PROV 21:14 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences 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 Δόσις λάθριος ἀνατρέπει ὀργάς, δώρων δὲ ὁ φειδόμενος θυμὸν ἐγείρει ἰσχυρόν.
(Dosis lathrios anatrepei orgas, dōrōn de ho feidomenos thumon egeirei isⱪuron. )

BrTr A secret gift calms anger: but he that forbears to give stirs up strong wrath.

ULT A gift in secrecy subdues nose,
⇔ and a bribe in the bosom, strong heat.

UST Secretly giving something to an angry person will stop him from being angry.
⇔ Indeed, secretly bribing a furious person will calm him down.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE A gift in secret pacifies anger,
⇔ and a bribe in the cloak, strong wrath.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET A gift given in secret subdues anger,
⇔ and a bribe given secretly subdues strong wrath.

LSV A gift in secret pacifies anger,
And a bribe in the bosom—strong fury.

FBV A gift given in secret calms down anger, and a hidden bribe soothes furious rage.

T4T ⇔ When someone is angry with you,
⇔ if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.

LEB • A gift in secret[fn] will avert anger ,[fn] and a concealed bribe ,[fn] strong wrath.

21:? Hebrew “the secret”

21:? Literally “nostril”

21:? Literally “bribe in the bosom”

BBE By a secret offering wrath is turned away, and the heat of angry feelings by money in the folds of the robe.

Moff A secret bribe appeases anger,
⇔ a present slipped into the hand will allay fury.

JPS A gift in secret pacifieth anger, and a present in the bosom strong wrath.

ASV A gift in secret pacifieth anger;
⇔ And a present in the bosom, strong wrath.

DRA A secret present quencheth anger: and a gift in the bosom the greatest wrath.

YLT A gift in secret pacifieth anger, And a bribe in the bosom strong fury.

Drby A gift in secret pacifieth anger; and a present in the bosom, vehement fury.

RV A gift in secret pacifieth anger, and a present in the bosom strong wrath.

SLT Giving in secret will subdue anger: and a gift in the bosom, strong wrath.

Wbstr A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom, strong wrath.

KJB-1769 A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.

KJB-1611 A gift in secret pacifieth anger; and a reward in the bosome, strong wrath.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps A priuie rewarde pacifieth displeasure: and a gyft in the bosome stylleth furiousnesse.
(A privy/private reward pacifieth displeasure: and a gift in the bosom stylleth furiousness.)

Gnva A gift in secret pacifieth anger, and a gift in the bosome great wrath.
(A gift in secret pacifieth anger, and a gift in the bosom great wrath. )

Cvdl A preuy rewarde pacifieth displeasure, and a gifte in the bosome stilleth furiousnesse.
(A privy/private reward pacifieth displeasure, and a gift in the bosom stilleth furiousness.)

Wycl A yift hid quenchith chidyngis; and a yift in bosum quenchith the moost indignacioun.
(A yift hid quenchith chidyngis; and a yift in bosom quenchith the most indignation.)

Luth Eine heimliche Gabe stillet den Zorn und ein Geschenk im Schoß den heftigen Grimm.
(A/One secret gift/present quietens the anger and a gift in_the lap(n) the violent wrath/fury.)

ClVg Munus absconditum extinguit iras, et donum in sinu indignationem maximam.
(Munus hidden extinguit anger, and a_gift/present/donation in/into/on pocket indignation maximam. )

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

21:14

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^14a A gift in secret soothes anger,

^14band a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.

As in 17:8 and 18:16, this proverb does not express approval or disapproval of the practice of giving secret gifts or bribes. It merely comments that they are effective in calming a person’s anger.

21:14a–b

(combined/reordered)

A gift or bribe that you^(sing) give secretly/privately to someone who is angry at you will remove that person’s anger, even if it is very strong.

A gift in secret…a covert bribe: The phrase that the BSB translates as a covert bribe is literally “in the bosom.” It is similar to the phrase “from the bosom” in 17:23a. The BSB translated that phrase as “a covert bribe” also.

Here both phrases refer to giving a gift or bribe secretly or privately, without other people knowing about it. As is common with parallel pairs, the first term has a general meaning. The second term is more specific and vivid. It describes the bribe as being covert. It is hidden or out of sight in a pocket or a fold in the front of someone’s robe.

