PROV 18:6 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.
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 Χείλη ἄφρονος ἄγουσιν αὐτὸν εἰς κακὰ, τὸ δὲ στόμα αὐτοῦ τὸ θρασὺ θάνατον ἐπικαλεῖται.
(Ⱪeilaʸ afronos agousin auton eis kaka, to de stoma autou to thrasu thanaton epikaleitai. )

BrTr The lips of a fool bring him into troubles, and his bold mouth calls for death.

ULT The lips of a stupid one enter into a dispute,
⇔ and his mouth calls for blows.

UST What foolish people say makes people argue,
⇔ and it makes people want to beat them.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE A fool’s lips come into strife,
⇔ and his mouth invites beatings.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET The lips of a fool enter into strife,
⇔ and his mouth invites a flogging.

LSV The lips of a fool enter into strife,
And his mouth calls for stripes.

FBV What stupid people say gets them into fights, as if they're asking for a beating.

T4T ⇔ When foolish people [SYN] start arguments,
⇔ it is as though they [SYN] are requesting/inviting someone to flog/whip them.

LEB • The lips of a fool will bring strife, and his mouth calls out for a flogging.

BBE A foolish man's lips are a cause of fighting, and his mouth makes him open to blows.

Moff A fool’s talk gets him into trouble,
⇔ his tongue brings him a beating.

JPS A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

ASV A fool’s lips enter into contention,
⇔ And his mouth calleth for stripes.

DRA The lips of a fool intermeddle with strife: and his mouth provoketh quarrels.

YLT The lips of a fool enter into strife, And his mouth for stripes calleth.

Drby A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for stripes.

RV A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for stripes.
(A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth/calls for stripes. )

SLT The lips of the foolish one will come into contention, and his mouth will call for blows.

Wbstr A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

KJB-1769 A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
(A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth/calls for strokes. )

KJB-1611 A fooles lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps A fooles lippes come with brawling, and his mouth prouoketh vnto stripes.
(A fools lips come with brawling, and his mouth provoketh unto stripes.)

Gnva A fooles lips come with strife, and his mouth calleth for stripes.
(A fools lips come with strife, and his mouth calleth/calls for stripes. )

Cvdl A fooles lippes are euer brawlinge, and his mouth prouoketh vnto batayll.
(A fools lips are ever brawlinge, and his mouth provoketh unto battle.)

Wycl The lippis of a fool medlen hem silf with chidyngis; and his mouth excitith stryues.
(The lips of a fool medlen himself with chidyngis; and his mouth excitith strives.)

Luth Die Lippen des Narren bringen Zank, und sein Mund ringet nach Schlägen.
(The lips the fool(n) bring/get quarrel(n), and be mouth wrestling after blows(n).)

ClVg [Labia stulti miscent se rixis, et os ejus jurgia provocat.
([lips fools miscent himself rixis, and mouth his quarrel provokes. )

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

18:6–7

In Hebrew, there is a chiasm that shows the close relationship between these two verses. The parallel phrases “A fool’s lips” and “his mouth” occur in 18:6a–b. In 18:7a–b they occur in the opposite order, “A fool’s mouth” and “his lips.”

The consequences of the fool’s words also intensify from one line to another. They result in a strife (18:6a), a beating (18:6b), ruin (18:7a), and death (18:7b).See Waltke (pages 72–73) for a more complete description of the chiasm and the increasing severity of the consequences in each line of these two verses. Waltke differs from other scholars in his understanding of mǝḥittah in 18:7a. He takes it to mean “terror” (page 73), but other commentaries as well as NIDOTTE (H4745) and TWOT (#784g) understand “ruin/destruction” in this context. Use a natural way in your language to indicate the close relationship between these two verses.

18:6

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^6a A fool’s lips bring him strife,

^6band his mouth invites a beating.

Both parallel lines describe the bad consequences of a fool’s words. The two lines also have a cause-effect relationship. A fool’s words cause strife. The effect or result of this strife is a beating.

18:6a

A fool’s lips bring him strife,

A fool’s words cause/produce conflict/quarrelling.
When a foolish/stupid person talks, arguments begin/erupt.

A fool’s lips: The phrase that the BSB translates literally as A fool’s lips is a figure of speech (metonymy). It represents the words that a fool speaks. For “fool,” see fool 2 in the Glossary.

bring him strife: The word that the BSB translates as bring him is literally “brings.”There is a textual difference here between the vowels in the MT and LXX: The LXX has yabiʾu “brings/leads.” For example, the NAB says: “The fool’s lips lead him into strife.” The MT has yaboʾu “comes/enters.” For example, the NET says: “The lips of a fool enter into strife.” See Fox (page 640). The Notes have not recommended one option over the other, because both have essentially the same meaning. The fool’s words “bring” or “cause” strife. This strife involves both the fool and one or more other people in the community.

strife: This word can refer generally to any argument or conflict. It can also refer specifically to a legal controversy or lawsuit.NIDOTTE (H8190), Cohen (page 119). Try to translate so that either meaning can be understood. If you need to choose only one meaning, the general meaning is probably better. It applies to more situations.

Some ways to translate this line are:

When the stupid man talks, contention follows (REB)

The words of fools start quarrels. (NCV)

By talking, a fool gets into an argument (GW)

18:6a–b

(combined/reordered)

Fools say things that start quarrels and often lead to a flogging/beating.
The words of fools result in their arguing with others and being beaten.

18:6b

and his mouth invites a beating.

What he says may lead to a beating/whipping.
The result of such arguments is that someone/people may beat/whip this foolish person.

his mouth: This phrase is also a metonymy. It has the same meaning as the parallel phrase “A fool’s lips” in 18:6a. The same figures of speech are used in 14:3a–b.

invites a beating: The word that the BSB translates as invites is literally “calls for” or “summons.”NIDOTTE (H7924). In this context, this word is a figure of speech (personification). It means that the fool’s words deserve a beating. They produce in other people the desire to beat him. The mouth of a fool does not literally call for a beating.

a beating: This word may refer to a whipping administered by officials in the community. It may also indicate that the fool is struck or beaten by the person with whom he was quarrelling.

Some ways to translate this line are:

his words provoke blows (REB)

They make people want to beat them. (NCV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

כְ֭סִיל & בְ⁠רִ֑יב וּ֝⁠פִ֗י⁠ו

fool's & in,strife and,his_of,mouth

Here, a stupid one, a dispute and his refer to stupid people and disputes in general, not one particular stupid one or dispute. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “any stupid one … into any dispute, and that person’s mouth”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

יָבֹ֣אֽוּ בְ⁠רִ֑יב

they_went in,strife

Here Solomon speaks of what a stupid one says with his lips causing that person to start a dispute as if his lips were a person who could enter into a dispute. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “results in him starting an argument”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

לְֽ⁠מַהֲלֻמ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽא

for,beatings he/it_called/named