“She has slaughtered her beasts”: “Slaughtered”, the same word as used in 7.22, refers to killing animals for their meat. The Hebrew does not use a word meaning “beasts”. It says literally “slaughtered her slaughtering.” This expression suggests the killing of various animals for a feast and not for religious sacrifice. This contrasts with the “sacrifice” offered by the adulterous wife in 7.14. In translation it is best to avoid naming any particular kind of animal that was killed and butchered. Contemporary English Version says, “She has prepared the meat. . ..” In order to make it clear that this refers to preparing food for a feast, some translations say, for example, “She has killed and cooked. . .” or “She has killed an animal for a feast.”

“She has mixed her wine”: “Mixed”, as in Isa 5.22, refers to mixing spices into the wine to give it a variety of tastes. A rendering of this in one language says, “She has made her wine sweet.” “Wine” renders a word meaning fermented wine. The combination of meat and wine was the chief food and drink at feasts in 1 Sam 16.20 and Dan 10.3. If “wine” is unknown, the name of a local fermented drink may be suitable as a translation. If this is not satisfactory, a borrowed word or a general noun like “drink” may be used. “Strong drink,” “powerful drink,” or “sweet drink” is sometimes used as a descriptive phrase. It should be remembered that these images represent the teachings of Wisdom, the true content of her banquet.

“She has also set her table”: “Set . . . table” means to prepare the table by placing food on it. “Table” is to be understood either as a mat or hide placed on the floor or, as it later became, a low platform around which guests reclined as they ate. Contemporary English Version avoids any reference to the “table” by saying, “Her feast is ready.” You may find this a happy solution to the translation of “table”, which in the world of today often carries with it the suggestion of chairs.

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 .