“Lest you give your honor to others”: “Honor” translates a word that refers to splendor or dignity, or sometimes to vigor or strength. There are different ways to interpret this line. Some understand that the learner will lose his honor, reputation, and respect by going to the woman, and that others who stay away from her will take away that respect. Contemporary English Version says, “You will lose your self-respect”; in a number of languages this is expressed as “. . . lose your good name.” Others understand this as advice not to place your honor and wealth at the mercy of other people. Following this line of reasoning Bible en français courant translates, “Don’t place yourself at the mercy of another man,” and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says, “So that you don’t give away your wealth to others.”

“And your years to the merciless”: The verb “give” from the previous line is to be understood here. Another textual variant has “strangers” in place of “merciless”. This seems to be a better match with “others” in the first line. However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates “merciless”, that is, “cruel,” as a “B” and supports Revised Standard Version. The question that must be asked is: Who is the “cruel” or “merciless” person? Bible en français courant, which understands this person to be the husband of the adulterous woman, translates this line “Do not let a cruel husband destroy your life.” Note that Good News Translation is more general. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has a rendering that may serve as a model: “Otherwise you will be without honor and her cruel husband will kill you to get what you have acquired over many years.” Some others that are similar say, “. . . and her husband will have no mercy on you. He will kill you while you are still young.”

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 .