Translation commentary on Proverbs 14:18

“The simple acquire folly”: Verse 15 began with “The simple” used as a singular noun, and verse 18 closes this group of sayings with “The simple” as a plural. “Acquire” renders a verb that means to “inherit” or “take possession of” something. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “The foolish are heirs of foolishness.” New Jerusalem Bible has “Simpletons have folly for their portion,” and New International Version “The simple inherit folly.”

“But the prudent are crowned with knowledge”: “Prudent” translates the same word first used in 12.16 and refers to a wise, clever, intelligent person. The sense of “crowned with knowledge” is not certain in the Hebrew, and translations vary widely. They include Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “are surrounded by knowledge,” Moffatt “will pick up knowledge,” Traduction Œcuménique de la Bible “wisdom is the crown,” New Jewish Publication Society Version “glory in knowledge,” Bible en français courant “the honor . . . is knowledge,” and Good News Translation “are rewarded with knowledge.”

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 14:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 14:18:

  • Kupsabiny: “The foolish person goes ahead with his foolishness,
    but the wise one, is blessed with wisdom.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The simple are caused to be foolish,
    Those who have wisdom
    get to wear the crown of insight.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Foolishness is seen in a man who has no wisdom, but wisdom is seen in a man who knows how to weigh what is right or wrong.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Those who know nothing, they become fools, but the thinking/reflective-ones, it is as if they are crowned by their intelligence/wisdom.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Foolish people get what they deserve for doing foolish things;
    those with good sense are rewarded by being able to learn a lot.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 14:18

14:18

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

18a
The simple inherit folly,

18b but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

14:18a

The simple inherit folly: There is a textual issue here. It involves the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as inherit :

(1) The Masoretic Text has naḥalu “inherit.” Here it is used figuratively to mean “acquire or gain as one’s destiny or permanent possession.” For example:

Simpletons have folly for their portion (New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) To achieve better parallelism, some scholars propose that the original text had different vowels, resulting in the word neḥelu “adorned.” For example:

The simple are adorned with folly (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions and scholars. The MT makes good sense, and there is no support for option (2) in the ancient versions.

simple: This word was last used in 14:15a. For more information, see simple in the Glossary.

inherit: In this context, to inherit or “acquire” folly means to become less and less able to do what is right and to avoid what is wrong. One way to translate this meaning is:

A naive/gullible person becomes more and more foolish

folly: The word folly refers to a person’s moral foolishness—the inability or refusal to do what is morally right or to avoid what is wrong. It is also possible that folly here is a figure of speech that represents the results of foolish behavior. Some English versions seem to reflect this interpretation. For example:

Ignorant people get what their foolishness deserves (Good News Translation)

You may follow either approach.

14:18b

but the prudent are crowned with knowledge: This clause is a figure of speech. It probably compares knowledge to a crown that sensible people gain as a reward for their wisdom. Some other ways to translate this figure of speech are:

• Keep the figure of speech. For example:

but sensible people are crowned with knowledge (God’s Word)

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

but the clever are rewarded with knowledge (Good News Translation)
-or-
but a shrewd person gains knowledge as his reward

The word prudent was last used in 14:15b. For more information, see prudence in the Glossary.

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