Proverbs 12:9

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.

Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant Than he who honors himself and lacks bread.

It is better to be a nobody with a servant than to be self–important but have no food.

Better to be ordinary and work for a living than act important and starve in the process.

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.

Better to be despised and have a servant, than to be self-important and lack food.

Better is the one who is slighted but has a servant, Than he who honors himself but lacks bread.

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.

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).

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.