Some other ways to translate these parallel phrases are:

a secret gift…a bribe under the table (NLT)

a gift in secret…a concealed bribe (ESV)

The NLT has used a figure of speech, “under the table,” that is natural in English. If your language has a figurative way to describe a bribe that is given secretly, consider using it here.

A gift…a…bribe: The first of these two parallel terms has a neutral meaning. It can refer to any kind of gift.

bribe: The word that the BSB translates here as bribe usually has a bad meaning. However, in some contexts, it has a good meaning.Of the twenty-one verses where the word šoḥad occurs, it is used in the sense of a “gift” in 1 Kings 15:19, 2 Kings 16:8, and Isaiah 45:13. There are two ways to interpret the word here:Garrett (page 181) and Fox (page 685) present reasons for both interpretations. Scholars who favor a negative meaning include Waltke (page 179), Murphy (page 156), Toy (page 403), and Kidner (page 143). The primary reason for this interpretation is that the gift or bribe is given secretly. Scholars who favor a positive meaning include Longman (page 388) and Hubbard (pages 344–345). Hubbard argues that this proverb probably refers to a misunderstanding between two people, not to a legal case. In this kind of situation, a gift is given privately to avoid embarrassing the other person.

The word has a bad meaning, because it is given secretly. It should be translated as “bribe.” For example:
a secret bribe (GW) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, NASB, NET, NIV, NLT, NRSV)
The word has a good meaning, because its purpose is to soothe a person’s anger. It should be translated as “gift” or “present.” For example:
a present in private (NJPS) (KJV, NAB, NCV, NJB, NJPS, REB, GNT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Both parallel lines refer to something that a person gives in order to influence another person’s behavior. If you translate “gift” in the first line and “bribe” in the second line, the proverb will apply to more contexts.

If you combine the parallel lines, it is recommended that you use both terms. See the General Comment on 21:14a–b below.

soothes anger…pacifies great wrath: Both parallel phrases refer to calming or turning aside the anger of the person who receives the gift/bribe. As is common in parallelism, the second phrase is more emphatic than the first. But both lines refer to the same situation. Some other ways to translate these parallel phrases are:

subdues anger…fierce rage (NJPS)

calms anger…calms great fury (GW)

In Hebrew, there is an ellipsis in the second phrase. The BSB has supplied the verb pacifies, a synonym of soothes in the first phrase, to make the meaning clearer in English.

General Comment on 21:14a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine the two parallel lines. For example:

If someone is very angry with you, secretly giving him a gift or bribe will calm his anger.

21:14a

A gift in secret soothes anger,

A gift that a person gives secretly calms an angry person.
If someone is angry at you^(sing), his anger will be soothed if you give him a gift without anyone else knowing.

21:14b

and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.

Yes/Indeed, a hidden bribe can remove/cool even strong anger.
Even a furious person will stop being angry if you^(sing) bribe him secretly.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

מַתָּ֣ן בַּ֭⁠סֵּתֶר יִכְפֶּה־אָ֑ף וְ⁠שֹׁ֥חַד בַּ֝⁠חֵ֗ק חֵמָ֥ה עַזָּֽה

gift in,secrecy soothes anger and,a_bribe in,bosom severe_anger Azzah

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the phrases with a word other than and in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “A gift in secrecy subdues nose; yes, a bribe in the bosom, strong heat”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

מַתָּ֣ן בַּ֭⁠סֵּתֶר

gift in,secrecy

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 gift given in secrecy”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

יִכְפֶּה־אָ֑ף

soothes anger

Here, subdues nose refers to stopping a person from being angry. The word nose here means “anger” by association with the way that a person who is angry breathes heavily through his nose. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “causes angry people to stop being angry”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ⁠שֹׁ֥חַד בַּ֝⁠חֵ֗ק חֵמָ֥ה עַזָּֽה

and,a_bribe in,bosom severe_anger Azzah

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 previous clause if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “and a bribe given in the bosom subdues strong heat”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

בַּ֝⁠חֵ֗ק

in,bosom

Here, in the bosom indicates that a bribe is given to someone secretly, as if it were hidden in a person’s clothes near that person’s bosom. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. See how you translated the similar use of “from the bosom” in [17:23](../17/23.md). Alternate translation: “in secret”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

חֵמָ֥ה עַזָּֽה

severe_anger Azzah