steadfast love

The Hebrew that is translated as “steadfast love,” “lovingkindness” (Goldingay 2018: “commitment”) or similar in English is translated in a number of ways:

  • Vidunda: “love of enduring” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Bura-Pabir: “love which cannot be-changed” (hyirkur na a palidzi wa)
  • Hausa Common Language Bible “his love without changing” (kaunarsa marar canjawa) (source for this and above: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Elhomwe: “love that does not finish” (echikondi yoohisintheya) (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Nyamwezi: chelu, combining “love,” “faithfulness,” “loyalty,” and “kindness” (source: James Lundeen)
  • Newari: dayāmāyā (दयामाया), a compound word made from two Sanskrit-derived terms: dayā (दया) or “compassion, mercy, kindness” and māyā (माया) or “love, affection” (source: Newari Back Translation)

In Pijin tinghevi long or “think heavy about” is used. “The Pijin expression ‘think heavy about’ is very much within the domain of committed relationships. The relationship between father and child, husband and wife, God and His people. There is a very strong element of ‘loyalty’ in this expression.” (Source: Bob Carter)

In Latvian the term žēlastība is used both for “steadfast love” and grace.

In a number of languages, the terms for for “steadfast love” and mercy are used interchangeably.

mercy

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin terms that are typically translated as “mercy” (or “compassion” or “kindness”) in English are translated in various ways. Bratcher / Nida classify them in (1) those based on the quality of heart, or other psychological center, (2) those which introduce the concept of weeping or extreme sorrow, (3) those which involve willingness to look upon and recognize the condition of others, or (4) those which involve a variety of intense feelings.

While the English mercy originates from the Latin merces, originally “price paid,” Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Corsican, Catalan, Friulian) and other Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Danish — Barmherzigkeit, barmhärtighet and barmhjertighed, respectively) tend to follow the Latin misericordia, lit. “misery-heart.”

Here are some other (back-) translations:

See also steadfast love and Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 14:22

“Do they not err that devise evil?”: This is one of the few sayings in Proverbs expressed in the form of a question. The question is rhetorical, and the effect of the question form is to make the saying emphatic. “Err” renders a verb that means “go astray,” “take the wrong road,” or “wander off.” The same word is used in 7.25 where the young man is warned not to “stray” into the path of the seductive woman. For “devise evil” see 6.14. In some languages it may be desirable to express this line as an emphatic statement rather than in the form of a question; for example, “People who plan to do bad things go astray in their thinking.”

“Those who devise good meet loyalty and faithfulness”: “Those who devise good” parallels and contrasts with “they . . . that devise evil” in the previous line. To “devise good” means to make a clear decision to do what is good, just as to “devise evil” is to plan, scheme, or decide to do what is bad. This line is literally “but mercy and truth devisers of good.” The verb “meet” is supplied by Revised Standard Version. The sense of the line seems to be that the good person’s conduct is equivalent to the qualities of loyalty and faithfulness, or is characterized by these qualities. For “loyalty and faithfulness” refer to 3.3. Translators differ considerably in the expression of these ideas. New English Bible/Revised English Bible have “Do not those who intend evil go astray, while those with good intentions are loyal and faithful?” Bible en français courant says in line 2 “People with good intentions act with goodness and loyalty.” Good News Translation uses two “if” clauses and translates “loyalty and faithfulness” as “trust and respect of others.” Good News Translation also reverses the order of the two clauses.

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 14:22)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 14:22:

  • Kupsabiny: “People who plot against others are lost,
    and/but those who organizes things well, are trusted and loved.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If you are thinking to do evil,
    you are making a mistake.
    Those who do good will receive respect
    and love from others.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (sing.) only commit-sin if you (sing.) will-plan evil against your (sing.) fellowman, but if you (sing.) plan good/well, there will-be people who will-love and be-loyal to you (sing.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It is a large mistake to plan evil, but the one who thinks-about good will-come-to-have loyal friends.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Those who plan to do things that are evil/wrong are walking on the wrong road;
    people faithfully love, respect and are loyal to those who plan to do what is good.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 14:22

14:22

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

22a Do not those who contrive evil go astray ?

22b But those who plan goodness find loving devotion and faithfulness.

14:22a–b

those who contrive evil…those who plan goodness: These two phrases both refer to making plans that affect others. Some people plan to harm others. Other people plan to benefit them.

14:22a

Do not those who contrive evil go astray?: This is a rhetorical question. It emphasizes that those who make evil plans certainly go astray. There are two ways to translate this emphasis:

• Use a rhetorical question that implies a definite “yes” answer. In some languages, it may be more natural to use a positive question and to supply the answer. For example:

Do people who make evil plans go astray? Yes, indeed!

• Use a statement. For example:

People who plot evil definitely go astray.

contrive evil: This phrase means to devise a plan to do wrong or to harm someone else. The same phrase occurs in Hebrew in 3:29a, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “devise evil.” See the note on 3:29a–b.

go astray: The verb go astray can refer to someone who strays off the right path. It can also refer to someone who gets lost and wanders aimlessly on the wrong path. Here it refers to someone who goes astray morally and follows wrong behavior.

14:22b

find loving devotion and faithfulness: The verb find is supplied by the Berean Standard Bible. There is no verb in the Hebrew. Some scholars think that loving devotion and faithfulness are qualities that are shown in the lives of people who plan what is good. However, it is more likely that both lines of this verse refer to the contrasting consequences of planning evil and planning good. The person who plans to do good to others will receive love and faithfulness from others.

The ones who show loving devotion and faithfulness could include both people and God, but the main reference here is probably to people.

loving devotion and faithfulness: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as loving devotion has three aspects of meaning: steadfastness/loyalty, love, and kindness. The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as faithfulness describes a person who is loyal or reliable. For more information on the phrase loving devotion and faithfulness, see the note on 3:3a.

Some scholars think that these two qualities function together (as a hendiadys) to mean “loyal/reliable love.” But most versions give two qualities separated by “and.” For example:

but those who plan to do good will be loved and trusted (New Century Version)

It is recommended that you treat these two terms as separate qualities, since they occur both individually and in the opposite order in other verses.

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