6:32

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning. The second line completes the thought of the first line. It explains why a person who commits adultery lacks judgment.

32a
He who commits adultery lacks judgment;

32b
whoever does so destroys himself.

The contrast between 6:31 and 6:32 is that the punishment is more severe. The man who sleeps with another man’s wife will be punished far more severely than a thief who steals to satisfy his hunger. The thief loses his belongings. The man who sleeps with another man’s wife destroys his own life.

6:32a

He who commits adultery lacks judgment: In Hebrew, the phrase lacks judgment is literally “lacking heart.” In this phrase, the word “heart” refers primarily to a person’s mental faculties—the ability to think clearly and to make good decisions. It does not refer to a person’s emotions. So the phrase “lacking heart” describes someone who lacks common sense and makes foolish decisions. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

has no sense (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
is a senseless fool (Revised English Bible)

6:32b

destroys himself: Most versions translate this phrase as destroys himself. It is clear from 6:33 that the adulterer does not die immediately. Rather, his actions lead to his own life being ruined. This line does not necessarily refer to the death penalty, so you should not use an expression that definitely refers to the man’s death.

General Comment on 6:32a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder parts of 6:32a–b. For example:

But ⌊how much worse for⌋ a person who sleeps with another man’s wife. He will cause his own destruction. What a fool he is!

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

8:2

Notice the parallel parts. They are not similar in meaning, but they refer to the same location.

2a
On the heights overlooking the road,

2b
at the crossroads she takes her stand.

8:2a–b

On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossroads: Both of these phrases refer to a single location. They refer to a place within the city that is on high ground and is near a point where several paths joined the main road.

8:2b

she takes her stand: In Hebrew, this phrase is often used in a military sense of soldiers taking up their positions. Here it means that Wisdom goes and stations herself at the location mentioned in order to address the people.

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

8:34

In this verse, the last two lines are similar in meaning. They both indicate in figurative language the attitude of a person who is eager to listen to Wisdom.

34a Blessed is the man who listens to me,

34b
watching daily at my doors,

34c
waiting at the posts of my doorway.

8:34a

Blessed is the man who listens to me: For the word Blessed, see 8:32b. For the verb listens, see 1:8a.

8:34b–c

watching daily at my doors, waiting at the posts of my doorway: The two verbs translated here as watching and waiting overlap in meaning. Both can mean “to watch.” When they are used as parallel terms, the first verb emphasizes paying careful attention, and the second verb stresses being alert or watchful. These two lines describe a person who alertly keeps watch outside the door of Wisdom’s house. He does this so that he may take advantage of every opportunity to enter the house, meet with her, and listen to her words.

doors…doorway: The first term is literally “gates.” The second term refers to the “doorpost” in a doorway. However, in this context, these terms function together as synonyms. No difference in meaning is intended. Both terms refer to the door, doorway, or entrance to Wisdom’s house. In some languages, it may not be necessary to specify “door” or “doorway.” That idea may be implicit in the statement about watching outside Wisdom’s house. See the Display for 8:34a–c (combined/reordered).

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

10:12

This proverb contrasts the opposite results of hatred and love.

12a
Hatred stirs up dissension,

12b but love covers all transgressions.

A person who is motivated by hatred causes conflict with another person who has wronged him. By contrast, a person who is motivated by love forgives the other person for the wrong that he has done.

10:12a

Hatred stirs up dissension: In this context, the verb stirs up means to start or cause. The word dissension is plural in Hebrew. It refers to misunderstandings, conflicts, or quarrels between people. Another way to translate this line is:

Hate starts quarrels (God’s Word)

10:12b

but love covers all transgressions: The verb covers is the same verb that is used in 10:6b and 10:11b. Here it is used figuratively. It means that love overlooks, excuses, or forgives all wrongs.

all transgressions: This phrase refers to all kinds of offenses or sins that another person commits against the one who loves.

Another way to translate this line is:

but love forgives all offenses (Good News Translation)

The same idea is found in 1 Peter 4:8. If you use cross-references in your translation, you may want to add a footnote such as:

See 1 Peter 4:8.

General Comment on 10:12a–b

There is personification in both lines of this verse. In the first line, “hatred” is described as someone who starts quarrels. In the second line, “love” is described as someone who forgives the wrongs committed against it.

If personification is not natural in your language, you may need to translate the meaning without using this figure of speech. For example:

A person who hates someone else causes disagreements between them. But a person who loves his fellow man will forgive him if that person sins against him in any way.
-or-
If there is someone whom you hate, you will start to quarrel with that person. If you love him, you will forgive him for anything wrong that he does against you.

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

11:12

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

12a
Whoever…lacks judgment shows contempt for his neighbor,

12b but a man of understanding remains silent.

11:12a

Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks judgment: The phrase Whoever…lacks judgment refers to a person who does not have good sense.

shows contempt for his neighbor: Other ways to translate the expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as shows contempt are:

One who belittles others (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Whoever derides their neighbor (New International Version)

A person who does this is contrasted with a person who “remains silent” in 11:12b. The contrast probably implies that a person who lacks judgment shows contempt through what he says to others about his neighbor. Some other ways to express this meaning are:

It is foolish to speak scornfully of others. (Good News Translation)
-or-
It’s stupid to say bad things about your neighbors. (Contemporary English Version)

11:12b

but a man of understanding remains silent: The contrast with 11:12a implies that a person with good sense remains silent rather than slandering his neighbor.

a man of understanding: In this context, a man of understanding is a person who has discretion, good sense, and intelligence. The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as understanding was last used in 10:23b.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

If you are smart, you will keep quiet. (Good News Translation)
-or-
but an intelligent person remains silent (New Revised Standard Version)

Notice that the Good News Translation addresses the readers directly in 11:12b. It uses “you” pronouns. Versions such as the Berean Standard Bible or New Revised Standard Version state a general principle. They do not address the readers directly. Use a natural way in your language to translate this kind of proverb.

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

12:13

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

13a An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech,

13b but a righteous man escapes from trouble.

12:13a–b

An evil man…a righteous man: The phrases An evil man and a righteous man are both singular in Hebrew. These phrases refer to an evil or righteous person as a representative of the class of evil or righteous people. These phrases may also be expressed using the plural, for example, “evil people” and “righteous people.” They would then refer to evil or righteous people as a group. You may use whatever is more natural in your language, either singular or plural or a combination of the two.

12:13a

An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech: In Hebrew, this line is literally “In the transgression of lips is a snare/trap of ⌊an⌋ evil ⌊person⌋ .” This clause is a metaphor. It compares malicious words to a snare or trap.

A hunter sets a trap with the intention of catching an unsuspecting animal or bird. Similarly, an evil person says malicious things about an innocent person. He intends to get the innocent person into trouble. But eventually he gets caught in his own trap. To his own surprise, he is the one who undergoes punishment or disaster.

In some languages, a literal translation of this metaphor may be difficult to understand. If that is true in your language, some other ways to translate the metaphor are:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. Make explicit one or more of the similarities. For example:

An evil person ⌊who intends to cause harm⌋ by the bad things that he says ⌊will suffer the consequences of his own words⌋ . ⌊He will be just like an animal that⌋ is ⌊suddenly⌋ caught in a trap.

• Express the meaning without a figure of speech. For example:

Evil people will be ⌊unexpectedly⌋ destroyed by their own malicious words.

rebellious speech: This phrase refers here to malicious words, such as slander. A person says such words with the intention to cause harm or trouble to someone else.

12:13b

but a righteous man escapes from trouble: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as escapes from trouble is literally “goes out from trouble.” Scholars interpret this phrase in two ways:

(1) A righteous person sometimes experiences trouble, but he escapes from it. For example:

but the righteous come safely through trouble (Revised English Bible)
-or-
but the upright finds a way out of misfortune (New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) A righteous person does not say what is evil, so he avoids being trapped by his words. For example:

but good people stay out of trouble (New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions. This fits the normal meaning of the Hebrew verb phrase “go out from.” It is also acceptable to translate in a way that either meaning can be understood. For example:

but a righteous man escapes trouble (New International Version)

trouble: This word refers to any kind of severe physical or mental suffering or distress. It can also refer to a condition of extreme hardship. The same word occurs in 11:8a and 1:27a–c (where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “distress”).

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

13:17

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

17a
A wicked messenger falls into trouble,

17b but a faithful envoy brings healing.

13:17a–b

A wicked messenger…a faithful envoy: No distinction is intended between the words messenger and envoy. Both were sent to deliver important messages or to represent the people who sent them in political or business dealings. The main contrast is between a messenger who is wicked and one who is faithful, reliable, or loyal. In contrast to the word faithful in 13:17b, the word wicked implies a person who is untrustworthy. Another way to translate it is:

unreliable (Good News Translation)

13:17a

falls into trouble: There is a textual difference that involves the word falls :

(1) The Masoretic Text (MT) has the word yippol “falls.” The meaning of this text is that the messenger himself experiences trouble or disaster. For example:

An undependable messenger gets into trouble (God’s Word)

(2) Some scholars think that the original text was yappil “causes to fall.” The meaning of this text is that the messenger causes trouble for others. For example:

Unreliable messengers cause trouble (Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions and scholars. The MT makes good sense in the context. Although option (2) provides a more exact contrast with 13:17b, that is not a sufficient reason for proposing a different text.

13:17b

brings healing: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as healing can also mean “health” or “remedy.” In this context, it should be understood figuratively. It refers to the welfare or peace of mind of the community to which the messenger is sent. Another way to translate this is:

but those who can be trusted bring peace (Good News Translation)

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

14:24

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

24a
The crown of the wise is their wealth,

24b but the effort of fools is folly.

14:24a

The crown of the wise is their wealth: There is a textual difference here:

(1) The Masoretic Text has: “The crown of the wise is their wealth.” This means that wise people are crowned/rewarded with wealth. For example:

Wise people are rewarded with wealth (Good News Translation)

(2) The LXX has a word meaning “prudence” instead of “wealth.” So some scholars think that the original text was: “The crown of the wise is their prudence.” For example:

The crown of the wise is their wisdom (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions and scholars. The MT makes good sense as it is. Other proverbs (such as 3:16, 8:18) also describe riches as a reward that comes from having wisdom.

In Hebrew, the word order of 14:24a is as in the Berean Standard Bible. Some versions change the word order. For example:

24a Their wealth is the crown of the wise (Revised English Bible)
-or-
24a The wealth of the wise is their crown (New International Version)

You may use either of these word orders. There is little difference in meaning.

14:24b

but the effort of fools is folly: There is a textual issue in this line:

(1) The Masoretic Text has: “The folly (ʾiwwelet) of fools (kǝsilim) ⌊is⌋ folly (ʾiwwelet).” This means that the foolish behavior of fools consists or results in nothing but foolishness itself. For example:

The stupidity of fools is just that—stupidity! (God’s Word)

(2) Some scholars think that instead of the first instance of Hebrew ʾiwwelet (“folly”), the original text was liwyat (“wreath” or “garland”). The line would then have: “The wreath/garland of fools is folly.” This would provide a better parallel to “crown” in 14:24a. For example:

but folly is the garland of fools (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions and scholars. Inexact contrasts are common in Proverbs, so that in itself is not enough reason to propose a different Hebrew text. Also, the word “garland/wreath” occurs in positive contexts elsewhere in Proverbs (1:9 and 4:9). It is not used in describing fools.

Some other ways to express the meaning of this line are:

the effort of fools yields only foolishness (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
but foolishness leads to more foolishness (Contemporary English Version)

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.