PROV 21:6 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.

Part a: Text critical issues=minor/spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal
Part b: Text critical issues=minor/spelling Clarity of original=unclear 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 Ὁ ἐνεργῶν θησαυρίσματα γλώσσῃ ψευδεῖ, μάταια διώκει ἐπὶ παγίδας θανάτου.
(Ho energōn thaʸsaurismata glōssaʸ pseudei, mataia diōkei epi pagidas thanatou. )

BrTr He that gathers treasures with a lying tongue pursues vanity on to the snares of death.

ULT The making of treasures by a tongue of falsehood
⇔ is scattered vapor, seekers of death.

UST When people gain wealth by speaking falsely,
⇔ that wealth quickly vanishes like mist, and doing that will kill them.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Getting treasures by a lying tongue
⇔ is a fleeting vapour for those who seek death.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Making a fortune by a lying tongue is like a vapor driven back and forth;
⇔ they seek death.

LSV The making of treasures by a lying tongue,
[Is] a vanity driven away of those seeking death.

FBV Money made by lies is like smoke in the wind—a chase that ends in death.

T4T ⇔ Money that people acquire by cheating others by lying [MTY] to them will soon disappear like a mist,
⇔ and doing that will soon lead to their death.

LEB • He who makes treasure by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and seeker[fn] of death.

21:? Hebrew “seekers”

BBE He who gets stores of wealth by a false tongue, is going after what is only breath, and searching for death.

Moff A man making money by fraud
⇔ chases a bubble to his own doom.

JPS The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vapour driven to and fro; they that seek them seek death.

ASV The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
⇔ Is a vapor driven to and fro by them that seek death.

DRA He that gathereth treasures by a lying tongue, is vain and foolish, and shall stumble upon the snares of death.

YLT The making of treasures by a lying tongue, [Is] a vanity driven away of those seeking death.

Drby The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting breath of them that seek death.

RV The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vapour driven to and fro; they that seek them seek death.

SLT The making treasures by the tongue of falsehood is vanity scattered from those seeking death.

Wbstr The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro by them that seek death.

KJB-1769 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
(The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and from of them that seek death. )

KJB-1611 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue, is a vanitie tossed to and fro of them that seeke death.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps To hoorde vp riches with a deceiptfull tongue, is vanitie tossed to and fro of them that seeke death.
(To hoorde up riches with a deceitful tongue, is vanity tossed to and from of them that seek death.)

Gnva The gathering of treasures by a deceitfull tongue is vanitie tossed to and from of them that seeke death.
(The gathering of treasures by a deceitful tongue is vanity tossed to and from of them that seek death. )

Cvdl Who so hoordeth vp riches wt ye disceatfulnes of his tonge, he is a foole, & like vnto them that seke their owne death.
(Whoso/Whoever hoordeth up riches with ye/you_all deceitfulness of his tongue, he is a fool, and like unto them that seek their own death.)

Wycl He that gaderith tresours bi the tunge of a leesing, is veyne, and with outen herte; and he schal be hurtlid to the snaris of deth.
(He that gathereth/gathers treasures by the tongue of a leesing, is vain, and without heart; and he shall be hurtlid to the snaris of death.)

Luth Wer Schätze sammelt mit Lügen, der wird fehlen und fallen unter die den Tod suchen.
(Who treasures(n) collects with lie(s), the/of_the becomes miss/lack and fall/drop under the the Tod search_for.)

ClVg [Qui congregat thesauros lingua mendacii vanus et excors est, et impingetur ad laqueos mortis.
([Who gathers treasures tongue/language lies vanus and excors it_is, and impingetur to traps of_death. )

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

21:6

This proverb describes the results of gaining wealth by telling lies.This verse has at least three different textual issues: (a) “(the) getting of a fortune” versus “he who gets a fortune,” (b) “a driven vapor” versus “pursuing a vapor,” and (c) “snares of death” versus “seeker(s) of death.” Most English versions and scholars do not follow either the Masoretic Text or the LXX consistently for all of these choices. There are two or three interpretations for each of the textual issues, depending on which choice is made for each issue. To minimize confusion, the Notes have focused on textual issue (c) in 21:6b and have given translation advice that fits with this option. For further discussion, see Waltke (pages 160, 172–173), Fox (page 681), Ross (page 1051), or UBS (page 442).

^6aMaking a fortune by a lying tongue

^6bis a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit.

21:6a

Making a fortune by a lying tongue

Riches that are obtained by lies/lying
When a person becomes wealthy by telling lies,

Making a fortune by a lying tongue: In Hebrew, the word fortune is literally “treasures.” It refers to wealth or riches, as in 10:2a. See the note there.

a lying tongue: This phrase is a figure of speech. It represents the lies or deceiving words that are spoken by the tongue. It may also refer to the person who tells lies. The same phrase was used in 6:17b. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:The Notes have presented these variations as translation options. These options are two ways to understand the Masoretic Text (MT), which has: poʿal “(the) getting of.” The LXX evidently followed a different Hebrew text with poʿel “he who gets.” English versions that follow this option include the GW, NAB, and REB.

