PROV 30:31 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=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) • 2. the strutting rooster,
• 3. male goats, and
• 4. a king with his bodyguards around him.

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).

ULT a rooster of loins, or a male goat,
⇔ and a king against whom one does not rise up.

UST strutting male birds, male goats,
⇔ and kings whom people are afraid to rebel against.

30:31 Or a king against whom there is no rising up

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE the greyhound;
⇔ the male goat;
⇔ and the king against whom there is no rising up.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET a strutting rooster, a male goat,
⇔ and a king with his army around him.

LSV A girt one of the loins,
Also a male goat,
And a king—troops with him.

FBV The strutting starling,[fn] the male goat, and a king with his army.

30:31 “Starling”: as per modern Hebrew and Aramaic, some ancient versions have “rooster.”

T4T male goats, strutting roosters,
⇔ and kings who ◄parade/walk proudly back and forth► in front of the people whom they rule.

LEB • a strutting rooster or he-goat, and a king whose army is with him.

BBE The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.

Moff a strutting cock, and a he-goat
⇔ and a king at the head of a host.
¶ 

JPS The greyhound; the he-goat also; and the king, against whom there is no rising up.

ASV The greyhound; the he-goat also;
⇔ And the king against whom there is no rising up.

DRA A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.

YLT A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king — no rising up with him.

Drby a [horse] girt in the loins; or the he-goat; and a king, against whom none can rise up.

RV The greyhound; the he-goat also; and the king, against whom there is no rising up.

SLT One girded in loins, or a he goat; and a king, no rising up with him.

Wbstr A greyhound; a he-goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

KJB-1769 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.[fn]

30.31 greyhound: or, horse: Heb. girt in the loins

KJB-1611 [fn]A gray-hound; an hee-goate also; and a king, against whom there is no rising vp.
(A gray-hound; an hee-goate also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.)

30:31 Or, horse. Heb. girt in the loynes.

Bshps A grayhounde strong in the hynder partes, a ramme also, and a king against whom no man aryseth vp.
(A grayhounde strong in the hinder parts, a ram also, and a king against whom no man ariseth up.)

Gnva A lusty grayhound, and a goate, and a King against whom there is no rising vp.
(A lusty grayhound, and a goat, and a King against whom there is no rising up. )

Cvdl A cock ready to fight: A rame: And a kynge yt goeth forth wt his people.
(A cock ready to fight: A rame: And a king it goeth/goes forth with his people.)

Wycl a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
(a cock gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that shall stand_against him.)

Luth ein Wind von guten Lenden; und ein Widder; und der König, wider den sich niemand darf legen.
(a wind from good lumbar; and a ram(n); and the/of_the king, against the itself/yourself/themselves no_one may place.)

ClVg gallus succinctus lumbos; et aries; nec est rex, qui resistat ei.[fn]
(rooster succinctus waist; and aries; but_not it_is king, who/which resistat to_him. )

30.31 Gallus, scilicet prædicatores, inter hujus sæculi tenebras verum mane nuntiantes. Et aries. Primus ordo sacerdotum, etc., usque ad postquam elevatus est in sublime.

30.31 Gallus, namely preachers, between of_this of_the_world/of_the_ages darkness true in_the_morning nuntiantes. And aries. Primus order(n) priests, etc., until to after elevatus it_is in/into/on sublime.

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 30:1–33: Here are the sayings of Agur

This section is a collection of verses that were written or organized by Agur the son of Jakeh.Some scholars think that Agur wrote or collected only verses 1–4, 1–6, 1–9, or 1–14. UBS (page 617), Toy (page 518), and Longman (page 513) are among those who list some of these possibilities. The GNT indicates with quotation marks that Agur’s words end after v.6. No other versions indicate that Agur’s words end before the end of the chapter. Waltke (volume I, page 26) strongly defends the entire chapter as the “oracle” of Agur on the basis of its structural unity. Kidner (page 178) divides the chapter into two sections (1–9) and (10–33), but identifies both as coming from “the sage.” The title of this section (30:1a) is the only place in Scripture that Agur is mentioned. The section is divided into paragraphs that vary from one to five verses. The Notes will suggest a paragraph heading for all paragraphs after 30:1a. It is suggested that you use similar headings in your translation to help the readers follow the changes of topic and audience.

