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

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 to 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

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.

Perry Webb
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