Translation commentary on Proverbs 2:19

“None who go to her come back”: This refers to entering her house for the purpose of having sex with her. Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version say “visit her.” Translators should use the natural expression that is used for paying a visit to a prostitute. “Come back” means to return to life in the community.

“Nor do they regain the paths of life”: This line affirms figuratively that such persons go to their deaths, that is, they do not find their way back to the world of the living.

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 2:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 2:19:

  • Kupsabiny: “There is no single person who has ever gone with this woman and he has returned while still alive.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “No one who goes to their place
    will ever be able to return
    or find the path of life.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Whoever goes to her can- no-longer -go-home; he no-longer can-trace/know the path going to the place of the living.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The one who goes and finds her, he will absolutely not return and he will not again be-able-to-find the path that leads to life.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 2:19

2:19

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

19a None who go to her return

19b or negotiate the paths of life.

Proverbs 2:19b explains in more detail what it means to “return.”

2:19a–b

None who go to her: In Hebrew, this phrase is a euphemism that refers to sexual intercourse. Sometimes it will be possible to translate this phrase with a natural euphemism in your language. In other languages, it may be better to translate the meaning without using a euphemism. Use an expression that your readers will consider to be appropriate. Some expressions that occur commonly in English are:

None who have sex with her (God’s Word)
-or-
None who sleep with her
-or-
None who make love with her

return or negotiate the paths of life: The words return and negotiate are parallel. Both refer to the same event or process. In this context, “None who go to her return” means that the person who begins a life of sexual immorality is on a figurative path that leads to death, from which he cannot return. It does not mean that a person who sleeps with an adulteress will never literally leave her house and return to his own home.

The phrase paths of life also occurs with slight variations in 5:6, 6:23, 10:17, 15:24. In all of the above verses except for 10:17, it is clearly contrasted with “death” or the “grave.” It may mean “road ⌊leading⌋ to life” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). It may also refer to experiencing ordinary earthly existence, probably with the connotation of a long and prosperous life. For example:

No one who goes to her comes back or walks the path of life again. (New Century Version)

In either case, it means that people who die cannot return from the world of the dead to resume their life on earth.

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.