“In the twilight, in the evening”: The word rendered “twilight” can mean the dim period of morning light when the sun is still below the horizon or the “twilight” of evening. Here it is the evening when nighttime is approaching.

“At the time of night and darkness”: This line seems to go beyond the first in terms of passing from twilight of evening to darkness of night. The word rendered “time” by Revised Standard Version is the same as the word for “pupil of the eye” in verse 2. Here it is taken by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project to mean “middle of the night.” This, however, seems to conflict with the sense in the first line, and so Revised Standard Version and others (without a footnote) make a slight change in the Hebrew word to get “time”. New Revised Standard Version supports Revised Standard Version, as does also Good News Translation “in the evening after it was dark.” No doubt the poetic movement of thought from “twilight” to “middle of the night” is normal in Hebrew parallelism. However, from the point of view of meaningful text, Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation are better and are recommended.

Translators may find that verse 9, which expresses the time of the action in this short narrative, fits more naturally at the beginning of verse 8. In that case we may reverse the order of verses 8 and 9 by translating, for example, “(8-9) Late in the evening as night was approaching, a young man was walking along the street near the corner where a certain woman lived.”

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 .

This verse is similar to Job 12.13, in which wisdom, might, counsel, and understanding are said to be with God. See also Isa 11.2. In our verse it is Wisdom who claims to possess these qualities.

“I have counsel and sound wisdom”: “Counsel”, which refers to advice, guidance, or planning, was first used in 1.25 and 30, where Wisdom’s guidance is only for individuals. However, this term is also used in 2 Sam 17.7 and 1 Kgs 1.12 in reference to political and military advice. It has this kind of political sense here. “Sound wisdom” refers to wise dealings in everyday, practical matters. A translation that brings out the sense of these terms says “I give good thinking to people and I help them to do good work.”

“I have insight . . . strength”: “Insight” (see 3.5) is the capacity to determine the true nature of things and usually has a sense close to that of “intelligence.” The word rendered “strength” normally is used of the political or military power of kings, as in 2 Kgs 18.20.

The text of the second line in Hebrew is strange, and because of this it is translated differently by the various versions. It is literally “I insight to me and strength.” “To me” is the same expression that begins the first line, which is usually rendered “I have” or “belongs to me.” The most common rendering, as found in Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version, may be regarded as a translation of the Hebrew, as also Revised English Bible and Good News Translation. A Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia footnote suggests a variant Hebrew text, literally “to me insight to me strength,” which could be translated the same way. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, however, which rates this line as “B,” makes two recommendations for its translation:

(1) “I am understanding/insight; to me belongs the power,” or
(2) “I, Understanding/Insight, possess the power.”
The rendering of New Jerusalem Bible “I am perception: power is mine” apparently understands the text in this way.

We may translate verse 14 by staying fairly close to the form of the text and saying, for example: “I give guidance and deal wisely. I have intelligence and power.” Or: “I plan ahead and understand things. I see the way things are and I am powerful.”

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 .

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”: This is the same as the first line in 1.7, except that “wisdom” replaces “knowledge.” See comments on this line in 1.7.

“Knowledge of the Holy One is insight”: This line, like the first, affirms that “wisdom” or “knowledge” are not independent things but belong to God and are available to those who honor the Lord. “Holy One” in the Hebrew is literally “the holy ones,” a plural expression used in the Old Testament to refer to saintly persons, heavenly beings, or angels. For examples see Psa 34.9 (Hebrew verse 10); Job 5.1; 15.15; and Zech 14.5. Although some interpreters take the plural to refer to “holy men,” the parallelism requires it to refer to God. Accordingly Contemporary English Version translates as “Holy God.” “The Holy One” is used as a title for God and is sometimes expressed as “God who is sacred.” Since the reference is clearly to God, it is not always necessary to find a word for “Holy” that can be applied to God. It is possible, for example, to use a pronoun in the second line by saying “and knowing him gives a person insight.” For “insight” see 1.2. Two renderings of this line in Pacific languages are: “The Lord is sacred and completely righteous, and if someone wants to understand the meaning of things, they must know the Lord well,” and “God is wholly good and righteous; and if you want to get good understanding, you must first know him.”

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 .

“What the wicked dreads will come upon him”: The contrast in the lines of this verse is between the anticipation of the two kinds of people. “Dreads” means to fear intensely something that has not yet happened. The wicked person lives in fear that he will come to a bad end. In some languages this idea is best expressed, for example, “Wicked people fear something will happen to them and it does” or “What wicked people fear most is the thing that happens to them.”

“But the desire of the righteous will be granted”: “Desire” is used here in the good sense of wishing for or wanting something. “The righteous” is plural in this line, and “the wicked” is singular in the first line. But while these are contrasting parallels, they are not meant to contrast on the basis of number. “Will be granted” may be understood as impersonal (“someone gives”) or as meaning that the Lord is the one who gives. In some languages the person granting the desire must be expressed, for example, “But the Lord will give to the good the things they want.” In others the line can be expressed simply as “But good people will receive [get] what they desire.”

