PROV 16:9 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.)

Key: khaki:verbs, green:YHWH.
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 Πάντα τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Κυρίου μετὰ δικαιοσύνης, φυλάσσεται δὲ ὁ ἀσεβὴς εἰς ἡμέραν κακήν.
(Panta ta erga tou Kuriou meta dikaiosunaʸs, fulassetai de ho asebaʸs eis haʸmeran kakaʸn. )

BrTr All the works of the Lord are done with righteousness; and the ungodly man is kept for the evil day.

UST People plan what they want to do,
⇔ but Yahweh determines what they will actually do.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE A man’s heart plans his course,
⇔ but the LORD directs his steps.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET A person plans his course,
⇔ but the Lord directs his steps.

LSV The heart of man devises his way,
And YHWH establishes his step.

FBV You can plan in your mind what to do, but the Lord will guide you.

T4T ⇔ People plan what they want to do,
⇔ but Yahweh directs/determines what they will really be able to do.

LEB • The mind[fn] of a person will plan his ways, and Yahweh will direct his steps.

16:? Literally “heart”

BBE A man may make designs for his way, but the Lord is the guide of his steps.

Moff A man thinks out his plans,
⇔ but the Eternal controls his course.
¶ 

JPS A man's heart deviseth his way; but the LORD directeth his steps.

ASV A man’s heart deviseth his way;
⇔ But Jehovah directeth his steps.

DRA The heart of man disposeth his way: but the Lord must direct his steps.

YLT The heart of man deviseth his way, And Jehovah establisheth his step.

Drby The heart of man deviseth his way, but Jehovah directeth his steps.

RV A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

SLT The heart of man will purpose his ways, and Jehovah will prepare his steps.

Wbstr A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

KJB-1769 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

KJB-1611 [fn]A mans heart deuiseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)

16:9 Vers. 1.

Bshps A man deuiseth a way in his heart: but it is the Lorde that ordereth his goynges.
(A man deviseth a way in his heart: but it is the Lord that ordereth his goings.)

Gnva The heart of man purposeth his way: but the Lord doeth direct his steppes.
(The heart of man purposeth his way: but the Lord doth/does direct his steps. )

Cvdl A ma deuyseth a waye in his herte, but it is ye LORDE yt ordreth his goinges.
(A man deuyseth a way in his heart, but it is ye/you_all LORD it orderth his goings.)

Wycl The herte of a man schal dispose his weie; but it perteyneth to the Lord to dresse hise steppis.
(The heart of a man shall dispose his way; but it pertaineth/pertains to the Lord to dress his steps.)

Luth Des Menschen Herz schlägt seinen Weg an, aber der HErr allein gibt, daß er fortgehe.
(Des people heart beats(v) his way/path/road an, but the/of_the LORD alone gives, that he fortgehe.)

ClVg Cor hominis disponit viam suam, sed Domini est dirigere gressus ejus.]
(Heart of_man disponit way/road his_own, but Master it_is directre steps his.] )

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

16:9

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^9a A man’s heart plans his course,

^9bbut the LORD determines his steps.

The overall contrast is between a person’s efforts to plan what he intends to do and God’s control of what actually happens. Compare 16:1, which has a similar theme but refers more specifically to speech.

16:9a

A man’s heart plans his course,

People plan the direction/path they will follow in their lives,
We^(incl) may make our plans of what we want to do,

A man’s heart: Another way to translate this phrase is:

In his mind (NAB)

In some languages, this phrase will not need to be stated explicitly, because it is implied by the word “plans.” For example:

You may make your plans (GNT)

You will need to decide whether it is natural in your language to translate this phrase explicitly.

his course: The phrase that the BSB translates as his course is literally “his way.” Here it probably refers to the direction that a person plans to take in life, not to a literal journey.

16:9b

but the LORD determines his steps.

but Yahweh is the one who determines each step that they actually take.
but Yahweh decides everything that actually happens.

but the LORD determines his steps: The phrase his steps is literally “his step.” The singular form of the word may imply that the LORD determines each step or outcome of a person’s plans. Another way to translate this clause is:

but God directs your actions (GNT)

but the LORD decides each thing that you do

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

לֵ֣ב

mind_of

See how you translated the same use of heart in [2:2](../02/02.md).

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

אָ֭דָם & דַּרְכּ֑⁠וֹ & צַעֲדֽ⁠וֹ

humankind & its=road/course & step[s]_of,his

Although man and his are masculine, Solomon is using these words in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use phrases that make this clear. Alternate translation: “a person … that person’s way … that person’s step”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

דַּרְכּ֑⁠וֹ

its=road/course

Here Solomon refers to what a person wants to do as if it were a way he walks on. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “what he wants to do”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

יָכִ֥ין צַעֲדֽ⁠וֹ

determines step[s]_of,his

Here Solomon speaks of Yahweh determining the individual events related to the working out of a person’s plans as if Yahweh were guiding that person where to step. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “determines how that plan proceeds”

Parallel PROV 16:9

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

16:9

16:9a

16:9b