PROV 18:2 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) Fools don’t enjoy learning,
⇔ ^ but always like to make their opinions known.

Key: khaki:verbs, red:negative.
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 Οὐ χρείαν ἔχει σοφίας ἐνδεὴς φρενῶν, μᾶλλον γᾶρ ἄγεται ἀφροσύνῃ.
(Ou ⱪreian eⱪei sofias endeaʸs frenōn, mallon gar agetai afrosunaʸ. )

ULT A stupid one does not delight in understanding
⇔ but rather in his heart revealing itself.

UST Foolish people hate learning.
⇔ Instead, they only want to tell others what they think.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE A fool has no delight in understanding,
⇔ but only in revealing his own opinion.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET A fool takes no pleasure in understanding
⇔ but only in disclosing what is on his mind.

LSV A fool does not delight in understanding,
But in uncovering his heart.

FBV Stupid people have no interest in trying to understand, they only want to express their opinions.

T4T ⇔ Foolish people do not want to understand anything;
⇔ they only want to ◄express their own opinions/say what they think► [IDM].

LEB • A fool will not take pleasure in understanding, but in expressing his heart.[fn]

18:? Or “mind”

BBE A foolish man has no pleasure in good sense, but only to let what is in his heart come to light.

Moff A fool has no delight in learning,
⇔ but only in displaying what he is.

JPS A fool hath no delight in understanding, but only that his heart may lay itself bare.

ASV A fool hath no delight in understanding,
⇔ But only that his heart may reveal itself.

DRA A fool receiveth not the words of prudence: unless thou say those things which are in his heart.

YLT A fool delighteth not in understanding, But — in uncovering his heart.

Drby A fool hath no delight in understanding, but only that his heart may reveal itself.

RV A fool hath no delight in understanding, but only that his heart may reveal itself.
(A fool hath/has no delight in understanding, but only that his heart may reveal itself. )

SLT The foolish one will not delight in understanding, but in, the disclosings of his heart.

Wbstr A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may reveal itself.

KJB-1769 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.
(A fool hath/has no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself. )

KJB-1611 A foole hath no delight in vnderstanding, but that his heart may discouer it selfe.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps A foole hath no delight in vnderstanding: but onlye to vtter the fansies of his owne heart.
(A fool hath/has no delight in understanding: but only to utter the fansies of his own heart.)

Gnva A foole hath no delite in vnderstanding: but that his heart may be discouered.
(A fool hath/has no delight in understanding: but that his heart may be discovered. )

Cvdl A foole hath no delyte in vnderstodinge, but only in those thinges wherin his herte reioyseth.
(A fool hath/has no delight in understanding, but only in those things wherein his heart rejoiceth/rejoices.)

Wycl A fool resseyueth not the wordis of prudence; `no but thou seie tho thingis, that ben turned in his herte.
(A fool receives not the words of prudence; no but thou/you say those things, that been turned in his heart.)

Luth Ein Narr hat nicht Lust am Verstand, sondern was in seinem Herzen steckt.
(A fool(n) has not desire/lust(n) in/at/on_the mind, rather what/which in his heart(s) is.)

ClVg Non recipit stultus verba prudentiæ, nisi ea dixeris quæ versantur in corde ejus.
(Not/No receives stupid/foolish words of_prudence, except them you_say which versantur in/into/on heart 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

18:2

This verse contrasts what a fool does not enjoy doing with what he does enjoy doing.

^2aA fool does not delight in understanding,

^2bbut only in airing his opinions.

Some English versions supply the verb “delights” in 18:2b, as in the NIV. Some versions leave the verb implied, as in Hebrew and the BSB. For example:

^2bbut only in expressing personal opinion (NRSV)

18:2a

A fool does not delight in understanding,

A foolish person has no desire to gain understanding/competence from others.
Fools do not want someone else to tell them how they ought to do something.

A fool does not delight in understanding: The phrase does not delight is probably a figure of speech that emphasizes the opposite idea.Ross identifies this figure of speech as a tapeinosis (page 1023), Waltke as a litotes (2005, page 70). Both scholars suggest the meaning “detests.” It means here that a foolish person experiences no pleasure whatsoever in gaining understanding. In fact, he refuses or hates to learn. Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

Fools do not want to understand anything. (NCV)

A fool does not care whether he understands a thing or not (GNT)

understanding: In Hebrew, this word means “good sense” or “competence” to take appropriate action. In 18:2b the fool delights “in airing his opinions.” By contrast, it is implied here in 18:2a that the fool refuses to learn from others what he ought to do.

For more information on the word “fool,” see fool 2 in the Glossary. For understanding, see understanding (good sense) in the Glossary.

18:2b

but only in airing his opinions.

All he wants to do is to reveal/express what is in his own mind.
They only want to make known their own opinions/thoughts to others.

but only in airing his opinions: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “but rather in exposing his heart.” The word heart refers here to the fool’s mind or thoughts. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

but rather in displaying what he thinks (NAB)

but only in disclosing what is on his mind (NET)

They only want to tell others what they think. (NCV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

כְּ֭סִיל & לִבּֽ⁠וֹ

fool & his/its=heart

A stupid one and his refer to a type of person in general, not a specific person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “Any stupid person … that person’s heart”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / litotes

לֹֽא־יַחְפֹּ֣ץ & בִּ⁠תְבוּנָ֑ה

not delight & in,understanding

Solomon is using a figure of speech here that expresses a strongly positive meaning by using a negative word, not, together with an expression that is the opposite of the intended meaning. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the positive meaning. Alternate translation: “detests understanding”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

בִּ⁠תְבוּנָ֑ה

in,understanding

See how you translated the abstract noun understanding in [1:2](../01/02.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

בְּ⁠הִתְגַּלּ֥וֹת לִבּֽ⁠וֹ

in,revealing_itself his/its=heart

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a clause would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from the previous clause if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “a stupid one delights in his heart revealing itself”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor