Translation commentary on Proverbs 20:14

This saying is an observation on what happens when people bargain, and perhaps also a warning to the inexperienced trader. In form the verse is a single statement in two parts, although the point of it is the contrast between what a person says when bargaining and what he or she says to friends afterwards.

““It is bad, it is bad,” says the buyer”: The term “bad” may refer to what is being traded, in which case it means something like “poor quality,” “worthless,” or “no good” (New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). On the other hand it may refer to the price or deal that is offered by the seller, meaning “a bad bargain” (Revised English Bible) or “the price is too high” (Good News Translation). Translators are advised to make sure their readers understand that in saying “It is bad,” the intention of the buyer is to force the price down.

“But when he goes away, then he boasts”: “When he goes away” is a participle form in Hebrew, giving the sense of “as he is going off [with his purchase] . . ..” “Boasts” is a reflexive form in Hebrew meaning literally “praises himself.” Many languages have words that mean “boast” or “brag”; others express the sense in a form such as “says that he was clever.” It may be necessary in some languages to fill out what the person boasts about; some examples from English are: “off he goes to brag about it” (Revised English Bible), “boasts about his purchase” (New International Version), and “brags about the bargain he got” (Good News Translation).

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 20:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 20:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “A person who buys something beats down (the price) saying, ‘You! Go away, this one is not good,’
    or/but when he has bought, he boasts about it.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The buyer bargains saying,
    "This is too expensive, this is too expensive!"
    As soon as he turns to go
    he brags about the good deal he got.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A buyer under-estimate/belittles the sale so-that he can-bargain. But if he has-bought already, he no long under-estimate/belittle (it), but-rather he even boasts/brags-about (it).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The one-who-buys, he complains-about the price of what he buys, but when he leaves, he boasts-about his skill in bargaining.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “People look at things that they are about to buy, and in order to get it for a lower price sometimes they say, ‘It is no good/It is poor quality,’
    but after they buy it, they go and boast about having bought it for a cheap price.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 20:14

20:14

This verse refers to cultures where bargaining is the normal way to buy and sell. It describes the bargaining process from the buyer’s point of view. There is a contrast between what the buyer says when he is bargaining (20:14a) and what he says after he has made the purchase (20:14b).

14a “Worthless, worthless!” says the buyer;

14b but on the way out, he gloats.

20:14a

“Worthless, worthless!” says the buyer: In Hebrew, the buyer’s words are literally “Bad, bad,” as in the Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures. These words may refer either to the low value of the item the buyer wants or to the unacceptably high asking price. The buyer’s purpose in saying this is to persuade the seller to lower the price. You should use an expression in your language that buyers normally use in this situation. Some other ways that English versions translate this line are:

‘A bad bargain!’ says the buyer to the seller (Revised English Bible)
-or-
The buyer haggles over the price, saying, “It’s worthless,” (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
The customer always complains that the price is too high (Good News Translation)

20:14b

but on the way out, he gloats: After the buyer has purchased the item and left the seller, he boasts. In Hebrew, what the buyer boasts about is not explicit. Some English versions supply the words “about his purchase” (as in the New International Version). It is also possible that the buyer boasts about his skill in bargaining.

gloats: In Hebrew, the form of the verb that is used here usually indicates reflexive action (“praises himself”). In this context, it may indicate either that the buyer congratulates himself or that he speaks highly about himself to others.

Some other ways to translate 20:14b are:

but he goes off congratulating himself (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
but then he goes off and brags about the bargain he got (Good News Translation)

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