PROV 13:15 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 Σύνεσις ἀγαθὴ δίδωσι χάριν, τὸ δὲ γνῶναι νόμον διανοίας ἐστὶν ἀγαθῆς, ὁδοὶ δὲ καταφρονούντων ἐν ἀπωλείᾳ.
(Sunesis agathaʸ didōsi ⱪarin, to de gnōnai nomon dianoias estin agathaʸs, hodoi de katafronountōn en apōleia. )

BrTr Sound discretion gives favour, and to know the law is the part of a sound understanding: but the ways of scorners tend to destruction.

ULT Good insight gives favor,
⇔ but the way of treacherous ones is permanent.

UST People approve of people who are very insightful,
⇔ but treacherous people are stubborn in the way that they live.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Good understanding wins favour,
⇔ but the way of the unfaithful is hard.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Keen insight wins favor,
⇔ but the conduct of the unfaithful is harsh.

LSV Good understanding gives grace,
And the way of the treacherous [is] hard.

FBV Good sense earns appreciation, but the way of the unfaithful is hard.[fn]

13:15 “The way of the unfaithful is hard.” Septuagint version: “the ways of scorners lead to destruction.”

T4T ⇔ People respect those who have good sense,
⇔ but those who cannot be trusted are on the road to being ruined/destroyed (OR, will have a lot of difficulties/troubles).

LEB • Good sense grants favor, but the way of the faithless is coarse.

BBE Wise behaviour gets approval, but the way of the false is their destruction.

Moff A man of tact is popular:
⇔ the way fools live stirs up dislike.

JPS Good understanding giveth grace; but the way of the faithless is harsh.

ASV Good understanding giveth favor;
⇔ But the way of the transgressor is hard.

DRA Good instruction shall give grace: in the way of scorners is a deep pit.

YLT Good understanding giveth grace, And the way of the treacherous [is] hard.

Drby Good understanding procureth favour; but the way of the treacherous is hard.

RV Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of the treacherous is rugged.
(Good understanding giveth/gives favour: but the way of the treacherous is rugged. )

SLT Good understanding shall give grace: and the way of the transgressing is perpetuity.

Wbstr Good understanding giveth favor: but the way of transgressors is hard.

KJB-1769 Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.
(Good understanding giveth/gives favour: but the way of transgressors is hard. )

KJB-1611 Good vnderstanding giueth fauour: but the way of transgressours is hard.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps Good vnderstandyng geueth fauour: but harde is the way of the dispisers.
(Good understanding giveth/gives favour: but hard is the way of the despisers.)

Gnva Good vnderstanding maketh acceptable: but the way of the disobedient is hated.
(Good understanding maketh/makes acceptable: but the way of the disobedient is hated. )

Cvdl Good vnderstondinge geueth fauoure, but harde is the waye of the despysers.
(Good understanding giveth/gives favour, but hard is the way of the despisers.)

Wycl Good teching schal yyue grace; a swolowe is in the weie of dispiseris.
(Good teaching shall give grace; a swolowe is in the way of despiseris.)

Luth Ein guter Rat tut sanft; aber der Verächter Weg bringt Wehe.
(A good advice does soft/mild; but the/of_the despiser way/path/road brings Woe.)

ClVg Doctrina bona dabit gratiam; in itinere contemptorum vorago.
(Doctrina good(s) will_give grace; in/into/on travel contemptorum vorago. )

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

13:15

The NRSV has been used as the source line for 13:15b, since it follows the recommended text and interpretation. Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^15a Good understanding wins favor,

^15bbut the way of the faithless is their ruin.

13:15a

Good understanding wins favor,

A sensible person is respected by others.
If a person has good sense/judgment, other people will have a good opinion about him.

Good understanding: In Hebrew, this phrase refers to the good sense, practical insight, or wise conduct that results from carefully evaluating a situation. A person who has understanding (Hebrew śekel) is able to understand the different aspects of a problem and to think of a helpful solution. See wise dealing in the Glossary.

Good understanding is described here as if it were a person who wins favor with other people. In some languages, it may not be natural to use personification in this way. Another way to translate this is:

A person with good sense (NLT)

wins favor: This phrase indicates that other people have a positive or favorable opinion about someone who shows good judgment. Other ways to translate this are:

is respected (NLT)

will be well liked (NCV)

13:15b

but the way of the faithless is difficult.

But a person who is not trustworthy will be ruined/destroyed.
But if a person acts treacherously, he will experience disaster.

(NRSV) but the way of the faithless is their ruin: There are differences in text and interpretation here:

The LXX, Syriac, Vulgate, and Targum have “their ruin/calamity.” For example:
a treacherous person is headed for destruction (NLT)
but the way of the treacherous is their ruin (ESV) (CEV, ESV, NIV11, NLT, NRSV, REB, GNT)
The Masoretic Text (MT) has a word that usually means “enduring/permanent,” with a positive connotation.Toy (p. 272), Waltke (p. 566). Here the meaning of this word is uncertain. Most English versions that follow the MT translate this word as “hard.”A few versions that follow the MT understand this Hebrew word to mean “unchanging.” These include the NJPS and the GW. For example:
but the way of the treacherous is hard (NJB) (BSB, KJV, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NLT96)The NET has been listed here, but its rendering, “the conduct of the unfaithful is harsh,” has quite a different meaning from the NLT, which means that the life of a treacherous person is filled with difficulty.

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most scholars. As it stands, the Masoretic Text does not form a good parallel with 13:15a. Furthermore, there are no other examples in the OT where this word means “enduring” in the sense of an unchanging character trait.Delitzsch (p. 203) supports the meaning “hard as stone, unfeeling.” Longman, TWOT (#935a), and NIDOTTE (H419) support the meaning “enduring, permanent.” They say that the character of the treacherous “forms its own rut from which there is no escape.” But Waltke, Whybray, Murphy, Ross, Toy, Fox, and Garrett all support the change of ʾetan “enduring/permanent” to ʾedam “their ruin.” Toy (p. 272) has a complete list of the senses in which the MT word is used in its 12 other occurrences in the OT.

the way of the faithless: For the word faithless, see the note on 11:3b. The phrase describes someone who acts treacherously or breaks an agreement. Some other ways to translate this word are:

the unfaithful (NIV11)

those who can’t be trusted (GNT)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

שֵֽׂכֶל־ט֭וֹב יִתֶּן־חֵ֑ן

sense good wins graciousness/kindness/favour/beauty

Here Solomon speaks of a person receiving favor because that person has Good insight as if the insight were a person who could give favor. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Good insight causes the person who has it to be favored by others”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

שֵֽׂכֶל & חֵ֑ן

sense & graciousness/kindness/favour/beauty

See how you translated the abstract nouns insight in [1:3](../01/03.md) and favor in [3:4](../03/04.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠דֶ֖רֶךְ

and_[the],way_of

See how you translated this use of way in [1:15](../01/15.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אֵיתָֽן

hard

Here the word translated permanent refers to something that is unrelenting or unchanging. The idea would be that treacherous people are obstinate in their sin. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternatively, many scholars think that a different word should be here, meaning “their destruction.” If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT. Alternate translation: “is unrelenting” or “does not change”

Parallel PROV 13:15

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

13:15

13:15a

13:15b