“She is more precious than jewels”: “She” refers to wisdom and the clause must often be rendered as “Wisdom is more valuable than. . ..” In some languages the noun “wisdom” must be repeated in almost every statement from this verse down to verse 18. “Precious” in reference to jewels has the sense of commanding a higher price, of having greater value. The meaning of the word rendered “jewels” is uncertain. The ancient versions use a variety of translations. In Lam 4.7 the word is used to indicate ruddiness of complexion, and so it is rendered “coral” by some interpreters. Some prefer “pearls,” but in light of the uncertainty it is probably best to use a general term such as “jewels” or “precious stones.”

“Nothing you desire can compare with her”: This kind of statement must often be restructured in other languages, for example, “You desire many things but none of these things is as good as she is” or “Of all the things you want, she surpasses them all.” Here again it may be necessary in some languages to replace the pronouns with the word for wisdom.

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 .