anger

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The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “anger” or similar in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied”).

  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “be warm inside”
  • Mende: “have a cut heart”
  • Mískito: “have a split heart”
  • Tzotzil: “have a hot heart”
  • Mossi: “a swollen heart”
  • Western Kanjobal: “fire of the viscera”
  • San Blas Kuna: “pain in the heart”
  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “not with good eye”
  • Chichewa: “have a burning heart” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) (see also anger burned in him)
  • Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)

In Akan, a number of metaphors are used, most importantly abufuo, lit. “weedy chest” (the chest is seen as a container that contains the heart but can also metaphorically be filled with other fluids etc.), but also abufuhyeε lit. “hot/burning weedy chest” and anibereε, lit. “reddened eyes.” (Source: Gladys Nyarko Ansah in Kövecses / Benczes / Szelid 2024, p. 21ff.)

See also God’s anger and angry.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 12:16

“The vexation of a fool is known at once” is literally “A fool’s anger is known in a day.” For “fool” see the comments on 1.7. “Vexation”, as in Job 5.2, means “anger,” “passion,” or “resentment.” “Vexation” is here particularly anger that is provoked by someone. “In a day” is taken by Revised Standard Version to mean “at once”. See Good News Translation “quickly.” The thought in line 1 is that it is unwise to react angrily too suddenly. A translation that expresses this thought is: “Silly people get hot in the heart quickly against anyone who does something to them.”

“But the prudent man ignores an insult”: This line is literally “but the clever person covers shame.” “Prudent man” (New Revised Standard Version “the prudent”) renders a noun used in Gen 3.1 of the clever or crafty serpent, but in Proverbs the same term is used in the good sense of being sensible, knowing the wise way to react. “Ignores”, which renders the Hebrew “covers,” means to disregard or pay no attention to. “Insult” renders a word meaning dishonor or humiliation. This line observes that the sensible person takes no notice of insults or remains calm in the face of personal offenses.

Bible en français courant translates the whole verse, “The fool lets his anger show immediately, but the intelligent person conceals his resentment.”

We may also say, for example, “If you are stupid, people will quickly see when you are angry; but if you are smart, you will not let your anger show.”

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 12:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 12:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “The anger of a foolish person is easily/quickly seen,
    but the wise one swallows words.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Fools quickly show their anger,
    but even if he is belittled,
    the wise man ignores it.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A fool man immediately shows his anger if he is insulted, but a wise man does- not -pay-attention if he is insulted.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The foolish-one, he is not able-to-restrain his anger, but the wise, he remains-quiet when they (anyone) insult (him).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Foolish people quickly become angry when someone does something that they don’t like;
    but those who have good sense ignore it when others insult them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 12:16

12:16

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

16a
A fool’s anger is known at once,

16b but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

12:16a

A fool’s anger is known at once: There is a textual issue here:

(1) The LXX has “a fool quickly/immediately makes known his irritation/anger.” This indicates that when a fool becomes angry, irritated or annoyed, he quickly/immediately shows or expresses his feelings to other people. For example:

Fools show their anger at once (New Revised Standard Version)

(2) The MT has “the irritation/anger of a fool is quickly/immediately known.” This indicates that when a fool becomes angry, irritated or annoyed, his feelings are quickly/immediately known or evident to other people. For example:

The vexation of a fool is known at once (English Standard Version)

The difference between these options is slight. With both options, other people recognize the fool’s emotions. It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions. Some other ways to translate this line are:

When a stubborn fool is irritated, he shows it immediately (God’s Word)
-or-
Fools quickly show that they are upset (New Century Version)

A fool’s anger: In Hebrew, the word order of this line connects the subject A fool’s anger with the “fool” (same Hebrew word) in 12:15a. One way to express this connection is:

As for the fool, he shows his annoyance at once

anger: In this context, the word anger refers to vexation, irritation, or annoyance. In 17:25, the same Hebrew word refers to grief.

12:16b

but a prudent man overlooks an insult: In Hebrew, this line is more literally “but one who covers shame is prudent.” There are two main ways to interpret this line:

(1) The verb “covers” means “overlooks” or “ignores.” The word “shame” refers to another person’s insult. For example:

but the prudent ignore an insult (New Revised Standard Version)

(2) The verb “covers” means “conceals.” The word “shame” refers to a person’s own feelings of either humiliation or irritation caused by an insult. For example:

but a clever man conceals his humiliation (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

With either interpretation, the prudent person does not show any reaction to the insult. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions. Another way to translate this line is:

but people who are sensible pay no attention when they are insulted

a prudent man: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a prudent man refers here to someone who is sensible. He is clever enough to control his own response when he is insulted. A different form of the same word occurs in 1:4a, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “prudence.” Some other ways to translate this are:

a clever person (Revised English Bible)
-or-
the shrewd man (New American Bible)
-or-
a sensible person (God’s Word)

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