PROV 19:16 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=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) The ones who obey Yahweh’s instructions will preserve their lives.
⇔ ^ Anyone who despises his ways, will die.

19:16 OSHB variant note: יומת: (x-qere) ’יָמֽוּת’: lemma_4191 n_0 morph_HVqi3ms id_20SmQ יָמֽוּת

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 Ὃς φυλάσσει ἐντολὴν, τηρεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν· ὁ δὲ καταφρονῶν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ὁδῶν, ἀπολεῖται.
(Hos fulassei entolaʸn, taʸrei taʸn heautou psuⱪaʸn; ho de katafronōn tōn heautou hodōn, apoleitai. )

BrTr He that keeps the commandment keeps his own soul; but he that despises his ways shall perish.

ULT One who keeps a commandment keeps his life;
⇔ one who despises his ways will die.

UST People who obey God’s commandments stay alive,
⇔ but people who do not care about God’s ways will die.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
⇔ but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET The one who obeys commandments guards his life;
⇔ the one who despises his ways will die.

LSV Whoever is keeping the command is keeping his soul,
Whoever is despising His ways dies.

FBV Keep the commandments, and you'll live; despise them and you'll die.

T4T ⇔ Those who obey God’s commandments will remain alive for a long time;
⇔ those who despise/disobey them (OR, those who do not control their own conduct) will die while they are still young.

LEB • He who guards commandments guards his life;[fn] he who is careless of his ways will be killed.

19:? Or “soul,” or “inner self”

BBE He who keeps the law keeps his soul; but death will be the fate of him who takes no note of the word.

Moff He who obeys the law of God safeguards his life
⇔ a man careless of God will die.

JPS He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul; but he that despiseth His ways shall die.

ASV He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul;
⇔ But he that is careless of his ways shall die.

DRA He that keepeth the commandment, keepeth his own soul: but he that neglecteth his own way, shall die.

YLT Whoso is keeping the command is keeping his soul, Whoso is despising His ways dieth.

Drby He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul; he that is careless of his ways shall die.

RV He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul: but he that is careless of his ways shall die.
(He that keepeth/keeps the commandment keepeth/keeps his soul: but he that is careless of his ways shall die. )

SLT He watching the command watches his soul: he despising his ways shall die.

Wbstr He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.

KJB-1769 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.
(He that keepeth/keeps the commandment keepeth/keeps his own soul; but he that despiseth/despises his ways shall die. )

KJB-1611 He that keepeth the commandement, keepeth his owne soule: but hee that despiseth his wayes, shall die.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Who so kepeth the commaundement, kepeth his owne soule: but he that regardeth not his wayes, shall dye.
(Whoso/Whoever keepeth/keeps the commandment, keepeth/keeps his own soul: but he that regardeth not his ways, shall die.)

Gnva He that keepeth the commandement, keepeth his owne soule: but hee that despiseth his wayes, shall dye.
(He that keepeth/keeps the commandment, keepeth/keeps his own soul: but he that despiseth/despises his ways, shall die. )

Cvdl Who so kepeth the comaundemet, kepeth his owne soule: but he yt regardeth not his waye, shal dye.
(Whoso/Whoever keepeth/keeps the commandment, keepeth/keeps his own soul: but he it regardeth not his way, shall die.)

Wycl He that kepith the comaundement of God, kepith his soule; but he that chargith not his weie, schal be slayn.
(He that keepeth/keeps the commandment of God, keepeth/keeps his soul; but he that chargith not his way, shall be slain/killed.)

Luth Wer das Gebot bewahret, der bewahret sein Leben; wer aber seinen Weg verachtet, wird sterben.
(Who the commandment/command preserved/kept/retained, the/of_the preserved/kept/retained be life; who but his way/path/road despised, becomes die.)

ClVg Qui custodit mandatum custodit animam suam; qui autem negligit viam suam mortificabitur.
(Who keeps/guards command(n) keeps/guards the_soul his_own; who/which however neglects way/road his_own mortificabitur. )

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

19:16

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^16a He who keeps a commandment preserves his soul,

^16bbut he who is careless in his ways will die.

This proverb contrasts a person who obeys with one who shows contempt. It also contrasts the results. The result of obedience is preservation of life. The result of contempt is death.Ross (page 1034), Waltke (page 110).

19:16a

He who keeps a commandment preserves his soul,

The person who follows/obeys wise instructions/advice will protect his life,
If you^(sing) heed/obey the commands that you have been taught, you will stay alive.

He who keeps a commandment preserves his soul: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as commandment is literally “a command.” It can refer to a particular command or to a group of commands or instructions as a whole. There are two ways to interpret this word:

It refers ambiguously to any command or group of instructions. For example:
The one who obeys commandments guards his life (NET) (BSB, ESV, KJV, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NLT, NRSV, REB, NAB, NJB)
It refers specifically to the commands of God as found in the law. For example:
Keep God’s laws and you will live longer (GNT) (CEV, GW, REB, GNT)GW has “whoever obeys the law.” The reference to God’s law is implied by its translation “the Lord’s ways” in 19:16b. The REB has “keeping the commandments.” It has also been listed under interpretation (2) because of the parallel line “the way of the Lord.”

