8:18

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning.

18a With me are riches and honor,

18b
enduring wealth and righteousness.

There is an ellipsis in 8:18b. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing words. For example:

18b
⌊with me are⌋ enduring wealth and righteousness.

8:18a

With me are riches and honor: This verse refers to the benefits that wisdom offers to those who seek and love her. It does not refer to the qualities that wisdom possesses. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

I have riches and honor to give (Good News Translation)
-or-
Unending riches, honor…are mine to distribute (New Living Translation (1996))

The word honor also means “respect” or “good reputation.” If it is not natural to express riches and honor as nouns in your language, another way to translate them is:

I can make you rich and famous. (Contemporary English Version)

The “riches” and “wealth” in this verse refer to material things and not to spiritual riches.

8:18b

enduring wealth: The word wealth means the same thing as “riches” in 8:18a. Here it is described as being enduring, “lasting” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “unending” (New Living Translation (2004)).

righteousness: There are two main ways to interpret the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as righteousness :

(1) The word has its usual meaning here of “righteousness” or “justice.” It is not a figure of speech. For example:

saving justice (New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) The word is used here as a figure of speech (metonymy). It refers to the reward for righteousness. This reward is prosperity or success. For example:

success (Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most scholars. There are several reasons:

(a) The word is almost always used in a moral sense.

(b) In Proverbs, there is a close connection between wealth and moral righteousness (see 8:20–21). So it is not necessary to propose an unusual meaning for righteousness because of the parallel with “riches” in this verse.

(c) Although success may indeed result from righteous conduct, it is not the same thing as righteous conduct. To translate this as “success” seems to omit a step in the logic.

If your readers are likely to compare your translation with a version that has “success” or “prosperity,” it is suggested that you:

• Make explicit the relationship between righteousness and success. For example:

I give people lasting wealth and the success that comes from a righteous way of life.

• Put “righteousness” in your translation, but add a footnote that says something like:

This Hebrew word usually means “righteousness,” but some scholars think that here it refers to the result of righteous behavior, which is success or prosperity.

General Comment on 8:18a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts that are similar in meaning. See the Display for 8:18a–b (combined/reordered).

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