Refer to the wealth that is gained. For example:
Wealth that comes from telling lies (NCV)
Riches that people gain when they tell lies
Refer to the action of gaining wealth. For example:
The getting of treasures by a lying tongue (ESV)
The accumulation of wealth by a person who tells lies

21:6b

is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit.

are like fog/smoke that the wind blows away. They are also like a trap that kills what is caught in it.
his wealth will soon/easily disappear. His conduct moreover, will lead to his death.

is a vanishing mist: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “a vapor/breathNIDOTTE (H2039) glosses the word hebel “vapor” as “breath.” TWOT (#463a) glosses it as “vapor, breath, vanity.” This word occurs frequently with a figurative sense in Ecclesiastes, where the BSB translates it as “meaningless.” driven/blown.” In other verses, “driven/blown” refers to things that the wind blows away or scatters, such as chaff or smoke.NIDOTTE (H5622). Instead of niddap “driven/blown,” the LXX evidently understood rodep “pursues” (see McKane, page 551). Longman translates this phrase as “pursuers of meaninglessness” (page 387). English versions that apparently also follow the LXX here are the REB (“runs needlessly”) and the NAB (“is chasing a bubble”). Most versions and scholars follow the MT.

Here the phrase is used as the image of a metaphor. The topic of the metaphor is the wealth that a person gains by telling lies or the process of gaining such wealth (21:6a).

The similarity is that both wealth and a mist that the wind blows away are temporary. They do not last long. Instead, they will soon disappear. That is the meaning of the BSB translation vanishing. Some other ways to translate this metaphor are:

Change the metaphor to a simile. You may make the similarity explicit. You may also use a term for something similar to “vapor.” Similar things include breath that is visible (in the cold), smoke, mist, or fog. For example:
vanishes like a mist (NCV)
is like smoke/fog that the wind blows away
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
soon disappear (GNT)

a deadly pursuit: There is a textual issue here:

A few Hebrew manuscripts, the LXX, and the Vulgate have a phrase that means “snares of death.” This phrase is a metaphor. It means that trying to gain wealth by telling lies is like a trap. It will lead to death. For example:
a snare of death (NRSV)
a deadly trap (NLT) (ESV, NAB, NCV, NIV, NLT, NRSV, REB, GNT)
The Masoretic Text, Syriac, and Targum have a phrase that means “seekers of death.”This phrase is plural. It does not agree with the singular phrase “the getting of treasures” in the first line. The NET illustrates this lack of agreement. It has: “Making a fortune by a lying tongue is like a vapor driven back and forth; they seek death.” Nor does it fit with translations such as “Riches gained by a lying tongue…” Inanimate things such as “riches” cannot intentionally “seek” death, nor can they die. Due to the grammatical difficulty, Fox (page 681) proposes that the singular form “who seeks” be followed rather than the plural “those who seek.” It would then correspond to the singular “he who gets riches…,” as in the LXX. An English version that follows this approach is the LEB. It has: “He who makes treasure by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a seeker of death.” However, there is no support in the ancient versions for using the singular form. This phrase is an example of irony. It means that those who try to gain wealth by telling lies seem to be seeking death. For example:
those who look for death (NJB)
the pursuit of death (NASB) (BSB, CEV, GW, KJV, NASB, NET, NJB, NJPS)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). It is also recommended that you put the other option in a footnote. Both options are well supported by versions and scholars.Scholars who support option (1) include Ross, Murphy, Toy, Garrett, and McKane. Scholars who support option (2) include Waltke, Fox, Hubbard, Longman, and Cohen. An argument in favor of option (2) is that it is a more difficult text. A scribe would be less likely to change a text to something that is harder to understand. An argument in favor of option (1) is that it fits the theme of other proverbs. The phrase “snares of death” occurs in Proverbs 13:14 and 14:27. The idea of a snare or trap is also used frequently in Proverbs as a metaphor or simile.

A suggested footnote is:

What is written in the Greek translation (LXX) and the Vulgate is “snares of death.” What is written in the Hebrew (Masoretic Text) and Syriac is “seekers of death.”

The phrase “snares of death” is the image of a metaphor that also involves personification. In this figure of speech, death is personified. It is compared to a hunter who sets traps in order to catch and kill people. The wealth that a person gains by telling lies is similar to “snares of death,” because it results in the person’s early death. See the note on “the snares of death” in 13:14b.

Some other ways to translate this figure of speech are:

Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
Riches…are like a trap that will cause them to die.
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
Wealth…leads to death (NCV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

פֹּ֣עַל א֭וֹצָרוֹת

getting_of treasures

Here Solomon speaks of acquiring wealth as if it were treasures that someone makes. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “Acquiring wealth”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

בִּ⁠לְשׁ֣וֹן שָׁ֑קֶר

by,a_tongue_of lying

See how you translated this phrase in [6:17](../06/17.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הֶ֥בֶל נִ֝דָּ֗ף

Abel fleeting

Here Solomon speaks of the disappearance of treasures as if they were a vapor that quickly goes away. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: “disappears quickly” or “disappears like a vapor that quickly disperses”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

מְבַקְשֵׁי־מָֽוֶת

pursuit_of death

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: “and they that seek such treasures are seekers of death”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor