PROV 25:7 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) because it’s better if they tell you, “Come up here,”
⇔ than to be placed lower right in front of a prince as you look at him.

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 γάρ σοι τὸ ῥηθῆναι, ἀνάβαινε πρὸς μὲ, ἢ ταπεινῶσαί σε ἐν προσώπῳ δυνάστου· ἃ εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου λέγε.
(Kreisson gar soi to ɽaʸthaʸnai, anabaine pros me, aʸ tapeinōsai se en prosōpōi dunastou; ha eidon hoi ofthalmoi sou lege. )

BrTr for it is better for thee that it should be said, Come up to me, than that one should humble thee in the presence of the prince; speak of that which thine eyes have seen.

ULT For, better to say to you, “Come up here,”
⇔ than to humiliate you to the face of a noble,
⇔ whom your eyes have seen.

UST Do not do so because it is better if someone invites you to sit in a place that is closer to the king,
⇔ than for someone to embarrass you in front of a royal official whom you have seen by telling you to sit farther away from the king.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE for it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
⇔ than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,
⇔ whom your eyes have seen.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
⇔ than to put you lower before a prince,
⇔ whom your eyes have seen.

LSV For better [that] he has said to you, “Come up here,”
Than [that] he humbles you before a noble,
Whom your eyes have seen.

FBV for it's better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be humiliated before a nobleman. Even though you've seen something with your own eyes,

T4T it is better if someone tells you to sit closer to the king
⇔ than for someone to tell you, while the king is listening, to sit further away in order that someone who is more important may sit closer to the king.

LEB • For it is better that he say to you, “Ascend here,” than he humble you before a noble.
• What your eyes have seen,

BBE For it is better to have it said to you, Come up here; than for you to be put down in a lower place before the ruler.

Moff better be told, “Come higher up,”
⇔ than be sent lower down in presence of the king.
¶ 

JPS For better is it that it be said unto thee: 'Come up hither', than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom thine eyes have seen.

ASV For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither,
⇔ Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince,
⇔ Whom thine eyes have seen.

DRA For it is better that it should be said to thee: Come up hither; than that thou shouldst be humbled before the prince.

YLT For better [that] he hath said to thee, 'Come thou up hither,' Than [that] he humble thee before a noble, Whom thine eyes have seen.

Drby for better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes see.

RV For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom thine eyes have seen.
(For better is it that it be said unto thee/you, Come up hither/here; than that thou/you shouldest/should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom thine/your eyes have seen. )

SLT For good to say to thee, Come up hither, rather than humbling thyself before the noble whom thine eye saw.

Wbstr For better it is that it be said to thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldst be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thy eyes have seen.

KJB-1769 For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.
(For better it is that it be said unto thee/you, Come up hither/here; than that thou/you shouldest/should be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine/your eyes have seen. )

KJB-1611 For better it is that it be said vnto thee, Come vp hither; then that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the Prince whom thine eies haue seene.
(For better it is that it be said unto thee/you, Come up hither/here; then that thou/you shouldest/should be put lower in the presence of the Prince whom thine/your eyes have seen.)

Bshps For better is it, that it be sayde vnto thee, come vp hyther: then thou to be put lower in the presence of the priuce whom thou seest with thyne eyes.
(For better is it, that it be said unto thee/you, come up hither/here: then thou/you to be put lower in the presence of the priuce whom thou/you seest/see with thine/your eyes.)

Gnva For it is better, that it be saide vnto thee, Come vp hither, then thou to be put lower in the presece of the prince whom thine eyes haue seene.
(For it is better, that it be said unto thee/you, Come up hither/here, then thou/you to be put lower in the presece of the prince whom thine/your eyes have seen. )

Cvdl Better it is yt it be sayde vnto ye: come vp hither, then thou to be set downe in ye presence of ye prynce, whom thou seyst with thine eyes.
(Better it is it it be said unto ye/you_all: come up hither/here, then thou/you to be set down in ye/you_all presence of ye/you_all prince, whom thou/you seest/see with thine/your eyes.)

