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Proverbs 30:21-22
New English Translation
Proverbs 30:21-22
New English Translation
21 Under three things the earth has trembled,[a]
and under four things it cannot bear up:
22 under a servant[b] who becomes king,
under a fool who becomes stuffed with food,[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:21 sn The Hebrew verb means “to rage; to quake; to be in tumult.” The sage is using humorous and satirical hyperbole to say that the changes described in the following verses shake up the whole order of life. The sayings assume that the new, elevated status of the individuals was not accompanied by a change in nature. For example, it was not completely unknown in the ancient world for a servant to become king, and in the process begin to behave like a king.
- Proverbs 30:22 sn A servant coming to power could become a tyrant if he is unaccustomed to the use of such power, or he might retain the attitude of a servant and be useless as a leader.
- Proverbs 30:22 tn Heb “filled with food” (so ASV); NASB “satisfied with food”; NAB, NRSV “glutted with food”; CEV “who eats too much”; NLT “who prospers.”sn The expression stuffed with food probably represents prosperity in general. So the line portrays someone who suddenly comes into wealth, but continues to be boorish and irreligious.
Proverbs 30:21-22
New International Version
Proverbs 30:21-22
New International Version
21 “Under three things the earth trembles,
under four it cannot bear up:
22 a servant who becomes king,(A)
a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
New English Translation (NET)
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New International Version (NIV)
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