PROV 29:21 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.)

OET (OET-RV) Someone who’s pampered their servants since they were young,
⇔ can only expect insolence in the end.

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 Ὃς κατασπαταλᾷ ἐκ παιδὸς, οἰκέτης ἔσται, ἔσχατον δὲ ὀδυνηθήσεται ἐφʼ ἑαυτῷ·
(Hos kataspatala ek paidos, oiketaʸs estai, esⱪaton de odunaʸthaʸsetai efʼ heautōi; )

BrTr He that lives wantonly from a child, shall be a servant, and in the end shall grieve over himself.

UST If you give your servants everything they want when they are young,
⇔ then they will eventually be arrogant.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE He who pampers his servant from youth
⇔ will have him become a son in the end.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET If someone pampers his servant from youth,
⇔ he will be a weakling in the end.

LSV Whoever is bringing up his servant delicately, from youth,
[At] his latter end he is also continuator.

FBV A servant indulged from childhood will in the end become unmanageable.[fn]

29:21 “Unmanageable”: only one of a number of interpretations.

T4T ⇔ If someone gives his servants everything that they want, starting from when they are young,
⇔ some day those servants will take from him everything that he owns.

LEB • He who pampers his servant from childhood, arrogance will be his end .[fn]

29:? Literally “and its/his end will be arrogance”

BBE If a servant is gently cared for from his early years, he will become a cause of sorrow in the end.

Moff A spoiled boy sinks to be a slave,
⇔ and comes to grief at last.

JPS He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become master at the last.

ASV He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child
⇔ Shall have him become a son at the last.

DRA He that nourisheth his servant delicately from his childhood, afterwards shall find him stubborn.

YLT Whoso is bringing up his servant delicately, from youth, [At] his latter end also he is continuator.

Drby He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child, shall in the end have him as a son.

RV He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become a son at the last.
(He that delicately bringeth/brings up his servant from a child shall have him become a son at the last. )

SLT He bringing up his servant delicately from youth, and his latter state will be a child.

Wbstr He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him at length become his son.

KJB-1769 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.
(He that delicately bringeth/brings up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length. )

KJB-1611 He that delicately bringeth vp his seruant from a child, shall haue him become his sonne at the length.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps He that delicately bryngeth vp his seruaunt from a chylde, shall make hym his maister at length.
(He that delicately bringeth/brings up his servant from a child, shall make him his master at length.)

Gnva He that delicately bringeth vp his seruant from youth, at length he will be euen as his sone.
(He that delicately bringeth/brings up his servant from youth, at length he will be even as his son. )

Cvdl He that delicately bryngeth vp his seruaunt from a childe, shal make him his master at length.
(He that delicately bringeth/brings up his servant from a child, shall make him his master at length.)

Wycl He that nurschith his seruaunt delicatli fro childhod; schal fynde hym rebel aftirward.
(He that nurschith his servant delicatli from childhood; shall find him rebel afterward.)

Luth Wenn ein Knecht von Jugend auf zärtlich gehalten wird, so will er danach ein Junker sein.
(When a servant/farmhand from youth on/in/to zärtlich held becomes, so will he after/thereafter/then a Yunker be.)

ClVg Qui delicate a pueritia nutrit servum suum postea sentiet eum contumacem.][fn]
(Who delicate from childrentia nutrit a_servant his_own afterwards sentiet him contumacem.] )

29.21 Qui delicate a pueritia sua. Alia translatio pulchre: Qui deliciatur a pueritia sua, servus erit: novissime autem contristabitur. Sero enim malorum pœnitet, qui in tenera ætate noluit.

29.21 Who delicate from childrentia his_own. Alia transfer pulchre: Who deliciatur from childrentia his_own, servant will_be: newssime however contristabitur. Sero because of_evil repent, who/which in/into/on tenera age he_did_not_want.

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

29:21

The second line gives the undesirable result of pampering a servant starting from the time he is young.

^21aA servant pampered from his youth

^21bwill bring grief in the end.

Many versions translate this as an “if” clause. For example:

If you spoil your servants when they are young, they will bring you grief later on. (NCV)

You may translate it either way.

29:21a

A servant pampered from his youth

If a person allows his servant to do anything he wants starting from his childhood,
If you^(sing) spoil your slaves from the time they are young/children and are not strict with them,

A servant pampered: In Hebrew, the first line is more literally “one who pampers his slave from youth.” It refers to a person who spoils or over-indulges his household slave. He may be too lenient with the slave, or he may be too generous. He may also allow the slave to do whatever he wants.

servant: The word that the BSB translates as servant probably refers to a household slave. The same Hebrew word was used in 29:19a.

from his youth: The word youth refers here to a time in the slave’s childhood when he is old enough to learn the duties he will need to perform in the household.Waltke (p. 448) defines “youth” as “the early, immature but vigorous, trainable stage of life.”

Some other ways to translate this line are:

If you spoil your servants when they are young (NCV)

If you give your servants everything they want from childhood on (GNT)

If you are too lenient with your slave and allow him to do anything he wants starting from when he is a child

29:21b

will bring grief in the end.

after years have passed, that servant will cause sorrow and trouble for his master.
problems and grief will be the result in the future.

will bring grief in the end: There are many ways to interpret this clause. The main interpretations are:

The servant will cause his master grief or trouble. For example:
they will bring you grief later on (NCV) (BSB, NCV, NIV, CEV)
The servant will become the master’s heir or son. For example:
some day they will take over everything you own (GNT) (ESV, KJV, NASB, RSV, GNT)
The servant will be ungrateful. For example:
and later he will be ungrateful (GW) (GW, NJB, REB)
The servant will be insolent, stubborn, or rebellious. For example:
A servant…will turn out to be insolent. (NIV11) (NAB, NIV11, NLT)
The servant will come to a bad end. For example:
A slave…will come to a bad end. (NRSV) (NJPS, NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because it also includes some of the other more specific interpretations. For example, a slave who is stubborn or ungrateful will also cause trouble and grief. It is also recommended that you add a footnote with the other interpretations. A suggested footnote is:

In Hebrew, the words “will bring grief” are difficult to understand. Some other ways to interpret/translate these words are: 1) the servant will inherit what his master owns; 2) he will not be thankful; 3) he will become insolent; 4) his situation will be bad.

Another way to translate this clause is to use a general statement that includes most or all of the interpretations. For example:

the result will be bad

in the end: This phrase refers to an indefinite time in the future. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

some day (GNT)

later on (NCV)

eventually

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

מְפַנֵּ֣ק & עַבְדּ֑⁠וֹ

pampers & slave_of,his

Here, one and his refer to a type of person in general, not a specific person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “If any person pampers that person’s own servant”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

מִ⁠נֹּ֣עַר

from,youth

Here Solomon implies that youth refers to the youth of the servant. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “for that servant’s youth”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מִ⁠נֹּ֣עַר

from,youth

See how you translated the abstract noun youth in [2:17](../02/17.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ֝⁠אַחֲרִית֗⁠וֹ

and,his_of,end

Here, end refers to the result. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. See how you translated the same use of end in [14:12](../14/12.md).

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מָנֽוֹן

bad

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of insolence, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “acting insolently”

Parallel PROV 29:21

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

29:21

29:21a

29:21b