PROV 2:16 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none 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 τοῦ μακράν σε ποιῆσαι ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ εὐθείας, καὶ ἀλλότριον τῆς δικαίας γνώμης· υἱὲ, μή σε καταλάβῃ κακὴ βουλή·
(tou makran se poiaʸsai apo hodou eutheias, kai allotrion taʸs dikaias gnōmaʸs; huie, maʸ se katalabaʸ kakaʸ boulaʸ; )

BrTr to remove thee far from the straight way, and to estrange thee from a righteous purpose. My son, let not evil counsel overtake thee,

ULT to rescue you from a strange woman,
⇔ from a foreign woman who makes her sayings smooth,

UST Being discreet and insightful will protect you also from adulterous women.
⇔ Being discreet and insightful will save you from immoral women who speak to you seductively.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE to deliver you from the strange woman,
⇔ even from the foreigner who flatters with her words,

WMBB (Same as above)

NET to deliver you from the adulteress,
⇔ from the sexually loose woman who speaks flattering words;

LSV To deliver you from the strange woman,
From the stranger who has made her sayings smooth,

FBV Doing this will also save you from a woman who acts immorally,[fn] from a woman who like a prostitute[fn] tries to seduce you with flattering words.

2:16 “A woman who acts immorally”: literally “a strange woman.”

2:16 “A woman who like a prostitute”: literally “a foreign woman.” It is thought that this comes from the idea that prostitutes were often women from other nations,

T4T ⇔ If you are wise [PRS], you will also be saved from ◄immoral women/prostitutes►;
⇔ you will not pay attention when adulterous women try to ◄seduce/entice you by what they say.►

LEB • in order to deliver you from a strange woman, from a foreign woman who flatters[fn] with her sayings,

2:? Or “makes smooth”

BBE To take you out of the power of the strange woman, who says smooth words with her tongue;

Moff saving you also from the loose woman,
⇔ the harlot with her words so smooth,

JPS To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words;

ASV To deliver thee from the strange woman,
⇔ Even from the foreigner that flattereth with her words;

DRA That thou mayst be delivered from the strange women, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words:

YLT To deliver thee from the strange woman, From the stranger who hath made smooth her sayings,

Drby To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;

RV To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
(To deliver thee/you from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; )

SLT To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger making smooth her sayings;

Wbstr To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger who flattereth with her words;

KJB-1769 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
(To deliver thee/you from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; )

KJB-1611 To deliuer thee from the strange woman, euen from the stranger, which flattereth with her words:
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps That thou mayest be deliuered also from the straunge woman, and from her that is not thine owne, which geueth sweete wordes,
(That thou/you mayest/may be delivered also from the strange woman, and from her that is not thine/your own, which giveth/gives sweet words,)

Gnva And it shall deliuer thee from the strange woman, euen from the stranger, which flattereth with her wordes.
(And it shall deliver thee/you from the strange woman, even from the stranger, which flattereth with her words. )

Cvdl That thou mayest be delyuered also from the straunge woman, and from her that is not thine owne: which geueth swete wordes,
(That thou/you mayest/may be delivered also from the strange woman, and from her that is not thine/your own: which giveth/gives sweet words,)

Wycl That thou be delyuered fro an alien womman, and fro a straunge womman, that makith soft hir wordis;
(That thou/you be delivered from an alien/foreign(er) woman, and from a strange woman, that maketh/makes soft her words;)

Luth daß du nicht geratest an eines andern Weib, und die nicht dein ist, die glatte Worte gibt
(that you(sg) not rated at/to one/a change woman, and the not your(s) is, the smooth words gives)

ClVg Ut eruaris a muliere aliena, et ab extranea quæ mollit sermones suos,[fn]
(As you_are_rescued from woman foreign, and away foreign which softens conversations his_own, )

2.16 Ut eruaris a muliere. Pendet hic versus, etc., usque ad: et ipsi sunt jacula.

2.16 As you_are_rescued from woman. It_depends this/here towards_OR_verse, etc., until to: and themselves are arrow.

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Marriage and Sexuality

From the beginning of Scripture, marriage is considered sacred, and appropriate sexual expression is an important part of marriage (Gen 2:23-25). The Fall created a rupture in all relationships, first between God and humans, and then between husband and wife (Gen 3). The division between Adam and Eve was expressed in terms of their sexuality; they could no longer stand naked in the garden without feeling shame.

