knowledge ("word wisdom")

In the Tzeltal translation for the dialectal variant of Highland Tzeltal (Biblia Tzeltal yu’un Oxchuc soc Tenejapa, 2001) the translation team used three different words to translate the Hebrew term that is translated as “wisdom” in English. One of them is p’ijil c’op or “word wisdom” which is also used for “knowledge.”

For the complete story and more background, please see wisdom (Proverbs).

complete verse (Proverbs 21:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 21:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “A person who withdraws from the way of wisdom will die.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The one who abandons the good path
    and goes on the evil path
    will get caught in the mouth of death.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Death is the destination of a man who avoids from wisdom.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “One who does not use right/proper thoughts, death is his outcome.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Those who stop behaving like those who have good sense behave
    will soon discover that they have gone to the place where dead people are.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Proverbs 21:16

This verse is a single sentence that describes the end of the person who does not value good sense.

“A man who wanders from the way of understanding”: This whole line is the subject of the sentence. “A man” is not restricted to males; most recent English translations say “whoever” or “anyone who.” “Wanders from the way of” is a figurative expression for leaving a style of living; in languages where this picture is not a natural expression, we may say something like “If you stop using” (Contemporary English Version) or “if a person rejects.” “Understanding” renders the same Hebrew term found in 1.3, where it is variously translated as “prudent life” (New International Version), “intelligence” (Revised English Bible), or “wise dealing” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version). Other ways of expressing it here are “good sense” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) and “common sense” (Revised English Bible). In some languages it may be more natural to make this line a conditional clause: “If someone strays from. . ..”

“Will rest in the assembly of the dead”: The sense of “will rest” is “will come to rest” (Revised English Bible), “will end up,” or “you will find yourself” (Contemporary English Version). “The dead” are literally “the shadows,” a way of speaking of the shadowy existence of people who have died. “The assembly of the dead” means where the dead people are together, or “the place of the dead.” Some English versions say “in the company of the dead” (New International Version, Revised English Bible); others say simply “in the grave” (Contemporary English Version) or “death” (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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 21:16

21:16

This proverb describes the final destination of a person who stops following a sensible way of life. There are no parallel parts.

16a The man who strays from the path of understanding

16b will rest in the assembly of the dead.

21:16a

The man who strays from the path of understanding: This phrase uses the familiar metaphor of a path. Here it describes a person who rejects good insight and common sense as a way of life. Some ways to translate this phrase are:

• Keep one or more of the figurative ideas in the metaphor. For example:

A person who wanders from the way of wise behavior (God’s Word)
-or-
A person who strays from common sense (New Living Translation (2004))

• Translate the meaning without using figures of speech. For example:

If you stop using good sense (Contemporary English Version)

For more information on the word understanding, see wise dealing in the Glossary.

21:16b

will rest in the assembly of the dead: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “he will rest in the assembly of the spirits of the dead.” This phrase is a figurative way to say that the person who abandons a sensible way of thinking will die.

It implies that he will die prematurely or unexpectedly But the main emphasis is on the direction and outcome of his life. He will end up in the place of the dead, and that is where he will stay. It does not imply that he will rest in a positive sense.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

will end up among the dead (New Century Version)
-or-
you will find yourself in the grave (Contemporary English Version)

the dead: In Hebrew, this word refers to the spirits of people who have died. The Berean Standard Bible translated this word as “the departed spirits” in 2:18b. See the notes on “the departed spirits” in 2:18a–b and “the dead” in 9:18a for more information.

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