Translation commentary on Proverbs 14:11

This saying is similar in thought to 11.28 and 12.7.

“The house of the wicked will be destroyed”: The Hebrew words for “wicked” and “destroyed” have similar consonant sounds. “The house of the wicked” refers to the house built by evil people. Some interpreters see this as a building that is not well constructed. Others take “house” in this line and “tent” in the next line as referring to “home” or “family,” but few versions follow this. “Destroyed” renders a passive form; but there is no reason to assume that God is the destroyer. The idea is that the house built by the wicked will not last, will not stand. In languages that cannot use a passive verb here, it may be necessary to say, for example, “The house evil people build will not last long” or “The house of the wicked will collapse.”

“But the tent of the upright will flourish”: “Tent” is often used in poetic contexts in place of “house” or “dwelling”; here it is in parallel with “house” but does not necessarily contrast with it. Some modern translations make a contrast between “house” and “tent”; for example, New English Bible has “house of the wicked” and “home of the upright” in which “home” suggests the place where a family lives, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “family.” Other translations make no such contrast. Note Good News Translation. “Flourish” is used in 11.28 in reference to the growth of a green plant. Here the word contrasts with “destroyed” and means to grow, become strong, prosper.

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 14:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 14:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “The home/family of a sinner shall be destroyed,
    but that (family) of the righteous becomes many (many children).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
    but the tent of the good person will remain.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The household of the wicked will-be-destroyed, but the household of the ones-who-live rightly will-caused-to-prosper.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The house of a sinful-person will-be-destroyed, but the house of a righteous/just-person, it will last-long.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Houses built by wicked people will be destroyed,
    but houses built by good/righteous people will last for a long time.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 14:11

14:11

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

11a
The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

11b but the tent of the upright will flourish.

14:11a–b

house of the wicked…tent of the upright: It is possible that house and tent are just poetic synonyms, with no contrast intended. But there are probably implied contrasts between them. These contrasts are ironic:

(a) Wicked people live in a ⌊permanent⌋ shelter, a house. Upright people live in a ⌊temporary⌋ shelter, a tent.

(b) The ⌊apparently sturdy⌋ house collapses, but the ⌊relatively unstable⌋ tent flourishes.

Almost all versions keep these contrasts, though they do not make explicit the characteristics of houses and tents.

In this proverb, the words house and tent describe literal dwelling places. They create a contrasting picture in the minds of the readers. But the main point is the contrasting things that happen to the people who live in these dwellings.

For translation advice, see the General Comment on 14:11a–b after the note on “will flourish” in 14:11b.

14:11a

The house of the wicked will be destroyed: This line probably refers mainly to the household/family of the wicked, not just the house in which they live. For example:

The household of the wicked will be destroyed (NET Bible)

will be destroyed: This is a passive verb. It almost always refers to people or nations being annihilated in vengeance or judgment. In such contexts, God is either the explicit or implied subject.

In languages that do not use passive verbs, you may use an active verb and supply the LORD as the subject. For example:

⌊The LORD⌋ will cause the house of the wicked to collapse.
-or-
⌊The LORD⌋ will destroy the household of the wicked.

14:11b

but the tent of the upright: The word tent refers to a temporary shelter that was made from animal skins. A pole or poles supported the roof and walls. It was fastened by cords to pegs in the ground. If people in your culture are not familiar with tents, you may use a descriptive phrase. For example:

animal-skin shelter
-or-
temporary dwelling

It is also suggested that you include a picture of a tent in your translation.

The word upright last occurred in 14:9b. Also see the note in 11:3a.