In Proverbs, the wise teacher frequently warns naive young men to avoid the temptations of sexual expression outside of marriage (Prov 2:16-22; 5:1-23; 6:20–7:27). While a young man might find other women physically attractive and seductive, the consequences of acting on these temptations are dire: His family and professional aspirations might be destroyed. Proverbs teaches young men to cultivate a strong relationship with their own wives. They are counseled to have healthy marital sex rather than sleeping with other women (5:15-20).

Although this section of Proverbs was originally written to instruct young men, all readers can reflect on these issues of marriage and sexuality. Proverbs urges men and women to recognize the sanctity and beauty of marital love as God, the wise Creator, intended it.

The New Testament reaffirms the sacredness of sexuality and its proper expression in marriage. Jesus appeals to the creation narrative in Genesis as a way of highlighting the intended permanency of the marriage relationship. After quoting Genesis 2:24, he states, “Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together” (Matt 19:3-6). Paul discusses the importance of maintaining sexual intimacy in marriage, lest Satan be afforded an opportunity to tempt (1 Cor 7:3-5). God’s desire is that those who join in marriage would remain faithful to one another, avoiding sexual activity that is destructive to the sacred relationship they have entered (see Heb 13:4).

Passages for Further Study

Gen 2:18-25; Prov 2:16-22; 5:15-20; 6:20-35; 7:1-27; Jer 5:7-11; Hos 2:20; Mal 2:14-16; Matt 19:4-6; 22:30; 1 Cor 6:15-20; Heb 13:4

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–22: Second lesson: Wisdom will spare you from the dangers of crime and adultery

Here is a summary of the advice in this section: If you accept what I teach and seek to become wise (2:1–4), you will indeed become wise, and because of your wisdom, you will know how to revere the LORD and how to do what is right. You will also be protected (2:5–11). Wisdom will protect you from wicked men (2:12–15) and from adulterous women (2:16–19). Consequently, you will follow a righteous lifestyle and enjoy a long life in your own land, but the wicked will be forced to leave their land (2:20–22).

Some other headings for this section are:

The Benefits of Wisdom (NLT)

The Rewards of Wisdom (GNT)

The rewards/benefits that wisdom gives to people

Paragraph 2:16–19

This paragraph describes the second evil influence from which wisdom will protect a person. It will prevent him from being seduced by an adulteress.

2:16

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^16aIt will rescue you from the forbidden woman,

^16b from the stranger with seductive words

There is an ellipsis of the words “It will rescue you” at the beginning of 2:16b. (See the note on the similar ellipsis at 2:12.)

The “forbidden woman” in 2:16a refers to the same person as the “stranger” in 2:16b. The phrase “seductive words” adds an additional detail. It refers equally to the “forbidden woman” and the “stranger.”

2:16a

It will rescue you from the forbidden woman,

¶ Wisdom will also keep you^(sing) from being tempted by women who commit adultery.
¶ If you are wise you will also avoid women who are unfaithful to their husbands.

It will rescue you from the forbidden woman: In Hebrew, this verse begins with the same word as in 2:12a. It is literally “to save you.” If it is natural in your language, you should use the same word here as in 2:12a. This will make clear to the readers that the forbidden woman is the second thing from which wisdom will save a person.

