PROV 3:14 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.)

OET (OET-RV) because it’s better than a good income.
⇔ ≈ Being wise is of more value than gold.

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).

BrLXX Κρεῖσσον γὰρ αὐτὴν ἐμπορεύεσθαι, ἢ χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου θησαυρούς.
(Kreisson gar autaʸn emporeuesthai, aʸ ⱪrusiou kai arguriou thaʸsaurous. )

BrTr For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver.

ULT For better is its profit than the profit of silver,
⇔ and than gold, its produce.

UST This is because being wise benefits people more than silver could benefit them.
⇔ Indeed, being wise is worth more to people than having gold.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE For her good profit is better than getting silver,
⇔ and her return is better than fine gold.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET For her benefit is more profitable than silver,
⇔ and her gain is better than gold.

LSV For better [is] her merchandise
Than the merchandise of silver,
And than gold—her increase.

FBV for wisdom is worth more than silver, and pays better than gold.

T4T Being wise and having good understanding is worth more than silver,
⇔ better than gold.

LEB • For her[fn] income is better than the income of silver, and her revenue than that of gold.

3:? Or “its”; both “wisdom” and “understanding” are feminine nouns and can be read as either “she” or “it”

BBE For trading in it is better than trading in silver, and its profit greater than bright gold.

Moff her profits are richer than silver,
⇔ she brings in more than gold;

JPS For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

ASV For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver,
⇔ And the profit thereof than fine gold.

DRA The purchasing thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and her fruit than the chiefest and purest gold:

YLT For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold — her increase.

Drby For the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver, and her revenue than fine gold.

RV For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

SLT For good her gain above the gain of silver, and her increase above gold.

Wbstr For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain of it than fine gold.

KJB-1769 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

KJB-1611 For the merchandise of it is better then the merchandise of siluer, and the gaine thereof, then fine gold.
(For the merchandise of it is better then the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof, then fine gold.)

Bshps For the marchaundise of it, is better then the marchaundise of siluer, and the gayne therof is better then golde.
(For the merchandise of it, is better then the merchandise of silver, and the gayne thereof is better then gold.)

Gnva For the marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of siluer, and the gaine thereof is better then golde.
(For the merchandise thereof is better then the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof is better then gold. )

Cvdl for the gettinge of it is better then eny marchaundise of syluer, & the profit of it is better then golde.
(for the gettinge of it is better then any merchandise of silver, and the profit of it is better then gold.)

Wycl The geting therof is betere than the marchaundie of gold and of siluer; the fruytis therof ben the firste and clenneste.
(The geting thereof is better than the merchandise of gold and of silver; the fruits thereof been the first and clenneste.)

Luth Denn es ist besser, um sie hantieren, weder um Silber, und ihr Einkommen ist besser denn Gold.
(Because it is better, around/by/for they/she/them hantieren, neither around/by/for silver(n), and you(pl)/their/her Einkommen is better because/than Gold.)

ClVg Melior est acquisitio ejus negotiatione argenti, et auri primi et purissimi fructus ejus.[fn]
(Better it_is acquisitio his trading silver, and gold first and purissimi fruit his. )

3.14 Melior est. Non metuat de correctione inopiæ, quisquis opes acquisivit sapientiæ, omnibus enim thesauris munus cœleste præcellit. Primi et purissimi. Quia radix sapientiæ timor Domini, hi sunt primi ac purissimi fructus, etc., usque ad a Domino perfectius promittitur.

3.14 Better it_is. Not/No with_fearat from/about correctione pooræ, whoever wealth acquisivit of_wisdom, to_all because treasures task/function cœleste beforecellit. Primi and purissimi. Because root of_wisdom fear Master, these are first and purissimi fruit, etc., until to from Master perfectius promised.

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:13–20: Wisdom is valuable and is useful for both people and the LORD

This section teaches the value of wisdom by showing its usefulness to people and the LORD. It is useful to people, because it results in long life, wealth, honor, pleasantness, and peace (3:13–18). It is useful to the LORD, because he used it to create the world (3:19–20).

Another heading for this section is:

The Value of Wisdom (CEV)

3:14

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^14afor she is more profitable than silver

^14band her gain is better than fine gold.

3:14a–b

(combined/reordered)

The reason for this is that a person will gain more benefits from his wisdom than from his silver and gold.

for: The word translated here as for introduces an explanation for the statement in 3:13 that a person who becomes wise will be truly happy.

is more profitable than silver…gain is better than fine gold: The comparison is not between the value of wisdom and the value of silver and gold but between the profits that each produces.The Hebrew text is more literally: “Better is her profit/gain/income than the profit/gain/income of silver…” For example:

The profit gained from wisdom is greater than the profit gained from silver. Its yield is better than fine gold. (GW)

Having wisdom is a better investment than having silver and gold, because it yields greater profits or benefits. It is clear from 3:16 that these benefits include material advantages as well as moral benefits.

3:14a

for she is more profitable than silver,

For if a person is wise, that is more profitable than having silver.
For wisdom gives a person more benefits than silver gives.

3:14b

and her gain is better than fine gold.

Indeed, the benefits a person gets from wisdom are far more valuable than the profits he gets from investing in gold.
It is a better investment than gold.

her gain is better: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as her gain usually refers to crops, but here it refers figuratively to the benefits of having wisdom.

General Comment on 3:14a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel lines. See 3:14a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

כִּ֤י

that/for/because/then/when

For here indicates that what follows is the reason what was stated in the previous verse is true. Use the most natural way in your language to state a reason. Alternate translation: “This is due to the fact that”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

ט֣וֹב סַ֭חְרָ⁠הּ מִ⁠סְּחַר־כָּ֑סֶף וּ֝⁠מֵ⁠חָר֗וּץ תְּבוּאָתָֽ⁠הּ

good profit_of,her_trading more,than_[the]_trading_profit_of silver and,more,than_gold gain_of,her

These two clauses mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the clauses with a word other than and that shows that the second clause is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “better is its profit than the profit of silver, yes, better than the produce of gold is its produce”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וּ֝⁠מֵ⁠חָר֗וּץ תְּבוּאָתָֽ⁠הּ

and,more,than_gold gain_of,her

Solomon is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a clause would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from the previous clause if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “and better than the produce of gold is its produce”

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

סַ֭חְרָ⁠הּ & תְּבוּאָתָֽ⁠הּ

profit_of,her_trading & gain_of,her

In this verse, its refers to wisdom. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “is wisdom’s profit … wisdom’s produce”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

סַ֭חְרָ⁠הּ מִ⁠סְּחַר־כָּ֑סֶף

profit_of,her_trading more,than_[the]_trading_profit_of silver

Although the word profit usually refers to money that someone earns, Solomon uses it here to refer to a benefit in general. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is its benefit than the benefit of silver”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

מִ⁠סְּחַר־כָּ֑סֶף

more,than_[the]_trading_profit_of silver

Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe the profit or wealth that one gains by having silver. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “than the benefit one gets from having silver”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor