12:8
Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:
8a
A man is praised according to his wisdom,
8b but a twisted mind is despised.
12:8a
A man is praised according to his wisdom: The Hebrew word śekel, which the Berean Standard Bible translates here as wisdom, refers to the good sense, practical insight, or wise conduct that results from carefully evaluating a situation. A person who has śekel can understand the different aspects of a problem and think of a helpful solution.
according to: A person is praised according to, in proportion to, or based on the amount of, the intelligence that he has. Another way to translate this line is:
A person will be praised based on his insight (God’s Word)
The relationship “in proportion to” is difficult to express in many languages. If that is true in your language, you may want to translate this line in a more general way, as many English versions have done. For example:
One is commended for good sense (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
If you are sensible/prudent, people will say good things about you
-or-
Good sense is worthy of praise (Contemporary English Version)
12:8b
but a twisted mind is despised: There is a textual issue here for the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a twisted mind :
(1) The Masoretic Text (MT) has “crooked/twisted of heart.” This refers to a person who is not able to think clearly or make good decisions. For example:
but whoever has a twisted mind will be despised (God’s Word)
(2) The LXX has “sluggish in heart,” so some scholars think that the original text was an expression that means “thick-headed.” For example:
if you are stupid, people will look down on you (Good News Translation)
It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions and scholars.
is despised: For despised, see the note on 11:12a, where the Berean Standard Bible translates the same verb as “shows contempt.”
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