Translation commentary on Proverbs 18:23

This saying, like 10.15 and 14.20, contrasts the behavior of the rich and the poor.

“The poor use entreaties”: “Use entreaties” renders an expression that means asking or begging for favors. It is from “the rich” that “The poor” ask favors or beg for help.

“But the rich answer roughly”: “Answer” is the response of “the rich” to the entreaties of “The poor”; that is, “when the rich answer them” or “when the rich speak to the poor.” “Roughly” means to speak in an impolite or rude manner. For the whole saying, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “The poor person speaks with pleas; the rich person responds with haughtiness.” In one Pacific translation this is rendered “The poor person speaks humbly to the person with money, but that person with money gives him back hard talk.”

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 18:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 18:23:

  • Kupsabiny: “When a poor person begs, he pleads
    and/but when a rich man responds, (he) speaks with arrogance.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When poor people speak out,
    they speak humbly,
    When rich people speak out,
    they speak harshly.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A poor pleads-for-mercy, but a rich answers harshly.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “A poor-person begs/pleads to speak, but the rich-person, harsh is his answer.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “It is necessary for poor people to speak politely when they request rich people to do something for them,
    but rich people reply very impolitely when poor people speak to them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 18:23

18:23

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

23a
The poor man pleads for mercy,

23b but the rich man answers harshly.

18:23a

The poor man pleads for mercy: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pleads for mercy means to humbly ask or beg for help or favors. It is implied from the parallel line that the poor person asks a rich person for help. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

The poor man speaks beseechingly (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
The poor use entreaties (English Standard Version)
-or-
The poor must beg for help (Contemporary English Version)

18:23b

but the rich man answers harshly: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as answers harshly is literally “answers strong ⌊words⌋ .” His reply to the poor person is impolite or rough. It shows that he does not care about the poor person’s needs. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

the rich man’s answer is harsh (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
but the rich answer roughly (English Standard Version)
-or-
but the rich give rude answers (New Century Version)

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