complete verse (Proverbs 15:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 15:13:

  • Kupsabiny: “When a person is joyful, then his face shines,
    but if he is sad/angry he frowns.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “A joyful heart brings joy to the face,
    but a broken heart makes the spirit weep.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If a man is happy, he smiles, but if he is sad, his face is sad.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It-can-be-seen in the face of a person if he is happy. If he is mourning/sorrowing, he is also extremely discouraged.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “When people are happy, they have smiles on their faces;
    but when they are sad, by looking at their faces we can see that they are sad.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Proverbs 15:13

“A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance”: This line states that happiness expresses itself on a person’s face. It says literally “A joyful heart makes good faces.” In some languages this thought is expressed, for example, “A happy person has a happy face,” “A light liver makes the face shine,” “Happiness makes the eyes bright,” or “If a person is happy, everyone sees it in his face.”

“But by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken”: This line contrasts with the first and asserts that sorrow depresses a person’s spirit. “Sorrow of heart” (literally “pain of the heart”) refers to the inner self in contrast to the outer appearance referred to in the previous line. This is psychological or emotional pain or injury, a state of sadness. In verse 4 “breaks the spirit” meant “causes despair or discouragement.” The sense of “the spirit is broken” is similar in this verse. We may say, for example, “but pain in the innermost brings depression,” “a black liver makes a person feel worthless,” or “if a person is feeling sad, his thinking falls down.”

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 15:13

15:13

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

13a
A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance,

13b but sorrow of the heart crushes the spirit.

This proverb contrasts the outward effects of happiness with the inward effects of sorrow.

15:13a

A joyful heart: Here the phrase joyful heart means that a person’s inner being is glad or joyful.

makes a cheerful countenance: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as makes a cheerful countenance is literally “causes faces to be good.” Here it means that inner happiness shows on a person’s face.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

Happiness makes a person smile (New Century Version)
-or-
When people are happy, they smile (Good News Translation)

15:13b

but sorrow of the heart: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sorrow of the heart is literally “pain of heart.” It refers to sorrow or other painful feelings.

crushes the spirit: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as crushes is literally “beaten/broken.” This is not the same Hebrew word that was used in 15:4b, but it has almost the same meaning. In this context, it means that painful feelings will cause depression. One way to express this meaning is:

but with a heartache comes depression (God’s Word)

General Comment on 15:13a–b

Many languages have idioms that refer to happiness and sorrow. For example, English uses the idioms lighthearted and heavyhearted. Consider using idioms in your language that may express the meaning more effectively than plain language.

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