silent / say nothing

The Hebrew that is translated as “silent” or “say nothing” in English is translated in the Protestant Mandarin Chinese Union Version with two historical 4-character Chinese idioms: mòmò wúshēng (默默無聲 / 默默无声), mòmò bùyán (默默不言), jìngmò bù yán (靜默不言), or jìngmò wúshēng (靜默無聲 / 静默无声) all “silent (lit. “quiet – no sound [or: words]”).

See also silent / still, shut mouth / silence, and silent.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 17:28

“Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise”: “Even” is used here in Hebrew to accent or emphasize the following noun. Some modern translations do not represent it. However, see Contemporary English Version and Bible en français courant below. “Keeps silent” means “does not talk” or “keeps his mouth shut.” “Is considered wise” means that people will think of him as wise, or have the impression that he is wise.

“When he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent”: This line is parallel to the first line. “Closes his lips” means that he refrains from talking, or remains silent, as in the first line. “Is deemed intelligent” is the matching term for “is considered wise” and has the same sense. Contemporary English Version translates this line “Even fools seem smart when they are quiet.” Bible en français courant renders this whole saying: “When he keeps silent even a fool seems sensible. When his lips are shut, one could think him intelligent.”

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 17:28)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 17:28:

  • Kupsabiny: “If a fool keeps quiet, (it) is thought that (he is) wise
    and (he) is taken to be an understanding person when (he) does not speak.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Even a foolish person will appear to be wise
    if he remains silent.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Even the foolish are perceived-to-be wise and have understanding if they keep-quiet/silent” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Even the one who is mindless is as-if intelligent/wise if he remains-quiet.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “People may think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise;
    if foolish people do not say anything/keep their mouths shut, others will think that they are very intelligent.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 17:28

17:28

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning. The phrases in bold print both refer to not speaking.

28a Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent,

28b and discerning when he holds his tongue.

In Hebrew, as in the Berean Standard Bible, there is no verb in the first phrase of 17:28b. In some languages, it may need to be supplied from the parallel verb in 17:28a. The God’s Word has supplied a verb with similar meaning. It has:

28b He is considered intelligent if he keeps his lips sealed.

This verse may be closely connected with 17:27. That verse describes a truly wise person as someone who restrains his speech. Here, the author somewhat humorously points out that silence is not necessarily a sign of wisdom. People may think that even a fool is wise if he doesn’t speak at all.

17:28a–b

Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue: Some other ways to translate these two lines are:

28a Even a fool, if he keeps his mouth shut, will seem wise; 28b if he holds his tongue, he will seem intelligent. (Revised English Bible)
-or-
28a Even fools seem to be wise if they keep quiet; 28b if they don’t speak, they appear to understand. (New Century Version)

For fool, see fool 1 in the Glossary. For wise, see wisdom in the Glossary. For discerning, see discerning (Hebrew nabon) in the Glossary.

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

Even fools seem smart when they are quiet. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
After all, even fools may be thought wise and intelligent if they stay quiet and keep their mouths shut. (Good News Translation)

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