.[fn]

13:12 “Revives you”: literally, “a tree of life.”

T4T ⇔ When people do not receive the things that they are expecting to receive, ◄it causes them to despair/they become very sad►;
⇔ but if you receive what you are desiring to get, that will be like a tree [MET] whose fruit gives you life (OR, that will cause you to be joyful).

LEB • Hope that is deferred makes the heart[fn] sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

13:? Or “mind”

BBE Hope put off is a weariness to the heart; but when what is desired comes, it is a tree of life.

Moff Hope deferred is sickening
⇔ it is new life to have desire fulfilled.
¶ 

JPS Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

ASV Hope deferred maketh the heart sick;
⇔ But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

DRA Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul: desire when it cometh is a tree of life.

YLT Hope prolonged is making the heart sick, And a tree of life [is] the coming desire.

Drby Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; but the desire [that] cometh to pass is a tree of life.

RV Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
(Hope deferred maketh/makes the heart sick: but when the desire cometh/comes, it is a tree of life. )

SLT Hope being forgotten afflicts the heart: and desire coming, a tree of life.

Wbstr Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

KJB-1769 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
(Hope deferred maketh/makes the heart sick: but when the desire cometh/comes, it is a tree of life. )

KJB-1611 Hope deferred maketh the heart sicke: but when the desire commeth, it is a tree of life.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps Hope deferred greeueth the heart: but whe the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
(Hope deferred grieveth/grieves the heart: but when the desire cometh/comes, it is a tree of life.)

Gnva The hope that is deferred, is the fainting of the heart: but when the desire commeth, it is as a tree of life.
(The hope that is deferred, is the fainting of the heart: but when the desire cometh/comes, it is as a tree of life. )

Cvdl Longe tarienge for a thinge that is dyfferred, greueth ye herte: but when the desyre commeth, it is a tre of life.
(Longe tarrying/waiting for a thing that is dyfferred, grieveth ye/you_all heart: but when the desire cometh/comes, it is a tree of life.)

Wycl Hope which is dilaied, turmentith the soule; a tre of lijf is desir comyng.
(Hope which is dilaied, tormenteth/torments the soul; a tree of life is desire coming.)

Luth Die Hoffnung, die sich verzeucht, ängstet das Herz; wenn‘s aber kommt, das man begehret, das ist ein Baum des Lebens.
(The hope(n), the itself/yourself/themselves verzeucht, afraid the heart; if but comes, the man desired, the is a tree the life.)

ClVg Spes quæ differtur affligit animam; lignum vitæ desiderium veniens.][fn]
(Hope which differentur affligit the_soul; wood/timber of_life desire/wish coming.] )

13.12 Spes quæ differtur, etc. Quia nimirum, etc., usque ad ipse est enim lignum vitæ amplectentibus se.

13.12 Hope which differentur, etc. Because nimirum, etc., until to exactly_that/himself it_is because wood/timber of_life amplectentibus himself.

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

13:12

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^12a Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

^12bbut desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

13:12a

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

When a person has to wait and wait, and his hope is still unfulfilled, he becomes sad.
If what a person is hoping for does not happen for a long time, he will feel frustrated and depressed.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick: The word deferred means to be delayed or postponed for a long period of time. When a person hopes or waits expectantly for something to happen, but that hope remains unfulfilled for a long time, the result is sadness, discouragement, or depression. Some ways to translate this line are:

It is sad not to get what you hoped for. (NCV)

If a person’s hope is not fulfilled for a long time, he will become discouraged/depressed.

13:12b

but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

But when he strongly wants something, and that desire is fulfilled/satisfied, he will be happy, just like someone who eats fruit from a tree that gives life.
But if what he wants takes place, he will feel happy and invigorated/encouraged.

but desire fulfilled is a tree of life: This is a metaphor that compares a person’s fulfilled desire to a life-giving tree. When a person strongly desires something, and that desire is met or comes true, the result will be the same as if he had eaten fruit from a tree that gives life. The similarity is that he will feel invigorated and happy.

If a literal translation of this metaphor is not clear in your language, some other ways to translate it are:

Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
But wishes that come true are like eating fruit from the tree of life. (NCV)
Change the metaphor to a simile and make the similarity explicit. For example:
But if a person’s desires are met, he will be as happy as someone who has eaten fruit from a tree that gives life.
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
but a wish come true fills you with joy (GNT)

desire: The word that the BSB translates as desire means essentially the same thing as “hope” in 13:12a.Toy (p. 268). Another way to translate it is:

a longing (NIV)

tree of life: For the expression tree of life, see the notes on 3:18a and 11:30a. Because of the contrast with sadness/discouragement in 13:12a, the kind of life that is implied here in 13:12b is probably an enthusiastic and happy life rather than a long life.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

תּוֹחֶ֣לֶת

hope

See how you translated the abstract noun hope in [10:28](../10/28.md).

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

מְ֭מֻשָּׁכָה & בָאָֽה

deferred & fulfilled

If your language does not use these passive forms, you could express the ideas in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “that does not yet become reality … that becomes reality” or “that does not happen … that does happen”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

מַחֲלָה־לֵ֑ב

makes_~_sick heart

This phrase is an idiom that refers to someone despairing or feeling sad. If it would be helpful in you language, you could express the meaning plainly or use an equivalent idiom in your language. Alternate translation: “makes a person sad” or “breaks a person’s heart”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

תַּאֲוָ֥ה בָאָֽה

desire fulfilled

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of desire, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [when people get what they have wanted for a long time, it]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠עֵ֥ץ חַ֝יִּ֗ים

and=tree life(pl)

See how you translated a tree of life in [3:18](../03/18.md).

Parallel PROV 13:12

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

13:12

13:12a

13:12b