PROV 26:10 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) Hiring a fool or an unknown passer-by,
⇔ is like an archer just randomly shooting arrows.

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 Πολλὰ χειμάζεται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἀφρόνων, συντρίβεται γὰρ ἡ ἔκστασις αὐτῶν.
(Polla ⱪeimazetai pasa sarx afronōn, suntribetai gar haʸ ekstasis autōn. )

BrTr [fn]All the flesh of fools endures much hardship; for their fury is brought to nought.

ULT An archer piercing everyone,
⇔ so is one hiring a stupid one and hiring passersby.

UST People who employ foolish people or random strangers are as dangerous
⇔ as someone who randomly shoots arrows at people.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE As an archer who wounds all,
⇔ so is he who hires a fool
⇔ or he who hires those who pass by.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Like an archer who wounds at random,
⇔ so is the one who hires a fool or hires any passer-by.

LSV The Former of all [is] great,
And He is rewarding a fool,
And is rewarding transgressors.

FBV Anyone who hires someone stupid or just a passer-by is like an archer wounding people by shooting arrows at random.[fn]

26:10 The Hebrew of this verse is unclear.

T4T ⇔ A man who shoots arrows to try to wound everybody who is near is foolish;
⇔ similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person who passes by is very foolish.

LEB • Like an archer who wounds everyone, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires passersby.

BBE Like an archer wounding all who go by, is a foolish man overcome by drink.

Moff An able man does everything himself:
⇔ a fool hires the first passer-by.

JPS A master performeth all things; but he that stoppeth a fool is as one that stoppeth a flood.

ASV As an archer that woundeth all,
⇔ So is he that hireth a fool and he that hireth them that pass by.

DRA Judgment determineth causes: and he that putteth a fool to silence, appeaseth anger.

YLT Great [is] the Former of all, And He is rewarding a fool, And is rewarding transgressors.

Drby A master roughly worketh every one: he both hireth the fool and hireth passers-by.

RV As an archer that woundeth all, so is he that hireth the fool and he that hireth them that pass by.

SLT The great one piercing all, and he hired the foolish one, and those passing by.

Wbstr The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

KJB-1769 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.[fn]

26.10 The great…: or, A great man grieveth all, and he hireth the fool, he hireth also transgressors

KJB-1611 [fn]The great God that formed all things, both rewardeth the foole, and rewardeth transgressours.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)

26:10 Or, a great man grieueth all, and hee hireth the foole, he hireth also transgressors.

Bshps The mightie that fourmed al thinges, rewardeth the fooles & transgressours.
(The mighty that formed all things, rewardeth the fools and transgressors.)

Gnva The excellent that formed all things, both rewardeth the foole and rewardeth the transgressers.
(The excellent that formed all things, both rewardeth the fool and rewardeth the transgressers. )

Cvdl A man of experience discerneth all thinges well, but whoso hyreth a foole, hyreth soch one as wyl take no hede.
(A man of experience discerneth all things well, but whoso/whoever hyreth a fool, hyreth such one as will take no hede.)

Wycl Doom determyneth causis; and he that settith silence to a fool, swagith iris.
(Doom determineth causis; and he that settith silence to a fool, swagith iris.)

Luth Ein guter Meister macht ein Ding recht; aber wer einen Hümpler dinget, dem wird‘s verderbt.
(A good master power a thing right; but who a Hümpler dinget, to_him it_will corrupted.)

ClVg Judicium determinat causas, et qui imponit stulto silentium iras mitigat.
(Judgement determinat causes, and who/which imposes stupid silence anger mitigat. )

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

26:10

The topic of this proverb (26:10b) is a person who hires a fool or hires someone who just passes by. This kind of employer is compared to an archer who shoots at anything (26:10a).

^10aLike an archer who wounds at random

^10bis he who hires a fool or passerby.

The employer and the archer are similar, because they both act recklessly and cause harm and danger.

26:10a

Like an archer who wounds at random

¶ Think about an archer who shoots at everyone.
¶ How reckless/dangerous it is for a person to shoot arrows at anyone he sees!

