“If you sit down, you will not be afraid”: “Sit down” follows the wording of the Septuagint. The Hebrew text has “lie down” in both lines and is recommended by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project in that form to translators. The verb rendered “lie down” means to lie down to rest or to sleep. Some translators distinguish between the nature of “lie down” in the two clauses. For example, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “When you take your rest” and “when you go to bed.” Bible en français courant has “In the evening you will lie down without fear and at night your sleep will be peaceful.” “Afraid” refers to any kind of fright, threat, dread, or terror.

“Sleep will be sweet”: “Sweet” is used in the sense of pleasant, peaceful, sound. The same expression is used in Jer 31.26. We may also say, for example, “You will sleep peacefully” or “You will have a pleasant night’s sleep.”

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 .