PROV 25:25 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: .
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 Ὥσπερ ὕδωρ ψυχρὸν ψυχῇ διψώσῃ προσηνὲς, οὕτως ἀγγελία ἀγαθὴ ἐκ γῆς μακρόθεν.
(Hōsper hudōr psuⱪron psuⱪaʸ dipsōsaʸ prosaʸnes, houtōs angelia agathaʸ ek gaʸs makrothen. )

BrTr As cold water is agreeable to a thirsting soul, so is a good message from a land far off.

UST When people hear something good from a faraway place,
⇔ it is as refreshing as drinking cold water when one is thirsty.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
⇔ so is good news from a far country.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Like cold water to a weary person,
⇔ so is good news from a distant land.

LSV [As] cold waters for a weary soul,
So [is] a good report from a far country.

FBV Good news from a distant country is like cold water to an exhausted traveler.

T4T ⇔ Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits
⇔ like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.

LEB • Like cold water[fn] upon a weary soul,[fn] so too is good news from a distant place.

25:? Hebrew “waters”

25:? Or “life,” or “inner self”

BBE As cold water to a tired soul, so is good news from a far country.

Moff Like cold water to the thirsty,
⇔ so good news from a far land is refreshing.

JPS As cold waters to a faint soul, so is good news from a far country.

ASV As cold waters to a thirsty soul,
⇔ So is good news from a far country.

DRA As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good tidings from a far country.

YLT [As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.

Drby [As] cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

RV As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

SLT Cold waters to the fainting soul, and a good message from a land far off.

Wbstr As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

KJB-1769 As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

KJB-1611 As cold waters to a thirstie soule: so is good newes from a farre countrey.
(As cold waters to a thirsty soul: so is good newes from a far country.)

Bshps Good newes from a straunge countrey, are as colde water to a thirstie soule.
(Good newes from a strange country, are as cold water to a thirsty soul.)

Gnva As are the colde waters to a weary soule, so is good newes from a farre countery.
(As are the cold waters to a weary soul, so is good newes from a far countery. )

Cvdl A good reporte out of a farre countre, is like colde water to a thyrstie soule.
(A good reporte out of a far country, is like cold water to a thirstie soul.)

Wycl Coold watir to a thirsti man; and a good messanger fro a fer lond.
(Coold water to a thirsti man; and a good messenger from a far land.)

Luth Ein gut Gerücht aus fernen Landen in wie kalt Wasser einer durstigen SeeLE.
(A good rumour out_of distant land(n) in as/like kalt water one/a thirstyn soul.)

ClVg Aqua frigida animæ sitienti, et nuntius bonus de terra longinqua.[fn]
(Aqua frigida soul thirsty, and nuntius good/kind/gracious from/about earth/land longinqua. )

25.25 Aqua frigida. Aqua ergo frigida, etc., usque ad vel finito certamine ad palmam retributionis inducunt.

25.25 Aqua frigida. Aqua therefore frigida, etc., until to or finito competition to palm_tree of_retribution inducunt.

SOTN SIL Open Translation Notes:

Section 25:1–29:27: This is Hezekiah’s collection of Solomon’s proverbs

This section is the second collection of Solomon’s proverbs. These proverbs were organized and copied by men who served King Hezekiah. Most scholars divide this section into two groups. These groups differ in several ways.

The first group (chapters 25–27) has many more comparisons and admonitions. In Hebrew, most of these comparisons are metaphors in which one or more illustrations precede the topic. Some English versions change the order so that the topic precedes the illustration(s). You should follow the order that expresses the meaning naturally and effectively in your language.

In the first group, many proverbs are one verse long. As with the individual proverbs in the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs (Section 10:1–22:16), they are not related to the proverbs around them. Other proverbs in this group are two or more verses long. Still others are one-verse proverbs that are closely related in theme. Proverbs in all three categories will be marked as separate paragraphs.

The second group (chapters 28–29) has more contrastive proverbs. The proverbs in this group are each one verse long. They will not be marked as separate paragraphs.

Some other headings for this section are:

More Proverbs of Solomon (NIV)

Proverbs of Solomon Collected by Hezekiah (NET)

These are also wise things that Solomon said

25:25

The topic of this proverb is “good news from a distant land” (25:25b). It is compared to the effect of “cold water” on “a weary soul” (25:25a). The implied similarity is that both have a refreshing or encouraging effect on the person who receives them.

^25aLike cold water to a weary soul

^25bis good news from a distant land.

