Verses 26 and 27 are related in that they both speak of the “fear of the Lord” and the consequent safety and good fortune of the person who fears him.

“In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence”: Revised Standard Version “one has” is not represented in the Hebrew text, which is literally “In the fear of the Lord strong trust.” As in 1.7 “fear” in the expression “fear of the Lord” means “respect,” “honor,” or “awe,” and so Good News Translation says “reverence for the Lord.” We may also say, for example, “The person who respects [honors, submits himself to] the Lord. . ..” “Strong confidence” refers to being safe or secure, that is, being under the Lord‘s protection.

“And his children will have a refuge”: There is nothing in line 1 that “his children” can refer back to. Therefore, some interpreters have changed the Hebrew word meaning “strong” in that line to a similar word meaning “a strong person.” However, most modern translations reject this change and keep the Hebrew text, as seen in Revised Standard Version. “Refuge” refers to shelter or protection provided by the Lord. Contemporary English Version offers a model translation: “If you respect the Lord, you and your children have a strong fortress.” See also Good News Translation.

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 .