Wycl For it is betere, that it be seid to thee, Stie thou hidur, than that thou be maad low bifore the prince.
(For it is betere, that it be said to thee/you, Stie thou/you hither/here, than that thou/you be made low before the prince.)

Luth Denn es ist dir besser, daß man zu dir sage: Tritt hie herauf! denn daß du vor dem Fürsten geniedriget wirst, daß deine Augen sehen müssen.
(Because it is you/to_you(sg) better, that man to/for you/to_you(sg) said: step(n) here up! because/than that you(sg) before/in_front_of to_him prince(s)/ruler(s) lowered will, that your eyes see must.)

ClVg Melius est enim ut dicatur tibi: Ascende huc, quam ut humilieris coram principe.]
(Better it_is because as be_said to_you: Ascende here, how as humilieris before principe.] )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s 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

Paragraph 25:6–7b

This proverb is similar to Jesus’ advice in Luke 14:7–11.

The first verse of this proverb warns the reader not to act important in a context where the king and high officials are present. The first two lines of the second verse give a reason for the warning. Verse 25:7c should be included with the next proverb (25:8).

25:7a–b

This verse is a “better than” proverb. It compares a good/desirable situation in 25:7a to a bad/undesirable situation in 25:7b. Notice that the situation in 25:7a is much better, not just slightly better, than the situation in 25:7b.

^7afor it is better that he says to you, “Come up here!”

^7bthan that you should be demoted in the presence of the prince.

In some languages, it may be necessary to use separate sentences for the two parts of this comparison. For example:

^7aIt is very good if he says to you, “Come up here.”

^7bIt is very bad if he humiliates you before a nobleman.

25:7a

for it is better that he says to you, “Come up here!”

For it is better for the king/ruler to say to you^(sing), “Come up here by/near me,”
It is good if the king himself invites you to come to a place that is close to him.

for: This verse (25:7a–b) states the reason to heed the warning in 25:6a–b. In Hebrew, this reason is introduced with a word that the BSB translates as for, as well as many other English versions. For example:

for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” (ESV)

Other versions, such as the NIV, do not introduce the reason explicitly. Introduce this reason in a natural way in your language.

it is better that he says to you, “Come up here!”: This part of the verse describes a situation that is more desirable for the reader. It is better if the reader is invited to come and sit closer to the king. The words Come up here may imply that the guests are seated on different levels. The most important guests have seats on the highest level, near the king.Hubbard (page 394).

This verse part uses direct speech to express the king’s words. In some languages, it may be more natural to express his invitation in other ways:

Use indirect speech. For example:
It is better to be asked to take a higher position (GNT)
Describe the king’s invitation without referring to what he says. For example:
It is better for him to give you a higher position (NCV)

25:7b

than that you should be demoted in the presence of the prince.

than for him to humiliate/humble you in front of his officials.
It will be very embarrassing/humiliating if he needs to tell you to go to a lower place and the people of high rank/status see what has happened.

than that you should be demoted in the presence of the prince: It would be very undesirable for the guest if the king humiliated him in the presence of other important people. The king would probably humiliate such a person by telling him to go and sit in a less important place.

you should be demoted: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “make you low.” In this context, it probably indicates that the king assigns the person a table or seat at a lower level. But in the OT, this word usually has a figurative meaning. Here it probably also indicates that the king will cause the person to be humiliated or humbled.Fox (page 780) and UBS (page 544) say that the word has both literal and figurative meanings here. Toy (page 460) defines it literally as “be put lower” at the table. The significance of such an action is that person would be publicly demoted, causing him great embarrassment (Waltke, page 316). You could make that idea explicit. For example:

for him to humiliate you (NIV)

the prince: In Hebrew, this word refers to anyone who belongs to the ruling class. The BSB translated the same word as “ruler” in 17:7 and “prince” in 19:6. You may use either singular or plural to translate this word. For example:

a nobleman (NIV)

royal officials (CEV)