Good News Translation has reversed the order of the lines in this verse, so that the reward of “the righteous” comes first and then the bad end of “the wicked”. This may be a more natural progression of thought in some languages.

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 .

The intention of this saying seems to be general and affirms that generosity is a good investment. Verses 25-26, which have to do with money, make the use of wealth central here also.

“One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer”: “One man” translates a Hebrew particle that merely states that something exists or happens; for example, “there is [one who] . . ..” This does not mean that the example given is typical but rather that it sometimes happens. “Gives freely” renders a verb meaning to scatter or disperse and is used in Psa 112.9 of giving generously to the poor. “Gives freely” then is to be taken as “gives generously” or “being generous with money.” However, the book of Proverbs nowhere encourages extravagance or lavish expenditures. “Yet” expresses a surprise in view of what was said before. “Grows . . . richer” renders a verb form meaning “adds to” or “increases,” and the sense is “yet the person generous in giving increases his wealth.”

“Another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want”: “Withholds” means “keeps back” or “does not spend.” “What he should give” is literally “what is due or proper.” “Only suffers want” is literally “only to poverty.” This line expresses the contrary of line 1. The person who holds on to his money ends up being poor.

Bible en français courant has a good model translation for the whole verse: “Some give generously and increase their fortune. Some save more than necessary and become poor.”

Contemporary English Version says “Sometimes you can become rich by being generous or poor by being greedy.”

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 .

The message of this saying is that a kind word cheers up a depressed person.

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down”: “Anxiety” is normally fear or worry about something in the future. New Revised Standard Version has revised “man’s heart” to “the human heart.” “Weighs . . . down” is literally “bows him down” in the sense of causing the person to become depressed or dejected. Some translations render this line idiomatically; for example, “When a person is worried this makes his thinking [or, insides] heavy.”

“But a good word makes him glad”: “Good” in this context has the sense of “reassuring,” “encouraging,” or “helpful.” In many languages “a good word” must be expanded; for example, “the good talk of a friend” or “if someone gives good talk to a neighbor. . ..” “Makes him glad” is rendered in many modern versions by an expression equivalent to “cheers him up.” See Good News Translation.

In some languages this saying may be expressed, for example, “Worrying about what will happen makes you feel bad, but an encouraging word from somebody can warm your heart.”

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 .

Verse 4 does not share a theme or have any catchwords (key terms in common) with the sayings before or after it.

“Where there are no oxen, there is no grain”: As the Revised Standard Version footnote suggests, this line is literally “Where there are no oxen, a manger of grain.” Two different terms for “ox” are used in this verse. In line 1 the Hebrew is a form used only in the plural and refers to castrated bulls used as work animals. The Hebrew word rendered “grain” by Revised Standard Version may also be taken to mean “clean” and is so translated by the Septuagint. In this sense the “manger” or feedbox is clean, and so empty. Whether the Hebrew text is changed, as in Revised Standard Version, or left unchanged, the sense seems to be the same: “If you don’t have oxen to plow a field, you won’t have grain to put in the feedbox.” This thought is reinforced by the second line, which affirms that it takes a strong work animal to produce a crop.

“But abundant crops come by the strength of the ox”: “Crops” renders an expression meaning “increase” or “yield” in reference to a harvest. The same expression is used in 10.16, where Revised Standard Version translates “gain.” “Strength” refers to the “might” or “power” of the work animal to pull a plow. The word for “ox” in line 2 is the common term used to refer to the same work animal in line 1. This word is also used in 7.22; however, there it is figurative and easier to adapt in translation. Here the reference is to a literal animal, and if the “ox” is unknown, it may be necessary to refer to another work animal, or use a general expression such as “animal used for working.” We may render this saying, for example, “Without an ox your barn will be empty, but with a strong ox you will have lots of grain.” Where “grain” is not the staple food, or where people are not very familiar with growing it, it is advisable to use a more general term for “crops”; for example, “If there is no bullock to break the ground, the food house will be empty; but if there is a bullock, there will be plenty of food in the garden [field].”

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 .

“A soft answer turns away wrath”: “Soft” in relation to speech means “gentle,” “kind,” or, as Revised English Bible says, “mild.” It is a response without anger or harshness. The importance of kindness and respect in the use of speech is expressed again in 24.26 and 25.15. “Answer” in this context refers to a response or reply to what someone, perhaps in anger, has said. “Turns away” translates the causative form of a verb meaning “to turn back.” The thought is that the anger of the first speaker can be set aside or calmed by a gentle response. “Wrath” is anger or fury. Contemporary English Version says “A kind answer soothes angry feelings,” and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “A friendly reply calms anger.” In some languages it may be necessary to expand this line to say, for example, “Reply to a person with gentle words and you will calm their anger.”

“But a harsh word stirs up anger”: “A harsh word” is literally “a word of pain,” that is, one that causes pain, and the expression refers to a word or utterance spoken sharply or heatedly. “Stirs up” or “excites” contrasts with “turns away” in the first line. The verb refers to causing something to rise, in this case the angry emotions of the other speaker, as Revised English Bible says: “but a sharp word makes tempers rise.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates this full saying “A reconciling answer cools down anger, but a hurtful word heats it up.” 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 .