“And if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold”: This verse presents the thief in verse 30, whose poverty led him to steal food, as being a person who owns property. According to some commentators this is strange and may have resulted from copyists incorporating marginal notes into the text. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project has no comment and translators cannot solve the apparent conflict. “Caught”, which is passive, means to be captured or taken. “Pay” is not the payment of a fine to the authorities but probably means, as in Exo 22.1-4, 7, replacement of the stolen object to the original owner. “Sevenfold” means the thief will give back seven times as much as he stole.

“He will give all the goods of his house”: “Give” means he will surrender or turn over all that he owns. See Good News Translation “. . . everything he has.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .