PROV 20:25 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 Παγὶς ἀνδρὶ ταχύ τι τῶν ἰδίων ἁγιάσαι, μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εὔξασθαι μετανοεῖν γίνεται.
(Pagis andri taⱪu ti tōn idiōn hagiasai, meta gar to euxasthai metanoein ginetai. )

BrTr It is a snare to a man hastily to consecrate some of his own property: for in that case repentance comes after vowing.

ULT A snare of a man: He says rashly, “It is holy,”
⇔ and after vows, considers.

UST It is dangerous for people to declare thoughtlessly that they will dedicate something to Yahweh,
⇔ and then later regret that they have promised to do that.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication,
⇔ then later to consider his vows.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET It is a snare for a person to rashly cry, “Holy!”
⇔ and only afterward to consider what he has vowed.

LSV A snare to a man [that] he has swallowed a holy thing,
And to make inquiry after vows.

FBV It's a mistake to make a promise to God and then have second thoughts about it later.

T4T ⇔ You should think carefully before you solemnly promise to dedicate something to God,
⇔ because later you might be sorry you have promised to do it.

LEB • It is a snare to humankind to say rashly “It is holy,” and after vows, to scrutinize.

BBE It is a danger to a man to say without thought, It is holy, and, after taking his oaths, to be questioning if it is necessary to keep them.

Moff ’Tis perilous to say rashly, “This is sacred!”
⇔ and then reconsider your vow.
¶ 

JPS It is a snare to a man rashly to say: 'Holy', and after vows to make inquiry.

ASV It is a snare to a man rashly to say, It is holy,
⇔ And after vows to make inquiry.

DRA It is ruin to a man to devour holy ones, and after vows to retract.

YLT A snare to a man [is] he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.

Drby It is a snare to a man rashly to say, It is hallowed, and after vows to make inquiry.

RV It is a snare to a man rashly to say, It is holy, and after vows to make inquiry.
(It is a snare to a man rashly to say, It is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. )

SLT The snare of man swallowing down the holy thing, after the vows for seeking.

Wbstr It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry.

KJB-1769 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
(It is a snare to the man who devoureth/devours that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. )

KJB-1611 It is a snare to the man who deuoureth that which is holy: and after vowes, to make inquirie.
(It is a snare to the man who devoureth/devours that which is holy: and after vows, to make enquirie.)

Bshps It is a snare for a man to deuour that whiche is holy, and after the vowe to make inquirie.
(It is a snare for a man to devour that which is holy, and after the vow to make enquirie.)

Gnva It is a destruction for a man to deuoure that which is sanctified, and after the vowes to inquire.
(It is a destruction for a man to devour that which is sanctified, and after the vows to enquire. )

Cvdl It is a snare for a man to blaspheme that which is holy, & then to go aboute wt vowes.
(It is a snare for a man to blaspheme that which is holy, and then to go about with vowes.)

Wycl Falling of man is to make auow to seyntis, and aftirward to withdrawe the vowis.
(Falling of man is to make auow to saints, and afterward to withdraw the vowis.)

Luth Es ist dem Menschen ein Strick, das Heilige lästern und danach Gelübde suchen.
(It is to_him people a rope/cord, the saints gossip(v) and after/thereafter/then vow/pledge search_for.)

ClVg Ruina est homini devorare sanctos, et post vota retractare.][fn]
(Ruina it_is to_man to_devour saints, and after wishes/vows retractare.] )

20.25 Ruina est homini devorare sanctos, et post vota retractare. Si peccatum est cuilibet nocere, etc., usque ad et eos qui, ut sua vota compleant, sanctos persequuntur, damnatio manet æterna. Ideo subdit:

20.25 Ruina it_is to_man to_devour saints, and after wishes/vows retractare. When/But_if sin it_is to_anyone to_harm, etc., until to and them who, as his_own wishes/vows compleant, saints pursue, damnatio remains eternal. Therefore/For_that_reason I_submit:

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

20:25

The underlined parallel parts in this proverb refer to the same action.

^25aIt is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly,

^25bonly later to reconsider his vows.

This proverb warns people not to make vows to dedicate something to the LORD without first thinking whether they will able to fulfill those vows. Once a person has made a vow, he is obligated to carry it out. So if he has made a sudden vow, he will be trapped. He will not be able to escape the consequences.Whybray (page 302).

20:25a

It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly,

It is dangerous when a person hastily promises to give something to Yahweh,
You^(sing) will be like an animal caught in a trap if you say without thinking, “I promise to offer/dedicate this to Yahweh.”

It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly: This is a metaphor. It compares a person who makes a rash vow to an animal that gets caught in a trap. The similarity is that both are in a difficult or dangerous situation that will result in harm or other serious consequences. For other ways to translate this metaphor, see the General Comment on 20:25a–b after the note on 20:25b.

to dedicate something rashly: In Hebrew this phrase is literally “to say rashly, ‘(It is) holy/consecrated.’ ” By saying those words, a person made a solemn promise. He promised that the “holy/consecrated” item was set apart for the LORD from then on and belonged to him.According to Waltke (page 155), this is an example of a “performative speech-act.” In saying the words, the person performs the act of dedicating the item.

rashly: In Hebrew, “say rashly” is a single word. It probably means to speak unthinkingly, hastily, or impulsively, without carefully considering the consequences.

20:25a–b

(combined/reordered)

Do not promise to give an offering to Yahweh before you^(sing) think carefully about it. You may get caught in a trap.

20:25b

only later to reconsider his vows.

and he does not think first about how he will fulfill his promise.
After you^(sing) have made the promise, it is too late to think about the cost/consequences.

only later to reconsider his vows: This part of the verse further explains the meaning of “dedicate something rashly.” It indicates that the person makes the vow without thinking. He does not first consider whether he can fulfill what he promised to do or give.There are at least two ways to interpret what the person who made the vow “considers.” The view taken in the Notes is supported by UBS, Waltke, Fox, Whybray, McKane, and Murphy. The other interpretation is that the person considers how he can avoid fulfilling the vow. This view is supported by Ross, Hubbard, and Toy. Most versions, including the BSB, are ambiguous, so this has not been presented as an interpretation issue in the body of the Notes.

General Comment on 20:25a–b

Here are some other ways to translate the metaphor along with the further explanation in 20:25b.

Keep the metaphor. For example:
It is a snare for one to say rashly, “It is holy,” and begin to reflect only after making a vow. (NRSV)
Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost. (NLT)
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
A person who suddenly promises to give something to the LORD is like an animal caught in a trap. It is dangerous to make a vow without carefully thinking about it first.
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
It’s dangerous to promise something to God too quickly. After you’ve thought about it, it may be too late. (NCV)

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder and/or combine some parts of the verse. For example:

Do not vow suddenly to offer something to the LORD. You need to first think whether you will be able to fulfill the vow. If you do not do that, you will be like an animal that gets caught in a trap.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

מוֹקֵ֣שׁ אָ֭דָם יָ֣לַע

trap_of humankind say_rashly

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a clause 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: “A snare of a man is when he says rashly”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מוֹקֵ֣שׁ

trap_of

Here Solomon refers to something a person says that can cause him trouble as if what he says were a snare that traps him. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. See how you translated the same use of snare in [18:7](../18/07.md). Alternate translation: “What is dangerous for”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

אָ֭דָם יָ֣לַע

humankind say_rashly

Although a man and he are masculine, Solomon is using the words in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use phrases that make this clear. Alternate translation: “a person: that person says rashly”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

קֹ֑דֶשׁ

holy

Here Solomon implies that this person has dedicated something to Yahweh by declaring it to be holy. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “I declare this thing to be holy”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

נְדָרִ֣ים

vows

Here, vows refers to declaring that something is holy and dedicated to Yahweh, which this person does in the previous clause. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “dedicating it to Yahweh” or “declaring it holy”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

לְ⁠בַקֵּֽר

to,consider