The Hebrew that is translated as “steadfast love,” “lovingkindness” (Goldingay 2018: “commitment”) or similar in English is translated in a number of ways:
Vidunda: “love of enduring” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Bura-Pabir: “love which cannot be-changed” (hyirkur na a palidzi wa)
HausaCommon Language Bible “his love without changing” (kaunarsa marar canjawa) (source for this and above: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
Elhomwe: “love that does not finish” (echikondi yoohisintheya) (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Nyamwezi: chelu, combining “love,” “faithfulness,” “loyalty,” and “kindness” (source: James Lundeen)
Newari: dayāmāyā (दयामाया), a compound word made from two Sanskrit-derived terms: dayā (दया) or “compassion, mercy, kindness” and māyā (माया) or “love, affection” (source: Newari Back Translation)
In Pijintinghevi long or “think heavy about” is used. “The Pijin expression ‘think heavy about’ is very much within the domain of committed relationships. The relationship between father and child, husband and wife, God and His people. There is a very strong element of ‘loyalty’ in this expression.” (Source: Bob Carter)
In Latvian the term žēlastība is used both for “steadfast love” and grace.
In a number of languages, the terms for for “steadfast love” and mercy are used interchangeably.
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin terms that are typically translated as “mercy” (or “compassion” or “kindness”) in English are translated in various ways. Bratcher / Nida classify them in (1) those based on the quality of heart, or other psychological center, (2) those which introduce the concept of weeping or extreme sorrow, (3) those which involve willingness to look upon and recognize the condition of others, or (4) those which involve a variety of intense feelings.
While the Englishmercy originates from the Latinmerces, originally “price paid,” Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Corsican, Catalan, Friulian) and other Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Danish — Barmherzigkeit, barmhärtighet and barmhjertighed, respectively) tend to follow the Latin misericordia, lit. “misery-heart.”
This verse expresses the belief that a king will prosper if he rules with integrity and justice. The two lines are parallel with essentially the same meaning.
“Loyalty and faithfulness preserve the king”: For “Loyalty” and “faithfulness” refer to 3.3. They are used frequently in the Old Testament to describe the nature of God. The first, chesed, is often rendered “lovingkindness” or “mercy”; the second, ʾemeth, is usually rendered “faithfulness” or “truth.” As qualities of the human ruler who represents the Lord, they may be expressed as “faithful love and loyalty” (New Jerusalem Bible), “love and faithfulness” (New International Version), or “loyalty and good faith” (Revised English Bible). Contemporary English Version understands the nouns to refer to qualities of God, rather than to qualities of the king, and translates “Rulers are protected by God’s mercy and loyalty.” In many languages the qualities named here have to be expressed by using verbs of action or attitude; for example, “If a king rules in a way that is straight and treats everybody fairly. . .” or “If the king does good to all his people, and he loves and helps them. . ..” The sense of “preserve the king” is “protect the king” or “keep him safe.”
“And his throne is upheld by righteousness”: “His throne is upheld” has the same sense as “preserve the king” in the previous line. Another way to express this is “his throne is made secure” (New International Version); note also Good News Translation “A king will remain in power. . ..” The quality of the king that ensures this is given by Revised Standard Version and some other versions as “righteousness”; however, the Hebrew text has the same word chesed as is found in the first line. “Righteousness” is based on the Septuagint, which has the same text here as in the similar lines in 16.12 and 25.5. Along with Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (“B” rating), the Handbook recommends that translators follow the Hebrew and render the text with something like “through love his throne is made secure” (New International Version) or “they must be merciful for their kingdoms to last” (Contemporary English Version).
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 .
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 20:28:
Kupsabiny: “If a leader speaks the truth and loves people, he is also loved and honored.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “The reigns of rulers are preserved by God’s mercy and support.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “If a king is kind and faithful, he will- not -be-harmed and his reign will-continue.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “What protects the king is his not changing love and mercy/kindness and his loyalty. His ruling will also remain-unchanged if he is just/righteous.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
English: “Kings will continue to rule as long as they faithfully love their people and are loyal to them and as long as they rule righteously/fairly.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
28a Loving devotion and faithfulnesspreserve a king ;
28b by thesehe maintains his throne.
Both lines describe the character qualities that make a king’s rule stable and secure.
20:28a
Loving devotion and faithfulness preserve a king: There are two ways to interpret the one who shows Loving devotion and faithfulness. Except for the Contemporary English Version, the versions used in preparing these Notes are all ambiguous, so they will not be listed below:
(1) The king is the one who shows love and faithfulness, primarily to his people, but also to God.
(2) God is the one who shows love and faithfulness to the king. For example:
Rulers are protected by God’s mercy and loyalty (Contemporary English Version)
It is recommended that you translate in a way that allows both interpretations. Both have good scholarly support. If you need to make one interpretation explicit, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). In that case, it is also recommended that you put the other interpretation in a footnote. An example of such a footnote is:
In Hebrew, it does not say who shows love and faithfulness. It could be the king, as in the second part of the verse. It could also be God.
Reasons for recommending interpretation (1) are:
(a) Elsewhere in Proverbs, the word pair “loving devotion and faithfulness” refers to qualities that people show rather than qualities that God shows.
(b) Most of the verses in Proverbs about a king describe the king’s interaction with his subjects or the way that he rules. They do not describe God’s interactions with the king. See the note on “love and faithfulness” at 3:3a.
In this clause, Loving devotion and faithfulness are personified. They are described as guards who protect a king. When a king shows these qualities in the way that he rules the people of his country, he will remain in power.
Loving devotion: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Loving devotion refers here to the consistent love and kindness that a king shows to his subjects. For ways to translate this word, see the note on “loving devotion” at 3:3a.
faithfulness: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faithfulness refers here to the king’s trustworthiness and reliability.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
• Keep the personification. For example:
Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Loyalty and faithfulness preserve the king (New Revised Standard Version)
• Change the personification to a simile. For example:
The kindness and trustworthiness that a king shows to others are like two guards that protect him.
• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
A king is safe/protected as long as he is loving and kind and can be trusted to fulfill his obligations.
20:28b
by these he maintains his throne: There is a textual issue here:
(1) The Masoretic Text has: “through love.” For example:
and his throne is upheld by loyal love (NET Bible)
(2) The LXX has: “through justice/righteousness.” For example:
and his throne is upheld by righteousness (New Revised Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most scholars. However, many versions prefer option (2). So you may want to add a footnote that indicates what it says in the Greek translation (LXX). For example:
What is written in the Hebrew (Masoretic Text) is “love.” What is written in The Greek translation (LXX) is “justice/righteousness.”
his throne: This phrase is a figure of speech here. A king’s throne represents his authority, position, or rule as king.
Some other ways to translate 20:28b are:
they must be merciful for their kingdoms to last (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
He will maintain his rule by being kind and loving.
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