ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Proverbs 16.9

Book: Proverbs · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV (ASV)

"7. When a man's ways please Jehovah, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8. Better is a little, with righteousness, Than great revenues with injustice."

"9. A man's heart deviseth his way; But Jehovah directeth his steps."

"10. A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; His mouth shall not transgress in judgment. 11. A just balance and scales are Jehovah's; All the weights of the bag are his work." (Proverbs 16:7-11, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"7. When a man’s ways please Yahweh, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8. Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice."

"9. A man’s heart plans his course, but Yahweh directs his steps."

"10. Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king. He shall not betray his mouth. 11. Honest balances and scales are Yahweh’s; all the weights in the bag are his work." (Proverbs 16:7-11, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"7. When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right."

"9. A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps."

"10. A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. A divine: Heb. Divination 11. A just weight and balance are the LORD'S: all the weights of the bag are his work. the weights: Heb. the stones" (Proverbs 16:7-11, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"7. When a man's ways please Jehovah, even his enemies, He causeth to be at peace with him. 8. Better [is] a little with righteousness, Than abundance of increase without justice."

"9. The heart of man deviseth his way, And Jehovah establisheth his step."

"10. An oath [is] on the lips of a king, In judgment his mouth trespasseth not. 11. A just beam and balances [are] Jehovah's, His work [are] all the stones of the bag." (Proverbs 16:7-11, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: Solomon (principal); Agur; Lemuel; wise men
  • Audience: young Israelite men in the wisdom tradition
  • Location: Israel, Solomonic court
  • Time period: principal composition c. 970-930 BC (Solomon); compilation c. 700 BC (Hezekiah)

Theological reading

Key words

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.