Division 10:1–31:31

Collections of proverbs

This division consists of the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs (10:1–22:16), followed by several shorter sections.

Section 10:1–22:16

This is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs

This section is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs. It has a very different structure from the longer poetic lectures of chapters 1–9. It consists mostly of individual couplets (two-line poems) that are each one verse in length. With the exception of the title (10:1a), paragraph breaks will not be indicated in the Notes or Display. You may of course choose to start each proverb as a separate paragraph in your translation.

In chapters 10–15, most of these one-verse couplets express a contrast between the two lines. One of the more common contrasts is between the righteous/wise and the wicked/foolish and the different consequences of their conduct.

In chapters 16:1–22:16, more topics are discussed. There is more emphasis on the role of the king and other leaders. In these chapters, there are few proverbs with contrasting lines. Some of the parallel lines are similar in meaning. More frequently, the second line adds to what the first line says or gives an example. Most of the verses have no obvious connection with the previous or following proverbs.

Two of the types of proverbs in this section are not found in chapters 1–9. One type contains logical reasoning from the lesser to the greater. See 11:31 for a list of these proverbs. There are also several varieties of complex “better than” proverbs. The most common have a contrasting situation in each line (see 12:9). For other varieties, see 16:16, 19:1, and 21:9.

Many of the proverbs in this section refer to categories of people who share a common trait. For example, they refer to the righteous, the wise, the poor, and the lazy. In Hebrew, some verses use singular forms to refer to these groups of people. Other verses use plural forms. Still others use a combination of singular and plural. See the note on 10:30a–b for one example. For most of these verses, the Notes will not comment on the difference between singular and plural forms. Use a natural way in your language to refer to one or more people who are in the same category.

Many of the proverbs in this section express a general principle in abstract terms. They are not addressed specifically to the readers. For example, 10:2a–b says:

Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,

but righteousness delivers from death.

However, the author intended his readers to understand these proverbs as advice that they should follow. In some languages, authors or speakers give advice more directly, using pronouns such as you(sing), you(plur), we(dual), or we(incl.). See the note on 10:2 for translation suggestions.

Some other headings for this section are:

Proverbs of Solomon (New International Version)
-or-
The Wise Words of Solomon (New Century Version)
-or-
Here are many wise things that Solomon said

10:1

The first line of this verse serves as a title for this section. The next two lines contrast with each other. They mean that a child who is wise makes his father and mother happy. A child who is foolish makes them sad.

1a The proverbs of Solomon:

1b
A wise son brings joy to his father,

1c but a foolish son grief to his mother.

There is an ellipsis (a deliberately omitted word) in 10:1c. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing word from 10:1b. For example:

1c but a foolish son ⌊brings⌋ grief to his mother.

For more information on ellipsis, see the section entitled “The form” in the Introduction.

Paragraph 10:1a

10:1a

The proverbs of Solomon: The title of this section identifies Solomon as the source (either author or collector) of the proverbs in this section. The same phrase occurs in 1:1. See how you formatted the title in that verse.

Some versions, such as the Berean Standard Bible, use a short phrase as the title. Other versions use a complete clause. For example:

Here are some proverbs of Solomon: (Contemporary English Version)

You may translate either way. The meaning lines in the Display will use a complete clause.

proverbs: In this section, the Hebrew word for proverbs usually refers to wise sayings or principles that teach people how they should act. The word may also describe something that is true about human behavior. Most of the proverbs in this section are short, compact statements.

In some languages, it may be necessary to use a more general term for proverbs. For example:

wise words (New Century Version)
-or-
teaching/advice

10:1b

In some versions, there is a paragraph break between the title and 10:1b. In other versions, there is no paragraph break. The meaning lines in the Display will follow the second option. You may use either option in your translation.

wise: The Hebrew word that most English versions translate as wise refers here to a person who is skilled in doing what is right. A wise person knows what is right and wrong. He understands what will lead to a good result, and he acts accordingly.

son: In some languages, the way to specify a son as opposed to a daughter is to say “male child.” If it is awkward or unnatural to refer to a son in this way, you may use a general term for child. For example:

A wise child brings joy to a father (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Wise children make their fathers happy

In some languages, it may be natural to make explicit both “son/child” and “father/mother/parents,” as the English versions have done. In other languages, it may be more natural to make explicit only one side of the relationship. For example:

A wise person causes his father to be happy

Do whatever is more natural in your language.

brings joy to his father: In Hebrew, the phrase brings joy means “makes glad” or “causes to be glad.” It implies here that the actions of a wise son cause his father to feel joy or gladness.

10:1c

a foolish son: In Hebrew, this word for foolish refers to someone who is a moral fool. It does not refer to someone who is uneducated or who lacks intelligence. This kind of fool does what is stupid and wrong because he is mentally lazy and self-satisfied. He does not understand the need to change his own foolish behavior and does not want to think about the consequences.

General Comment on 10:1b–c

In some languages, these parallel lines may imply that a wise son brings joy only to his father, and a foolish son brings grief only to his mother. If that is true in your language, you may want to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts. For example:

Children with good sense make their parents happy, but foolish children make them sad (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Children who are wise make their father and mother happy, but children who are foolish make them sad.

See also 10:1b–c (combined/reordered) in the Display.

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