PROV 8:27 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) I was there: • when Yahweh made the skies,
• when he inscribed the horizon circle above the oceans,

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 Ἡνίκα ἡτοίμαζε τὸν οὐρανὸν, συμπαρήμην αὐτῷ, καὶ ὅτε ἀφώριζε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ θρόνον ἐπʼ ἀνέμων,
(Haʸnika haʸtoimaze ton ouranon, sumparaʸmaʸn autōi, kai hote afōrize ton heautou thronon epʼ anemōn, )

BrTr When he prepared the heaven, I was present with him; and when he [fn]prepared his throne upon the winds:

ULT When he established the heavens, I was there,
⇔ when he inscribed a circle over the face of the watery deep,

UST I was there when Yahweh made the sky,
⇔ and when he made the boundary between the sky and the ocean’s surface.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE When he established the heavens, I was there.
⇔ When he set a circle on the surface of the deep,

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(22-31)“God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—
  before he did anything else.
I was brought into being a long time ago,
  well before Earth got its start.
I arrived on the scene before Ocean,
  yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.
Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape,
  I was already there, newborn;
Long before God stretched out Earth’s Horizons,
  and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather,
And set Sky firmly in place,
  I was there.
When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean,
  built the vast vault of Heaven,
  and installed the fountains that fed Ocean,
When he drew a boundary for Sea,
  posted a sign that said no trespassing,
And then staked out Earth’s Foundations,
  I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.
Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause,
  always enjoying his company,
Delighted with the world of things and creatures,
  happily celebrating the human family.

NET When he established the heavens, I was there;
⇔ when he marked out the horizon over the face of the deep,

LSV In His preparing the heavens I [am] there,
In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,

FBV I was there when he placed the heavens in position, when he drew the horizon over the ocean,

T4T I was there when Yahweh put the sky in place,
⇔ when he marked the place in the distance where the sky and the oceans seem to come together.

LEB • when he established[fn] the heavens, there I was, when he drew[fn] a circle upon the face of the deep,

8:? Literally “in his establishing”

8:? Literally “in his drawing”

BBE When he made ready the heavens I was there: when he put an arch over the face of the deep:

Moff When he set the heavens up, I was there,
⇔ when he drew the Vault o’er the abyss,

JPS When He established the heavens, I was there; when He set a circle upon the face of the deep,

ASV When he established the heavens, I was there:
⇔ When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,

DRA When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law and compass he enclosed the depths:

YLT In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,

Drby When he prepared the heavens I was there; when he ordained the circle upon the face of the deep;

RV When he established the heavens, I was there: when he set a circle upon the face of the deep:

SLT In his preparing the heavens I was there: in his inscribing a circle upon the face of the deep:

Wbstr When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:

KJB-1769 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:[fn]
(When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass/all_around upon the face of the depth: )

8.27 a compass: or, a circle

KJB-1611 [fn]When hee prepared the heauens, I was there: when he set a compasse vpon the face of the depth.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)

8:27 Or, a circle.

Bshps For when he made the heauens, I was present, when he compassed the deapthes about:
(For when he made the heavens, I was present, when he compassed/surrounded the depths about:)

Gnva When hee prepared the heauens, I was there, when he set the compasse vpon the deepe.
(When he prepared the heavens, I was there, when he set the compass/all_around upon the deep. )

Cvdl For when he made the heauens, I was present: wha he set the depthes in ordre:
(For when he made the heavens, I was present: what he set the depths in order:)

Wycl Whanne he made redi heuenes, Y was present; whanne he cumpasside the depthis of watris bi certeyn lawe and cumpas.
(When he made ready heavens, I was present; when he compassed/surrounded the depths of waters by certain law and compass/all_around.)

Luth Da er die Himmel bereitete, war ich daselbst; da er die Tiefe mit seinem Ziel verfassete,
(So he the heaven prepared, what/which I there; there he the depth with his goal/target wrote,)

ClVg Quando præparabat cælos, aderam; quando certa lege et gyro vallabat abyssos;
(When was_preparing the_skies/heavens, I_was_present; when certain lawfully and turn_around fenced abyss; )

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 8:22–31

In this paragraph, Wisdom gives additional reasons why people should choose her. The LORD created Wisdom before anything else (8:22–26), and she was present with the LORD when he created the world (8:27–29). She also delighted in what the LORD created (8:30–31).

8:27

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^27aI was there when He established the heavens,

^27b when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

8:27a–b

(combined/reordered)

When Yahweh set the sky firmly in its position above the ocean, I was there.

The first line describes the LORD’s creation of the sky in general terms. The second line more specifically describes the way that he made the horizon, the border between the sky and the earth. Wisdom says that she was present when these things happened.

8:27a

I was there when He established the heavens,

I was already there with him/Yahweh when he created the sky and set it in place.

I was there when He established the heavens: In this context, the verb established means “to fix firmly in position.” It is a different Hebrew verb from the one used in 8:25a, though the English translations are similar. The phrase the heavens refers here to “the sky” (as in the GNT). It does not refer to the heavenly bodies, such as the moon, planets, and stars.

8:27b

when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

I was there when he drew/made the boundary where the sky and the ocean meet.

when He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep: In figurative language, this verse says that the LORD inscribed (“marked out” or “engraved” or “drew”) a circle or “horizon” (NIV) on the surface of the ocean. Some English versions use a different figure of speech. For example:

when he stretched the horizon across the ocean (GNT)

In languages where a figure of speech is not clear or natural, you may use a nonfigurative expression. For example:

when He made the boundary between the sky and the ocean

General Comment on 8:27a–b

In languages where it would be awkward to express the idea of the horizon, it may be possible to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts. For example:

I was there when He set the sky in its proper position above the ocean.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

בַּ⁠הֲכִינ֣⁠וֹ שָׁ֭מַיִם שָׁ֣ם אָ֑נִי

when,he,established heavens there I

If it would be helpful in your language, you could change the order of these phrases. This verse is the beginning of a sentence that continues through [8:29](../08/29.md). If you make each verse a separate sentence, then you will need to repeat the main clause of this verse in each of those verses. Alternate translation: “I was there when he established the heavens”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

בְּ⁠ח֥וּק⁠וֹ ח֝֗וּג עַל־פְּנֵ֥י תְהֽוֹם

when,he,marked_out circle on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in face/surface_of (the)_deep

This clause refers to Yahweh forming the horizon between the sky and ocean as if he were drawing a circle on the ocean’s surface. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “when he made the horizon between the heavens and the surface of the ocean”