PROV 19:7 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) All the relatives of a poor person hates them,
⇔ → so how much more do their friends avoid them.
⇔ The poor person sends messages after them, but they’re no longer around.

19:7 OSHB variant note: לא: (x-qere) ’ל/וֹ’: lemma_l morph_HR/Sp3ms id_20xJG ל/וֹ

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 Πᾶς ὃς ἀδελφὸν πτωχὸν μισεῖ, καὶ φιλίας μακρὰν ἔσται· ἔννοια ἀγαθὴ τοῖς εἰδόσιν αὐτὴν ἐγγιεῖ, ἀνὴρ δὲ φρόνιμος εὑρήσει αὐτήν· ὁ πολλὰ κακοποιῶν τελεσιουργεῖ κακίαν, ὃς δὲ ἐρεθίζει λόγους, οὐ σωθήσεται.
(Pas hos adelfon ptōⱪon misei, kai filias makran estai; ennoia agathaʸ tois eidosin autaʸn engiei, anaʸr de fronimos heuraʸsei autaʸn; ho polla kakopoiōn telesiourgei kakian, hos de erethizei logous, ou sōthaʸsetai. )

BrTr Every one who hates his poor brother shall also be far from friendship. Good understanding will draw near to them that know it, and a sensible man will find it. He that does much harm perfects mischief; and he that uses provoking words shall not escape.

ULT All the brothers of one who is poor hate him;
⇔ how much more do his friends go far away from him!
⇔ He pursues with words; they are not.

UST All the relatives of poor people despise them,
⇔ and even their friends avoid them!
⇔ Although they call out to them for help, they do not respond.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE All the relatives of the poor shun him;
⇔ how much more do his friends avoid him!
⇔ He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET All the relatives of a poor person hate him;
⇔ how much more do his friends avoid him –
⇔ he pursues them with words, but they do not respond.

LSV All the brothers of the poor have hated him,
Surely his friends have also been far from him,
He is pursuing words—they are not!

FBV If a poor man's relatives can't stand him, how much more will his friends avoid him! He tries to talk with them but they don't listen.[fn]

19:7 The Hebrew of the last line is uncertain.

T4T ⇔ Even the relatives of someone who becomes poor hate him,
⇔ and his friends certainly stay away from him, too;
⇔ even if he tries to talk with them, they will not be his friends again.

LEB • All the brothers of the poor, if they hate him, how much more will his friends keep away from him.
• He pursues them with words, and they are gone.[fn]

19:? Or “when he pursues words and not them”

BBE All the brothers of the poor man are against him: how much more do his friends go far from him! ...

Moff If all a poor man’s kindred hate him,
⇔ how much more will his friends hold aloof?
¶ 

JPS All the brethren of the poor do hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He that pursueth words, they turn against him.

ASV All the brethren of the poor do hate him:
⇔ How much more do his friends go far from him!
⇔ He pursueth them with words, but they are gone.

DRA The brethren of the poor man hate him: moreover also his friends have departed far from him. He that followeth after words only, shall have nothing.

YLT All the brethren of the poor have hated him, Surely also his friends have been far from him, He is pursuing words — they are not!

Drby All the brethren of a poor [man] hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him: he pursueth [them] with words, — they are not [to be found].

RV All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him! he pursueth them with words, but they are gone.
(All the brethren/brothers of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him! he pursueth them with words, but they are gone. )

SLT All the brethren of the poor hated him: how much more his friends removed far from him? pursuing words they are not.

Wbstr All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him .

KJB-1769 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.
(All the brethren/brothers of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him. )

KJB-1611 All the brethren of the poore doe hate him: howe much more doe his friends goe farre from him? Hee pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)

Bshps All the brethren of the poore do hate hym, yea his owne frendes withdrawe them selues from hym: and he that geueth credence to wordes, getteth nothing.
(All the brethren/brothers of the poor do hate him, yea his own friends withdraw themselves from him: and he that giveth/gives credence to words, getteth nothing.)

Gnva All the brethren of the poore doe hate him: howe much more will his friends depart farre from him? though hee be instant with wordes, yet they will not.
(All the brethren/brothers of the poor do hate him: how much more will his friends depart far from him? though he be instant with words, yet they will not. )

Cvdl As for the poore, he is hated amonge all his brethren: yee his owne frendes forsake him, & he that geueth credece vnto wordes, getteth nothinge.
(As for the poor, he is hated among all his brethren/brothers: ye/you_all his own friends forsake him, and he that giveth/gives credece unto words, getteth nothing.)

Wycl The britheren of a pore man haten hym; ferthermore and the freendis yeden awei fer fro hym. He that sueth wordis oonli, schal haue no thing;
(The brethren/brothers of a poor man hate him; furthermore and the friendis went away far from him. He that sueth words oonli, shall have no thing;)

Luth Den Armen hassen alle seine Brüder, ja auch seine Freunde fernen sich von ihm; und wer sich auf Worte verläßt, dem wird nichts.
(The poor_(one) hate(v) all his brothers, ya also his friends distant itself/yourself/themselves from him; and who itself/yourself/themselves on/in/to words leaves, to_him becomes nothing.)