The first nine verses contain Agur’s personal thoughts and prayers. Some are addressed to God, others to his audience. The rest of the chapter contains proverbs on various topics. Some are individual warnings or statements (30:10, 17, 20, 32–33). Others contain several kinds of lists of four items each. The lists in verses 15b–16, 18–19, 21–23, and 29–31 have the same form as the numerical proverb in 6:16–19. (See the paragraph summary for 6:16–19 and the notes on 6:16a–b.) The lists in verses 11–14 and 24–28 have different forms. These will be described in the paragraph summaries where they first occur.

Some other headings for this section are:

The Words of Agur (ESV)

Wise Words from Agur (NCV)

Words that the LORD caused Agur to make known

Paragraph 30:29–31 Four things that walk like leaders

This is a numerical proverb that has the same form as 30:18–19. The author lists three animals and a person that walk in a way that shows their pride and status as leaders.

30:31a

a strutting rooster; a he-goat;

Two others are a strutting/proud rooster and a male goat.
Others are a rooster and a male goat that is guarding his ewes.

a strutting rooster: This phrase refers to a rooster or a cock that raises its head high as it walks around. In languages that do not describe the way a rooster struts, some other ways to translate this phrase are:

Use a different word that describes the appearance of a rooster. For example:
those proud roosters (CEV)
Omit the description. It is implied from 30:29a–b. For example:
a rooster (NCV)

a he-goat: A male goat that is protecting the females in his flock from rival goats walks in an aggressive way.

30:31b

and a king with his army around him.

The fourth/last is a king who leads his army.
Finally, there is a king who is marching/walking with his soldiers.

and a king with his army around him: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as army occurs only once in the OT. Its meaning is uncertain. Scholars have proposed different vowels for the Hebrew consonants and different ways of dividing the Hebrew words.For a summary of some of the issues involved, see the Exegetical Notes and Text Critical Notes in BART for the word ʾalqum. An Arabic cognate of this word means “band of soldiers.” For further discussion, see Waltke (page 462), Cohen (page 208), and Murphy (page 233). As a result, there are three main ways to interpret this line:

In the Masoretic Text (MT), it refers to a king who is leading or accompanied by his army. For example:
and a king whose army is with him (ESV)
a king as he leads his army (NLT) (BSB, ESV, GW, NCV, NET, NASB, NIV, NLT, REB)
In the LXX, it refers to a king in front of his people. For example:
and kings in front of their people (GNT) (NAB, NJB, NRSV, GNT)
In the Latin Vulgate, it refers to a king who faces no revolts or resistance. For example:
the king whom none dares resist (NJPS) (CEV, KJV, NIV11, NJPS)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions. A cognate word in Arabic means “band of soldiers.” With this interpretation, it is not necessary to change the Masoretic Text.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

זַרְזִ֣יר מָתְנַ֣יִם אוֹ־תָ֑יִשׁ וּ֝⁠מֶ֗לֶךְ אַלְק֥וּם עִמּֽ⁠וֹ

one_girded_of loins or he-goat and,a_king army with=him/it

Here, one girded of loins, a male goat, a king, and one refer to animals or people in general, not specific animals or people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “those girded of loins, or any male goat, and any king against whom any person does not rise up”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

זַרְזִ֣יר מָתְנַ֣יִם

one_girded_of loins

Many scholars believe that this is an idiom that refers to a rooster that struts proudly. Roosters are male birds that walk around in a proud manner. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of bird, you could use the name of something similar in your area, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: “strutting roosters” or “a male bird that struts proudly”

Note 3 topic: translate-textvariants

אַלְק֥וּם עִמּֽ⁠וֹ

army with=him/it

Some scholars believe that the phrase translated as against whom one does not rise up could also be translated as “whose army is with him.” If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT.

Parallel PROV 30:31

Section 30:1–33: Here are the sayings of Agur

Paragraph 30:29–31 Four things that walk like leaders

30:31a

30:31b