Translation commentary on Proverbs 10:18

Verses 18-21 are about true and false speech. Verse 18 has no contrasting parallelism and is difficult to interpret. Each line seems to be an independent statement about persons who hide their hatred and who spread slander.

“He who conceals hatred has lying lips”: Some take this line to mean that hate is hidden in lying words (literally “lips of falsehood”) and so a liar is a person who hates. This does not seem to give the sense. Bible en français courant says “It is hypocritical to hide one’s hate.” Contemporary English Version expresses something similar with “You can hide your hatred by telling lies.” These and many other translations make it clear that “hatred” is concealed (not dealt with honestly) by refusing to tell the truth about your feelings. For “conceals” see verse 6; for “hatred” see verse 12.

“He who utters slander is a fool”: “Slander” refers to rumors or bad things said against someone. Note Good News Translation “gossip.” “Fool” is the same as used first in 1.22.

For the first line, New English Bible, but not Revised English Bible, follows the Septuagint and translates “There is no spite in a just man’s talk.” However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, which rates the Hebrew text as “B,” suggests two interpretations of the whole verse: “He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who utters slander is a fool” or “He who conceals hatred with lying lips and who utters slander is a fool.”

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 10:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 10:18:

  • Kupsabiny: “A person who conceals/hides inside things/words of envy, is lying/deceiving,
    but also the one who goes around slandering is a fool.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Those who hide hatred in their hearts
    are liars.
    And those who keep on spreading lies
    are fools.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The man who hides his anger (is a) liar, and the ones-who are-slandering/gossiping (are) foolish.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The liars, they conceal their hatred, and one who relates- a destructive -story is a fool.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Those who will not admit that they hate others are liars,
    and those who slander others are foolish.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 10:18

10:18

In this verse, the parallel lines do not contrast in meaning. Both lines describe evil actions.

18a
The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,

18b and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

10:18a

The one who conceals hatred has lying lips: The phrase lying lips is a figure of speech. It represents a person who tells lies. There are two ways to interpret the subject of the sentence:

(1) The subject is the person who conceals hatred. The context implies that he conceals it by lying. For example:

Whoever hides hate is a liar (New Century Version)

(2) The subject is the liar. For example:

Lying lips conceal hatred (Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

10:18b

and whoever spreads slander is a fool: The phrase spreads slander means to tell other people false reports that injure someone’s reputation. Another way to translate this line is:

Anyone who spreads gossip is a fool. (Good News Translation)

fool: This word for fool also occurs in 10:1c.

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