neighbor

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “neighbor” in English is rendered into Babatana as “different man,” i.e. someone who is not one of your relatives. (Source: David Clark)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun, it is rendered as “a person outside of your building,” in Tzeltal as “your back and side” (implying position of the dwellings), in Indonesian and in Tae’ as “your fellow-man,” in Toraja-Sa’dan it is “your fellow earth-dweller,” in Shona (translation of 1966) as “another person like you,” in Kekchí “younger-brother-older-brother” (a compound which means all one’s neighbors in a community) (sources: Bratcher / Nida and Reiling / Swellengrebel), in Mairasi “your people” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Mezquital Otomi as “fellow being,” in Tzeltal as “companion,” in Isthmus Zapotec as “another,” in Teutila Cuicatec as “all people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), and in most modern German translations as Mitmensch or “fellow human being” (lit. “with + human being”).

In Matt 19:19, Matt 22:39, Mark 12:31, Mark 12:33, Luke 10:27, Luke 10:29 it is translated into Ixcatlán Mazatec with a term that refers to a person who is socially/physically near. Ixcatlán Mazatec also has a another term for “neighbor” that means “fellow humans-outsiders” which was not chosen for these passages. (Source: Robert Bascom)

In Noongar it is translated as moorta-boordak or “people nearby” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

neighbor - relative

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “neighbor” or “relative” in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) and the Buku Lopatulika translation (1922/2018) with just one word: nansi. This word can also be translated as neighbors whom you share a blood relation with because in Chewa context a community is mostly comprised of people of blood relations. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

righteous, righteousness

The Greek, Hebrew, and Latin terms that are translated in English mostly as “righteous” as an adjective or personified noun or “righteousness” (also as “justice”) are most commonly expressed with concept of “straightness,” though this may be expressed in a number of ways. (Click or tap here to see the details)

Following is a list of (back-) translations of various languages:

  • Bambara, Southern Bobo Madaré, Chokwe (ululi), Amganad Ifugao, Chol, Eastern Maninkakan, Toraja-Sa’dan, Pamona, Batak Toba, Bilua, Tiv: “be straight”
  • Laka: “follow the straight way” or “to straight-straight” (a reduplicated form for emphasis)
  • Sayula Popoluca: “walk straight”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl, Kekchí, Muna: “have a straight heart”
  • Kipsigis: “do the truth”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “do according to the truth”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “have truth”
  • Yine: “fulfill what one should do”
  • Indonesian: “be true”
  • Navajo: “do just so”
  • Anuak: “do as it should be”
  • Mossi: “have a white stomach” (see also happiness / joy)
  • Paasaal: “white heart” (source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
  • (San Mateo del Mar Huave: “completely good” (the translation does not imply sinless perfection)
  • Nuer: “way of right” (“there is a complex concept of “right” vs. ‘left’ in Nuer where ‘right’ indicates that which is masculine, strong, good, and moral, and ‘left’ denotes what is feminine, weak, and sinful (a strictly masculine viewpoint!) The ‘way of right’ is therefore righteousness, but of course women may also attain this way, for the opposition is more classificatory than descriptive.”) (This and all above from Bratcher / Nida except for Bilua: Carl Gross; Tiv: Rob Koops; Muna: René van den Berg)
  • Central Subanen: “wise-good” (source: Robert Brichoux in OPTAT 1988/2, p. 80ff. )
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “live well”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “goodness before the face of God” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl: “the result of heart-straightening” (source: Nida 1947, p. 224)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “entirely good” (when referred to God), “do good” or “not be a debtor as God sees one” (when referred to people)
  • Carib: “level”
  • Tzotzil: “straight-hearted”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “right and straight”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “walk straight” (source for this and four previous: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
  • Makonde: “doing what God wants” (in a context of us doing) and “be good in God’s eyes” (in the context of being made righteous by God) (note that justify / justification is translated as “to be made good in the eyes of God.” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Aari: The Pauline word for “righteous” is generally rendered by “makes one without sin” in the Aari, sometimes “before God” is added for clarity. (Source: Loren Bliese)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “having sin taken away” (Source: Nida 1952, p. 144)
  • Nyamwezi: wa lole: “just” or “someone who follows the law of God” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Venda: “nothing wrong, OK” (Source: J.A. van Roy in The Bible Translator 1972, p. 418ff. )
  • Ekari: maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (the same word that is also used for “truth“; bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).
  • Guhu-Samane: pobi or “right” (also: “right (side),” “(legal) right,” “straightness,” “correction,” “south,” “possession,” “pertinence,” “kingdom,” “fame,” “information,” or “speech” — “According to [Guhu-Samane] thinking there is a common core of meaning among all these glosses. Even from an English point of view the first five can be seen to be closely related, simply because of their similarity in English. However, from that point the nuances of meaning are not so apparent. They relate in some such a fashion as this: As one faces the morning sun, south lies to the right hand (as north lies to the left); then at one’s right hand are his possessions and whatever pertains to him; thus, a rich man’s many possessions and scope of power and influence is his kingdom; so, the rich and other important people encounter fame; and all of this spreads as information and forms most of the framework of the people’s speech.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in Notes on Translation 1964, p. 11ff.)
  • German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): Gerechtheit, a neologism to differentiate it from the commonly-used Gerechtigkeit which can mean “righteousness” but is more often used in modern German as “fairness” (Berger / Nord especially use Gerechtheit in Letter to the Romans) or Gerechtestun, also a neologism, meaning “righteous deeds” (especially in Letter to the Ephesians)
  • “did what he should” (Eastern Highland Otomi)
  • “a clear man, good [man]” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter 2004)

