PROV 31:17 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).

BrLXX Ἀναζωσαμένη ἰσχυρῶς τὴν ὀσφῦν αὐτῆς ἤρεισε τοὺς βραχίονας αὐτῆς εἰς ἔργον.
(Anazōsamenaʸ isⱪurōs taʸn osfun autaʸs aʸreise tous braⱪionas autaʸs eis ergon. )

UST She keeps her body strong,
⇔ and she makes her arms strong by working hard.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE She arms her waist with strength,
⇔ and makes her arms strong.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET She begins her work vigorously,
⇔ and she strengthens her arms.

LSV She has girded her loins with might,
And strengthens her arms.

FBV She's keen to get ready, and works hard with her strong arms.

T4T She works very hard [IDM];
⇔ she makes her arms strong by the work she does.

LEB • She girds her waist in strength, and makes her arms strong.

BBE She puts a band of strength round her, and makes her arms strong.

Moff She girds herself to work,
⇔ and plies her arms with vigour;

JPS She girdeth her loins with strength, and maketh strong her arms.

ASV She girdeth her loins with strength,
⇔ And maketh strong her arms.

DRA She hath girded her loins with strength, and hath strengthened her arm.

YLT She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms.

Drby She girdeth her loins with strength, and maketh strong her arms.

RV She girdeth her loins with strength, and maketh strong her arms.
(She girdeth/girds her loins with strength, and maketh/makes strong her arms. )

SLT She girded her loins with strength, and she will strengthen her arms.

Wbstr She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

KJB-1769 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
(She girdeth/girds her loins with strength, and strengtheneth/strengthens her arms. )

KJB-1611 She girdeth her loynes with strength, and strengtheneth her armes.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps She girdeth her loynes with strength, and fortifieth her armes.
(She girdeth/girds her loins with strength, and fortifieth her arms.)

Gnva She girdeth her loynes with strength, and strengtheneth her armes.
(She girdeth/girds her loins with strength, and strengtheneth/strengthens her arms. )

Cvdl She gyrdeth hir loynes with strength, and courageth hir armes.
(She girdeth/girds her loins with strength, and courageth her arms.)

Wycl Sche girde hir leendis with strengthe, and made strong hir arm.
(She gird her leendis with strength, and made strong her arm.)

Luth Sie gürtet ihre Lenden fest und stärkt ihre Arme.
(They/She belt/girdle(v)t their/her lumbar fest and stärkt their/her arms/poor/unfortunate_(one).)

ClVg Accinxit fortitudine lumbos suos, et roboravit brachium suum.[fn]
(Accinxit with_courage waist his_own, and roboravit arm(n) his_own. )

31.17 Accinxit. Cum se ad virtutum opera præparat, etc., usque ad ut bonis operibus fulgeatis.

31.17 Accinxit. Since himself to virtues works beforeparat, etc., until to as good works fulgeatis.

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 31:10–31: This poem describes a capable wife who has good character

In Hebrew, this section is arranged in the form of an acrostic poem. Each of its twenty-two verses begins with a different letter, following the normal order of the Hebrew alphabet. The poem praises the character and abilities of an ideal wife. After an introduction that describes her value (vv. 10–12), the poem describes her activities and achievements in various areas (vv. 13–27). It concludes with praise by her family (vv. 28–29) and all the people (vv. 30–31). The last two verses also serve as the poet’s final conclusion. They summarize what is truly important in an ideal wife.Waltke (page 515) says that the final two verses are praise “by all.” Murphy (page 245) agrees that the “praise” in the final two verses is the “goal or purpose of the poem.”

Some other headings for this section are:

A good wife with many abilities

Description of a Worthy Woman (NASB)

A truly good wife (CEV)

Paragraph 31:16–18

This paragraph describes the wife’s wise purchase and use of additional land (v. 16), her physical strength (v. 17), and her motivation to work even at night (v. 18).

31:17

These two parallel lines are similar in meaning:

^17aShe girds herself with strength

^17band shows that her arms are strong.

31:17a

She girds herself with strength

When she begins to work, it is as if she wraps strength around her waist like a belt.
She prepares herself to work vigorously/hard.

She girds herself with strength: This line is literally “She girds her loins with strength.” To prepare for difficult work, a person in that culture wrapped their tunic or robe tightly around their waist with a belt so that their clothing would not interfere with their movements. In this context, the wife figuratively girds herself with strength. It means that she begins to work vigorously.

In areas where people are familiar with the custom of fastening loose clothing around the waist, it may be possible to keep the figure of speech. For example:

She puts on strength like a belt (GW)

She dresses herself with strength (ESV)

Some other ways to translate this line without a figure of speech are:

She begins her work vigorously (NET)

She does her work with energy (NCV)

31:17a–b

(combined/reordered)

She is strong and industrious. She works hard every day.

31:17b

and shows that her arms are strong.

Her arms are also strong for her work.
As she works, it can be seen that her arms are strong.

shows that her arms are strong: Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

and shows how strong her arms can be (NJB)

and her arms are strong (NCV)

General Comment on 31:17a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these parallel lines. For example:

She is a hard worker, strong and industrious. (GNT)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

חָֽגְרָ֣ה & מָתְנֶ֑י⁠הָ

girds & loins_of,her

The phrase girds her loins refers to preparing to do work; this act involved tying up the loose ends of one’s clothes with a belt so that the clothes do not get in the person’s way while working. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “She prepares herself to work”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

בְ⁠ע֣וֹז

with,strength

Here, strength indicates the manner by which she girds her loins. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “in a strong manner” or “strongly”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וַ֝⁠תְּאַמֵּ֗ץ זְרֹעוֹתֶֽי⁠הָ

and,she_strengthened arms_of,her

Here, Lemuel’s mother implies that this woman strengthens her arms by working hard. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “she strengthens her arms by doing hard work”