11:26

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

26a
People will curse the hoarder of grain,

26b but blessing will crown the one who sells it.

11:26a–b

The people will curse…but blessing will crown: The word that the Berean Standard Bible and other versions translate as curse normally means to invoke a bad result on someone. The parallel expression, blessing will crown, is literally “a blessing for the head of.” In this phrase, “head” refers figuratively to the whole person.

In this context, it is probable that curse and blessing do not refer to ritual or formal pronouncements of cursing or blessing. Instead, they probably mean that people say bad things about the person who hoards his grain. They praise or say good things about the person who is willing to sell it.

the hoarder of grain…the one who sells it: This proverb assumes that there is a shortage of grain. In such a situation, the phrase hoarder of grain indicates someone who refuses to sell his grain at the normal price when people want to buy it. Instead, he stores it so that he can sell it later at a much higher price. The parallel phrase the one who sells it refers to a person who is willing to sell his grain at a reasonable price. He does not store it in order to get a higher price later on.

Some versions make explicit the implied purpose for hoarding grain. It also makes explicit the implied situation or period of time for selling grain. For example:

People curse those who hold their grain for higher prices, but they bless the one who sells to them in their time of need. (New Living Translation (1996))

You may need to make some of this information explicit in your language to help your readers understand the context of hoarding and selling.

11:26a

grain: The word grain refers specifically to threshed grain, probably wheat. It may also refer more broadly to any kind of grain, vegetable, or fruit crop. In languages that do not have a word for wheat, some other ways to translate this word are:

• Use the word for another grain crop, such as rice.

• Use a more general term, such as “crop” or “what is harvested.”

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