Translation commentary on Proverbs 12:23

“A prudent man conceals his knowledge”: In Gen 3.1 the serpent is said to be more “crafty” than other animals. In this verse and in other places in Proverbs the same word translated “prudent” refers to a wise or intelligent person. “Conceals his knowledge” is literally “covers his knowledge” and is similar to verse 16 where the prudent persons covers or ignores an insult. The sense of the expression in this verse is that the wise person does not show off his knowledge, or more exactly he is hesitant to reveal what he knows. This is a characteristic of the wise that runs right throughout the book of Proverbs. In some translations this is rendered as “does not quickly come out with his good thoughts” or “does not talk a lot about what he knows.”

“But fools proclaim their folly”: “Fools”, as the Revised Standard Version footnote shows, is literally “the heart of fools,” which means the mind or nature of fools. For “fools” refer to 1.22. “Proclaim” translates a verb meaning to call out or announce. In contrast to the prudent person, the fool displays or shows off his “folly”, which refers to his foolishness, stupidity, or ignorance (see 5.23). One expression of this line is: “Foolish people show clearly that they know nothing.”

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 12:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 12:23:

  • Kupsabiny: “A wise person does not show how big his knowledge is,
    but the fool tells out/exposes his foolishness.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Wise people do not show off
    their skill and learning.
    But fools display their foolishness.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A wise man does not boast what he knows, but a fool man he surely shows his foolishness.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The careful/circumspect, he does not relate what he knows, but the foolish-one, he talk-loudly-about what is useless.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Shilluk: “A person whose head is present (i.e., a wise person) speaks thoughtfully,
    but the person whose head is small (i.e., a fool) just gurgles.” (“Here the wise person speaks thoughtfully or deliberately. In contrast, the person who is a fool is vividly described using a powerful metaphor-in the same way that a pot of porridge boils over into the fire, so a foolish person’s words gurgle out of his mouth. His speech is neither deliberate nor controlled.” — Source: Cynthia Miller in The Bible Translator 2005, p. 129ff. )
  • English: “Those with good sense do not reveal all that they know;
    foolish people show clearly by what they say that they are ignorant/have not learned much.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 12:23

12:23

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

23a
A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself,

23b but a foolish heart proclaims its folly.

This proverb contrasts a prudent person who knows when to remain silent and a foolish person who speaks carelessly and reveals his ignorance.

12:23a

A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself: For the meaning of the word shrewd, see the note on 12:16b, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “prudent.” The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as keeps…to himself is literally “covers” in the sense of “conceals”; many English versions translate the word as “conceals.” This clause means that a sensible/shrewd person carefully refrains from telling what he knows until the time/situation is appropriate. It does not mean that he never shares his knowledge with others.

In some languages, it may be helpful to make explicit at least part of this intended meaning. For example:

Wise people don’t make a show of their knowledge (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
Be sensible and don’t tell everything you know (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
A clever person knows when to keep quiet about what he knows.

Notice that the Contemporary English Version uses a command rather than a statement. Use a form that is natural in your language for a proverb like this.

12:23b

but a foolish heart: The heart is a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole. So the phrase a foolish heart means “a foolish person.”

foolish: The word foolish here describes the character of a person who does what is stupid and wrong because he is mentally lazy and self-satisfied. He does not understand the need to change his own foolish behavior and does not want to think about the consequences.

proclaims its folly: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as proclaims is literally “calls out.” Another way to translate it is:

blurts out (New International Version)

In contrast to the cautious, appropriate revealing of knowledge in 12:23a, proclaims accurately expresses the implied information that fools speak loudly, carelessly, and inappropriately. In doing this, they show their own folly (moral or spiritual foolishness).

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