21:14
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
14a
A gift in secret soothes anger,
14b and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.
As in 17:8 and 18:16, this proverb does not express approval or disapproval of the practice of giving secret gifts or bribes. It merely comments that they are effective in calming a person’s anger.
21:14a–b
A gift in secret…a covert bribe: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a covert bribe is literally “in the bosom.” It is similar to the phrase “from the bosom” in 17:23a. The Berean Standard Bible translated that phrase as “a covert bribe” also.
Here both phrases refer to giving a gift or bribe secretly or privately, without other people knowing about it. As is common with parallel pairs, the first term has a general meaning. The second term is more specific and vivid. It describes the bribe as being covert. It is hidden or out of sight in a pocket or a fold in the front of someone’s robe.
Some other ways to translate these parallel phrases are:
a secret gift…a bribe under the table (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
a gift in secret…a concealed bribe (English Standard Version)
The New Living Translation (2004) has used a figure of speech, “under the table,” that is natural in English. If your language has a figurative way to describe a bribe that is given secretly, consider using it here.
A gift…a…bribe: The first of these two parallel terms has a neutral meaning. It can refer to any kind of gift.
bribe: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as bribe usually has a bad meaning. However, in some contexts, it has a good meaning. There are two ways to interpret the word here:
(1) The word has a bad meaning, because it is given secretly. It should be translated as “bribe.” For example:
a secret bribe (God’s Word)
(2) The word has a good meaning, because its purpose is to soothe a person’s anger. It should be translated as “gift ” or “present.” For example:
a present in private (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Both parallel lines refer to something that a person gives in order to influence another person’s behavior. If you translate “gift” in the first line and “bribe” in the second line, the proverb will apply to more contexts.
If you combine the parallel lines, it is recommended that you use both terms. See the General Comment on 21:14a–b below.
soothes anger…pacifies great wrath: Both parallel phrases refer to calming or turning aside the anger of the person who receives the gift/bribe. As is common in parallelism, the second phrase is more emphatic than the first. But both lines refer to the same situation. Some other ways to translate these parallel phrases are:
subdues anger…fierce rage (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
calms anger…calms great fury (God’s Word)
In Hebrew, there is an ellipsis in the second phrase. The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the verb pacifies, a synonym of soothes in the first phrase, to make the meaning clearer in English.
General Comment on 21:14a–b
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine the two parallel lines. For example:
If someone is very angry with you, secretly giving him a gift or bribe will calm his anger.
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