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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 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.

Perry Webb
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