PROV 22:27 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) because if you’re unable to make the payment,
⇔ → you could have your bed taken out from under you.

Key: khaki:verbs, red:negative.
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 Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἔχῃ πόθεν ἀποτίσῃς, λήψονται τὸ στρῶμα τὸ ὑπὸ τὰς πλευράς σου.
(Ean gar maʸ eⱪaʸ pothen apotisaʸs, laʸpsontai to strōma to hupo tas pleuras sou. )

BrTr For if those have not whence to give compensation, they will take the bed that is under thee.

ULT If there is nothing to you to make payment,
⇔ why should he take away your bed from under you?

UST Because if you cannot pay back the loan,
⇔ then the person to whom you owe money will surely take away even your own bed in order to pay back the loan.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE If you don’t have means to pay,
⇔ why should he take away your bed from under you?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET If you do not have enough to pay,
⇔ your bed will be taken right out from under you!

LSV If you have nothing to pay,
Why does he take your bed from under you?

FBV for if you can't pay, why should your bed be taken away from beneath you?

T4T because if you cannot pay it back,
⇔ people will surely [RHQ] come and take away everything you own, even your bed.

LEB • If there is nothing for you to pay,[fn] why will he take your bed from under you?

22:? Or “complete”

BBE If you have nothing with which to make payment, he will take away your bed from under you.

Moff for if you have nothing to pay,
⇔ your very bed will be seized.
¶ 

JPS If thou hast not wherewith to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

ASV If thou hast not wherewith to pay,
⇔ Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

DRA For if thou have not wherewith to restore, what cause is there, that he should take the covering from thy bed?

YLT If thou hast nothing to pay, Why doth he take thy bed from under thee?

Drby if thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

RV If thou hast not wherewith to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
(If thou/you hast not wherewith to pay, why should he take away thy/your bed from under thee/you? )

SLT If not to thee to requite, why shall he take thy bed from under thee?

Wbstr If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

KJB-1769 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
(If thou/you hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy/your bed from under thee/you? )

KJB-1611 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from vnder thee?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps For if thou hast nothing to pay, they shall take away thy bed from vnder thee.
(For if thou/you hast nothing to pay, they shall take away thy/your bed from under thee/you.)

Gnva If thou hast nothing to paye, why causest thou that he should take thy bed from vnder thee?
(If thou/you hast nothing to paye, why causest thou/you that he should take thy/your bed from under thee/you? )

Cvdl for yf thou hast nothinge to paye, they shal take awaye thy bed from vnder the.
(for if thou/you hast nothing to paye, they shall take away thy/your bed from under them.)

Wycl what of cause is, that thou take awei hilyng fro thi bed?
(what of cause is, that thou/you take away healing from thy/your bed?)

Luth denn wo du es nicht hast zu bezahlen, so wird man dir dein Bett unter dir wegnehmen.
(because/than where you(sg) it not have to/for pay_off, so becomes man you/to_you(sg) your(s) bed under you/to_you(sg) take_away.)

ClVg si enim non habes unde restituas, quid causæ est ut tollat operimentum de cubili tuo?
(when/but_if because not/no you_have from_where/who restituas, what causes it_is as take_away cover(n)/lid from/about bed your? )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 22:17–24:22: Here are thirty sayings of wise people

This section follows the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs (10:1–22:16). It differs in significant ways from this preceding section:These differences were summarized from a number of commentaries, including UBS (page 472), Waltke (2004, page 22), and Hubbard (page 351).

The preceding section has mostly two-line proverbs that are one verse in length. This section has proverbs of a different form. They are sayings that range from one to seven verses. Most of the sayings are two or three verses in length. Each saying will be marked as a separate paragraph in the Notes.
Many of the proverbs in the preceding section express a general principle. They are not addressed specifically to the readers. Most of the sayings here contain direct commands. They advise the reader or listener either to follow wise behavior or avoid foolish behavior. Most of the sayings also give a reason or motive for following the command.
As in chapters 1–9, the author addresses his reader or listener as a father who advises his son. He uses second person commands and pronouns (you^(sing)). See the note on 23:15 for a list of verses where the words “my son” occur.

Some other headings for this section are:

Thirty Wise Sayings (CEV)

Words of the Wise (ESV)

Thirty Sayings of the Wise (NIV11)

Verse 22:20 mentions “thirty sayings,” but the Hebrew text itself does not number the sayings. Some versions that use the word “thirty” in the section heading also give a number as a separate heading for each saying. The GNT and CEV start numbering the sayings at 22:22. They have a total of thirty-one paragraphs. In these versions, the first paragraph (22:17–21) serves as an introduction to the thirty sayings (22:22–24:22).Scholars who identify 22:17–21 as the first saying include Hubbard (page 352), Fox (page 707), and Waltke (2004, page 22). Scholars who identify these verses as an introduction to the sayings that follow include Whybray (page 325) and Murphy (page 170). See also the NET footnote (b) on 22:16. Whether these introductory verses form the first saying or simply introduce the following sayings, all scholars agree that they function as an introduction to the whole section. Other versions, such as the NIV, NCV, and NLT, divide the paragraphs in the same way but do not have separate headings for each section. You may use either option in your translation.The NIV11 gives a number as a separate heading for each saying. But it counts the first paragraph as the first saying, and has a total of thirty paragraphs. Other versions have more or fewer paragraphs. For example, the ESV and NRSV have fifteen paragraphs. The NJB has thirty-four. Still other versions, such as the RSV, NET, and NJPS, do not group the verses into sayings or paragraphs.

