PROV 20:11 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) Even young people are known by their actions
⇔ → if they’re honest and obedient.

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 Ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν αὐτοῦ συμποδισθήσεται νεανίσκος μετὰ ὁσίου, καὶ εὐθεῖα ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ.
(En tois epitaʸdeumasin autou sumpodisthaʸsetai neaniskos meta hosiou, kai eutheia haʸ hodos autou. )

BrTr A youth when in company with a godly man, will be restrained in his devices, and then his way will be straight.

ULT Even a young man will make himself known by his deeds,
⇔ if pure and if upright is his behavior.

UST Even young people show others who they are by what they do;
⇔ how they act shows whether they are innocent and right or not.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Even a child makes himself known by his doings,
⇔ whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Even a young man is known by his actions,
⇔ whether his activity is pure and whether it is right.

LSV Even by his actions a youth makes himself known,
Whether his work is pure or upright.

FBV Even children reveal what they're like by what they do, whether their actions are good and right.

T4T ⇔ Even children show by what they do whether they are good or not;
⇔ they show whether ◄what they do/their behavior► is honest and right or not.

LEB • Even by his acts, a young man[fn] will make himself known, whether his acts are pure and upright.

20:? Or “young boy,” or “adolescent”

BBE Even a child may be judged by his doings, if his work is free from sin and if it is right.

Moff Even a child is known by what he does,
⇔ as he behaves well or ill.

JPS Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

ASV Even a child maketh himself known by his doings,
⇔ Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

DRA By his inclinations a child is known, if his works be clean and right.

YLT Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.

Drby Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

RV Even a child maketh himself known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
(Even a child maketh/makes himself known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. )

SLT Also a youth shall be known by his doings, if pure and straight his work.

Wbstr Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.

KJB-1769 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

KJB-1611 Euen a childe is knowen by his doings, whether his worke be pure, and whether it be right.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps A chylde is knowen by his conuersation, whether his workes be pure and right.
(A child is known by his conversation, whether his works be pure and right.)

Gnva A childe also is knowen by his doings, whether his worke be pure and right.
(A child also is known by his doings, whether his work be pure and right. )

Cvdl A childe is knowne by his conuersacion, whether his workes be pure and right.
(A child is known by his conversacion, whether his works be pure and right.)

Wycl A child is vndurstondun bi hise studies, yf his werkis ben riytful and cleene.
(A child is understondun by his studies, if his works been rightful and cleene.)

Luth Auch kennet man einen Knaben an seinem Wesen, ob er fromm und redlich werden will.
(Also knows man a boys/lads at/to his beings, if/whether he pious/devout and honestly become will.)

ClVg Ex studiis suis intelligitur puer, si munda et recta sint opera ejus.[fn]
(From studies to_his_own understood child, when/but_if clean and straight let_them_be works his. )

20.11 Ex studiis suis intelligitur. Quemcunque enim virtutibus cum modestia continentiæ, etc., usque ad sicut e contra: Amicus stultorum similis efficitur.

20.11 From studies to_his_own understood. Whichcunque because virtues when/with modestia continentiæ, etc., until to like e contra: Amicus of_fools similar it_is_done.

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

20:11

In this verse, the second line further describes the means by which a person is known.

^11aEven a young man is known by his actions—

^11bwhether his conduct is pure and upright.

The overall meaning is that a person’s actions show what his character is like, even if he is young.

20:11a

Even a young man is known by his actions—

Even with children, it is their actions that show the kind of people they are.
We^(incl) can see/know what a person’s character is like by the things he does. This is true even of a child.

Even a young man is known by his actions: The word Even in this clause implies that the category of a young man is unexpected here.According to Fox (page 668), the Hebrew word gam “even” “always modifies the following word, clause, or sentence.” It also introduces something that is unexpected. In this verse, the following word in Hebrew is “by his conduct,” so a more literal translation is “Even by his conduct a child makes himself known.” However, if “conduct” is the unexpected means of making known a child’s character, it’s difficult to see what the more expected means would be. A few English versions (CEV, NASB, NJB, REB) do not translate gam explicitly. For example, the NASB has: “It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself.” Almost all other English versions use a phrase such as “Even a child….” Even a young person’s character is evident in his actions. So it is implied that of course this would also be true of adults.Whybray (page 293) analyzes this statement as an implied a fortiori argument: since the unlikely statement is true, the more likely implied statement (adults are known by their actions) is also true. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Even children are known by their behavior (NCV)

Even children show what they are by what they do (GNT)

a young man: The word that the BSB translates here as a young man can refer to any male from infancy up to early adulthood. (See the note on “to the young” in 1:4b.) In that verse, it probably referred to young people nearing adulthood. Here it probably refers to a younger child. Most versions translate this word as “a child” or “children.”

20:11b

whether his conduct is pure and upright.

Their conduct/behavior shows whether or not they are pure/clean and upright.
If he is innocent/blameless, what he does will make it known.

whether his conduct is pure and upright: This line clarifies that the first line is talking about actions or behavior that reveal a person’s moral character.

pure: The word pure refers here to actions that are clean, innocent, or blameless.NIDOTTE (H2341). A different form of the word pure was used in 20:9a.

upright: The word that the BSB translates here as upright refers in this context to actions that are straight or righteous. The BSB translates the same word as “upright” in 11:3a. See the note there.

Some other ways to translate 20:11b are:

if his behavior is pure and straight (NJB)

their actions show if they are innocent and good (NCV)

Parallel PROV 20:11

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

20:11

20:11a

20:11b