PROV 26:3 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.)

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 μάστιξ ἵππῳ καὶ κέντρον ὄνῳ, οὕτως ῥάβδος ἔθνει παρανόμῳ.
(Hōsper mastix hippōi kai kentron onōi, houtōs ɽabdos ethnei paranomōi. )

BrTr As a whip for a horse, and a goad for an ass, so is a rod for a simple nation.

ULT A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
⇔ and a rod for the back of stupid ones.

UST As people must whip horses and bridle donkeys in order to guide them,
⇔ so people must physically punish foolish people in order to guide them.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE A whip is for the horse,
⇔ a bridle for the donkey,
⇔ and a rod for the back of fools!

WMBB (Same as above)

NET A whip for the horse and a bridle for the donkey,
⇔ and a rod for the backs of fools!

LSV A whip is for a horse, a bridle for a donkey,
And a rod for the back of fools.

FBV Horses need a whip, donkeys need a bridle, and stupid people need a rod on their backs!

T4T ⇔ It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey to force them to go where we want them to go,
⇔ and similarly [SIM] it is often necessary to strike foolish people with a stick to cause them to do what is right.

LEB • A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.

BBE A whip for the horse, a mouth-bit for the ass, and a rod for the back of the foolish.

Moff A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass,
⇔ and a rod for the back of a fool!

JPS A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools.

ASV A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass,
⇔ And a rod for the back of fools.

DRA A whip for a horse, and a snaffle for an ass, and a rod for the back of fools.

YLT A whip is for a horse, a bridle for an ass, And a rod for the back of fools.

Drby A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools.

RV A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the back of fools.
(A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod/staff for the back of fools. )

SLT A whip for the horse, the curb for the ass, and the rod for the back of the foolish.

Wbstr A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

KJB-1769 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.
(A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod/staff for the fool’s back. )

KJB-1611 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the asse; and a rod for the fooles backe.
(A whip for the horse, a bridle for the asse; and a rod/staff for the fools back.)

Bshps Unto the horse belongeth a whip, to the asse a brydle: and a rod to the fooles backe.
(Unto the horse belongeth/belongs a whip, to the ass a bridle: and a rod/staff to the fools back.)

Gnva Vnto the horse belongeth a whip, to the asse a bridle, and a rod to the fooles backe.
(Unto the horse belongeth/belongs a whip, to the ass a bridle, and a rod/staff to the fools back. )

Cvdl Vnto the horse belongeth a whyppe, to the Asse a brydle, and a rodde to the fooles backe.
(Unto the horse belongeth/belongs a whyppe, to the Ass a bridle, and a rod/staff to the fools back.)

Wycl Beting to an hors, and a bernacle to an asse; and a yerde in the bak of vnprudent men.
(Beting to an hors, and a bernacle to an asse; and a rod/stick in the back of unprudent men.)

Luth Dem Roß eine Geißel und dem Esel ein Zaum; und dem Narren eine Rute auf den Rücken.
(To_him horse a/one Geißel and to_him donkey a bridle; and to_him fool(n) a/one rod on/in/to the back/spine.)

ClVg Flagellum equo, et camus asino, et virga in dorso imprudentium.
(Flagellum equo, and camus asino, and rod/staff in/into/on back imof_the_wise. )

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

26:3

This proverb teaches that fools may need a beating before they do what they are told (26:3b). They are like a horse or donkey that need a whip or bridle to guide and control them (26:3a).

^3a A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

^3band a rod for the backs of fools!

The three parallel phrases imply that fools are similar to animals, because they do not respond to reason. Like horses and donkeys, they require force, not only words.

26:3a

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

¶ It is necessary to whip a horse or bridle a donkey to make them do what you^(sing) want them to do.
¶ You need a bridle and a whip to control/guide horses and donkeys.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey: In Palestine, the horse was used mostly for battle, so the rider or chariot driver used a whip to make the horse obey promptly. Common people usually rode on a donkey. They used a bridle to make the animal go where they wanted.

These two phrases are parallel. They do not necessarily imply that whips were only used for horses and that bridles were only used for donkeys.

Some other ways to translate these phrases are:

Use verbs rather than nouns. For example:
You have to whip a horse, you have to bridle a donkey (GNT)
Make explicit the purpose of the whip and bridle. For example:
Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle (NLT)
Make it clear that people used whips and bridles for both kinds of animals. For example:
Horses and donkeys must be beaten and bridled (CEV)

bridle: This word refers to pieces of leather or rope that were fitted around the neck and head of a horse or donkey. The bridle was often attached to a piece of metal in the animal’s mouth. Some other ways to translate this word are:

halter (NIV)

reins/rope

26:3a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ You^(sing) cannot simply tell fools what to do. They also need to be beaten the way that horses and donkeys need to be whipped or bridled.
¶ A fool will not follow advice until/unless he feels a stick/rod on his back. He is like a horse or donkey that only obey when they feel a whip or the pressure of the reins.

26:3b

and a rod for the backs of fools!

Likewise, it is necessary to beat a fool.
You^(sing) need a stick/cane to make fools obey your instructions.

and a rod for the backs of fools: The word rod was last used in 23:14. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

General Comment on 26:3a–b

Use a verb rather than a noun. In some languages, it may be more natural to leave the rod and backs implied. For example:
and you have to beat a fool (GNT)
Make explicit the purpose of the rod. For example:
you need to use a stick if you want a fool to obey you

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the three parallel phrases in these two lines. See 26:3a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

שׁ֣וֹט לַ֭⁠סּוּס מֶ֣תֶג לַ⁠חֲמ֑וֹר וְ֝⁠שֵׁ֗בֶט לְ⁠גֵ֣ו כְּסִילִֽים

whip [is]_for,horse bridle [is]_for,donkey and,a_rod [is]_for_[the],back_of fools

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence 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: “A whip is for the horse, a bridle is for the donkey, and a rod is for the back of stupid ones”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

שׁ֣וֹט לַ֭⁠סּוּס מֶ֣תֶג לַ⁠חֲמ֑וֹר וְ֝⁠שֵׁ֗בֶט לְ⁠גֵ֣ו כְּסִילִֽים

whip [is]_for,horse bridle [is]_for,donkey and,a_rod [is]_for_[the],back_of fools

A whip, the horse, a bridle, the donkey, a rod, and the back refer to these things and animals in general. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “Whips are for horses, bridles are for donkeys, and rods are for backs of stupid ones”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

וְ֝⁠שֵׁ֗בֶט

and,a_rod

Here, and indicates that Solomon is comparing what follows to what he said in the previous clause. Solomon is saying that people must hit stupid ones with a rod in order to control them, just like they must use a whip to control horses and a bridle to control donkeys. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “in the same way a rod”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ֝⁠שֵׁ֗בֶט לְ⁠גֵ֣ו

and,a_rod [is]_for_[the],back_of