For the convenience of those who decide to identify the number of each saying in their translation, the Notes will put the number in the paragraph headings, using the same numbering system as the GNT or CEV. These numbers will not be used in the Display.

22:27

This verse gives the reason or motivation for obeying the advice in 22:26. The reason is that a person who promises to pay someone else’s debt risks losing everything he owns if he does not have enough money.

^27aIf you have nothing with which to pay,

^27bwhy should your bed be taken from under you?

The verse describes the situation that the loan guarantor will face if two things have happened:

The borrower could not pay the loan.
The lender then tried to collect the money from the loan guarantor.

These two events are implied by the general context. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply some of the implied information. For example:

^27a The borrower may not be able to pay. If you also lack the money to pay,

^27b the lender may take even the bed that you are lying on.

22:27a

If you have nothing with which to pay,

If you^(sing) do that, and then you do not have the money to pay,
Do not make that promise, because the lender may come to get the money. If you cannot pay it,

If you have nothing with which to pay: Some other ways to translate this clause are:

If you cannot pay the loan (NCV)

If you don’t have the money (CEV)

22:27b

why should your bed be taken from under you?

they will take away everything you^(sing) own, even the bed that you are lying on.
he will take your possessions instead. He will even take what you use to sleep on!

why should your bed be taken from under you: This clause implies that someone will take all of the guarantor’s possessions in order to pay the loan. Even his bed will be taken away. The clause describes the situation in a humorous way. It describes someone pulling the bed away while the guarantor is still lying on it, so that he is left lying on the floor. If this kind of humor will reinforce the foolishness of guaranteeing another person’s loan, you may want to translate it in a similar way.

In Hebrew, this clause is a rhetorical question that emphasizes the extent of the guarantor’s financial disaster. Some versions are like the BSB and translate the question literally. For example:

If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you? (ESV)

In many languages, a rhetorical question of this form will incorrectly imply that the guarantor’s bed should not be taken away, even though he fails to pay the debt. If that is true in your language, another way to express the emphasis is to use a statement. For example:

your own bed may be taken right out from under you (NCV)

your very bed will be snatched from under you (NIV)

bed: In Hebrew, this word means “place for lying down.”NIDOTTE (H5435). Common people usually slept on the floor or on a mat. They wrapped themselves in a cloak. Wealthier people slept on a bed.See Waltke (page 234), Fox (page 718). Waltke suggests that the son may have been a wealthy person, since such people were usually the ones who guaranteed a loan.

English versions use the word bed. In some languages, it may be more natural to use a more general expression. For example:

what you sleep on

your sleeping mat

Use a word or expression that would be appropriate in your culture for the situation that is described here.

be taken: This is a passive verb. In some languages, it will be necessary to use an active verb and to make the agent explicit. Some languages may use a general word such as “someone” or “they.” For example:

they will take away even your bed (GNT)

Other languages may need to use a more specific phrase, such as “the lender” or “the loan collector.” See the example in the previous note under 22:27.

taken: In Hebrew, this verb is used in many contexts. It simply means “take” or “remove.” The NIV has used a more specific word (“snatched”) to emphasize the unexpected and extreme consequences.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

אִם

This verse gives a reason for the commands in the previous verse. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that what follows is a reason for what came before. Alternate translation: “Do not do those things because if”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אֵֽין־לְ⁠ךָ֥ לְ⁠שַׁלֵּ֑ם

not to/for=yourself(m) to,pay

Here, the writer is referring to repaying the loans mentioned in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “there is no money for you to repay the loan”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

לָ֥⁠מָּה יִקַּ֥ח מִ֝שְׁכָּבְ⁠ךָ֗ מִ⁠תַּחְתֶּֽי⁠ךָ

to/for=what taken bed_of,your from,under,you

The writer is using the question form to emphasize what will happen if a person cannot repay a loan for someone else. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “surely he will take away your bed from under you!”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

יִקַּ֥ח מִ֝שְׁכָּבְ⁠ךָ֗ מִ⁠תַּחְתֶּֽי⁠ךָ

taken bed_of,your from,under,you

This clause refers to a person who loaned money taking away the bed of someone because that person was unable to pay the loan that he had promised to pay for someone else. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “should the lender take away your bed from under you because you were not able to repay the loan”

Parallel PROV 22:27

Section 22:17–24:22: Here are thirty sayings of wise people

22:27

22:27a

22:27b