ClVg Fratres hominis pauperis oderunt eum; insuper et amici procul recesserunt ab eo.] [Qui tantum verba sectatur nihil habebit;
(Brothers of_man poor they_hate him; moreover and friends far_away they_withdrew away by_him.] [Who only words is_followed nothing will_have; )

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

19:7

The first two lines are similar in meaning. The third line describes a situation that results from the first two lines.

^7a All the brothers of a poor man hate him —

^7bhow much more do his friends avoid him!

^7cHe may pursue them with pleading, but they are nowhere to be found.

The first two lines are an example of lesser to greater reasoning. See 11:31 for a list of other verses in Proverbs that have this kind of reasoning.

19:7a–b

All the brothers of a poor man hate him—how much more do his friends avoid him!: The situation in these two lines goes from bad to worse. It is assumed that a person’s own brothers would have an obligation as family members to help him.Toy (page 370). If even his own relatives despise and reject him, it will be worse with his friends. Mere friends will be even more likely to avoid him.

Some other ways to express the relationship between these two lines are:

If the poor are hated even by their kin, how much more are they shunned by their friends! (NRSV)

Even the relatives of a poor person have no use for him; no wonder he has no friends. (GNT)

19:7a

All the brothers of a poor man hate him—

As for a poor person, his brothers despise/hate him,
If a person is poor, his relatives all reject him.

All the brothers of a poor man: The word that the BSB translates here as brothers may refer specifically to the siblings of the poor person. It may also refer more generally to other blood relatives.

hate him: The word that the BSB translates as hate includes the meanings “shunned,” “despised,” and “rejected.”Fox (page 651) and Toy (page 370) think that this word refers here to literal hatred. Whybray (page 277) thinks that the meaning “dislike” or “avoid” is more likely. UBS (page 400) agrees, in light of the parallel term “avoid” or “shun” in 19:7b. You should choose a term that is culturally appropriate for the situation described in this verse.

Some other ways to translate 19:7a are:

All the poor man’s brothers hate him (NAB)

All the brothers of a poor man despise him (NJPS)

If you are poor, your own relatives reject you (CEV)

19:7b

how much more do his friends avoid him!

and his friends especially stay far away from him.
It is even more likely that his friends will avoid him.

how much more do his friends avoid him!: The word friends is singular in Hebrew. But it probably refers to the poor person’s friends or companions as a group.Whybray (page 277), UBS (page 400).

avoid him: The word that the BSB translates here as avoid is literally “become distant” or “distance themselves.”Waltke (page 88), Fox (page 651). Some other ways to translate this word are:

desert him (NJB)

shun him (NAB)

abandon him (NASB)

go far from him (ESV)

19:7c

He may pursue them with pleading, but they are nowhere to be found.

He may keep pleading for help, but he cannot find anyone to help him.
Though he persistently begs them to help him, it is as if they have disappeared.

He may pursue them with pleading, but they are nowhere to be found: Verse 19:7c is a single clause in Hebrew. Most scholars agree that the meaning is unclear. However, Waltke (page 103), UBS (page 400), Longman (page 366), and Hubbard (page 295) all suggest a meaning that is similar to the NIV, NRSV, or NET. Verse 19:7c is a single clause in Hebrew. It is literally “one who pursues words, not they.”McKane (page 527), Murphy (page 143). It indicates that when the poor man persists in asking his friends and relatives for help, they do not respond. It is as if they are not even there.

He may pursue them with pleading: This phrase has a figurative meaning. It means that the poor person pleads persistently for help. It does not mean that he literally chases his friends or relatives.

Some other ways to translate 19:7c are:

he pursues them with words, but they do not respond (NET)

When he pleads for their help, they act as if they are not there.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

אֲחֵי

brothers_of

Although the term brothers is masculine, Solomon is using the word in a generic sense that includes both men and women. See how you translated the same use of brothers in [6:19](../06/19.md).

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

רָ֨שׁ ׀ שְֽׂנֵאֻ֗⁠הוּ & מְ֭רֵעֵ⁠הוּ & מִמֶּ֑⁠נּוּ מְרַדֵּ֖ף

poor they,hate_him & friend[s]_of,his_close & from=him/it pursues

Here, one who is poor, him, his, and He refer to a type of person in general, not one particular poor person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. See how you translated one who is poor in [14:20](../14/20.md). Alternate translation: “any person who is poor hate that person … that person’s friends … from that person! That person pursues”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

שְֽׂנֵאֻ֗⁠הוּ

they,hate_him

This could mean: (1) these people despise the one who is poor, as in the UST. (2) these people avoid or shun one who is poor, which would have a meaning similar to go far away from in the next clause. Alternate translation: “shun him”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

מְרַדֵּ֖ף אֲמָרִ֣ים לא־הֵֽמָּה

pursues words/messages לא they(emph)

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from the context if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “He pursues them with words, but they are not there”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מְרַדֵּ֖ף אֲמָרִ֣ים

pursues words/messages

Here Solomon refers to someone pleading for help from his brothers and friends as if he were using words to chase them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “He pleads with them for help”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

אֲמָרִ֣ים

words/messages