wisdom ("word 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” in English. For the verses referenced here, it uses p’ijil c’op or “word wisdom.”

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

See also buy wisdom.

wisdom

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “wisdom” in English is rendered in various ways:

  • Amganad Ifugao / Tabasco Chontal: “(big) mind”
  • Bulu / Yamba: “heart-thinking”
  • Tae’: “cleverness of heart” (source for this and all above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Palauan: “bright spirit (innermost)” (source: Bratcher / Hatton)
  • Ixcatlán Mazatec: “with your best/biggest thinking” (source: Robert Bascom)
  • Noongar: dwangka-boola, lit. “ear much” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018 — see also remember)
  • Kwere “to know how to live well” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Dobel: “their ear holes are long-lasting” (in Acts 6:3) (source: Jock Hughes)
  • Gbaya: iŋa-mgbara-mɔ or “knowing-about-things” (note that in comparison to that, “knowledge” is translated as iŋa-mɔ or “knowing things”) (source: Philip Noss in The Bible Translator 2001, p. 114ff. )
  • Chichewa: nzeru, meaning both “knowledge” and “wisdom” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Uma: “clearness” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Kako: “heart thinking” (source: Reyburn 2002, p. 190)

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a hand gesture referring to God to indicate a human quality to communicate that wisdom does not originate from man but is linked to and connected with the fear of God (source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group):


“Wisdom” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

See also wisdom (Proverbs) and knowledge.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 17:24

“A man of understanding sets his face toward wisdom”: The Hebrew of this line is literally “In the face [presence] of the man of understanding is wisdom.” The sense is probably “Wisdom is always present with the wise,” that is, “The wise person always keeps his eyes on wisdom.” See Good News Translation.

“But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth”: This line contrasts with the first. Here the fool has no aim or focus, and his attention is always far off. “The eyes of the fool” refers to the foolish person’s attention or observation. “The ends of the earth” or “far away places” is where the fool’s mind is. It suggests that such a person has a wandering mind, lacking in the discipline of thought required of the wise. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy renders this saying “Wisdom is the goal of the intelligent, but the fool has no fixed goal.”

We may also say, for example, “If you are wise, you will keep your mind on wisdom, but if you are a fool, your thoughts will wander everywhere.”

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 17:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 17:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “The head/mind of a stable person is strong
    but that of the foolish roams/wanders.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The wise know what is good and do it,
    but the fool is confused
    and doesn’t know which way to go.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A man who has understanding always thinking how he will-become- more -wiser, but a foolish man do- not -know what he will-do.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The one who is skilled in distinguishing what is right/correct, he concentrates his thoughts on what wise-people do, but the foolish-one, he has no proper place-of-concentration of his thoughts.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise,
    but foolish people are always thinking about many different things and never decide what they should do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 17:24

17:24

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

24a
Wisdom is the focus of the discerning,

24b but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

17:24a

Wisdom is the focus of the discerning: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “In the face/presence of the man of understanding ⌊is⌋ wisdom.” This clause probably means that a discerning person focuses his attention on doing what is wise.

In some languages, there may be figures of speech that are related to a person’s face or eyes that express this meaning. Some examples in English are:

Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
A man of understanding sets his face toward wisdom (Revised Standard Version)

In other languages, it will be clearer to express the meaning in other ways. For example:

An intelligent person aims at wise action (Good News Translation)
-or-
A sensible person is careful to concentrate on what wise people do.

For discerning, see discerning (Hebrew: mebin) in the Glossary.

17:24b

but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “but the eyes of a fool ⌊are⌋ at the end of the earth.” This clause means that a fool thinks about one thing after another. He does not concentrate on anything that is useful or would make him wise. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

but the eyes of a fool are looking around all over the world (God’s Word)

but the mind of a fool wanders everywhere (New Century Version)

For fool, see fool 2 in the Glossary.

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