anger

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The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “anger” or similar in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied”).

  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “be warm inside”
  • Mende: “have a cut heart”
  • Mískito: “have a split heart”
  • Tzotzil: “have a hot heart”
  • Mossi: “a swollen heart”
  • Western Kanjobal: “fire of the viscera”
  • San Blas Kuna: “pain in the heart”
  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “not with good eye”
  • Chichewa: “have a burning heart” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) (see also anger burned in him)
  • Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)

In Akan, a number of metaphors are used, most importantly abufuo, lit. “weedy chest” (the chest is seen as a container that contains the heart but can also metaphorically be filled with other fluids etc.), but also abufuhyeε lit. “hot/burning weedy chest” and anibereε, lit. “reddened eyes.” (Source: Gladys Nyarko Ansah in Kövecses / Benczes / Szelid 2024, p. 21ff.)

See also God’s anger and angry.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 15:1

“A soft answer turns away wrath”: “Soft” in relation to speech means “gentle,” “kind,” or, as Revised English Bible says, “mild.” It is a response without anger or harshness. The importance of kindness and respect in the use of speech is expressed again in 24.26 and 25.15. “Answer” in this context refers to a response or reply to what someone, perhaps in anger, has said. “Turns away” translates the causative form of a verb meaning “to turn back.” The thought is that the anger of the first speaker can be set aside or calmed by a gentle response. “Wrath” is anger or fury. Contemporary English Version says “A kind answer soothes angry feelings,” and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “A friendly reply calms anger.” In some languages it may be necessary to expand this line to say, for example, “Reply to a person with gentle words and you will calm their anger.”

“But a harsh word stirs up anger”: “A harsh word” is literally “a word of pain,” that is, one that causes pain, and the expression refers to a word or utterance spoken sharply or heatedly. “Stirs up” or “excites” contrasts with “turns away” in the first line. The verb refers to causing something to rise, in this case the angry emotions of the other speaker, as Revised English Bible says: “but a sharp word makes tempers rise.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates this full saying “A reconciling answer cools down anger, but a hurtful word heats it up.” See also Good News Translation.

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 15:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 15:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “When/If one answers a word softly/slowly/humbly, it cools down the heart/temper of a person,
    but if/when one is being harsh it stirs/raises anger/strife.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “A kindly answer placates wrath,
    but a harsh answer incites it.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A gentle/soft answer can-lighten/alleviate anger, but a harsh answer can-stir-up anger.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The gentle/quiet answer, it extinguishes anger, but the hurtful word, it makes-it-worse.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “When people are angry with you, reply to them gently, and it will calm them;
    but if you reply harshly to them, it causes them to become more angry.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 15:1

15:1

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

1a
A gentle answer turns away wrath,

1b but a harsh word stirs up anger.

This proverb gives advice on good and bad ways to respond to an angry person.

15:1a–b

There are two pairs of words with similar meanings within the contrasting parallel parts:

answer…word: The words answer and word both refer to what someone says in response to an angry person. No contrast is intended between these two words.

wrath…anger: No contrast is intended between the words wrath and anger. Both refer here to feelings of anger that a person expresses in some way.

Many languages have idioms that refer to calming or increasing anger. Use an expression that is appropriate and natural in your language.

15:1a

A gentle answer turns away wrath: A gentle answer refers to a response that is mild or soft. The meaning of gentle may also be expressed in terms of its effect: it is soothing or peacemaking. Such an answer turns away another person’s anger. This means that it calms or takes away the anger. Some other ways to translate this line are:

A kind answer soothes angry feelings (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
A gentle answer quiets anger (Good News Translation)
-or-
A gentle answer will calm a person’s anger (New Century Version)

15:1b

but a harsh word stirs up anger: The contrasting word harsh is literally “painful” in the sense that it causes emotional pain. A hurtful response stirs up anger (literally “causes anger to go up”). In other words, it increases a person’s anger or makes it worse. Some other ways to express this meaning are:

but a sharp word makes tempers rise (Revised English Bible)
-or-
but an unkind answer will cause more anger (New Century Version)

General Comment on 15:1a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine the similar word pairs into one term. For example:

A gentle answer quiets anger, but a harsh one stirs it up. (Good News Translation)

In some languages, it is natural to say that words/answers have an effect on anger. In other languages, it is more natural to use a pronoun to refer to people who answer an angry person. For example:

1a If we(incl.) respond ⌊to an angry person⌋ with gentle words, we will cause his anger to decrease,

1b but if our(incl.) words are hurtful, we will cause his anger to increase.

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