Translation commentary on Proverbs 22:10

This verse is an observation about human behavior: a person with the wrong attitude can be the cause of much trouble and strife, which will cease if the troublemaker is removed from the situation. The second line adds a clause that parallels and extends the meaning of the last part of the first line.

“Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out”: For “a scoffer” see the comments at 1.22. In this context the focus is probably on the person’s attitude of conceit and disrespect for others, expressed in speech that insults or hurts. Good News Translation “a conceited person” and Contemporary English Version “those who insult others” express this well. “Drive out” may also be expressed in English by such words as “expel” (New Jerusalem Bible, Scott), “banish” (Revised English Bible), and “get rid of” (Good News Translation). For the term translated “strife” see 10.12; see also 6.14, 19 (Revised Standard Version “discord”) and 18.19; 26.20 (Revised Standard Version “quarreling”). “Will go out” means that the trouble will go away or disappear, it “will come to an end” (Contemporary English Version), “there will be no more arguments” (Good News Translation). In a number of languages the natural way to express this is “[fighting talk] will finish.”

“And quarreling and abuse will cease”: The Septuagint reflects a different text for this line; but hardly any modern versions follow it, and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends following the Hebrew (“B” rating). The whole line is parallel and similar in meaning to “strife will go out” in the first line. The term translated “quarreling” mostly has the sense of “judgment” or “condemnation” and hence “legal strife” or “lawsuits” (New Jerusalem Bible); in this context, however, it seems to have a more general sense of “quarreling” or “argument.” “Abuse” means basically “disgrace” or “dishonor,” and in particular the sort of talk that inflicts dishonor or shame on others. It is well translated as “insults” (New International Version) or “name-calling” (Scott, Good News Translation). “Will cease” means “will end,” “will come to an end” (Contemporary English Version), or “will disappear.”

Since the terms of the second line are very similar in meaning to “strife” in the first line, it is possible to restructure the verse to bring these terms together; for example, “Arguments and fights will come to an end, if you chase away those who insult others” (Contemporary English Version). See Good News Translation also.

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 22:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 22:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “Chase away a mocker,
    so that quarrelling and abuse will cease.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Drive out those who mock others.
    And then quarrelling and disputes will cease.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If the people who mocks will-be-driven-out, argument, war and insults will- now -disappear.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When you cause- the mockers -to-leave, quarrels, not mutually-understanding, and derision stop.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “If you get rid of those who make fun of everything that is good,
    there will no more arguing or quarreling or insulting other people.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 22:10

22:10

In this proverb, the first line consists of a command followed by the result of obeying that command. The second line gives additional, parallel results.

10a Drive out the mocker, and conflict will depart ;

10b
even quarreling and insults will cease.

22:10a

Drive out the mocker: This clause is a command to expel or banish a mocker from the group or community to which he belongs. It is implied that the mocker has been causing strife. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Expel the scoffer (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
Throw out the mocker (New Living Translation (2004))

mocker: The word mocker last occurred in 21:24a.

and conflict will depart: When the mocker is gone, the strife will stop. The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as conflict probably refers to misunderstandings, conflicts, or quarrels. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

and there will be no more misunderstandings
-or-
quarrels will stop

22:10b

even quarreling and insults will cease: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as quarreling usually has a legal connotation. It may refer specifically here to lawsuits. For example:

law-suits…die down (New Jerusalem Bible)

It may also refer more generally to quarrels or arguments. Most scholars and versions prefer the more general meaning, but you may translate either way. If your language does not use different general words for quarreling and “conflict” (22:10a), you may use a specific word such as “lawsuit.”

insults: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as insults is also translated as “shame” or “disgrace.” It refers here to the kind of verbal abuse that often occurs in a quarrel. Insults of this nature shame or dishonor other people.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

quarreling and abuse will cease (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Quarrels and insults will disappear. (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 22:10a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine the parallel verbs “drive out” and “will cease” and to list the three results together. For example:

Get rid of the one who makes fun of wisdom. Then fighting, quarrels, and insults will stop. (New Century Version)
-or-
Get rid of a conceited person, and then there will be no more arguments, quarreling, or name-calling. (Good News Translation)

In some languages, it may also be more natural to change the command in the first line to an “if” clause. For example:

If you drive out a mocker, there will be no more fighting, quarreling, or insults.

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