PROV 30:32 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.)

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).

ULT If you have been foolish by lifting up yourself,
⇔ or if you have schemed, a hand be to mouth!

UST If you have acted foolishly by bragging about yourself,
⇔ or if you were plotting to do what is evil,
⇔ then stop doing so immediately!

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE ⇔ “If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself,
⇔ or if you have thought evil,
⇔ put your hand over your mouth.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET If you have done foolishly by exalting yourself
⇔ or if you have planned evil,
⇔ put your hand over your mouth!

LSV If you have been foolish in lifting yourself up,
And if you have devised evil—hand to mouth!

FBV If you have been foolishly boasting about yourself, or if you've been planning to do something wrong, stop and put your hand over your mouth.

T4T ⇔ If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself,
⇔ or if you been planning to do something evil,
⇔ stop it immediately [IDM]!

LEB • If you have been foolish by exalting yourself, and if you have devised evil, put your hand to your mouth.

BBE If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.

Moff You urge in your conceit some silly plan?
⇔ Ah, hold your tongue!

JPS If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast planned devices, lay thy hand upon thy mouth.

ASV ⇔ If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself,
⇔ Or if thou hast thought evil,
⇔ Lay thy hand upon thy mouth.

DRA There is that hath appeared a fool after he was lifted up on high: for if he had understood, he would have laid his hand upon his mouth.

YLT If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil — hand to mouth!

Drby If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] the hand upon thy mouth.

RV If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
(If thou/you hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself/yourself, or if thou/you hast thought evil, lay thine/your hand upon thy/your mouth. )

SLT If thou wert foolish in lifting up thyself, and if thou purposed, the hand to the mouth.

Wbstr If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thy hand upon thy mouth.

KJB-1769 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
(If thou/you hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself/yourself, or if thou/you hast thought evil, lay thine/your hand upon thy/your mouth. )

KJB-1611 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting vp thy selfe, or if thou hast thought euill, lay thine hand vpon thy mouth.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps If thou hast done foolishly when thou wast in hye estate, or yf thou hast taken euyll counsayle, then lay thine hande vpon thy mouth.
(If thou/you hast done foolishly when thou/you wast in high estate, or if thou/you hast taken evil counsayle, then lay thine/your hand upon thy/your mouth.)

Gnva If thou hast bene foolish in lifting thy selfe vp, and if thou hast thought wickedly, lay thine hand vpon thy mouth.
(If thou/you hast been foolish in lifting thyself/yourself up, and if thou/you hast thought wickedly, lay thine/your hand upon thy/your mouth. )

Cvdl Yf thou be so foolish to magnifie yi self, or medlest wt eny soch thinge, the laye thine hade vpon yi mouth.
(If thou/you be so foolish to magnify thyself/yourself, or medlest with any such thing, the lay thine/your hand upon ye/you_all mouth.)

Wycl He that apperith a fool, aftir that he is reisid an hiy; for if he hadde vndurstonde, he hadde sett hond on his mouth.
(He that apperith a fool, after that he is raised an hiy; for if he had understood, he had set hand on his mouth.)

Luth Hast du genarret und zu hoch gefahren und Böses vorgehabt, so lege die Hand aufs Maul.
(Hast you(sg) genarret and to/for high driven and evil before/in_front_ofgehabt, so lay the hand onto mouth.)

ClVg Est qui stultus apparuit postquam elevatus est in sublime; si enim intellexisset, ori suo imposuisset manum.
(It_is who/which stupid/foolish appeared after elevatus it_is in/into/on sublime; when/but_if because I_understoodsset, ori his_own imposuisset hand. )

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 30:32–33 A warning to stop behavior that leads to quarrels

Verse 30:32 is a warning to stop foolish boasting and any plans to do evil. The reason for this warning (30:33) is that this kind of behavior makes other people angry and results in strife.

30:32

^32aIf you have foolishly exalted yourself

^32bor if you have plotted evil,

^32cput your hand over your mouth!

30:32a

If you have foolishly exalted yourself

¶ If you^(sing) have acted like a fool by boasting about yourself
¶ If your foolishness caused you to honor/praise yourself

If you have foolishly exalted yourself: In Hebrew, the word that the BSB translates as foolishly is a verb form of the word “fool” that occurs in 30:22b. See the note there. It means to act like a fool.

exalted yourself: The phrase exalted yourself refers to being proud and boasting about your own importance.The word “boasting” is not specified in the Hebrew but is implied by the following command to put your hand over your mouth. Waltke (page 500) and UBS (page 643) think that boasting is involved rather than simply being proud or arrogant. It indicates that arrogant boasting is the way that the fool shows his foolishness. It does not describe a separate action.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

If you have done foolishly by exalting yourself (NET)

If you are such a godless fool as to honor yourself (GW)

If you are foolishly bragging (CEV)

30:32b

or if you have plotted evil,

and/or have planned/schemed to do something evil,
and/or you^(sing) have made evil plans/plots,

or if you have plotted evil: This clause is literally “and if you have schemed/plotted.”BART uses the word “plotted.” The NJPS has “if you have been a schemer.” UBS (page 643) says, “It is almost always used in the sense of planning to do evil.” For this line, the NJB has “and now have second thoughts.” This version differs significantly from all other versions and is not supported by the scholars. The word evil is implied. The verse does not specify whether the plan involves evil words or deeds. Some other ways to translate this line are:

or planning something evil (CEV)

or plotting evil (NLT)

30:32c

put your hand over your mouth.

cover your^(sing) mouth with your hand. Do not say anything else!
be quiet. Stop what you are doing and think about the consequences.

put your hand over your mouth: This admonition is literally “hand to mouth.” It is a cultural gesture. In this context, it means, “stop boasting and do not talk about your evil plans.” Some other ways to translate this line are: