PROV 27:23 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) Make sure you know the state of your flock well.
⇔ ≈ Set your mind on your cattle herds,

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 Γνωστῶς ἐπιγνώσῃ ψυχὰς ποιμνίου σου, καὶ ἐπιστήσεις καρδίαν σου σαῖς ἀγέλαις.
(Gnōstōs epignōsaʸ psuⱪas poimniou sou, kai epistaʸseis kardian sou sais agelais. )

BrTr Do thou thoroughly know the number of thy flock, and pay attention to thine herds.

UST Be fully aware of how your sheep are doing.
⇔ Indeed, consider carefully how your animals fare.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE ⇔ Know well the state of your flocks,
⇔ and pay attention to your herds,

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Pay careful attention to the condition of your flocks,
⇔ give careful attention to your herds,

LSV Know the face of your flock well,
Set your heart to the droves,

FBV You should know the condition of your flocks really well and take good care of your herds,

T4T ⇔ Take good care of your flocks of sheep
⇔ and herds of cattle,

LEB • You will surely know the condition[fn] of your flock; your heart[fn] attends to the herds.

27:? Literally “faces”

27:? Or “mind”

BBE Take care to have knowledge about the condition of your flocks, looking well after your herds;

Moff Look well to the state of your flocks,
⇔ and be careful of your herds;

JPS Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds;

ASV ⇔ Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks,
⇔ And look well to thy herds:

DRA Be diligent to know the countenance of thy cattle, and consider thy own flocks:

YLT Know well the face of thy flock, Set thy heart to the droves,

Drby Be well acquainted with the appearance of thy flocks; look well to thy herds:

RV Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds:
(Be thou/you diligent to know the state of thy/your flocks, and look well to thy/your herds: )

SLT Knowing, thou shalt know the face of thy flock; set thy heart to thy herds.

Wbstr Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.

KJB-1769 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.[fn]
(Be thou/you diligent to know the state of thy/your flocks, and look well to thy/your herds. )

27.23 look…: Heb. set thy heart

KJB-1611 [fn]Be thou diligent to knowe the state of thy flocks, and looke well to thy herds.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above apart from footnotes)

27:23 Hebr. set thy heart.

Bshps Be thou diligent to knowe the state of thy cattell thy selfe, and loke well to thy flockes.
(Be thou/you diligent to know the state of thy/your cattle thyself/yourself, and look well to thy/your flocks.)

Gnva Be diligent to know ye state of thy flocke, and take heede to the heardes.
(Be diligent to know ye/you_all state of thy/your flock, and take heed to the herds. )

Cvdl Se yt thou knowe the nombre of thy catell thy self, and loke well to thy flockes.
(See it thou/you know the number of thy/your cattle thy/your self, and look well to thy/your flocks.)

Wycl Knowe thou diligentli the cheere of thi beeste; and biholde thou thi flockis.
(Know thou/you diligently the cheere of thy/your beast/animal; and behold thou/you thy/your flocks.)

Luth Auf deine Schafe hab acht und nimm dich deiner Herde an;
(On/In/To your sheep have eight and take you/yourself your(s) herd an;)

ClVg [Diligenter agnosce vultum pecoris tui, tuosque greges considera:[fn]
([Carefully acknowledge face cattle yours(sg), yoursque flocks considera: )

27.23 Diligenter. Pastori Ecclesiæ dicitur, etc., usque ad si tuo tempore bene paveris.

27.23 Carefully. Pastori Assemblies/Churches it_is_said, etc., until to when/but_if your at_the_time well paveris.

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 27:23–27

This paragraph advises the reader to take good care of his sheep and goats (27:23). The reason is that accumulated wealth and a stable government do not last (27:24). When he does the work to provide food for the animals (27:25), they will provide a continuing source of clothing, income, and food for his family (27:26–27).

27:23

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^23a Be sure to know the state of your flocks,

^23b and pay close attention to your herds;

The underlined parts imply that the reader should carefully tend his animals. They do not mean that the reader should simply be aware of their condition. The parts in bold print refer to the same group of animals. They do not contrast.