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).NIDOTTE (H5184), TWOT (#1887b), and HALOT (#5540) all classify the word in this verse as referring to wise instruction given by a father or human teacher. BDB (#4687) does not include this verse in the category of commands/law of God or of a “code of law.” It identifies it instead as a “code of wisdom.” Whybray, McKane, Murphy, Hubbard, Fox, and Waltke all agree with the lexicons based on the way that this word is used in Proverbs. Ross, Toy, Longman, and UBS say that the word can refer to either God’s commands or to the instruction of a father or wise person. Cohen and Delitzsch understand it to refer to God’s law/commandments. In Proverbs, the word “command(s)” occurs ten times. It refers explicitly seven times to the command(s) of the father to his son. It occurs ambiguously three times, including this verse. It never explicitly refers to God or the LORD.Phrases such as “the commandments/precepts/word of the LORD” occur frequently in the Psalms and other books of the OT. They never occur in Proverbs.

In some languages, it may be necessary to identify the source of the commands or instructions in a general way. For example:

A person who follows the instructions that he has been given

If you obey the commands that you have learned

People who keep the commands that they are taught

preserves his soul: The phrase the BSB translates as preserves his soul is literally “keeps his soul.” It means “preserves/protects his life or himself.”Cohen (page 127), UBS (page 405). A person who follows the wise instructions that he has been taught will be more likely to live a full life. He will protect himself from activities and situations that are likely to lead to an early death.Longman (page 369).

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

will live (NRSV)

keeps his life (ESV)

keeps a person safe (REB)

protect themselves (NCV)

The same phrase occurs in the second line of 16:17, which the BSB translates as “protects his life.” You may need to translate it differently here, because the type of parallelism and the immediate context are different.

19:16b

but he who is careless in his ways will die.

but the person who does not care whether he does right or wrong will die.
However, if you^(sing) ignore the consequences of your own actions, death will be the result.

but: The conjunction but is supplied by the BSB. In Hebrew, there is no conjunction. You should indicate the contrast between the two lines in a way that is natural in your language.

he who is careless in his ways: There is a textual issue here with the phrase his ways:

The Masoretic Text has “his ways.” For example:
the one who despises his ways (NET) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, KJV, NASB, NET, NIV, NJB, NJPS, NLT, NRSV, REB, GNT)
Some scholars think that the original phrase was “the word.”Fox (page 655), Toy (page 375). Both scholars advocate the change for the sake of more exact parallelism. Fox also asserts that someone “would not die if he had contempt for his own ways.” For example:
he who despises the word (RSV) (NAB, RSV)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most scholars. The proposed phrase “the word” makes a more exact parallel with “a command” in 19:16a. But the LXX and other ancient versions do not provide evidence that this phrase was in the original text.

There are three ways to interpret the phrase his ways:

The phrase refers to the person’s own ways. He does not care whether he does right or wrong. He considers his own actions and their consequences to be of little importance. For example:
those who are heedless of their ways (NRSV) (BSB, KJV, NIV11, NJPS, NRSV)
The phrase refers to the ways of the LORD. The person described here ignores or disobeys the conduct that the LORD has commanded. By doing this, he considers the LORD’s ways to be of little importance. For example:
whoever despises the Lord’s ways (GW) (CEV, GW, REB, GNT)
The phrase refers to the commandments. The person described here ignores or disobeys the commandments. By doing this, he considers them to be of little importance. For example:
despising them leads to death (NLT) (NJB, NLT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).Interpretation (1) is supported by Hubbard, Longman, Whybray, and Waltke. Both Whybray (page 281) and Waltke (page 110) mention the lack of an antecedent as a reason against “his ways” referring to the LORD or to a wisdom teacher. In support of interpretation (1), Waltke (page 90) makes the point that despising one’s ways and loving death (8:36b) are similar concepts. He also mentions the striking contrast between “he who guards his way guards his life” (16:17b) and “he who despises his way will die” (19:16b). Garrett (page 172) supports interpretation (2) but gives no reasons. McKane and Fox mention it as a possibility. Cohen and Ross give both options. This interpretation better fits the word usage in Proverbs and the normal rules of pronoun reference.

In Proverbs, phrases such as “his way(s)” and “the way of…” refer to the way(s) of a person at least sixteen times. They refer once to the LORD (10:20). They do not refer elsewhere to “a command” or “the commandments.”

The pronoun his naturally refers back to “he who is careless.” In the Hebrew text, 19:16a has only “a command.” There is no noun such as “the LORD” for his to refer back to.

Some versions, such as the BSB, translate this phrase literally as his ways. But they do not specify a phrase such as “commands of the LORD” in 19:16a. Although such versions are technically ambiguous, they probably refer to the person’s own ways. Otherwise, they would break the normal rules of pronoun reference in English. These versions include the ESV, NASB, NCV, NET, and NIV.

will die: It is implied that the person will die prematurely. His death will probably be the result of his foolish and careless life. The way that he will die is not specified.There are two readings of the Hebrew verb here: the Qere has yamut “will die,” the Kethib has yumat “will be put to death.” The Targum supports “will die.” The Syriac and Vulgate support “will be put to death.” Almost all scholars and versions follow the Qere “will die.” According to Waltke (page 90), the form “will be put to death” never occurs in Wisdom literature, whereas the form “will die” frequently occurs in Proverbs.

Some other ways to translate 19:16b are:

but he who is careless of conduct will die (NASB)

A person who doesn’t care about his own character or actions will die.

Parallel PROV 19:16

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

19:16

19:16a

19:16b