Some other ways to translate this line are:

Refer literally to a lower position. For example:
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble (ESV)
than to be moved down to make room for a nobleman (REB)
Refer figuratively to humiliation. For example:
than for you to be embarrassed in front of royal officials (CEV)

Paragraph 25:7c–8

The BSB and most versions start this paragraph with the words of 25:7c.In the MT, the last part of 25:7 is literally “whom/which your eyes have seen.” The GW, NASB, and NET follow this wording. These versions include 25:7c in the same sentence as 25:7a–b. In these versions, there is no verse number at the beginning of the paragraph. The GNT and NJB include the words of 25:7c as the first part of 25:8. You may follow either numbering option.

This proverb is a warning about the danger of hastily accusing another person in court.

25:7c–10

These verses are related by the common theme of a dispute (25:8a, 9a) that involves a “neighbor” (25:8c, 9a) and results in shame (25:8c, 10a–b). So, some versions treat these verses as one paragraph.

However, verses 7c–8 are mainly about the danger of taking someone to court without adequate evidence. Verses 9–10 are mainly about the danger of revealing confidential information. So other versions divide these verses into two paragraphs.This summary of similarities and differences between 25:7c–8 and 25:9–10 is taken mainly from Waltke (page 317). See that reference for more details. The Notes will follow this approach.

You should follow whatever is more natural in your language.

25:7c–8a

^7cEven what you have seen with your own eyes,

^8ado not bring hastily to court.

In these lines, the author advises the reader not to quickly file a complaint in court because of something he has seen.

25:7c

Even what you have seen with your own eyes,

¶ Perhaps you^(sing) saw something that was against the law,
¶ If you saw your fellowman do something wrong,

Even what you have seen with your own eyes: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “whom/which your eyes have seen.” It emphasizes that the person himself saw what happened. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

What your eyes have seen (NRSV)

What you have witnessed (REB)

Because of something you have seen (NCV)

The following context (25:8) implies that the person saw someone else do something bad or illegal. It may also imply that the person mistakenly thought he saw something. In some languages, it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:

If you think you saw someone do something wrong

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ט֥וֹב אֲמָר־לְ⁠ךָ֗

good say to/for=yourself(m)

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: “it is better for a person to say to you”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations

לְ⁠ךָ֗ עֲֽלֵ֫ה הֵ֥נָּה

to/for=yourself(m) leaf_of they(f)

If it would be more natural in your language, you could express this as an indirect quotation. Alternate translation: “to you that you should come up there”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

עֲֽלֵ֫ה הֵ֥נָּה

leaf_of they(f)

Come up here means to move to a place near the king, which is a great honor. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Come up here, near the king”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

מֵֽ֭⁠הַשְׁפִּ֣ילְ⁠ךָ

more,than,setting_you_low

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

מֵֽ֭⁠הַשְׁפִּ֣ילְ⁠ךָ

more,than,setting_you_low

Solomon implies that this humiliation is due to someone telling the person to move farther away from the king in order for more important people to be near him. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “than to humiliate you by telling you to distance yourself from the king”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

לִ⁠פְנֵ֣י

to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before

See how you translated this phrase in the previous verse.

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אֲשֶׁ֖ר רָא֣וּ עֵינֶֽי⁠ךָ

which/who seen eyes_of,your

This clause could refer to: (1) the noble mentioned in the previous clause. Alternate translation: “whom your eyes have observed” (2) what someone sees that causes them to begin the dispute mentioned in the next verse, in which case whom would be translated as “what,” and this clause would start a new sentence that continues into the next verse. Alternate translation: “What your eyes have witnessed”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

עֵינֶֽי⁠ךָ

eyes_of,your

Here, eyes refers to the whole person. See how you translated the same use of eyes in [23:26](../23/26.md).

Parallel PROV 25:7