PROV 8:19 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) My fruit is better than purest gold,
⇔ and my produce is better than choice silver.
⇔ …

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 Βέλτιον ἐμὲ καρπίζεσθαι ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον, τὰ δὲ ἐμὰ γεννήματα κρείσσω ἀργυρίου ἐκλεκτοῦ.
(Beltion eme karpizesthai huper ⱪrusion kai lithon timion, ta de ema gennaʸmata kreissō arguriou eklektou. )

BrTr It is better to have my fruit than to have gold and precious stones; and my produce is better than choice silver.

ULT My fruit is better than gold and than refined gold,
⇔ and my produce, than choice silver.

UST What I can give people is more valuable than even the purest gold and the best silver.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
⇔ my yield than choice silver.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET My fruit is better than the purest gold,
⇔ and what I produce is better than choice silver.

LSV My fruit [is] better than gold, even fine gold,
And my increase than choice silver.

FBV The fruit I produce is better than gold, even pure gold, and my harvest is better than even the best silver.

T4T What I can give people is more valuable than fine/pure gold and the best silver.

LEB • My fruit is better than gold,[fn] even refined gold, and my yield than choice silver.

8:? Literally “fine gold”

BBE My fruit is better than gold, even than the best gold; and my increase is more to be desired than silver.

Moff what I yield is better than the best of gold,
⇔ what I bring in is better than rare silver.

JPS My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my produce than choice silver.

ASV My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold;
⇔ And my revenue than choice silver.

DRA For my fruit is better than gold and the precious stone, and my blossoms than choice silver.

YLT Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.

Drby My fruit is better than fine gold, yea, than pure gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

RV My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

SLT My fruit is good above gold, and above pure gold; and my gain above tried silver.

Wbstr My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

KJB-1769 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

KJB-1611 My fruite is better then gold, yea then fine gold, and my reuenue then choise siluer.
(My fruit is better then gold, yea then fine gold, and my revenue then choise silver.)

Bshps My fruite is better then golde and pretious stones, and mine encrease more worth then fine siluer.
(My fruit is better then gold and precious stones, and mine increase more worth then fine silver.)

Gnva My fruite is better then golde, euen then fine golde, and my reuenues better then fine siluer.
(My fruit is better then gold, even then fine gold, and my revenues better then fine silver. )

Cvdl My frute is better the golde & precious stone, & myne encrease more worth then fyne syluer.
(My fruit is better the gold and precious stone, and mine increase more worth then fine silver.)

Wycl My fruyt is betere than gold, and precyouse stoon; and my seedis ben betere than chosun siluer.
(My fruit is better than gold, and precyouse stone; and my seeds been better than chosen silver.)

Luth Meine Frucht ist besser denn Gold und fein Gold und mein Einkommen besser denn auserlesen Silber.
(My fruit is better because/than Gold and fine Gold and my Einkommen better because/than auserlesen silver(n).)

ClVg Melior est enim fructus meus auro et lapide pretioso, et genimina me argento electo.
(Better it_is because fruit mine with_gold and stone precious, and genimina me with_silver electo. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 8:1–36: Wisdom calls out to people and reminds them of the benefits of being wise

In contrast to the previous section describing the adulterous woman, this section describes personified Wisdom. The public setting for Wisdom’s speech is described in 8:1–3. In 8:4–11, she addresses all mankind and describes her own character. In 8:12–21, she provides reasons why people should choose her. Additional motivation is given in 8:22–31: Wisdom was with the LORD when he created the world. The section ends with Wisdom appealing to mankind to follow her teaching (8:32–36).

This section is a speech by personified Wisdom. As in Wisdom’s speech in 1:20–33, the Notes have used a capital letter for Wisdom in most verses. However, in her speech, Wisdom sometimes refers to “wisdom” as an ability that people have or use or should try to obtain. In some of these contexts, the Notes have used small letters for “wisdom.” The Display will often give more than one option. You may use either option in your language, depending on what is appropriate in each context.

Some other headings for this section are:

Wisdom’s Call (NIV)

Listen to Wisdom (NCV)

The good qualities of Wisdom

Wisdom’s second invitation to people

Paragraph 8:12–21

After again identifying herself and the qualities that she is associated with (12–13), Wisdom describes why people should choose her. They should choose her because she is the basis of an orderly society (14–16). She is also the source of wealth and other benefits to those who seek and find her (17–21).

8:19

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^19a My fruit is better than gold, pure gold,

^19b and my harvest surpasses choice silver.

8:19a–b

(combined/reordered)

What you receive from me is more valuable than even the finest gold or the purest silver. (CEV)

My fruit is better than…my harvest surpasses: In this verse, the benefits that wisdom gives or produces are described using the agricultural terms fruit and harvest. Literally, fruit is the produce of a fruit tree or vine, and harvest refers to any crop, including grain and fruit. Here they refer figuratively to the result of having wisdom. What wisdom gives is better or more valuable than gold or silver. The verb surpasses is supplied by the BSB. In Hebrew, the comparative phrase better than applies to both “my fruit” and “my yield.”

In some languages, it may be clearer to use nonfigurative language. For example:

What I give is better than the finest gold (NCV)

What you receive from me is more valuable than even the finest gold (CEV)

gold, pure gold…choice silver: The phrase that the BSB translates as gold, pure gold is literally “gold even fine-gold.” The two synonyms function together to mean “very fine gold,” so a number of English versions, including the NIV, have combined them into one phrase. For the word choice, see 8:10b, where it describes gold.

General Comment on 8:19a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel lines. See the Display for 8:19a–b (combined/reordered).

8:19a

My fruit is better than gold, pure gold,

The fruit that I produce is far better than pure gold.
What I give is more valuable than the finest gold.

8:19b

and my harvest surpasses choice silver.

What people harvest from me is more valuable than expensive silver.
If a person has me, the result is far better than having the purest silver.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ט֣וֹב פִּ֭רְיִ⁠י & וּ֝⁠תְבוּאָתִ֗⁠י

good fruit_of,my & and,my_of,gain

Here, fruit and produce refer to the benefits that a person receives from having wisdom. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “My benefits are better … they are better” or “The benefits I can give you are better … yes, they are more”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

מֵ⁠חָר֣וּץ וּ⁠מִ⁠פָּ֑ז

more,than_gold and,more,than_pure_gold

The terms gold and refined gold mean similar things. Wisdom is using them together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: “than the finest gold”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

מִ⁠כֶּ֥סֶף נִבְחָֽר

more,than_silver choice

Wisdom 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 earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “is better than choice silver”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit