abomination

The Hebrew that is translated as “abomination” or similar in English is translated in Vidunda as “hated thing” and in Kwere as zitibusa which means “evil” but also something that causes horror or disgust and revolts people. (Source for both: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

in Ngambay it is nékɔb or “taboo.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also detestable in the sight of God and holy.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 11:1

The theme of this saying is honesty in business dealings.

“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord“: “A false balance” is literally “scales of deceit,” referring to false weights used by merchants to cheat their customers. For prohibitions against this practice see Lev 19.35-36; Deut 25.13-16; Micah 6.10-11. “An abomination to the Lord” was first used in 3.32. See there for comments.

In some languages it is more natural to reorder this line to say, for example, “The Lord hates false scales” or “The Lord hates anyone who cheats when weighing things.” The “balance” or “scales” are known wherever markets are found. If scales are unfamiliar, however, it is better to be more general and say, for example, “The Lord hates anyone who cheats in selling” or “. . . who cheats in exchanges.”

“But a just weight is his delight”: “A just weight” is literally “a perfect stone,” that is, a weight that is correct or weighs things honestly. Revised Standard Version has used the word “delight” in 1.22; 2.14; 7.18; 8.30, 31 to translate a variety of words; the Hebrew term rendered “delight” in this verse has not been used in any of the above verses. However, the sense is the same as that in 8.30. See there for comments. This line may be rendered as in Good News Translation, or, for example, “But the Lord is pleased when people use honest weights,” “. . . when people weigh things correctly,” or, more generally, “But he likes everyone who is honest” (Contemporary English Version).

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 11:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 11:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “God hates a thing of corruption,
    but he loves the one who is found on/in the straight/honest way/path.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The Lord hates inaccurate scales.
    He rejoices in accurate scales.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The LORD abhors/detests the ones who cheat in weighing/scaling, but he is-happy/delight with/to the ones who do- not -cheat.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “God hates one-who-cheats his companion/fellow with a not correct scale or ganta-measure (used for grains), but he is pleased with one-who-uses a correct (scale or measure).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Yahweh detests people who use scales that do not weigh correctly;
    he is delighted with those who use correct weights on the scales.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 11:1

11:1

This verse contrasts the LORD’s attitude toward sellers who cheat and sellers who are honest. Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

1a
Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD,

1b but an accurate weight is His delight.

In Hebrew, as in the Berean Standard Bible, these lines are not arranged in the form of a chiasm. That is, the parts in 11:1b do not occur in the opposite order from the parallel parts in 11:1a. However, some English versions do present these parallel parts in the form of a chiasm. For example:

The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him. (New International Version)

11:1a–b

Dishonest scales…an accurate weight: These contrasting parallel phrases are figures of speech (metonymy). They represent the people who use inaccurate scales and the people who use accurate weights. Some ways to translate these figures of speech are:

• Keep the metonymy. For example:

The LORD detests inaccurate scales, but accurate weights make him happy.

• Translate the meaning without a figure of speech. For example:

A seller who cheats when weighing things is disgusting to the LORD, but a person who uses accurate scales/weights is pleasing to him.

scales…weight: The word scales refers to a weighing device. This device had two pans that hung from each end of a bar. A merchant placed stones that weighed a known amount in one pan. He placed the objects to be weighed in the other pan.

The merchant normally carried a bag with him. This bag contained all the “weights” or stones that he needed to measure the merchandise.

11:1a

Dishonest scales: This phrase refers to using an incorrect weight on a balance scale in order to cheat someone who is buying or selling something.

In some languages, the word Dishonest is not used to describe inanimate objects such as scales. Some other ways to translate the phrase Dishonest scales are:

inaccurate scales
-or-
scales whose measure/weight is not correct

The expression “dishonest scales” also occurs in 20:23b.

are an abomination to the LORD: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as an abomination to the LORD is a very strong expression. Other ways to translate this expression are:

abhorrent” (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
disgusting (God’s Word)
-or-
repulsive
-or-
nauseating

Many English versions translate this expression with a word such as “hates.” For example:

The Lord hates anyone who cheats (Contemporary English Version)

If you translate the expression that way, it is recommended that you supply additional emphasis. For example:

The LORD utterly hates

The same phrase occurs in 3:32a. See how you translated it there.

11:1b

but an accurate weight is His delight: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as delight is the same word that it translates as “favor” in 8:35b and as “fitting” in 10:32a. In those verses it refers to something that is favorable, pleasing, or fitting. The Berean Standard Bible may have used the stronger word delight here to form a better contrast with the word “abomination” in 11:1a. Some other ways to translate this line are:

a just weight is pleasing to him (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
He is happy with honest weights. (Good News Translation)
-or-
but he delights in a person who uses accurate weights

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