PROV 28:4 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=minor/spelling Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

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 οὕτως οἱ ἐγκαταλείποντες τὸν νόμον ἐγκωμιάζουσιν ἀσέβειαν· οἱ δὲ ἀγαπῶντες τὸν νόμον, περιβάλλουσιν ἑαυτοῖς τεῖχος.
(houtōs hoi egkataleipontes ton nomon egkōmiazousin asebeian; hoi de agapōntes ton nomon, periballousin heautois teiⱪos. )

BrTr so they that forsake the law praise ungodliness; but they that love the law fortify themselves with a wall.

ULT Those forsaking the law praise the wicked,
⇔ but those keeping the law strive against them.

UST People who reject Yahweh’s laws say good things about wicked people;
⇔ but people who obey those laws oppose such wicked people.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Those who forsake the law praise the wicked;
⇔ but those who keep the law contend with them.

WMBB Those who forsake the Torah praise the wicked;
⇔ but those who keep the Torah contend with them.

NET Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
⇔ but those who keep the law contend with them.

LSV Those forsaking the Law praise the wicked,
Those keeping the Law plead against them.

FBV People who reject the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law fight against them.

T4T ⇔ Those who reject/disobey God’s laws always speak well of wicked people;
⇔ but those who obey God’s laws always oppose what wicked people do.

LEB • Those who forsake instruction will praise the wicked, but they who guard instruction will struggle against them.

BBE Those who have no respect for the law give praise to the evil-doer; but such as keep the law are against him.

Moff Apostates praise pagans;
⇔ the faithful oppose them.

JPS They that forsake the law praise the wicked; but such as keep the law contend with them.

ASV They that forsake the law praise the wicked;
⇔ But such as keep the law contend with them.

DRA They that forsake the law, praise the wicked man: they that keep it, are incensed against him.

YLT Those forsaking the law praise the wicked, Those keeping the law plead against them.

Drby They that forsake the law praise the wicked; but such as keep the law contend with them.

RV They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

SLT They forsaking the law will praise the unjust: and they watching the law, shall contend with them.

Wbstr They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

KJB-1769 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

KJB-1611 They that forsake the law, praise the wicked: but such as keepe the Law, contend with them.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps They that forsake the lawe, prayse the vngodly: but such as kepe the lawe are greeued at them.
(They that forsake the law, praise the ungodly: but such as keep the law are grieved at them.)

Gnva They that forsake the Law, prayse the wicked: but they that keepe the Law, set themselues against them.
(They that forsake the Law, praise the wicked: but they that keep the Law, set themselves against them. )

Cvdl They that forsake the lawe, prayse ye vngodly; but soch as kepe the lawe, abhorre them.
(They that forsake the law, praise ye/you_all ungodly; but such as keep the law, abhor them.)

Wycl Thei that forsaken the lawe, preisen a wickid man; thei that kepen `the lawe, ben kyndlid ayens hym.
(They that forsaken the law, praisen a wicked man; they that keep the law, been kindled against him.)

Luth Die das Gesetz verlassen, loben den GOttlosen; die es aber bewahren, sind unwillig auf sie.
(The the law leave, praise the godless_one(s); the it but preserve/keep/retain, are unwilling on/in/to they/she/them.)

ClVg [Qui derelinquunt legem laudant impium; qui custodiunt, succenduntur contra eum.
([Who derelinquunt the_law they_praise impious/ungodly; who/which they_keep, succenduntur on_the_contrary him. )

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

28:4

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^4a Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

^4bbut those who keep the law resist them.

This proverb contrasts two groups of people: those who forsake the law and those who obey it. People in the first group praise wicked people. Those in the second group actively oppose wicked people.

28:4a

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

A person who rejects/abandons the wise advice that people have taught him praises people who are wicked/evil,
People who refuse to obey/follow what Yahweh teaches in his Word say good things about people who do wrong.

forsake: The word forsake means “abandon,” “ignore,” or “reject.” A person who “forsakes” the law does not obey it.

the law: In Proverbs, the Hebrew word that the BSB translates here as law refers to the moral advice or teaching of personified wisdom, wise parents, or other wise teachers.Many versions translate the Hebrew word used here (torah) as “law.” Elsewhere in the OT, it can refer to a particular set of regulations, such as the rules for conducting ceremonies and offerings or laws specifying the punishments for certain crimes. It can also refer in general to the Mosaic law (TWOT #910d). But many scholars agree that in Proverbs it refers more generally to moral advice or instructions, not to a particular set of laws. See BDB #8451 (p. 435), Vine (p. 134), HALOT, and Toy (pp. 496–497). According to Waltke (p. 409), the parallelism contrasts “those who abandon the sage’s divinely inspired instruction” and “the faithful who keep it.” Fox (p. 821) points out that without a definite article (Prov. 6:23; 28:4,7,9; and 29:18), the word should be understood as wisdom instruction. It would be unlikely for it to refer to “the divine Law.” In the overall context of Proverbs, it is implied that this teaching is based on the OT Scriptures, so ultimately, it comes from the LORD. However, in this verse, the person who does the teaching is not specified.

Some ways to translate the phrase “Those who forsake the law” are:

Leave the source of the teaching implied. For example:
Those who forsake instruction (NIV11)
Those who disobey what they have been taught (NCV)
Make the source of the teaching explicit. For example:
Those who abandon God’s law (REB)
Those who abandon God’s teachings (GW)
People who ignore what the LORD teaches in his Word

Translate in a way that clearly refers to moral advice. This verse does not refer to secular teaching in a school or to the regulations of a local government.

praise the wicked: Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

praise wicked people (GW)

say good things about wicked people

wicked: See the note on this word in 28:1a.

28:4b

but those who keep the law resist them.

but a person who obeys/follows that advice continually fights against them.
But people who obey/follow what he teaches do everything they can to oppose them.

resist them: In Hebrew, the form of the word that the BSB translates here as resist implies a continuing battle or struggle against someone. People who resist the wicked actively confront them.

Some versions express this idea with terms such as:

fight them (NJPS)

struggle against them (NRSV)

Such terms may be appropriate if they do not imply military action or a physical fight. Another way to translate this idea is:

always oppose them (CEV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

עֹזְבֵ֣י

forsake_of

See how you translated the same use of forsake in [1:8](../01/08.md).

Note 2 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

ת֭וֹרָה & ת֝וֹרָ֗ה

law & law

Here, the word law is singular in form, but it refers to several laws as a group. In this verse, law could refer to: (1) Yahweh’s laws. Alternate translation: “the laws of Yahweh … his laws” (2) wise instruction in general. Alternate translation: “wise instructions … those instructions”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

רָשָׁ֑ע

wicked

See how you translated a wicked one in [9:7](../09/07.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠שֹׁמְרֵ֥י

and,[those_who]_keep_of

Here Solomon speaks of obeying the law as if it were an object that someone can keep. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly, as in the UST.

Note 5 topic: writing-pronouns

בָֽ⁠ם

with,them

Here, them refers to wicked people, who are called a wicked one in the previous clause. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “against those wicked people”

Parallel PROV 28:4

Section 25:1–29:27: This is Hezekiah’s collection of Solomon’s proverbs

28:4

28:4a

28:4b