wisdom ("heart wisdom")

In the Tzeltal translation for the dialectal variant of Highland Tzeltal (Biblia Tzeltal yu’un Oxchuc soc Tenejapa, 2001) the translation team used three different words to translate the Hebrew term that is translated as “wisdom” or “wise” in English. For the verses referenced here, it uses p’ijil-o’tanil or “heart wisdom.”

For the complete story and more background, please see wisdom (Proverbs).

Translation commentary on Proverbs 16:22

This saying again parallels and contrasts the first line with the second.

“Wisdom is a fountain of life to him who has it”: For “a fountain of life” see the comments on 10.11. The Hebrew is literally “Fountain of life insight [of] its owner,” and this is somewhat obscure. Good News Translation takes “him who has it” to refer to “the wise,” and this is probably the intended sense. As in 10.11, it may be necessary to express “a fountain of life” as a simile; for example, “For the wise person wisdom is like a life-giving fountain.”

“But folly is the chastisement of fools”: “Folly” contrasts with “Wisdom” and “chastisement” contrasts with “fountain of life”. For “folly” see 5.23 and 12.23. “Chastisement” renders a Hebrew word often translated “instruction,” but in this context it means “punishment.” In 13.24 the same Hebrew word is translated “discipline” (Revised Standard Version) and “correct” (Good News Translation). The sense of the second line is that fools are punished by their own foolishness. Good News Translation takes this line to mean that it is foolish to try to teach fools. This is followed by New Living Translation, but it is not widely accepted. Contemporary English Version translates the saying: “Good sense is a fountain that gives life, but fools are punished by their foolishness.”

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 16:22)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 16:22:

  • Kupsabiny: “If one tries to correct a fool it is in vain,
    but a wise person gets life.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Wisdom is a source of life
    for those who understand it / possess it
    Because of foolishness,
    fools have to bear punishment.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If you (sing.) have wisdom, that can-make-good and can-prolong your (sing.) life, but if you (sing.) are a fool, you (sing.) will-be-punished because of your (sing.) foolishness.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Wiseness, it can-be-compared to a spring that gives life, but the foolishness of a person is what gives his punishment.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Being wise is like having a fountain that gives life ,
    but foolish people are punished as a result of their acting foolishly.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 16:22

16:22

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

22a
Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessor,

22b but the discipline of fools is folly.

This proverb contrasts the life-giving benefits of being sensible with the bad consequences of acting foolishly.

16:22a

Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessor: The clause Understanding is a fountain of life is a metaphor. It compares good sense or shrewdness to a spring or other source of flowing water. The similarity is that both are necessary for life. For more information on how to translate this metaphor, see the note on 13:14a. Some other ways to express the meaning of this line are:

Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Understanding is like a fountain which gives life to those who use it (New Century Version)

Understanding: The word śekel, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as Understanding, refers to people who are sensible or prudent. They are people who act wisely.

16:22b

but the discipline of fools is folly: The words folly and fools both refer to moral foolishness. For the word discipline, see discipline in the Glossary.

There are three main interpretations of this clause:

(1) The foolishness of a fool results in his punishment. For example:

but folly leads to the discipline of fools (NET Bible)

(2) A fool’s own foolishness is his punishment. In other words, a fool is punished by his own foolishness. For example:

the folly of fools is their own punishment (New Jerusalem Bible)

(3) It is foolish to instruct or discipline a fool. For example:

but the discipline of fools is folly (New American Standard Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Many verses in Proverbs refer to the painful or disastrous consequences of foolish behavior. These consequences include beatings, retaliation by angry people, and death. No other verses in Proverbs refer to a fool’s own foolishness as his punishment.

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