PROV 23:19 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=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) My child, listen and become wise,
⇔ ≈ and channel your values in the right direction.

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 Ἄκουε υἱὲ, καὶ σοφὸς γίνου, καὶ κατεύθυνε ἐννοίας σῆς καρδίας.
(Akoue huie, kai sofos ginou, kai kateuthune ennoias saʸs kardias. )

UST My child, listen to me so that you can become wise.
⇔ Make yourself think about behaving rightly.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Listen, my son, and be wise,
⇔ and keep your heart on the right path!

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Listen, my child, and be wise,
⇔ and guide your heart on the right way.

LSV Hear, my son, and be wise,
And make your heart blessed in the way,

FBV Pay attention, my son, and be wise; make sure your mind concentrates on following the right way.

T4T My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise,
⇔ and think about ◄all that you do/your behavior►.

LEB • You, my child, hear and be wise, and direct your heart[fn] on the road.

23:? Or “mind”

BBE Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.

Moff Listen, my son, and be wise
⇔ be guided by good sense:

JPS Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.

ASV Hear thou, my son, and be wise,
⇔ And guide thy heart in the way.

DRA Hear thou, my son, and be wise: and guide thy mind in the way.

YLT Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,

Drby Thou, my son, hear and be wise, and direct thy heart in the way.

RV Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
(Hear thou/you, my son, and be wise, and guide thine/your heart in the way. )

SLT Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart right in the way.

Wbstr Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.

KJB-1769 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
(Hear thou/you, my son, and be wise, and guide thine/your heart in the way. )

KJB-1611 Heare thou, my sonne, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps My sonne geue eare and be wyse, and set straight thyne heart in the way of the Lorde.
(My son give ear and be wise, and set straight thine/your heart in the way of the Lord.)

Gnva O thou my sonne, heare, and bee wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
(Oh thou/you my son, hear, and be wise, and guide thine/your heart in the way. )

Cvdl My sonne, ue eare & be wyse, so shal thine hert prospere in the waye.
(My son, ue ear and be wise, so shall thine/your heart prosper in the way.)

Wycl Mi sone, here thou, and be thou wijs, and dresse thi soule in the weie.
(My son, here thou/you, and be thou/you wise, and dress thy/your soul in the way.)

Luth Höre, mein Sohn, und sei weise und richte dein Herz in den Weg.
(Listen, my son, and be wise and judge(v) your(s) heart in the way/path/road.)

ClVg Audi, fili mi, et esto sapiens, et dirige in via animum tuum.
(Listen, son my, and be wise, and direct in/into/on way/road mind your(sg). )

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.

Paragraph 23:19–21 Saying 15

This saying warns the son not to participate in excessive drinking and eating. Verse 23:19 exhorts the son to pay attention to the teacher’s advice. Verse 23:20 gives the actual warning. Verse 23:21 explains why the son should heed the warning.

23:19

The two lines of this verse are parallel commands with similar meanings. They urge the son to use his hearing and thinking abilities so that he will understand and obey the advice that follows.

^19aListen, my son, and be wise,

^19band keep your heart on the right path.

23:19a

Listen, my son, and be wise,

¶ Oh my son, listen^(sing) to my advice. You need to become wise.
¶ Please listen to me, you who are my child, so that you will be a wise person.

Listen, my son: In most English versions, this command looks identical to the command in 1:8a. In Hebrew, the command here is literally “Listen you my son.” The extra pronoun “you” emphasizes that the teacher/father wants his son, as an individual, to pay special attention. Some ways that English versions have indicated this emphasis are:

You, my child, hear (LEB)

Oh listen, dear child (MSG)

If there is a natural way to express this emphasis in your language, consider using it here.

and be wise: In Hebrew and in most English versions, this clause is a command. For example:

Listen to me, my children! Be wise… (CEV)

This clause also functions simultaneously as a purpose or result of the preceding command to listen.Waltke (page 256) points out that the waw “and” introduces both a grammatical command and a semantic result. For example:

so that you will become wise

and then you will become wise

You may use either option. Translate the relationship between the two clauses in a natural way in your language.

See how you translated 6:6 (second line) and 8:33 (first line). In those verses, the identical command also follows another command. (The BSB translates this command as “become wise” in 6:6 and as “be wise” in 8:33.)

23:19b

and guide your heart on the right course.

Be sure that you^(sing) direct your thoughts/mind so that you keep walking along the right path.
Then you will continue to do what is right.

and guide your heart on the right course: This command also functions as a purpose or result of the command to listen as well as the command to become wise. All three commands are closely related to each other. A person who listens to good advice will become wise and will also keep his heart on the right path.According to Waltke (page 256), the command in 23:19b “introduces a parallel result.” Fox (page 736) does not discuss the relationship between “listen” and “be wise,” but he does say that the final command is dependent on the young man becoming wise.

In Hebrew, this command is literally “and make your heart go straight in the way.” It indicates that the son should direct his mind or thoughts so that he keeps walking along the course. The BSB has supplied the word right because it is implied that a person who wisely listens to his father’s advice will follow a course of good conduct. Some other ways to translate this command are:

Keep your mind on what is right. (NCV)

have enough sense to follow the right path (CEV)

Other commands that use the Hebrew word for heart occur in 22:17b and 23:12a, but the figures of speech in these verses are slightly different. Be sure to compare the similarities and differences.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

[23:19](../23/19.md)–[21](../23/21.md) is Saying 15 of the 30 “words of the wise ones.”

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

בְנִ֣⁠י

son_of,my

See how you translated the same use of son in [1:8](../01/08.md).

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

וַ⁠חֲכָ֑ם

and,be_wise

Here, and indicates that what follows is the purpose for doing what the writer commands his son to do in this verse. Use a connector in your language that indicates a purpose. See how you translated this phrase in [6:6](../06/06.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠אַשֵּׁ֖ר בַּ⁠דֶּ֣רֶךְ לִבֶּֽ⁠ךָ

and,guide in,way heart_of,your

Here the writer refers to a person deciding to think about the right way to behave as if that person were leading his heart to go on a certain path. The word heart here refers to a person’s mind, as in [2:2](../02/02.md), and way refers to right human behavior. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and decide to think about right behavior”

Parallel PROV 23:19

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

Paragraph 23:19–21 Saying 15

23:19

23:19a

23:19b