Translation commentary on Proverbs 10:17

“He who heeds instruction is on the path to life”: “Heeds”, meaning to pay attention, listen, or observe, has the same sense as used in verse 8, although it translates a different word. “Instruction” is used for the first time in 1.2. “On the path of life” is understood differently by various interpreters. Some understand that the person who receives or accepts instruction (teaching) will have a long and happy life. Others understand that the instructed person himself is a path to life because he is able to lead others by instructing them. Both views are possible.

“But he who rejects reproof goes astray”: “Rejects” means to refuse or fail to accept; a common idiom for this is “turns his back on. . ..” “Reproof” means correction for wrong thinking or acting. See its first use in 1.23. “Goes astray” means to wander away from the right path. Some take the form of the Hebrew to be causative and so to mean “leads others astray.” Good News Translation “in danger” seems to be the result of straying off the path of life.

The contrast between the two lines is that whoever accepts right instruction will be given a long and happy life, but the person who refuses to be corrected will miss the good life. We may translate, for example, “If you listen and learn when instructed, you will have a good life, but if you reject correction you will come to a bad end.”

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 .

complete verse (Proverbs 10:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 10:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “A person who loves to be taught gets/finds life,
    but he who rejects to be counselled/brought back, gets lost.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Those who listen to corrective instructions
    will have life,
    Those who do not listen also harm others” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A man who listens to the straightening of his behavior his life will-be-good and will-be-long, but a man who does- not -listen will-be-led-astray.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If you (sing.) listen to advice you (sing.) will-live-and-live (connotes good as well as long life), but if you (sing.) refuse/dislike, you (sing.) will be-misguided/lost from the path that leads to life.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Those who pay attention when others try to correct them/teach them what they are doing that is wrong will live happily/for many years;
    but those who reject being rebuked will not find the road to life (OR, cause others to go astray).” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 10:17

10:17

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning.

17a
Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,

17b but he who ignores reproof goes astray.

10:17a

Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life: There is a textual difference here:

(1) Some scholars think that the original text was the phrase: “…is traveling to life.” This text implies that the person who heeds instruction is traveling ⌊on the way/path⌋ that leads to life. For example:

People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life (New Living Translation (2004))

(2) The Masoretic Text says: “…is a path to life.” This text implies that the person who heeds instruction is a path to life ⌊for others⌋ . In other words, he is an example for others to follow. He shows others the way/path that leads to life. For example:

He who follows discipline shows the way to life (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions. The figure of a person traveling on a path occurs frequently in Proverbs. The idea of a person being a path does not.

instruction: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as instruction refers to moral instruction or training. The purpose of the instruction is to develop the student’s ability to follow God’s laws and avoid wrong behavior. It usually involves some form of correction by someone in authority. This correction may range from warning or rebuke to punishment. Here, in contrast to ignoring a rebuke in 10:17b, either the more general sense (“instruction”) or the more specific sense (“correction”) is appropriate. Some other ways to translate this line are:

Heed admonition and you are on the road to life (Revised English Bible)
-or-
People who listen when they are corrected will live (Good News Translation)

10:17b

but he who ignores reproof goes astray: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as goes astray usually means “to cause ⌊someone⌋ to go astray,” but no object is expressed. This has resulted in two different interpretations:

(1) The verb means to lead oneself astray, in other words, “to go astray.” For example:

whoever ignores correction goes astray (New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) The verb means to lead others astray. For example:

but whoever ignores correction will lead others away from life (New Century Version)

The Display follows interpretation (1), because it provides a better parallel for the interpretation chosen for 10:17a. However, both interpretations are well supported. More versions follow the first view; more scholars support the second view.

reproof: This word usually indicates verbal correction or rebuke.

Another way to translate the clause “he who ignores reproof” is:

those who will not admit that they are wrong (Good News Translation)

goes astray: In some languages, it may be necessary to specify the place from which a person strays. If that is true in your language, another way to translate this line is:

but whoever refuses to listen when he is rebuked will stray ⌊from the right path⌋

© 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.