See also respectable, righteous, righteous (person), devout, and She is more in the right(eous) than I.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 12:26

“A righteous man turns away from evil”: This line, as the Revised Standard Version footnote shows, is uncertain. Many attempts have been made to change the Hebrew or to make sense of it as it stands. None of these has resulted in an interpretation that adequately parallels or contrasts with line 2. A literal translation of the line seems to say “A righteous man seeks out [or, spies out] his neighbor.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates the text as “B” and gives two interpretations: (1) “May the righteous explore his companion” and (2) “The righteous is better off than his neighbor.” The first is unclear and the second does not suggest what being “better off than” may mean. Good News Translation has modified the Hebrew to get its rendering but does not provide a footnote. Contemporary English Version translates the whole with “You are better off to do right than to lose your way by doing wrong.” Its footnote says “One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 26.”

“But the way of the wicked leads them astray”: This line is not in doubt, but it is not clear how anything in it parallels or contrasts with line 1. “The way of the wicked” was first used in 4.19, and it has the same meaning here, that is, the lifestyle, or the manner in which the wicked live. “Leads them astray” renders a form of a verb meaning to cause to wander about or to mislead.

If we follow the second recommendation of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, the translation can be expressed, for example, “The good person is more fortunate than his neighbor, but the bad person is misled by the way he lives.”

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 12:26

12:26

The Good News Translation has been used as the source line for 12:26a because it follows the recommended interpretation. Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

26a
The righteous person is a guide to his friend, (Good News Translation)

26b but the ways of the wicked lead them astray. (Berean Standard Bible)

12:26a

(Good News Translation) The righteous person is a guide to his friend: This clause has both textual and interpretation issues. The notes will discuss both kinds of issues together. There are at least four ways to understand the Hebrew verb that the Good News Translation translates as is a guide to. There are also at least two ways to understand the phrase that the Good News Translation translates as his friend :

(1) One way to interpret the Masoretic Text is: “The righteous guides his friend.” For example:

The upright shows the way to a friend (New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) Another way to interpret the Masoretic Text is: “The righteous seeks/explores (or “spies out”) his friend.” This may mean that a righteous person carefully examines someone before choosing him as a friend. For example:

The righteous person is cautious in his friendship (NET Bible)

(3) Some scholars think that the original Hebrew text had: “The righteous turns away from evil/harm.” For example:

A righteous man turns away from evil (Revised Standard Version)

(4) Other scholars think that the original Hebrew had: “The righteous is released from evil/harm.” For example:

The righteous are freed from evil (Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions. This interpretation does not require a different original text as interpretations (3) and (4) do. Interpretation (1) also fits the context of 12:24a well. Verse 12:24b talks about evil conduct that leads a person astray (in the wrong direction). The idea of guiding a friend (in the right direction) provides a good contrast to that.

(Good News Translation) his friend: The Hebrew word that the Good News Translation translates as friend can refer to anyone with whom one interacts. It can include a close friend or someone who is only an acquaintance. Here it probably refers to a close friend or associate. See the note on 3:28a–b, where the Berean Standard Bible translates this same term as “neighbor.”

12:26b

but the ways of the wicked lead them astray: The familiar metaphor of ways refers to the conduct of wicked people. Their wicked way of life causes them to go astray. There are two ways to interpret the referent of them :

(1) The word them refers to the wicked. Their own evil conduct leads them astray. For example:

but the way of the wicked leads them astray (New International Version)

(2) The word them refers to the friends of the righteous whom the wicked lead astray. For example:

but the path of wicked people leads others astray (God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions. In Hebrew, the words translated as “righteous” and “friend” are both singular, but wicked is plural, so the word them would more naturally refer to the wicked.

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