The theme of this saying is that intelligence earns the respect of others.

“A man is commended according to his good sense”: “A man” renders the Hebrew form but is not intended to represent exclusively an adult male. New Revised Standard Version has “One is commended. . ..” We may also say, for example, “A person is. . ..” “Commended” is literally “praised,” that is, “spoken well of.” “Good sense” renders the same word as used in 3.4 and translated “repute” in Revised Standard Version. See comments there. “Good sense” means “intelligence” here. In some languages “intelligence” is expressed as “having a bright spirit,” “a powerful head,” or “a glowing eye.” Note how Good News Translation uses the “if you. . .” form. We may translate, for example, “People speak well of an intelligent person” or “If a person is intelligent, people will praise his name.”

“But one of perverse mind is despised”: The expression “perverse mind” is used in Revised Standard Version in 11.20, where the word rendered “perverse” is a different Hebrew word. However, the sense is the same and the form is literally “twisted heart.” See 3.32 and 11.20. The person with a “perverse mind” contrasts with the intelligent person in line 1. This is expressed in some languages as “a person whose head is full of cranky [stupid] thoughts.” However, some take the form found here to refer to a person whose thoughts are unnatural rather than stupid. For example, New English Bible/Revised English Bible say “warped mind” and New Jewish Publication Society Version “twisted mind.” “Despised” contrasts with “commended” in line 1 and means to look down upon or to regard with scorn or contempt (see 1.7). In some languages it is necessary to avoid the passive construction and say, for example, “But people look down on a person with a perverted mind” or “But people consider someone as worthless if he is stupid.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .