wisdom

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “wisdom” in English is rendered in various ways:

  • Amganad Ifugao / Tabasco Chontal: “(big) mind”
  • Bulu / Yamba: “heart-thinking”
  • Tae’: “cleverness of heart” (source for this and all above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Palauan: “bright spirit (innermost)” (source: Bratcher / Hatton)
  • Ixcatlán Mazatec: “with your best/biggest thinking” (source: Robert Bascom)
  • Noongar: dwangka-boola, lit. “ear much” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018 — see also remember)
  • Kwere “to know how to live well” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Dobel: “their ear holes are long-lasting” (in Acts 6:3) (source: Jock Hughes)
  • Gbaya: iŋa-mgbara-mɔ or “knowing-about-things” (note that in comparison to that, “knowledge” is translated as iŋa-mɔ or “knowing things”) (source: Philip Noss in The Bible Translator 2001, p. 114ff. )
  • Chichewa: nzeru, meaning both “knowledge” and “wisdom” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Uma: “clearness” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Kako: “heart thinking” (source: Reyburn 2002, p. 190)
  • Isthmus Mixe: “have a lot of mind”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “head is very good”
  • San Mateo Del Mar Huave: “have a great deal of understanding”
  • Morelos Nahuatl: “be alert”
  • Desano: “very intelligent”
  • Highland Popoluca: “understand what God wants” (Source for this and five above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a hand gesture referring to God to indicate a human quality to communicate that wisdom does not originate from man but is linked to and connected with the fear of God (source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group):


“Wisdom” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

See also wisdom (Proverbs) and knowledge.

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

complete verse (Ecclesiastes 1:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ecclesiastes 1:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then I said to myself(my stomach) that, ‘I have acquired very much wisdom more than any other person who has earlier ruled in Jerusalem before I came to rule. I am very wise and have gotten very much experience!’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I thought like this in my mind, "Look! I have gained much more experience of wisdom than all the ones who have reigned before me in Jerusalem. I have much more experience of wisdom and understanding."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I said to myself, ‘I am much wiser than all who had-reigned in Jerusalem before me. I know very many (things).’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I said to myself, ‘Hey, I am wiser than any of the kings that ruled in Jerusalem before I became the king. I am wiser and I know more than any of them!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ecclesiastes 1:16

Verses 16-18 form another short section. Qoheleth adds further statements about how wise and knowledgeable he became (verses 16-17a), and then concludes (verse 17b) that his research was fruitless; it was like trying to tell the wind where to blow (as in verse 14b). To support this conclusion he cites another proverb (verse 18), following the pattern in verses 13-15 above.

Verse 16 falls into two parts, both expressing Qoheleth’s vast store of wisdom.

I said to myself: when Qoheleth tells about his reflections on any matter, he often uses this phrase (see 2.1; 3.17, 18). The Hebrew says literally “I said in my heart.” The Hebrew idiom has a parallel in many languages; “I said in my liver,” for example. Others will prefer a verb of thinking or knowing, like “I thought to myself.”

The quote that follows opens with the hinneh particle (see comments in verse 14 above). Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible are typical of those translations that omit it in this case, but New Jerusalem Bible renders it “Here I….” In English it is possible to say “Look” or “Well now,” as when people reason with themselves.

Qoheleth recognized that he had been very successful, but we must wait until 2.4-11 before he gives us information about the ways he was successful. In verse 16 we simply have a summary of his life’s work. He describes his achievement by saying I have acquired great wisdom. In Hebrew two verbs are linked together here, “I became great” and “I increased [in wisdom].” Where a language permits serial constructions (two verbs within the same clause), the two verbs may be retained. Other languages will prefer one verb with adverbial or adjectival modifiers: “I increased greatly in wisdom,” “I became much wiser,” or “I acquired great wisdom.” We may even find it more natural to say “My wisdom increased greatly,” bringing the noun to the head of the clause. Good News Translation “I became a great man, far wiser than…” offers an alternative form with the same meaning.

Surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me: Qoheleth claims that his wisdom was superior to that of all past kings of Jerusalem. All is used here in the collective and personal sense of “every person.” It is the addition of the phrase “over Jerusalem” that gives us the clue that these people were kings, and Good News Translation makes this clear. The full expression can be rendered then as “all previous kings in Jerusalem.”

And my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge: Qoheleth uses the word “heart” where in English the word mind would be used to describe that part of the body where thinking takes place. Translators should use the appropriate body part (mind, insides, bile, liver) for a natural rendering. “My heart saw” is Qoheleth’s way of saying that he gained some insight. There is an emphasis in this part of the verse on Qoheleth’s intellectual achievement, so the verb “saw” means that he had a deep insight into things.

Qoheleth has used the word wisdom already (1.13), but here he joins it to the word knowledge. “Wisdom” is different from “knowledge” because “wisdom” can come only with maturity, broad experience, and thoughtful reflection. It also has the specialized meanings mentioned in the notes on verse 13 above. “Knowledge” can be gained by reading, listening, and so on, but it is only the starting point for becoming mature. Also “knowledge” can be of evil things, whereas “wisdom” can only describe some positive value. If the distinction between these two terms cannot be made using two nouns, a verbal clause may substitute; for example, “I came to know what it is to be wise, and I learned many things [about the world].” Idiomatic forms may also be available: “I got to the bottom of wisdom” or “I understood the inside of wisdom.”

Another possibility is that a language may prefer to reverse the order of the sentences here, such as “I thought to myself, … ‘I have found out what wisdom and knowledge really are. I have become very wise, more than all those who ruled as kings in Jerusalem before me.’ ”

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Commentaire sur la traduction de l'Ecclésiaste 1.16

Je me suis dit à moi-même est litt. « j’ai parlé moi avec mon cœur ». Les traducteurs devraient utiliser une expression dans leur langue pour exprimer le dialogue interne. Si ce genre d’expression ne convient pas, on pourrait dire « J’ai pensé ». La présence du moi emphatique s’ajoute à l’expression verbale de communication pour marquer une nouvelle strophe ou un nouveau paragraphe.

Ce qui suit est le contenu de ce dialogue interne : Voici que j’ai fait grandir et progresser la sagesse plus que quiconque m’a précédé comme roi sur Jérusalem. Dans certaines langues, cette pensée interne serait quand même mise entre guillemets. Dans d’autres, elle sera présentée comme un discours indirect.

Voici que est litt. en hébreu, אֲנִי הִנֵּה ʾanî hinnéh, « moi voici ». La majorité des versions en français n’arrivent pas à exprimer ces deux notions à la fois. Certaines rendent הִנֵּה hinnéh, Voici que…, tandis que d’autres rendent le « moi » : « Je me suis dit, “Moi, j’ai développé…” » (Nouvelle Bible Segond). Mais les traducteurs devraient faire de leur mieux pour suivre le texte en hébreu. Ici הִנֵּה hinnéh semble fonctionner comme une interjection, « Regarde », « Tiens ».

j’ai fait grandir et progresser la sagesse : quel est le sens de cette expression ? Qohéleth a-t-il, par exemple, agrandi l’étendu de la connaissance, en rassemblant des sages ou en fondant des écoles ? Ou a-t-il, à la suite de ses longues recherches, augmenté sa propre sagesse ? Le texte dit litt. « j’ai fait-grandi et ajouté à la sagesse… » La Bible en français courant pense que c’est Salomon qui augmente sa propre connaissance : « J’ai accumulé bien plus de sagesse que… »

progresser rend le verbe « ajouter à », ce qui peut sous-entendre que Qohéleth a fait des découvertes, a développé des techniques, a beaucoup écrit, etc. La Parole de Vie suggère « j’ai développé la sagesse ».

Pour la sagesse, voir Introduction au commentaire de traduction de l’Ecclésiaste et Ecc 1.13.

plus que quiconque m’a précédé comme roi sur Jérusalem est litt. « au-dessus de chacun qui était avant moi sur Jérusalem ». D’après le contexte, il s’agit des rois ou de tous ceux qui ont régné à Jérusalem avant lui. Dans certaines langues, la comparaison s’exprime par des verbes, par exemple, « En cherchant à augmenter la sagesse, j’ai dépassé tous ceux qui régnaient avant moi à Jérusalem ».

J’ai fait l’expérience de beaucoup de sagesse et de science est litt. « et mon cœur a vu en abondance sagesse et connaissance ». Il se peut que le verbe voir renvoie à l’expérience que Qohéleth a eue, comme dans la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible. Voir aussi Parole de Vie. Mais dans beaucoup de langues, cette expression veut dire qu’il a obtenu beaucoup de sagesse et de connaissance.

Pour sagesse, voir Introduction au commentaire de traduction de l’Ecclésiaste et Ecc 1.13. En hébreu il y a une différence importante entre חָכְמָה ḥokmâh, sagesse, et דַּעַת daʿat, « connaissance », ce dernier étant lié au verbe « savoir ». Ce mot renvoie à toutes les connaissances ou informations acquises intellectuellement, tandis que sagesse renvoie à la capacité de discerner ce qui est juste de ce qui est faux, de donner de bons conseils aux gens et de prendre de bonnes décisions. La sagesse rend quelqu’un capable de bien gérer sa vie.

La science est la connaissance ou le savoir, acquis intellectuellement. Mais les deux mots apparaissent souvent ensemble, comme en Prov 1.7 :
La crainte du SEIGNEUR est le principe du savoir (דַּעַת daʿat) ;
sagesse (חָכְמָה ḥokmâh) et éducation, seuls les fous s’en moquent.

Cette pensée semble l’arrière-plan pour tout ce que Qohéleth dit.

Il s’agit ici de beaucoup de sagesse et de connaissance. Dans certaines langues, on pourrait utiliser un idéophone, en disant, par exemple, « la sagesse et la connaissance, je les ai connues tententen ! »

Certaines versions placent une virgule à la fin de ce verset et font suivre 1.17 (en continuant le dialogue interne), mais d’autres mettent un point à la fin de ce verset (ce qui finit le dialogue interne à la fin de 1.16). La deuxième option semble mieux car 1.17 commence une nouvelle pensée (« et j’ai donné mon cœur… »).

Source: Zogbo, Lynell. L’Ecclésiaste – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.