In Hebrew, this verse is literally:

^25acold water on a weary soul

^25band good news from a distant land

The comparison is only implied, as in 25:23. The BSB and other English versions translate it as a simile.

25:25a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ Good news from someone who is far away is like a drink of cold water to a thirsty person.
¶ When you^(sing) hear/receive good news from a distant place, is it not encouraging? It refreshes/strengthens you as much as cold water when you feel thirsty and tired.

Some ways to translate this comparison are:

Change it to a simile. For example:
Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country. (ESV)
Change it to a simile and make the similarity explicit. For example:
What refreshes a thirsty person like a drink of cold water?
An encouraging report from far away.

See the note on “refreshes the soul” in 25:13c. In that verse, the point of similarity also involves cold water and a good report.

25:25a

Like cold water to a weary soul

¶ What is like cold water when a person is thirsty/tired?
¶ When a person with a dry tongue/throat is able to drink cold water, he feels good/refreshed.

cold water: This phrase refers to “a drink of cold water” (GNT). In some languages, it may be more natural to make this explicit.

weary soul: In the context of a drink of cold water, this phrase refers to a person who is both weary and thirsty. You may translate it either way. For example:

when you are tired (NCV)

when you are thirsty (CEV)

soul: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as soul has a range of meanings.HALOT nepeš “throat,” “neck,” “breath,” “living being,” “people,” “personality,” “life,” “soul,” “dead soul,” and miscellaneous meanings such as “tomb” and “grave.” Some scholars suggest that the intended meaning in the phrase “weary soul” is either “person” or “throat.”In Hebrew, it is common to refer to a person’s behavior or feelings by mentioning the part of the body (face, nose, throat) that is associated with this behavior or feeling. Here the word “throat” would be associated with a person’s desire for something to drink. Some versions, such as the BSB, have soul instead of “person.” However, in this phrase there is no significant meaning difference between “soul,” “person,” and “throat.” All are ways to refer to a thirsty person either directly or indirectly.UBS (page 553) and McKane (page 589) prefer the meaning “throat” to describe the parched throat of the thirsty person. Waltke (page 334), Longman (page 459) and Hubbard (226) refer only to the person. Fox (page 290) and Cohen (page 171) use the word “soul” to refer to the weary person. Some ways to translate this word are:

Use “person.” For example:
a weary person (NET)
Use a pronoun to refer to the person. For example:
when you are dry and thirsty (GNT)
Use “throat.” But use this translation only if it is a natural way in your language to refer to a thirsty person. For example:
a thirsty throat (NJB)
Use a different figure of speech to refer to a thirsty person. For example:
a dry/thirsty tongue

Use a word or phrase that is natural in your language to translate this word.

25:25b

is good news from a distant land.

The answer is: good news from a person who went far away.
When a person hears good news from a place/country that is far away, he feels the same way.

good news from a distant land: This phrase implies that the person has not heard any news for a long time. He may be anxious or discouraged. In some languages it may be helpful to make some of this information explicit. For example:

Finally hearing good news from a distant land (GNT)

a distant land: This phrase may refer to a place within the same country that requires a long journey. It does not necessarily refer to a country that is far away.UBS (page 553). For example:

a faraway place (NCV)

General Comment on 25:25a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to state the topic before the illustration. For example:

Good news from far away refreshes like cold water when you are thirsty. (CEV)

Good news from a faraway place is like a cool drink when you are tired. (NCV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

מַ֣יִם קָ֭רִים עַל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ עֲיֵפָ֑ה וּ⁠שְׁמוּעָ֥ה ט֝וֹבָ֗ה מֵ⁠אֶ֥רֶץ מֶרְחָֽק

waters cold on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in creature weary and,a_report good from,a_land_of distant

If it would be helpful in your language, you could reverse the order of these clauses. Alternate translation: “Good news from a distant land is like cool water over a weary soul”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

נֶ֣פֶשׁ עֲיֵפָ֑ה

creature weary

Here Solomon implies that this soul is weary with thirst. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “a soul weary from thirst”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

נֶ֣פֶשׁ

creature

See how you translated the same use of soul in [2:10](../02/10.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וּ⁠שְׁמוּעָ֥ה ט֝וֹבָ֗ה מֵ⁠אֶ֥רֶץ מֶרְחָֽק

and,a_report good from,a_land_of distant

Solomon is saying that good news from a distant land is like Cool water over a weary soul because both of these are refreshing. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “so also is good news from a distant land refreshing”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

וּ⁠שְׁמוּעָ֥ה ט֝וֹבָ֗ה

and,a_report good