If it is not clear to your readers what will save a person from the adulteress, you may add the word “wisdom,” as the GW has done:

Wisdom will also save you… (GW)

Here, as in 2:12a, It (wisdom) is personified. In some languages, it may not be natural to talk about wisdom in this way. Another way to express the meaning without using this figure of speech is:

If you are wise, you will not yield to the temptation of the adulteress

the forbidden woman: The Hebrew phrase ʾiššah zarah, which the BSB translates as forbidden woman, is more literally “strange woman.” In Hebrew culture, a wife was considered “strange” to any man other than her husband. The description of this woman in 2:17 makes it clear that this phrase refers to an adulterous/unfaithful wife.See Fox (pages 134–141) for a thorough evaluation of six possible identities for the “strange woman.” He comments that every wife is a “strange woman” to all men but her husband and that men are also “strange” with respect to other men’s wives. He says that an “unmarried woman would probably not be called an ʾiššah zarah, since zarah implies that the woman belongs sexually to another man, and an unmarried woman does not belong to anyone. He concludes that the “strange woman” in Proverbs is the wife of another man. Whybray (page 55) agrees. Ross (page 915) calls her a “licentious woman” but then goes on to say that this is probably an Israelite woman who is acting outside the legal bounds of marriage within the covenant. Scott (page 43) comments that most cult prostitutes in the Canaanite religion were married women. It does not refer to an unmarried, immoral woman.

2:16a–b

(combined/reordered)

¶ Not only will wisdom rescue/keep you^(sing) from following evil people, it/wisdom will also rescue/keep you from women who commit adultery who try to seduce/entice men with their flattering/pleasing words.

2:16b

from the stranger with seductive words

These are women who stray from their own husbands. They try to seduce you^(sing) with their flattering/enticing words.
You will not listen to the nice things that they say when they try to persuade you to sleep with them.

the stranger: The Hebrew word nokǝriyyah, which the BSB translates as stranger, usually means “foreign woman” or “strange woman.” However, in Proverbs it refers to a wife who commits adultery (see also 5:20a–b, 7:5, 23:27b).

with seductive words: This phrase is more literally “who makes smooth her words.” It means that she uses flattering words that entice the young man by appealing to his pride. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

who tries to seduce you with her smooth talk (GNT)

from the flattery of the adulterous woman (NLT96)

This same idea is expressed figuratively in 5:3a–b, 6:24a–b and 7:21a–b.

General Comment on 2:16a–b

The parallel terms “forbidden woman” and “stranger” refer to a single class of women who commit adultery. They do not refer to a particular individual. If using parallel expressions implies two kinds of women or if using two synonymous phrases sounds redundant, you may want to combine and/or reorder the parallel terms. For example:

It will save you from the unfaithful wife who tries to lead you into adultery with pleasing words. (NCV)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

לְ֭⁠הַצִּ֣ילְ⁠ךָ

to,deliver,you

Here, to indicates that what follows is another purpose for “discretion” and “understanding” guarding a person, as stated in the [2:11](../02/11.md). Use the most natural way in your language to indicate a purpose. If you divided up the long sentence in [2:11–17](../02/11.md) into shorter sentences, then here, beginning a new sentence, you will need to repeat some information from [2:11](../02/11.md). Alternate translation: “Discretion and understanding will guard you for the additional purpose of rescuing you”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מֵ⁠אִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝⁠נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה

from,a_woman forbidden from,a_foreign_[woman]

Here Solomon refers to an immoral and adulterous woman as if she were a stranger or foreigner. God considers such a woman to be strange or foreign because her sinful acts have caused her to be alienated from God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly, as in the UST.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

מֵ⁠אִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝⁠נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה

from,a_woman forbidden from,a_foreign_[woman]

Solomon is speaking of any women who do these things, not of one particular woman. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use expressions that would be more natural in your language. Alternate translation: “from any strange woman, from any foreign woman”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

מִ֝⁠נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה

from,a_foreign_[woman]

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 earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “and to rescue you from a foreign woman”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אֲמָרֶ֥י⁠הָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה

words_of,[who]_her flatters

Here Solomon speaks of this woman speaking seductively as if she were making what she says smooth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “who makes her sayings seductive”