PROV 15:17 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) It’s better to have a meal of vegetables where there’s love,
⇔ ^ than to have roast meat where there’s hate.

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 ξενισμὸς μετὰ λαχάνων πρὸς φιλίαν καὶ χάριν, ἢ παράθεσις μόσχων μετὰ ἔχθρας.
(Kreissōn xenismos meta laⱪanōn pros filian kai ⱪarin, aʸ parathesis mosⱪōn meta eⱪthras. )

BrTr Better is an entertainment of herbs with friendliness and kindness, than a feast of calves, with enmity.

ULT Better is a portion of vegetables and love there
⇔ than a fattened ox and hatred with it.

UST It is better for someone to have a small meal of vegetables with people who love each other
⇔ than to have a large meal of good meat with people who hate each other.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is,
⇔ than a fattened calf with hatred.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Better a meal of vegetables where there is love
⇔ than a fattened ox where there is hatred.

LSV Better [is] an allowance of green herbs and love there,
Than a fatted ox, and hatred with it.

FBV Better a dinner of vegetables where there's love than eating meat[fn] with hatred.

15:17 Literally “fattened ox.”

T4T ⇔ Eating meals with people whom you love and having only vegetables to eat
⇔ is better than eating with people who hate each other and having lots of good meat to eat.

LEB • Better is a dinner of vegetables when[fn] love is there than a fattened ox and hatred with it.[fn]

15:? Hebrew “and”

15:? Or “him”

BBE Better is a simple meal where love is, than a fat ox and hate with it.

Moff Better a dish of vegetables, with love,
⇔ than the best beef served with hatred.
¶ 

JPS Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

ASV Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is,
⇔ Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

DRA It is better to be invited to herbs with love, than to a fatted calf with hatred.

YLT Better [is] an allowance of green herbs and love there, Than a fatted ox, and hatred with it.

Drby Better is a meal of herbs where love is, than a fatted ox and hatred therewith.

RV Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

SLT Good a ration of herbs and love there, above an ox of the stall and hatred with it.

Wbstr Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred with it.

KJB-1769 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

KJB-1611 Better is a dinner of herbes where loue is, then a stalled oxe, and hatred therewith.
(Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, then a stalled ox, and hatred therewith.)

Bshps Better is a dynner of hearbes with loue, then a fat oxe with euyll wyll.
(Better is a dynner of herbs with love, then a fat ox with evil will.)

Gnva Better is a dinner of greene herbes where loue is, then a stalled oxe and hatred therewith.
(Better is a dinner of green herbs where love is, then a stalled ox and hatred therewith. )

Cvdl Better is a meace of potage with loue, then a fat oxe wt euell will.
(Better is a meace of potage with love, then a fat ox with evil will.)

Wycl It is betere to be clepid to wortis with charite, than with hatrede to a calf maad fat.
(It is better to be called to wortis with charity, than with hatred to a calf made fat.)

Luth Es ist besser ein Gericht Kraut mit Liebe denn ein gemästeter Ochse mit Haß.
(It is better a court(n)/justice Kraut with love(n) because/than a fatteneder Ochse with hate(n).)

ClVg Melius est vocari ad olera cum caritate, quam ad vitulum saginatum cum odio.[fn]
(Better it_is to_be_called to vegetables when/with caritate, how to calf saginatum when/with hate. )

15.17 Melius est vocari ad olera. Multo enim utilius est simplicis vitæ innocentiam cum charitate servare, etc., usque ad, discedite a me operarii iniquitatis.

15.17 Better it_is to_be_called to vegetables. Much because utilius it_is simplicis of_life innocence when/with with_love to_keep, etc., until to, discedite from me to_worki 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

15:17

This proverb compares two kinds of meals. The people at each meal have different relationships with one another. The situation at the meal in 15:17a is better than the situation at the meal in 15:17b. Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^17aBetter a dish of vegetables where there is love

^17bthan a fattened ox with hatred.

