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)

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 Andrea Bokros):


“Wisdom” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

See also wisdom (Proverbs) and knowledge.

Let days speak - and many years teach wisdom

The Hebrew in Job 32:7 that is translated as “Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom” or similar in English is translated in Chichewa (interconfessional translation) with the existing idiom Munene ulamusiya kulubilo, kumaanu tomwiindi or “You may leave an elder behind in speed, but not in common sense.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 106)

complete verse (Job 32:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 32:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “I kept quiet and said in my stomach,
    ‘Let the elders speak
    to show people what they have been learning (in life).’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I thought, ‘May old age speak out, and may those who have many years teach wisdom.’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I thought that you (plur.) (are-)-the-(-ones-who) should teach, for you (plur.) are already old and you (plur.) learned many (things).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Job 32:7

I said, ‘Let days speak…’: this represents what Elihu thought to himself, not what he spoke; therefore Good News Translation has “I told myself that you ought to speak”; or it can be expressed “I said to myself, ‘The old men should speak.’ ” Days is used figuratively to refer to the old friends, who have experienced many more days of life than Elihu, and so are more qualified to speak. Translators should retain a figurative expression if such is natural in the language.

And many years teach wisdom completes the parallelism and what Elihu thought to himself. Many years, like days, refers to the friends as being older than Elihu. The meaning of this line is therefore “it is for the elderly to teach wisdom” or “the old men are the ones who should teach wisdom to others.”

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 .