12:23
Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:
23a
A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself,
23b but a foolish heart proclaims its folly.
This proverb contrasts a prudent person who knows when to remain silent and a foolish person who speaks carelessly and reveals his ignorance.
12:23a
A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself: For the meaning of the word shrewd, see the note on 12:16b, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “prudent.” The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as keeps…to himself is literally “covers” in the sense of “conceals”; many English versions translate the word as “conceals.” This clause means that a sensible/shrewd person carefully refrains from telling what he knows until the time/situation is appropriate. It does not mean that he never shares his knowledge with others.
In some languages, it may be helpful to make explicit at least part of this intended meaning. For example:
Wise people don’t make a show of their knowledge (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
Be sensible and don’t tell everything you know (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
A clever person knows when to keep quiet about what he knows.
Notice that the Contemporary English Version uses a command rather than a statement. Use a form that is natural in your language for a proverb like this.
12:23b
but a foolish heart: The heart is a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole. So the phrase a foolish heart means “a foolish person.”
foolish: The word foolish here describes the character of a person who does what is stupid and wrong because he is mentally lazy and self-satisfied. He does not understand the need to change his own foolish behavior and does not want to think about the consequences.
proclaims its folly: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as proclaims is literally “calls out.” Another way to translate it is:
blurts out (New International Version)
In contrast to the cautious, appropriate revealing of knowledge in 12:23a, proclaims accurately expresses the implied information that fools speak loudly, carelessly, and inappropriately. In doing this, they show their own folly (moral or spiritual foolishness).
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