PROV 26:12 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) Do you see a person who thinks they’re clever?
⇔ There’s more hope for a fool than for that person.

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 Εἶδον ἄνδρα δόξαντα παρʼ αὐτῷ σοφὸν εἶναι, ἐλπίδα μέντοι ἔσχε μᾶλλον ἄφρων αὐτοῦ.
(Eidon andra doxanta parʼ autōi sofon einai, elpida mentoi esⱪe mallon afrōn autou. )

BrTr I have seen a man who seemed [fn]to himself to be wise; but a fool had more hope than he.

ULT You see a man wise in his eyes.
⇔ There is more hope for a stupid one than for him.

UST Consider this: Foolish people are more likely to learn
⇔ than people who wrongly think that they are already wise.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
⇔ There is more hope for a fool than for him.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
⇔ There is more hope for a fool than for him.

LSV You have seen a man wise in his own eyes,
More hope of a fool than of him!

FBV Have you seen a man who is wise in his own eyes? There's more hope for stupid people than for him!

T4T ⇔ God can help/bless foolish people more easily
⇔ than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.

LEB • Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

BBE Have you seen a man who seems to himself to be wise? There is more hope for the foolish than for him.

Moff You see a man of self-conceit
⇔ More hope for a fool than for him!

JPS Seest thou a man wise in his own eyes? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

ASV Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit?
⇔ There is more hope of a fool than of him.

DRA Hast thou seen a man wise in his own conceit? there shall be more hope of a fool than of him.

YLT Thou hast seen a man wise in his own eyes, More hope of a fool than of him!

Drby Hast thou seen a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope of a fool than of him.

RV Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
(Seest thou/you a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him. )

SLT Sawest thou a man wise in his eyes? hope is for the foolish one more than for him.

Wbstr Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

KJB-1769 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
(Seest thou/you a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him. )

KJB-1611 Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceit? there is more hope of a foole then of him.
(Seest thou/you a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool then of him.)

Bshps If thou seest a man that is wise in his owne conceipt: there is more hope in a foole, then in hym.
(If thou/you seest/see a man that is wise in his own conceit: there is more hope in a fool, then in him.)

Gnva Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceite? more hope is of a foole then of him.
(Seest thou/you a man wise in his own conceite? more hope is of a fool then of him. )

Cvdl Yf thou seyest a man yt is wyse in his owne conceate, there is more hope in a foole then in hi.
(If thou/you seyest a man it is wise in his own conceit, there is more hope in a fool then in hi.)

Wycl Thou hast seyn a man seme wijs to hym silf; an vnkunnyng man schal haue hope more than he.
(Thou/You hast seen a man seem wise to himself; an uncunning/uneducated man shall have hope more than he.)

Luth Wenn du einen siehest, der sich weise dünket, da ist an einem Narren mehr Hoffnung denn an ihm.
(When you(sg) a see/look, the/of_the itself/yourself/themselves wise seems, there is at/to on fool(n) more hope(n) because/than at/to him.)

ClVg Vidisti hominem sapientem sibi videri? magis illo spem habebit insipiens.][fn]
(You_saw man wise to_himself to_seem? more that/there hope will_have stupid.] )

26.12 Vidisti hominem. In judicium ergo in hunc mundum veni Joan. 9., ut qui non vident videant, et qui vident, cæci fiant Eccl. 10..

26.12 You_saw man. In judgement therefore in/into/on this_one the_world I_came Yohan 9., as who/which not/no they_see let_them_see, and who/which they_see, blind be_done Eccl. 10..

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

26:12

The topic of this proverb (first line) is a conceited person who thinks that he is wise, but actually he is not wise.

^12aDo you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?

^12bThere is more hope for a fool than for him.

The second line compares this person to a fool. There is little hope that a fool’s character will improve. There is even less hope that the conceited person’s character will improve.

26:12a

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?

¶ Perhaps you^(sing) know a person who mistakenly thinks that he is wise.
¶ If a person is wise in his own opinion/viewpoint,

Do you see a man…?: This is a rhetorical question. Its function is to call the reader’s attention to the topic of this proverb. Some other ways to introduce the topic are:

Use a similar rhetorical question. For example:
Have you met a person who thinks he is wise? (GW)
Change the question to a statement with the same function. For example:
Think about a person who considers himself to be wise.

wise in his own eyes: This phrase refers to a person who incorrectly considers himself to be wise. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

wise in his own estimation/sight

think they are wise when they are not (GNT)

someone who says, “I’m really smart!” (CEV)

26:12a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ Even fools can sometimes learn a little, but fools who think that they are wise never learn anything.
¶ We^(incl) have only a little hope that the behavior of a fool will improve. We^(incl) have no hope at all for a person who thinks that he is wise when/but he is not.

26:12b

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

It is more likely for a fool to become wise than for that person.
it is very difficult for him to heed good advice. It is easier to expect/hope that even fools will heed it.

There is more hope for a fool than for him: In this comparison, the phrase There is more hope means “It is more likely that the hope will be fulfilled.”

The object of hope is only implied. In some languages, it may be necessary to make it explicit. For example:

There is more hope that a fool’s character will improve…

There is more hope that a fool will accept good advice…

There is more hope for a fool to become wise…

General Comment on 26:12a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of these two lines. If the order is changed, it may not be necessary to use an introductory phrase as the BSB has done. For example:

There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise. (NLT)

It may also be necessary to divide the “more…than” comparison into two or more statements or to state the comparison in a different way. For example:

Sometimes it is possible for fools to learn. But as for people who mistakenly think that they are wise, it is almost never possible for them to learn.

Fools seldom accept advice. People who are wise in their own opinion never accept it.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

רָאִ֗יתָ אִ֭ישׁ חָכָ֣ם בְּ⁠עֵינָ֑י⁠ו

see (a)_man wise in,his_own_of,eyes

Although the Hebrew text is not worded like a question, many translations make this clause into a rhetorical question. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this as a question. See how you translated the similar use of You see in [22:29](../22/29.md). Alternate translation: “Have you seen a man wise in his eyes?”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

אִ֭ישׁ חָכָ֣ם בְּ⁠עֵינָ֑י⁠ו & לִ⁠כְסִ֣יל מִמֶּֽ⁠נּוּ

(a)_man wise in,his_own_of,eyes & [belongs]_to,a_fool more,than_him

Here, a man, his, a stupid one, and him refer to types of people in general, not specific people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. See how you translated a stupid one in [10:18](../10/18.md). Alternate translation: “any person wise in that person’s eyes … for any stupid person than that person”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

חָכָ֣ם בְּ⁠עֵינָ֑י⁠ו

wise in,his_own_of,eyes

Here Solomon implies that this man is not actually wise. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “wise in his eyes who is not really wise”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

בְּ⁠עֵינָ֑י⁠ו

in,his_own_of,eyes

See how you translated the same use of eyes in [3:7](../03/07.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

תִּקְוָ֖ה

hope