Translation commentary on Proverbs 18:2

“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding”: “Takes no pleasure” means “does not desire” or “has no interest in.” This line says “A fool does not desire to understand” or “. . . does not care to learn.” For “understanding” refer to 1.5 and 2.2.

“But only in expressing his opinion”: The Hebrew is literally “but only in uncovering his heart,” where “his heart” refers to his thoughts or mind. The fool is a person who avoids understanding and expresses his thoughts before he weighs or considers their effect. Contemporary English Version translates this saying “Fools have no desire to learn; they would much rather give their own opinions.”

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 18:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 18:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “A foolish person does not like wisdom,
    but he is happy about what he himself thinks.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The fool does not care if others understand him or not,
    he only tries to persuade others of his own opinions.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A foolish man has really no desire to learn; what he only wants is to reveal his own opinion.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The foolish-person does not like/want to learn, he only likes to tell what is in his mind.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Foolish people do not want to understand anything;
    they only want to express their own opinions/say what they think.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 18:2

18:2

This verse contrasts what a fool does not enjoy doing with what he does enjoy doing.

2a A fool does not delight in understanding,

2b but only in airing his opinions.

Some English versions supply the verb “delights” in 18:2b, as in the New International Version. Some versions leave the verb implied, as in Hebrew and the Berean Standard Bible. For example:

2b but only in expressing personal opinion (New Revised Standard Version)

18:2a

A fool does not delight in understanding: The phrase does not delight is probably a figure of speech that emphasizes the opposite idea. It means here that a foolish person experiences no pleasure whatsoever in gaining understanding. In fact, he refuses or hates to learn. Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

Fools do not want to understand anything. (New Century Version)
-or-
A fool does not care whether he understands a thing or not (Good News Translation)

understanding: In Hebrew, this word means “good sense” or “competence” to take appropriate action. In 18:2b the fool delights “in airing his opinions.” By contrast, it is implied here in 18:2a that the fool refuses to learn ⌊from others⌋ what he ought to do.

For more information on the word “fool,” see fool 2 in the Glossary. For understanding, see understanding (good sense) in the Glossary.

18:2b

but only in airing his opinions: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “but rather in exposing his heart.” The word heart refers here to the fool’s mind or thoughts. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

but rather in displaying what he thinks (New American Bible)
-or-
but only in disclosing what is on his mind (NET Bible)
-or-
They only want to tell others what they think. (New Century Version)

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