complete verse (Proverbs 14:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 14:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “Remove yourself from a foolish person,
    because he does not have wisdom.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Stay far away from fools.
    You will not be able to gain
    any knowledge or skill from them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Stay-away from the fools for you (sing.) will- not -learn any good from them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Go/Stay-far-from a foolish-one, because there-is-nothing correct/right that he will-teach you (sing.).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Stay away from foolish people,
    because they will not be able to teach you anything useful.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Proverbs 14:7

“Leave the presence of a fool”: This line is clearly expressed as a command, “Go away from. . .,” “Stay away from. . ..” The person to be avoided is called “a foolish man” or “a man of foolishness.” As the next line indicates, the idea is that the foolish, stupid person has no knowledge to impart to others and so should be avoided. Some translators express “fool” in the plural. See Good News Translation.

“For there you do not meet words of knowledge” is literally “or you will not know the lips of knowledge.” Some interpreters think “lips of knowledge” is obscure and so modify the Hebrew; for example, Scott translates “And do not lavish wise words [on him].” Others prefer the Hebrew text as it stands; for example, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “Keep away from a fool, because you will obtain no knowledge from his lips.” Contemporary English Version has “Stay away from fools, or you won’t learn a thing.” We recommend that translators follow the Hebrew text, as these models and most other versions do.

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 14:7

14:7

In this verse, the first line gives a command. The second line adds a reason for obeying the command.

7a Stay away from a foolish man;

7b you will gain no knowledge from his speech.

14:7a

Stay away from a foolish man: In Hebrew, the verb Stay away is literally “go.” Translations such as “go away,” “stay away,” or “avoid” all express the meaning accurately. Another way to translate this line is:

Leave the presence of a fool (English Standard Version)

foolish: In Hebrew, this word refers to a fool who does what is stupid and wrong because he is mentally lazy and self-satisfied.

14:7b

you will gain no knowledge from his speech: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gain no knowledge from his speech is literally “not know lips of knowledge.” The expression “lips of knowledge” is a figure of speech that represents words that express knowledge. The meaning of this line may be expressed in terms of either learning or teaching. For example:

you won’t learn a thing (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
because they can’t teach you anything (New Century Version)

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