The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “wink(s) the eye” is translated in Chol as “signal that they have a secret with you” since a wink as a signal of a secret is not used in the Chol culture.
complete verse (Proverbs 10:10)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 10:10:
- Kupsabiny: “(A) person who wags another one with a tongue while hiding/covering up evil,
brings suffering to people,
and/but the one who is bold and rebukes evil,
that one brings peace.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation) - Newari: “People who close their eyes to lies
bring trouble.
But those who give open rebuke
bring peace.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon: “A man who cheats can-cause/[lit. give] trouble, and a man who speaks foolishness will-be-ruin/destroyed.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Craftiness, it-causes-there-to-be problems, but face-to-face advice, it-causes-there-to-be peace.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- English: “Those who signal with their eyes that they are about to do something that is wrong cause trouble,
but those who rebuke others truthfully cause them to be peaceful.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Translation commentary on Proverbs 10:10
“He who winks the eye causes trouble”: “Winks the eye” is used in 6.13. See there for comments. If the sense of this gesture is as suggested in 6.13, then it is deceitful actions that lead to trouble. This seems to be born out by the second line as translated by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. “Trouble”, which is a noun related to the verb “to hurt” or “to pain,” may refer to grief or sorrow, that is, mental pain or suffering.
“But he who boldly reproves makes peace”: According to the Revised Standard Version footnote, this line is taken from the Septuagint. The Hebrew text is identical to the second line of verse 8. Modern translations are divided between those that follow the Septuagint and those that follow the Hebrew. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends following the Hebrew text and says that the variant followed by Revised Standard Version “is a wholly uncertain retranslation of the Septuagint into Hebrew.”
It seems that the reason why Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation follow the Septuagint is that the Hebrew of this line makes no contrast with the first line. Translators may do likewise; if you use footnotes, however, it is recommended that you add a note similar to that of Good News Translation.
If “winks the eye” does not clearly suggest deceitful behavior in your language, it will be necessary to use an expression that has this sense. Good News Translation is one model translation that avoids a metaphor. Another is Bible en français courant: “Whoever hides the truth from others causes them to suffer; whoever answers them with frankness brings them peace.”
We may also say, for example, “If you conceal the truth from someone you will cause them pain, but if you tell the truth you will set their mind at ease.”
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 .
SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 10:10
10:10
Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning. The New Revised Standard Version has been used as the source line for 10:10b, because it follows the textual recommendation.
10a
He who winks the eye causes grief,
10b but the one who rebukes buldly makes peace. (New Revised Standard Version)
10:10a
He who winks the eye: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “⌊one who⌋ winks an eye.” Scholars do not know exactly what this action implied to the original readers.
The context may be the same as 6:13a–c (see the note there). In that context, a person winks at his companions to indicate that he intends to deceive or harm someone else. This may be the reason that the New International Version supplies the word “maliciously.”
causes grief: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as grief usually refers to mental pain, grief, or sorrow. Another way to translate this meaning is:
causes heartache (God’s Word)
However, in this context, it may refer to trouble or strife. For example, the New Revised Standard Version and some other English versions have:
causes trouble (New Revised Standard Version)
Both of these meanings fit the context and are well supported. You may use either one.
If winking does not imply malicious or deceptive intentions in your language, some translation options are:
• Make the meaning of the action explicit. For example:
A person who winks ⌊to show that his intentions are bad⌋ causes sorrow/trouble.
• Use a general term rather than a specific action. For example:
If someone signals/gestures that he is going to do something bad, trouble/grief will be the result.
• Translate the significance of winking without mentioning the action itself. For example:
Deceit causes trouble (Contemporary English Version)
10:10b
(New Revised Standard Version) but the one who rebukes boldly makes peace: There is a textual difference in this line:
(1) The LXX has: “He who rebukes candidly makes peace.” For example:
but one who openly criticizes works for peace (Good News Translation)
(2) The Masoretic Text (MT) has: “and a fool of lips will be thrown down.” In the MT, this line is identical to 10:8b. For example:
and foolish talk will bring you to ruin (Contemporary English Version)
It is recommended that you follow option (1), because it follows the pattern of antithetical proverbs found throughout this section. If you use footnotes, you may want to add a footnote that gives the MT. For example:
This is what the Septuagint (LXX) says. The Hebrew (Masoretic Text) says: “and a person who speaks foolishly will ruin his life.”
(New Revised Standard Version) the one who rebukes boldly makes peace: This line means that if a person openly or frankly reprimands someone else for doing wrong, peaceful or harmonious relationships will be restored. Another way to translate this clause is:
a frank rebuke promotes peace (Revised English Bible)
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