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)

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.

complete verse (Job 26:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 26:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do you think you have drawn me back to the good way,
    and advised a foolish person?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “What advice have you given to me, the man who has no wisdom,
    and what great insight have you shown?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Do- you (sing.) -think that you (sing.) have-advised me who has no knowledge by your (sing.) great knowledge.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You certainly have counseled me well—I, who am not wise at all./Do you think that you have counseled me well—I, who am not wise at all?
    I’m sure you think that you have given a lot of very good advice to me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Job 26:3

How you have counseled him who has no wisdom: counseled is the same term used in 12.13b, in which God “has counsel and understanding.” As a verb it means “advise, give advice.” Him who has no wisdom is literally “the one not wise” and therefore “ignorant, uninformed.” Good News Translation says “fool,” and New Jerusalem Bible “the unlearned.” The line may be translated “You have done so well giving advice to this simple-minded person” or “Just look how well you have informed this ignorant man.”

And plentifully declared sound knowledge is a literal translation of the Hebrew. Job is being doubly sarcastic in saying that Bildad’s very brief remarks in 25.1-6 were plentifully declared. The word translated declared means “show, make known, demonstrate.” Sound knowledge is a single word in Hebrew. It is used in 5.12 in the sense of planning ahead (“success”), and so “having foresight in making plans.” It is often used in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament for the wisdom possessed by both people and God. New English Bible translates it “sound advice.” If the translator is retaining the parallelism, this line may be translated, for example, “and shown me great amounts of wisdom!” “and helped me greatly to plan ahead well!” or “and you have shown me so much clear understanding!”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .