PROV 18:9 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.)

OET (OET-RV) The person who is slack in their work,
⇔ → is a cousin to the one who destroys.

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 Ὁ μὴ ἰώμενος αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ, ἀδελφός ἐστι τοῦ λυμαινομένου ἑαυτόν.
(Ho maʸ iōmenos auton en tois ergois autou, adelfos esti tou lumainomenou heauton. )

BrTr A man who helps not himself by his labour is brother of him that ruins himself.

ULT Also, one who slacks in his work,
⇔ he is a brother to an owner of destruction.

UST People who are lazy when they work
⇔ are like people who destroy things.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE One who is slack in his work
⇔ is brother to him who is a master of destruction.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET The one who is slack in his work
⇔ is a brother to one who destroys.

LSV He also that is remiss in his work,
He [is] a brother to a destroyer.

FBV Laziness and destruction are brothers.

T4T ⇔ People who are lazy while they work
⇔ are just as bad as [IDM] those who destroy things.

LEB • Even he who is slack in his work, he is brother to a master[fn] of destruction.

18:? Or “owner”

BBE He who does not give his mind to his work is brother to him who makes destruction.

Moff A man slack at his wor
⇔ is as bad as a waster.
¶ 

JPS Even one that is slack in his work is brother to him that is a destroyer.

ASV He also that is slack in his work
⇔ Is brother to him that is a destroyer.

DRA He that is loose and slack in his work, is the brother of him that wasteth his own works.

YLT He also that is remiss in his work, A brother he [is] to a destroyer.

Drby He also who is indolent in his work is brother of the destroyer.

RV He also that is slack in his work is brother to him that is a destroyer.

SLT Also he being slothful in his work, he the brother of the master of destruction.

Wbstr He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

KJB-1769 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

KJB-1611 Hee also that is slouthful in his worke, is brother to him that is a great waster.
(He also that is slouthful in his work, is brother to him that is a great waster.)

Bshps Who so is slouthfull in his labour, is the brother of hym that is a waster.
(Whoso/Whoever is slothful in his labour, is the brother of him that is a waster.)

Gnva He also that is slouthfull in his worke, is euen the brother of him that is a great waster.
(He also that is slothful in his work, is even the brother of him that is a great waster. )

Cvdl Who so is slouthfull and slacke in his labor, is ye brother of him ye is a waister.
(Whoso/Whoever is slothful and slack in his labour, is ye/you_all brother of him ye/you_all is a waster.)

Wycl He that is neisch, and vnstidfast in his werk, is the brother of a man distriynge hise werkis.
(He that is neisch, and unsteadfast in his work, is the brother of a man destroying his works.)

Luth Wer laß ist in seiner Arbeit, der ist ein Bruder des, der das Seine umbringet.
(Who let is in his work/job, the/of_the is a brother of, the/of_the the His umbringet.)

ClVg Qui mollis et dissolutus est in opere suo frater est sua opera dissipantis.[fn]
(Who soft and dissolutus it_is in/into/on by_work his_own brother it_is his_own works dissipantis. )

18.9 Qui mollis et dissolutus. Qui enim cœpta bona districte non exsequitur, dissolutione negligentiæ manum destruentis imitatur.

18.9 Who soft and dissolutus. Who because cœpta good(s) districte not/no exsequitur, dissolutione negligentiæ hand they_will_destroyis imitates.

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

18:9

In this proverb, the first line is the topic of a metaphor. The second line is the image.

^9aWhoever is slothful in his work

^9bis brother to him who destroys.

18:9a–b

(combined/reordered)

A lazy person and a destructive person are like two brothers/siblings.

Whoever is slothful in his work is brother to him who destroys: This metaphor compares a lazy person to a person who destroys things. It does this by calling them “brothers” in a figurative sense. Two brothers are related to each other. Similarly, a lazy person and a destructive person resemble each other in certain ways. Some ways that they are similar are:These points of similarity are mentioned by Ross (page 1025), Toy (page 359), and Cohen (page 120).

Both are harmful to society.
Both ruin their own livelihood by their behavior.

In some languages, a literal translation of this metaphor may be difficult to understand. It may or may not be possible to use a kinship term such as brother. Some other ways to translate the metaphor are:

Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
A person who doesn’t work hard is just like someone who destroys things. (NCV)
Change the metaphor to a simile and make one or more of the similarities explicit. For example:
A lazy person is as bad as someone who is destructive. (GNT)

18:9a

Whoever is slothful in his work

A person who does not work hard

Whoever is slothful in his work: This phrase refers to a person who is lazy or careless or neglectful of his work.McKane (page 516), Fox (page 641), Waltke (page 75). The word work is a general term that can refer to manual labor or to running a business.Hubbard (page 156) suggests that “work” refers to a “business or commercial activity.” Waltke (page 75) mentions farm work as a likely possibility. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

The lazy worker (REB)

Whoever is idle at work (NJB)

18:9b

is brother to him who destroys.

is as bad as a person who destroys things.

him who destroys: This phrase refers to someone who is habitually destructive. Several English versions translate it with the word “vandal.” This word refers primarily to someone who destroys property. It is recommended that you use a general term that can refer to destruction of various kinds. For example:

someone who destroys things (NCV)

General Comment on 18:9a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder some of the phrases in this comparison. For example:

A person who fails to do his work and a person who destroys things are like siblings.

See also 18:9a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

מִתְרַפֶּ֣ה בִ⁠מְלַאכְתּ֑⁠וֹ אָ֥ח ה֝֗וּא לְ⁠בַ֣עַל מַשְׁחִֽית

slack in,his_of,work brother he/it to,a_master_of destroys

Here, one who slacks, his, a brother, and an owner of destruction represent types of people in general, not specific people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “any person who slacks in that person’s work, that person is a brother to any owner of destruction”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אָ֥ח

brother

Here Solomon speaks of the one who slacks being similar to an owner of destruction as if he were that person’s brother. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is closely related” or “is very similar”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

לְ⁠בַ֣עַל מַשְׁחִֽית

to,a_master_of destroys