Like an archer who wounds at random: Most scholars acknowledge that the text and meaning of this verse are very uncertain. See footnote (a) in the NET and UBS (page 562) for more details. The Notes will ignore most of the minor distinctions. For example, the REB has “any passer-by” instead of “everyone” (NRSV) or “at random” (BSB and NIV). Some versions have “shoots.” Others have “wounds.” These distinctions do not affect the overall point of the verse. This phrase refers to a person who shoots arrows at anyone and everyone. He does not aim carefully, so he may injure or kill people whom he never intended to shoot. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

Like an archer who wounds everyone (ESV)

like an archer who shoots recklessly (NLT96)

archer: An archer is a person who uses a bow to shoot arrows. Some languages may have different ways to refer to an archer. For example:

bowman

someone who shoots with a bow

a person who shoots arrows

26:10a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ An employer who hires a fool or a bystander is like an archer who shoots recklessly. (NLT96)
¶ If a person asks a fool or a passing stranger to work for him, he is like a person who shoots arrows in any direction.

26:10b

is he who hires a fool or passerby.

It is just as dangerous to hire a fool or any stranger who passes by.
The result is similar if someone hires a fool or a stranger that he sees on the street.

is he who hires a fool or passerby: There is a textual difference that relates to this line:

The Masoretic Text (MT) has “one who hires a fool and one who hires passers-by.” For example:
he who hires a fool or who hires those who pass by (NASB) (BSB. GW, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJPS,The NJPS has been listed under option (1) because it has similar categories. The actual wording is a comparison: “he who hires a dullard is as one who hires transients.” NLT)
Some scholars think that the original text was “one who hires a passing fool and a drunkard.” For example:
one who hires a passing fool or drunkard (ESV) (ESV, NJB, NRSV)The REB is similar to the ESV, but omits the word “passing.”
Other scholars think that the original text was “one who hires a passing fool.” For example:
An employer who hires any fool that comes along (GNT) (GNT)

It is recommended that you follow option (1).The HOTTP suggests a translation that follows this option. See UBS (page 562) for more details. Scholars who support the MT include Waltke, Ross, Longman, Cohen, and Garrett. According to Longman (page 466), the many textual changes that scholars have proposed are “uncertain” and “speculative,” so it is preferable to follow the MT. Kidner (page 163) supports a different point of view. He thinks that changing the second “one who hires” (śoker) to “drunkard” (šikkor) is a “more convincing way of vocalizing the consonants.” This change is supported by the Syriac.

Another way to translate this line is:

An employer who hires a fool or a bystander (NLT)

passerby: This word refers to a person who is standing around in the street or simply walking past. It implies here that the employer knows nothing about the person he is hiring.

General Comment on 26:10a–b

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

Hiring a foolish person or anyone just passing by is like an archer shooting at just anything. (NCV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

רַ֥ב מְחֽוֹלֵֽל־כֹּ֑ל וְ⁠שֹׂכֵ֥ר כְּ֝סִ֗יל וְ⁠שֹׂכֵ֥ר עֹבְרִֽים

great//chief/captain wounds all and,[one_who]_hires fool and,[one_who]_hires passing

If it would be more natural in your language, you could change the order of these clauses. Alternate translation: “One who hires a stupid one and hires those passing by is like an archer who pierces everyone”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

מְחֽוֹלֵֽל־כֹּ֑ל

wounds all

Here Solomon implies that the archer shoots arrows at everyone and those arrows pierce them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “who shoots arrows at everyone that pierce them”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ⁠שֹׂכֵ֥ר כְּ֝סִ֗יל וְ⁠שֹׂכֵ֥ר עֹבְרִֽים

and,[one_who]_hires fool and,[one_who]_hires passing

The word so here indicates that Solomon is comparing An archer who pierces everyone with one who hires a stupid one and hires those passing by. The point is that both of these are dangerous. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this more explicit. Alternate translation: “so one who hires a stupid one and hires those passing by is dangerous”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

וְ⁠שֹׂכֵ֥ר כְּ֝סִ֗יל

and,[one_who]_hires fool