The first line describes a simple meal of vegetablesWaltke (p. 627) says that the word that the BSB translates as “dish” refers to “an allowance or wayfarer’s portion of food on his journey.” But NIDOTTE (H786) and Fox (p. 596) point out that this word is used elsewhere of a daily portion or allowance granted by a king or official to someone under his authority. So apparently the connotation of a “traveler’s pack lunch” is not sustainable. with people who love one another. This kind of meal is more desirable than a feast of the finest food with people who hate one another.

This proverb has the same form as 15:16. The four parts are:

A: a simple meal of vegetables (undesirable)

B: a loving relationship (very desirable)

C: a feast with tasty meat (desirable)

D: a relationship of hatred (very undesirable)

See the note on 12:9 for more details on this kind of proverb.

15:17a

Better a dish of vegetables where there is love

It is better to eat together with those who love one another, even if your^(sing) food is only vegetables,
Eating a simple meal of vegetables with people whom you love is better

15:17b

than a fattened ox with hatred.

than it is to feast on the finest/tastiest kind of meat with those who hate one another.
than eating the most expensive foods with those whom you^(sing) hate.

15:17a–b

a dish of vegetables…a fattened ox: The phrase dish of vegetables refers to a very simple meal. It contrasts with a banquet at which the main dish is meat from an ox/cow that has been specially fattened.

a fattened ox: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as ox can refer to an ox or cow. It can be a male or female, of any age.

A fattened ox/cow was literally butchered for a special meal in OT times. But this phrase is also a figure of speech. It represents the finest, tastiest kind of meat. More generally, it represents any fine food. So it is not necessary to specify ox unless only oxen are butchered for food in your language area.

In addition to using the literal terms, some other ways to translate these phrases are.

Use a more general phrase in each line. For example:
A simple meal…a feast (CEV)
Use foods that convey the same contrast in your culture. Try to use foods that would also have been found in the OT context. For example:
a bowl of soup…steak (NLT96)

where there is love…with hatred: These phrases refer to mutual love and hatred. Some English versions specify the subject and object of love and hate. For example:

^17aA bowl of vegetables with someone you love

^17bis better than steak with someone you hate. (NLT)

Some versions use a different order of the subject and object. For example:

^17aIt is better to eat vegetables with those who love you

^17bthan to eat meat with those who hate you. (NCV)

The Hebrew text does not specify the subject or object. It only describes a situation in which there is love in contrast to one in which there is hatred. You may use the BSB or any of the examples cited here as models, depending on what is natural in your language.

General Comment on 15:17a–b

In some languages, it may be difficult to express a complex comparison in one sentence. Another way to translate it is to divide this verse into two sentences. You may need to change the order of the two lines or the order of the parts. For example:

^17bSometimes there is plenty of tasty meat to eat, but the people who are eating with you hate you.

^17aIt is better to eat with people who love you, even though there are only vegetables to eat.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

אֲרֻחַ֣ת יָ֭רָק וְ⁠אַהֲבָה & מִ⁠שּׁ֥וֹר אָ֝ב֗וּס וְ⁠שִׂנְאָה

dinner_of vegetables and,love & more,than_an_ox fattened and,hatred

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from the context if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “is having a portion of vegetables and having love … than having a fattened ox and having hatred”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

אֲרֻחַ֣ת יָ֭רָק

dinner_of vegetables

Here, a portion of vegetables refers to a small meal without much food. This kind of meal would be eaten by someone who cannot afford to buy meat. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is very little food” or “is a poor person’s meal”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

וְ⁠אַהֲבָה & וְ⁠שִׂנְאָה

and,love & and,hatred

See how you translated the abstract nouns love and hatred in [10:12](../10/12.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

מִ⁠שּׁ֥וֹר אָ֝ב֗וּס

more,than_an_ox fattened

Here, a fattened ox refers to a large meal including meat such as a fattened ox. This kind of meal would be eaten by a wealthy person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “than very much food” or “than a wealthy person’s meal”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠שִׂנְאָה־בֽ⁠וֹ

and,hatred in=him/it