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אִם־לַלֵּצִ֥ים‬ הֽוּא־יָלִ֑יץ וְ֝לַעֲנָיִ֗ים‬ יִתֶּן־חֵֽן׃ (Prov. 3:34, MT)

Does it better fit the antithetical parallelism of the poetry of this verse to translate the verse:

Although He will turn up his nose at the snob, He will give grace to the lowly/humble.

This is similar to how the Septuagint (LXX) translates the Hebrew.

κύριος ὑπερηφάνοις [to the arrogant] ἀντιτάσσεται [He opposes], ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν. (Prov. 3:34, LXX)

ליץ: qal: pf. לַצְתָּ: talk big, boast Pr 9:12. † polel: pt. לֹצְצִים (w/o מ‍) as noun: mockers or rebels Ho 7:5. † hif.: pf. הֱלִיצֻנִי; impf. יָלִיץ; pt. מֵלִיץ, pl. cs. מְלִיצֵי, sf. מְלִיצַי, מְלִיצֶיךָ:—1. mock, ridicule: acc. pers. Ps 119:51, metaph. acc. mock at (justice) Pr 19:28, make fun of (God subj. le & obj.) Pr 3:34;—2. pt. mēlîṣ spokesman Is 43:27; Jb 33:23; 2 C 32:31; > interpreter (of foreign language) Gn 42:23. † hitpolal: impf. תִּתְלֹצָֽצוּ: give onesf. airs Is 28:22. † -- Holladay, W. L., & Köhler, L. (2000). A concise Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon of the Old Testament (p. 176). Leiden: Brill.

The meaning is not always negative While context is negative, scoffer tends to imply scoffing God. The antithetical implication is elevating oneself compared to the lowly.

לִיץ S3887, 3945 TWOT1113 GK4329, 4372] vb. scorn (NH id.; vb. not in cognates; cf. Ph. מלץ interpreter CIS22.44.88; Arabic لَاصَ (lāṣa) is turn aside (intrans.); hence perhaps prop. speak indirectly or obliquely, Fl Pr 1, 6);—Qal Pf. 3 m. לַצְתָּ Pr 9:12; Impf. יָלִיץ 3:34 + 2 times; Pt. לֵץ 9:7 + 11 times; pl. לֵצִים ψ 1:1 + 3 times;—scorn, וְלַצְתָּ לְבַדְּךָ תִשָּׂא Pr 9:12 if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it (opp. חָכַמְתָּ), c. acc. 14:9; 19:28; c. לְ, לַלֵּצִים הוּא־יָלִיץ scorners he (God) scorneth 3:34; הַלֵּץ the scorner is proud and haughty 21:24, delights in scorning 1:22, is incapable of discipline 9:7, reproof 9:8; 15:12, or rebuke 13:1, cannot find wisdom 14:6; is an abomination 24:9, should be avoided ψ 1:1; smitten and punished for the benefit of the simple Pr 19:25; 21:11 and banished for the removal of contention 22:10; judgment is prepared for him 19:29; || עָרִיץ Is 29:20; wine is a scorner Pr 20:1.—Hiph. Pf. 3 mpl. sf. הֱלִיצֻנִי ψ 119:51; Pt. מֵלִיץ Gn 42:23 Jb 33:23; pl. cstr. מְלִיצֵי 2 Ch 32:31; sf. מְלִיצַי Jb 16:20; מְלִיצֶיךָ Is 43:27;— 1. deride Jb 16:20 ψ 119:51. 2. Pt. interpreter Gn 42:23 (E); fig. of intermediaries between God and man, Jb 33:23 Is 43:27; ambassador 2 Ch 32:31. Poʿlel; Pt. pl. לֹצֲצִים (םְ dropped Kö 479) scorners Ho 7:5. Hithpoʿl; Impf. תִּתְלוֹצָ֑צוּ act as a scorner, shew oneself a mocker, Is 28:22. -- Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (1977). Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (p. 539). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

אִם (ʾim): pt.; ≡ Str 518; TWOT 111—1. LN 89.65–89.70 if, i.e., a marker of a condition, real or unreal, with or contrary to fact (Ge 4:7); 2. LN 67.17–67.64 whenever, as often as, i.e., a marker of indefinite and multiple points of time (Ge 38:9); 3. LN 89.65–89.70 whether, i.e., a marker of an indirect condition (Ecc 12:14); 4. LN 89.71–89.75 even though, although, i.e., a marker of a concession (Jdg 13:16); 5. LN 91.6–91.12 unit: אִם לֹא (ʾim lō(ʾ)) surely, formally, if not, i.e., a marker of emphasis in a discourse (1Ki 20:23); 6. LN 89.65–89.70 unit: אִם (ʾim) … אִם (ʾim) whether … or, i.e., a multiple marker of condition (Ex 19:13); 7. LN 89.65–89.70 If?, i.e., a marker of a question, introducing a condition, real or unreal (Ge 38:17), note: these categories are likely incomplete; see grammars and lexicons, esp. BDB -- Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

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  • Is not the key to translating this the initial אִם־ which usually introduces a conditional clause?
    – Dottard
    Commented Aug 29, 2021 at 23:08
  • @Dottard you are correct that אם is usually a conditional, but here it seems to be emphasizing the opposite-parallelism that Perry Webb noted: "Just as G-d will cause the scorners to be scored, He will cause the humble to be find grace."
    – diyImma
    Commented Aug 30, 2021 at 10:39
  • @diyImma - Is that not what most translations broadly say?
    – Dottard
    Commented Aug 30, 2021 at 11:49

1 Answer 1

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Prov. 3:34 Young's Literal Translation

If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.

mocks/scorns
לַלֵּצִ֥ים (lal·lê·ṣîm)
Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3887: Ambassador, have in derision, interpreter, make a mock, mocker

those who mock/scorners
יָלִ֑יץ (yā·lîṣ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3887: Ambassador, have in derision, interpreter, make a mock, mocker

 אִם־    לַלֵּצִ֥ים‬   הֽוּא־     יָלִ֑יץ וְ֝לַעֲנָיִ֗ים‬ יִתֶּן־חֵֽן׃
            H3887        H3887

These two Hebrew words share the same lexeme. In LXX, they are different lexemes:

κύριος ὑπερηφάνοις    ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν.
       G5244          G498
       the proud      rebuke
       

Should translations pay more attention to the antithetical parallelism of Prov. 3:34?

This is a matter of trade-off between antithetical parallelism and literal wording.

New International Version achieved a pretty balance:

He mocks              proud mockers              
but shows favor to    the humble and oppressed.

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