Translation commentary on Proverbs 16:17

“The highway of the upright turns aside from evil”: The word rendered “highway” refers to a road that is built higher than the land next to it. It is not used of city streets and has the sense of being free of obstacles. “Upright”, first used in 2.7, refers to persons who live in the right way or practice right conduct. “Turns away from evil” means “avoids evil.” Although “evil” often means “wickedness,” here it should probably be understood as “harm,” “danger,” or “trouble.” In some languages it is necessary to say, for example, “Those who are upright walk on a straight path and avoid danger.”

“He who guards his way preserves his life”: This line repeats the thought expressed in the first line. It says literally “he who keeps his soul [is] he who watches his way.” The sense of this line is that by watching your step you are able to avoid the dangers in life and thereby maintain your life. Another way to express the full saying is: “The person of right conduct avoids misfortune, and the one who is careful in his conduct saves his life.”

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 16:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 16:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “A righteous person keeps way from sinners,
    but/and he who guards himself, (he) guards his life.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Following the good way means staying far away from sin,
    If one keeps paying careful attention to where he is going,
    he protects his own life.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A man who lives rightly stays-away from evil, and the one who guards himself is far from disaster.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The righteous-person goes-far-from evil. He-is-careful/diligent-with his behavior and thus he protects his life.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Those whose behavior is good/right turn away from doing evil;
    those who guard their conduct protect their lives.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 16:17

16:17

In this proverb, the underlined parallel parts refer to the same person. They both refer to an upright person who guards his way. This person avoids evil. As a result, he protects his life.

17a
The highway of the upright leads away from evil ;

17b
he who guards his way protects his life.

Another way to state this relationship is: An upright person protects his life by avoiding evil.

16:17a

The highway of the upright: The word translated here as highway is parallel with “way” in 16:17b. Both words are metaphors. They compare a person’s conduct with a road or path. In this context, the main similarity is that a highway and an upright person both follow a straight course.

When you translate these metaphors, try to keep the idea of a person who follows a particular path in life. One way to translate this metaphor is to change it to a simile. For example:

The conduct of an honest person is like a straight road that does not turn aside toward evil.

highway: The word highway refers to a straight, main road that had no obstacles. It normally went past cities rather than turning aside to enter them. A different form of this word was also used in 15:19b to describe the “highway of the upright.” See the notes on 15:19a–b.

upright: See the note on 11:3a.

leads away from evil: In Hebrew, the word evil has two meanings that occur frequently in Proverbs. It can refer either to moral evil or to harm/misfortune, the consequence of moral evil. Most scholars feel that here it refers mainly to moral evil. Try to translate in such a way that both meanings can be understood. If that is not possible, you should focus on the meaning “wicked/evil.”

16:17b

he who guards his way: The phrase guards his way is a metaphor. It compares a person who is careful about his conduct to a person who carefully watches where he walks. Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

• Use a phrase that can be understood both literally and figuratively. For example:

he who watches his step (Revised English Bible)
-or-
watch where you are going (Good News Translation)

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

the person who is careful about what he does

protects his life: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as protects his life means “keeps safe or preserves his life from danger.” Some other ways to express this meaning are:

preserves his life (Revised English Bible)
-or-
keeps life safe (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
protect their lives (New Century Version)

General Comment on 16:17a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder the parallel parts. For example:

An upright person who watches his step will stay on a good road that stays far from evil. By doing this he will protect his life.

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