| NETBible | Better is a person of humble standing 1 who nevertheless has a servant, 2 than one who pretends to be somebody important 3 yet has no food. |
| NIV © |
Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food. |
| NASB © |
Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant Than he who honors himself and lacks bread. |
| NLT © |
It is better to be a nobody with a servant than to be self–important but have no food. |
| MSG © |
Better to be ordinary and work for a living than act important and starve in the process. |
| BBE © |
He who is of low position and has a servant, is better than one who has a high opinion of himself and is in need of bread. |
| NRSV © |
Better to be despised and have a servant, than to be self-important and lack food. |
| NKJV © |
Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant, Than he who honors himself but lacks bread. |
| KJV | [He that is] despised <07034> (8737)_, and hath a servant <05650>_, [is] better <02896> than he that honoureth <03513> (8693) himself, and lacketh <02638> bread <03899>_. |
| NASB © |
Better <2896> is he who is lightly <7034> esteemed <7034> and has a servant <5650> Than <4480> he who honors <3513> himself and lacks <2638> bread .<3899> |
| LXXM | kreisswn <2908> A-NSM anhr <435> N-NSM en <1722> PREP atimia <819> N-DSF douleuwn <1398> V-PAPNS eautw <1438> D-DSM h <2228> CONJ timhn <5092> N-ASF eautw <1438> D-DSM peritiyeiv <4060> V-PAPNS kai <2532> CONJ prosdeomenov {V-PMPNS} artou <740> N-GSM |
| NET [draft] ITL | Better <02896> is a person of humble standing <07034> who nevertheless has a servant <05650> , than one who pretends to be somebody important <03513> yet has no <02638> food .<03899> |
| HEBREW | Mxl <03899> roxw <02638> dbktmm <03513> wl <0> dbew <05650> hlqn <07034> bwj (12:9) <02896> |
| NETBible | Better is a person of humble standing 1 who nevertheless has a servant, 2 than one who pretends to be somebody important 3 yet has no food. |
| NET Notes |
1 tn Heb “one who is lightly regarded.” The verb קָלָה (qalah) means “to be lightly esteemed; to be dishonored; to be degraded” (BDB 885 s.v.). 2 tn The meaning of the phrase וְעֶבֶד לוֹ (vÿ’eved lo) is ambiguous; the preposition is either possessive (“has a servant”) or a reflexive indirect object (“is a servant for himself”; cf. NAB, TEV). Several versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read “and yet has a servant.” 3 tn Heb “who feigns importance.” The term מְתַכַּבֵּד (mÿtakkabed, from כָּבֵד, caved, “to be weighty; to be honored; to be important”) is an example of the so-called “Hollywood” Hitpael which describes a person putting on an act (BDB 458 s.v. כָּבֵד Hitp.2). 3 sn This individual lives beyond his financial means in a vain show to impress other people and thus cannot afford to put food on the table. |