14:35

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

35a
A king delights in a wise servant,

35b but his anger falls on the shameful.

Some versions arrange this verse in the form of a chiasm, so that the parts in 14:35a occur in the opposite order from the parallel parts in 14:35b. For example:

35a
A king delights in a wise servant,

35b but a shameful servant arouses his fury. (New International Version)
-or-
35a
A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor,

35b but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully. (New Revised Standard Version)

There is no chiasm here in Hebrew, and versions such as the Berean Standard Bible translate this verse without one. Use whatever order is appropriate in your language for a proverb such as this.

14:35a

A king delights in: Here are some other ways to translate the Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as delights in :

Kings are pleased with (Good News Translation)
-or-
A king shows favour to (New Jerusalem Bible)

See the note on “delight” in 11:1b .

a wise servant: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as wise refers to someone who is sensible, prudent, or competent in carrying out his master’s orders. The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as servant refers to an administrator or official who serves the king. Another way to translate this phrase is:

competent officials (Good News Translation)

14:35b

but his anger falls on the shameful: The servant who is incompetent and thus fails to carry out his duties satisfactorily will cause the king to be shamed. As a result, he will bring upon himself the king’s fierce anger. See the note on 11:4a–b, where the Berean Standard Bible translates this same term as “wrath.”

When a king’s anger is directed against someone, it usually implies that he will punish that person. In some languages, it may be helpful to make this implied meaning explicit. For example:

but they punish those who fail them (Good News Translation)

the shameful: The word translated here as shameful may mean that:

(a) The servant acts in a shameful way.

(b) He causes shame to his master.

Probably both meanings are intended. See the note on 10:5b, where the Berean Standard Bible translates this same word as “disgraceful.”

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