neighbor

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The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “neighbor” in English is rendered into Babatana as “different man,” i.e. someone who is not one of your relatives. (Source: David Clark)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun, it is rendered as “a person outside of your building,” in Tzeltal as “your back and side” (implying position of the dwellings), in Indonesian and in Tae’ as “your fellow-man,” in Toraja-Sa’dan it is “your fellow earth-dweller,” in Shona (translation of 1966) as “another person like you,” in Kekchí “younger-brother-older-brother” (a compound which means all one’s neighbors in a community) (sources: Bratcher / Nida and Reiling / Swellengrebel), in Mairasi “your people” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Mezquital Otomi as “fellow being,” in Tzeltal as “companion,” in Isthmus Zapotec as “another,” in Teutila Cuicatec as “all people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), and in most modern German translations as Mitmensch or “fellow human being” (lit. “with + human being”).

In Matt 19:19, Matt 22:39, Mark 12:31, Mark 12:33, Luke 10:27, Luke 10:29 it is translated into Ixcatlán Mazatec with a term that refers to a person who is socially/physically near. Ixcatlán Mazatec also has a another term for “neighbor” that means “fellow humans-outsiders” which was not chosen for these passages. (Source: Robert Bascom)

In Noongar it is translated as moorta-boordak or “people nearby” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

neighbor - relative

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “neighbor” or “relative” in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) and the Buku Lopatulika translation (1922/2018) with just one word: nansi. This word can also be translated as neighbors whom you share a blood relation with because in Chewa context a community is mostly comprised of people of blood relations. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

complete verse (Proverbs 17:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 17:18:

  • Kupsabiny: “It is not good for a person to stand for (give surety for) the debt of another (person).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Only those who don’t know
    what is good and what isn’t
    will become security
    for the business transactions of strangers.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A man who promises to pay the debt of others has no understanding.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The one who promises to stand-for the debt of a companion is mindless.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “If someone borrows money from another person, it is foolish for you to promise that you will pay the money back
    if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Proverbs 17:18

“A man without sense gives a pledge”: “Man” translates the Hebrew ʾadam, which refers to any person without regard to gender. “Without sense”, as in 7.7, is literally “lacking heart.” See this usage of “heart” in verse 16. “Gives a pledge” is literally “strikes hands,” an expression used in 6.1. See there for comments.

“And becomes surety in the presence of his neighbor”: For “becomes surety” and “neighbor” see 6.1. “In the presence of his neighbor” is best understood to mean “on behalf of his neighbor,” that is, “he promises to pay his neighbor’s debt.” We may translate this saying, for example, “A foolish person promises to pay someone else’s debt.”

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 17:18

17:18

Notice the parallel parts:

18a A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge

18b and puts up security for his neighbor.

The underlined part in 17:18a refers to making an agreement. The part in 17:18b gives specific information about the agreement. It is a guarantee to pay a neighbor’s debt if he is unable to pay.

See the notes on 6:1, 11:15, and 22:26, where the same parallel terms occur. In those verses, they occur in the opposite order.

There are also other differences in these verses. Proverbs 6:1 describes the situation that is faced by a son who has guaranteed someone’s loan. Proverbs 11:15 describes the consequences of guaranteeing another person’s loan. This verse focuses on the foolishness of a person who guarantees a loan for his neighbor.

See the General Comment on 17:18a–b at the end of 17:18b for ways to combine the parallel parts.

17:18a

A man lacking judgment: This phrase refers to someone who lacks common sense and makes foolish decisions. This phrase last occurred in 15:21a.

strikes hands in pledge: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “striking/clapping a palm.” The function of this gesture was to conclude a legal or financial agreement. See the note on 6:1b for ways to translate this gesture.

17:18b

puts up security: This phrase refers here to anything that the loan guarantor gives to the lender to guarantee future payment of the debt. The security could be the person’s oath. It could also be a piece of clothing or something else that belonged to him.

for his neighbor: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “before” or “in the presence of” his neighbor. There are two main ways to interpret this phrase:

(1) It means that a person guarantees a loan for his neighbor. For example:

puts up financial security for his neighbor (NET Bible)

(2) It means that a person guarantees a loan in the presence of his neighbor. For example:

puts up security in the presence of his neighbor (English Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions. Another way to translate this line is:

become responsible for a neighbor’s debts (New Living Translation (1996))

neighbor: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as neighbor is the same word that it translated as “friend” in 17:17a. It can refer to anyone with whom a person interacts, including a close friend or an acquaintance. See the note on 16:29a.

General Comment on 17:18a–b

In some languages, it may be clearer to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts to indicate that both lines refer to the same agreement. For example:

Only someone with no sense would promise to be responsible for someone else’s debts. (Good News Translation)
-or-
It’s stupid to guarantee someone else’s loan. (Contemporary English Version)

See also 17:18a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.

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