This verse has been disputed by interpreters. It is not certain in the Hebrew text if the contrast is between “honor” and “riches”, between “women” and “men”, or between “gracious” and “violent” ways of obtaining a person’s goals. It has also been pointed out that this is the only verse in Proverbs that makes a contrast between man and woman.

“A gracious woman gets honor”: “Gracious” describes a woman whose form and appearance are lovely, graceful, attractive. “Gets honor” means she receives praise or respect. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project considers the word rendered “honor” a “C” and supports Revised Standard Version by translating “gets honor” as “gets glory.” New Revised Standard Version has revised Revised Standard Version and follows the Septuagint, which has two additional lines. Good News Translation also follows the Septuagint, but this approach is not recommended to translators.

“And violent men get riches”: The translation “violent men” has been questioned. Some hold that it means “vigorous,” and so Revised English Bible has “bold.” Others appeal to the Septuagint and get “diligent”; however, most versions follow Revised Standard Version with “violent” or a term of similar meaning, and we recommend this to translators. For “riches” see 3.16.

Whybray examines the various solutions proposed for the interpretation of the verse and concludes that two solutions are the most likely. The first is the idea that gentle methods such as those employed by the “gracious woman” can accomplish more than “violence” or bold aggression because it is more important to get “honor” or glory than to get “riches”. In this case we may translate, for example, “It is better to be gracious and get honor than to be violent and get riches.”

Alternatively, Whybray suggests a simile “As energetic men acquire riches, so a charming woman gains honor.”

Contemporary English Version contrasts the manner in which a woman gets respect, that is, by being gracious, with the way a man gets wealth, by hard work: “A gracious woman will be respected, but a man must work hard to get rich.”

Contemporary English Version has a footnote to the second line, which says “Or ‘a ruthless man will only get rich.'”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .