complete verse (Proverbs 22:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 22:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “A child should be corrected early while (s/he) is still young,
    so that when (s/he) is grown up, lives uprightly.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Cause your children to follow the good path,
    They will continue following this same path into old age.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Teach a child a right way-of-life, and he will-remember that even if he is old already.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Teach your children the way-of-life they ought to follow, and when they get-big (i.e., grow up), they will persevere in following-it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “If you train/teach children to do what is right,
    all during their life they will act/behave in that manner.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Proverbs 22:6

This saying about the training of children is a single statement in which the second line expresses the consequence of the first line.

“Train up a child in the way he should go”: “Train up a child” is rather unnatural English, but the sense is clear. Other English versions say “teach children,” “give children training,” or “start a child.” “The way he should go” could refer to what is good and right in life, which may be expressed as “in the right way” (New Revised Standard Version) or “on the right road” (Revised English Bible). Or it may have the sense of training for life, as in “Teach children how they should live” (Good News Translation) or “Give a lad the training he needs for life” (Scott). A common rendering in Pacific languages is “Teach children to do what is right.”

“And when he is old he will not depart from it”: This is the consequence of the training described in the first line. The Hebrew begins with a word that gives emphasis to the thought of this line; Revised English Bible expresses this as “and even. . ..” “Is old” is the verb for reaching old age; but “when he is old” does not mean only in old age, it means through all the years of life. So Good News Translation expresses this as “they will remember it all their life,” and one other translation that is a good model says, “and he will keep going this way right up to his old age.” “Not depart from it” is a negative way of saying “will follow that way.”

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 22:6

22:6

The first line of this proverb is an admonition directed to a parent and/or teacher. The second line gives the result.

6a Train a child in the way he should go,

6b and when he is old he will not turn from it.

This proverb teaches that proper moral training of children will have a lasting effect in their lives.

22:6a

Train up: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Train refers here to moral teaching and training.

a child: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as child can refer to any male from infancy up to early adulthood. In this context, it probably refers to a young child.

in the way he should go: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “according to his way.” It is implied that this “way” is the right way, the path that the child ought to take.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Start a child on the right road (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Train children how to live right (New Century Version)
-or-
Teach children how they should live (Good News Translation)

22:6b

and when he is old he will not depart from it: This clause refers to the time between mature adulthood and old age. It implies that the child will stay on the right path as he matures and becomes old. He will not abandon the righteous way of life that he was trained to follow as a child.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

and even in old age he will not leave it (Revised English Bible)
-or-
and when they are old, they will not change (New Century Version)
-or-
and when they are grown they will still do right (Contemporary English Version)

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