PROV 21:19 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) It’s better to live in a wilderness region,
⇔ than with a wife who’s argumentative and negative.

21:19 OSHB variant note: מדונים: (x-qere) ’מִדְיָנִ֣ים’: lemma_4079 morph_HNcmpa id_20VTa מִדְיָנִ֣ים

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 Κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἢ μετὰ γυναικὸς μαχίμου καὶ γλωσσώδους καὶ καὶ ὀργίλου.
(Kreisson oikein en taʸ eraʸmōi, aʸ meta gunaikos maⱪimou kai glōssōdous kai kai orgilou. )

BrTr It is better to dwell in a wilderness than with a quarrelsome and talkative and passionate woman.

ULT Better to dwell in a land of wilderness
⇔ than with a woman of quarrels and vexation.

UST It is better to live alone in a desolate land
⇔ than to live with an argumentative and nagging wife.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE It is better to dwell in a desert land,
⇔ than with a contentious and fretful woman.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET It is better to live in a desert land
⇔ than with a quarrelsome and easily-provoked woman.

LSV Better to dwell in a wilderness land,
Than [with] a woman of contentions and anger.

FBV It's better to live in a desert than with an argumentative and bad-tempered wife.

T4T ⇔ It is better to live alone in a desert
⇔ than to live with a wife who is always nagging and complaining.

LEB • Better to live in a land of wilderness than with a wife of quarrels and provocation.

BBE It is better to be living in a waste land, than with a bitter-tongued and angry woman.

Moff Better live in a lonely desert
⇔ than beside a nagging, quarrelsome woman.

JPS It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a contentious and fretful woman.

ASV It is better to dwell in a desert land,
⇔ Than with a contentious and fretful woman.

DRA It is better to dwell in a wilderness, than with a quarrelsome and passionate woman.

YLT Better to dwell in a wilderness land, Than [with] a woman of contentions and anger.

Drby It is better to dwell in a desert land. than with a contentious and irritable woman.

RV It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a contentious and fretful woman.

SLT Good to dwell in the land of the desert rather than with a woman of contentions and anger.

Wbstr It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

KJB-1769 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.[fn]

21.19 in…: Heb. in the land of the desert

KJB-1611 [fn][fn]It is better to dwell in the wildernesse, then with a contentious and an angry woman.
(It is better to dwell in the wilderness, then with a contentious and an angry woman.)

21:19 Verse 9.

21:19 Heb. in the land of the desert.

Bshps It is better to dwell in the wyldernesse, then with a chydyng and an angrye woman.
(It is better to dwell in the wilderness, then with a chyding and an angrye woman.)

Gnva It is better to dwell in the wildernesse, then with a contentious and angry woman.
(It is better to dwell in the wilderness, then with a contentious and angry woman. )

Cvdl It is better to dwell in a wyldernesse, the with a chydinge and an angrie woman.
(It is better to dwell in a wilderness, the with a chydinge and an angry woman.)

Wycl It is betere to dwelle in a desert lond, than with a womman ful of chidyng, and wrathful.
(It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a woman full of chiding, and wrathful.)

Luth Es ist besser wohnen im wüsten Lande denn, bei einem zänkischen und zornigen Weibe.
(It is better live/reside in_the deserts land because/than, at/in on quarrelsome and angry woman.)

ClVg Melius est habitare in terra deserta quam cum muliere rixosa et iracunda.
(Better it_is to_live in/into/on earth/land deserted how when/with woman rixosa and angry. )

SOTN SIL Open Translation 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

21:19

This is another “better than” proverb. It is very similar in both form and meaning to 21:9.

^19aBetter to live in the desert

^19bthan with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.

Some of the implied contrasts are:

^19aIt is better to live alone in a harsh and isolated desert

^19bthan to live in a comfortable house with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.

There are two minor differences between 21:9 and this proverb:

In this first line, this proverb has “a desert” instead of “a corner of the roof.”
In the second line, it has “with a contentious and ill-tempered wife” instead of “share a house with a quarrelsome wife.”

See the notes at 21:9 for more information on this type of “better than” proverb.

21:19a

Better to live in the desert

For a person to live alone in a desert/wilderness is better
It is better to live in an isolated pastureland with no neighbors

Better to live in the desert: The word that the BSB translates as desert refers to an area where few or no people lived. In Israel, it could be used as pastureland for animals. Some languages have a special word to refer to such areas, such as “the bush” (Africa) or “steppes” (Asia). Some other ways to translate this word are:

land with few people

place with no inhabitants

wild, open area

Here the main implications of the word desert are that it is isolated and lonely. It is also difficult to live there.

21:19b

than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife.

than to live with a wife who is quarrelsome/nagging and is easily angered/provoked.
than to live in a nice house with a wife who always argues/quarrels and complains/grumbles.

than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife: The word contentious is the same word that is used in 21:9b. See the note and translation suggestions there. The word that the BSB translates as ill-tempered refers here to a wife who is easily angered and irritated. As a result, she constantly complains to her husband. Some other ways to translate this term are:

irritable (NJB)

easily provoked (NET)

complaining (GNT)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

בְּ⁠אֶֽרֶץ־מִדְבָּ֑ר

in=land_of wilderness

Since the wilderness is a place without people, Solomon implies dwelling alone in that place. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “by oneself in a land of wilderness”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

מֵ⁠אֵ֖שֶׁת מדונים

more,than_a_woman_of contentious

See how you translated a woman of quarrels in [21:9](../21/09.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

וָ⁠כָֽעַס

and,anger

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of vexation, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “and who vexes others”

Parallel PROV 21:19

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

21:19

21:19a

21:19b