Internet Verse Search Commentaries Word Analysis ITL - draft

Proverbs 16:26

NETBible	A laborer’s¹ appetite² works on his behalf,³ for his hunger⁴ urges him to work.⁵
NIV © biblegateway Pro 16:26	The labourer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.
NASB © biblegateway Pro 16:26	A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.
NLT © biblegateway Pro 16:26	It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on.
MSG © biblegateway Pro 16:26	Appetite is an incentive to work; hunger makes you work all the harder.
BBE © SABDAweb Pro 16:26	The desire of the working man is working for him, for his need of food is driving him on.
NRSV © bibleoremus Pro 16:26	The appetite of workers works for them; their hunger urges them on.
NKJV © biblegateway Pro 16:26	The person who labors, labors for himself, For his hungry mouth drives him on .
[+] More English


KJV	He <05315> that laboureth <06001> laboureth <05998> (8804) for himself; for his mouth <06310> craveth <0404> (8804) it of him. {He...: Heb. The soul of him that} {craveth...: Heb. boweth unto him}
NASB © biblegateway Pro 16:26	A worker's <06001> appetite <05315> works <05998> for him, For his hunger <06310> urges <0404> him on.
LXXM	anhr <435> N-NSM en <1722> PREP ponoiv <4192> N-DPM ponei {V-PAI-3S} eautw <1438> D-DSM kai <2532> CONJ ekbiazetai {V-PMI-3S} eautou <1438> D-GSM thn <3588> T-ASF apwleian <684> N-ASF o <3588> T-NSM mentoi <3305> PRT skoliov <4646> A-NSM epi <1909> PREP tw <3588> T-DSN eautou <1438> D-GSM stomati <4750> N-DSN forei <5409> V-PAI-3S thn <3588> T-ASF apwleian <684> N-ASF
NET [draft] ITL	A laborer’s <06001> appetite <05315> works <05998> on his behalf, for <03588> his hunger <06310> urges <0404> him to work.
HEBREW	whyp <06310> wyle <05921> Pka <0404> yk <03588> wl <0> hlme <05998> lme <06001> spn (16:26) <05315>

NETBible

A laborer’s¹ appetite² works on his behalf,³ for his hunger⁴ urges him to work.⁵

NET Notes

¹sn The word for “laborer” and “labors” emphasizes the drudgery and the agony of work (עָמַל, ’amal). For such boring drudgery motivations are necessary for its continuance, and hunger is the most effective. The line is saying that the appetites are working as hard as the laborer.

²tn Heb “soul.” The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) here means “appetite,” functioning as a metonymy; the “inner soul” of a person representing his appetite (BDB 660 s.v. 5a; see, e.g., Pss 63:6; 107:9; Prov 13:25; 16:24; 27:7; Isa 56:11; 58:10; Jer 50:19; Ezek 7:19). This is suggested by the parallelism with “hunger.”

³tn Heb “labors for him” (so NAB).

⁴tn Heb “his mouth” (so KJV, NAB). The term “mouth” is a metonymy for hunger or eating. The idea of the proverb is clear – the need to eat drives people to work.

⁵tc The LXX has apparently misread פִּיהוּ (pihu) and inserted the idea of “ruin” for the laborer: “he drives away ruin.” This influenced the Syriac to some degree; however, its first clause understood “suffering” instead of “labor”: “the person who causes suffering suffers.”

⁵sn This theme is taught elsewhere (e.g., Eccl 6:7; Eph 4:28; 6:7; 2 Thess 3:10-12).