18:4

4a
The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters,

4b
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

In Hebrew, there is no conjunction, such as “and,” connecting 18:4a and 18:4b. There are also no verbs (“are/is”). There are at least two ways to interpret the parallel lines along with the two metaphors:

(1) Verse 18:4b continues the thought of 18:4a. Both lines describe the words of wise people. Their words are both profound (“deep waters”) and plentiful (“flowing brook”). For example:

The words of a person’s mouth are like deep waters, and the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook. (NET Bible)

(2) Verse 18:4b contrasts with 18:4a. Verse 18:4a describes the words of an average person. His words are obscure and hard to understand (“deep water”). By contrast, the words of a wise person in 18:4b are an unending source of wisdom (“bubbling brook”). For example:

The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. (New International Version)

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

(a) When parallel lines contrast, they are usually connected with a conjunction (waw). There is no conjunction here in Hebrew.

(b) The metaphors used in this verse usually refer to the words of wise people.

(c) The idea that the words of ordinary people are hard to understand does not fit well with other teaching in Proverbs.

See the General Comment on 18:4a–b for ways to translate the parallel lines.

18:4a

The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters: This clause is a complex figure of speech. The word mouth represents the person himself. The phrase words of a man’s mouth refers to the words that a person says. It is implied from 18:4b that this person is wise.

This clause is also a metaphor. In this metaphor, The words of a man’s mouth are compared to deep waters, such as the water in a well. They are similar, because they are profound and full of meaning. They are also plentiful.

Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

Wise words are like deep waters. (New Living Translation (2004))

• Change the metaphor to a simile and make explicit the similarity between wise words and deep water. For example:

The words of a wise person ⌊are profound⌋ . They are like the deep water in a well.

18:4b

the fountain of wisdom: This phrase is a metaphor. It compares the words of a wise person to a spring or other source of plentiful water. The Good News Translation translates this phrase without using a figure of speech. It has:

a source of wisdom

A similar phrase “fountain of life” occurs in 10:11a.

a bubbling brook: In Hebrew, this phrase usually refers to a stream or wadi that gushes with swiftly flowing water in the rainy season. But it becomes a dry stream bed in the dry season.

In this context, the point of this metaphor is that wise words are like a plentiful supply of fresh water. They are a great blessing. There is no emphasis here on the temporary nature of the stream. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

a gushing torrent (Revised English Bible)
-or-
an overflowing stream (God’s Word)

General Comment on 18:4a–b

There are several acceptable ways to understand the relationship between the metaphors in these two lines:

• The metaphors occur in two parallel clauses, as in the NET Bible (quoted above). If it is natural in your language, you may omit the conjunction, as in the Hebrew. For example:

Wise words are like deep waters;

wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook. (New Living Translation (2004))

• The three metaphors occur in a single clause. They all refer to the words of a wise person. For example:

The words a man speaks are deep waters,

a flowing stream, a fountain of wisdom. (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

• The metaphors overlap in meaning. In some languages, it may be better to combine and/or reorder the two lines. For example:

Words of wisdom are a stream that flows from a deep fountain. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
A person’s words can be a source of wisdom, deep as the ocean, fresh as a flowing stream. (Good News Translation)

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