27:23a

Be sure to know the state of your flocks,

¶ Carefully examine your^(sing) sheep and goats to see whether their health/condition is good.
¶ Pay careful attention to the appearance/condition of your flocks,

Be sure to know the state of: This command is very emphatic in Hebrew. It strongly advises the reader to be personally aware of the state of his flocks. The word that the BSB translates as state is literally “face.” It refers to the appearance of the animals. When a person carefully examines an animal, he can tell whether it is healthy and whether it is getting enough to eat.

your flocks: In Hebrew, the word flocks can refer to groups of sheep or goats or a mixture of sheep and goats.NIDOTTE (H7366). See also BDB (#6629). In the context of 27:26–27, the word refers to both sheep and goats. Some ways to translate this command are:

Pay careful attention to the condition of your flocks (NET)

Take good care of your flocks (NAB)

Carefully examine your sheep and goats to see whether their health/condition is good.

27:23a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ You^(sing) should be sure to tend your sheep and goats carefully,
¶ Always do your best to properly care for your flocks.

27:23b

and pay close attention to your herds;

Care for them well/properly,
and be sure that you^(sing) take good care of them.

and pay close attention to: In Hebrew, this command is literally “set your heart on.” Like the previous command, it indicates that the reader should direct his thoughts to taking good care of his animals. In some languages, there may be an idiom that expresses this meaning effectively. For example:

put your heart into caring for… (NLT)

Some other ways to translate this command are:

take good care of… (NJB)

pay attention to the condition of… (NCV)

your herds: In Hebrew, this word almost always refers to flocks of sheep and/or goats.BDB (#6373) understands this word (ʿeder) to refer here to a flock of sheep. Although HALOT (#6828) defines it as “a group of cattle sheep and goats assembled under one shepherd,” the only references that mention animals other than sheep and goats are Genesis 32:16, 19, in which the context mentions goats, camels, cows, and donkeys, and Joel 1:18 (2x), where the word refers once to cattle and once to sheep. All other references (about 30) refer to either sheep or goats or both. UBS, Cohen, Toy, and Whybray all think that the word refers here to sheep and goats, probably not cattle. In English, the word herds usually refers to groups of larger animals, such as cattle or camels. Since sheep and goats are the only animals mentioned specifically in this paragraph, it is recommended that you use a word or phrase in your language that refers to those animals or at least includes them.

If you keep the parallel lines, you may use different terms in the second line to avoid unnatural redundancy. For example:

your flocks…your sheep and goats

your sheep and goats…your animals

the animals in your flock…them

General Comment on 27:23a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder some of the parallel parts. For example:

You should take good care of your sheep and goats (CEV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

יָדֹ֣עַ תֵּ֭דַע פְּנֵ֣י צֹאנֶ֑⁠ךָ שִׁ֥ית לִ֝בְּ⁠ךָ֗ לַ⁠עֲדָרִֽים

sure know face/surface_of your_flock_of,of attends heart_of,your to_[the],herds

These two clauses mean basically the same thing. The second clause emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the clauses with a word that shows that the second clause is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “Know well the faces of your flock; yes, set your heart to the herds”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

פְּנֵ֣י

face/surface_of

Here, faces refers to what the animals in the flock look like, which would indicate the condition of their health. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the condition of”

Note 3 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

צֹאנֶ֑⁠ךָ

your_flock_of,of

In this verse, the word flock is singular in form, but it refers to all sheep or goats as a group. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this plainly. Alternate translation: “your group of sheep”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

שִׁ֥ית לִ֝בְּ⁠ךָ֗

attends heart_of,your

See how you translated this phrase in [22:17](../22/17.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

לַ⁠עֲדָרִֽים

to_[the],herds

The parallelism with the previous clause indicates that Solomon is referring to the condition of the herds. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “to the condition of the herds”