Paragraph 23:29–35 Saying 18
In this saying, the father indirectly warns his son not to get drunk. He first asks him to identify the kind of person who experiences the effects of drinking (23:29–30). He then warns him to avoid the tempting appearance and taste of wine and gives him a reason for the warning (23:31–32). Finally, he describes what a drunk person imagines, says (23:33) and feels (23:33–34). The last verse gives the drunk person’s concluding words (23:35).
23:29
In this verse, the father asks the young man six questions. These questions are like a riddle. They ask the young man to guess the kind of person who is being described.
29a Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
29b Who has contentions? Who has complaints?
29c Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Each question has the same answer. The writer gives the answer in 23:30. See the General Comment after the note in 23:30b for a way to reorder these verses.
23:29a
Who has woe? Who has sorrow?: In Hebrew, the word woe is normally used as an exclamation. The word sorrow is probably used in the same way. These words probably express the drunkard’s feelings of frustration and despair. For example:
Who groans “Alas!”? Who cries “Woe is me!”?
If your language has one or more exclamations that would be appropriate in this context, consider using them here.
You may also use questions that are similar to the Berean Standard Bible. Some other ways to translate these questions are:
Who has trouble? Who has misery? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Who continually feels pain and sorrow/remorse?
23:29b
Who has contentions?: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as contentions refers to both quarrels and fights. The Berean Standard Bible translates the same Hebrew word as “quarrels” in 18:18. Some other ways to translate this question are:
Who is always fighting? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Who argues and fights? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Who always causes trouble?
Who has complaints?: This question may result from the previous one. A person who gets into arguments and fights often has difficulties to complain about. Another way to translate this question is?
Who is always complaining? (New Living Translation (2004))
23:29c
Who has needless wounds?: The phrase needless wounds refers here to the cuts and bruises that a drunk person receives when he gets into a fight. The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as needless is more literally “without cause.” This word may mean that:
(a) There was no need for a fight. The wounds occurred for no good reason. For example:
Who has unnecessary bruises? (New Century Version)
-or-
Who has bruises that could have been avoided?
(b) The injured person was not aware of the cause. He may have been too drunk. He may also have been injured by a random blow. For example:
Who gets the bruises without knowing why? (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Who is struck by a random blow?
You may use any of these ideas to translate this question in your language.
Who has bloodshot eyes?: In Hebrew, bloodshot eyes is literally “darkness of eyes.” It may refer to:
(a) Eyes that are red or bloodshot. For example:
Whose eyes are red? (Contemporary English Version)
(b) Eyes that are cloudy or glazed. For example:
Who has bleary eyes? (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
Both of these fit the context well. They are equally acceptable. Use a natural expression in your language that refers to the eyes of a person who has had too much to drink.
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