Translation commentary on Proverbs 23:35

The four lines of this verse are the words and thoughts of the person waking from his drunken sleep.

““They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt””: The Hebrew does not have the words “you will say”, but the words in the text are obviously what the person thinks and says. Versions from the Septuagint onwards have included “you will say” as a translational device to make this clear. “They struck me” may be what the person remembers of “wounds” or “bruises” received during a quarrel the night before (see comments on verse 29). “But I was not hurt” is parallel with “I did not feel it” in the next line and probably has the same meaning. So it is rendered by Scott as “but it didn’t hurt.” Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version combine the first two lines of the verse and express “I was not hurt” and “I did not feel it” in one expression: “but I don’t remember it” (Good News Translation).

“They beat me, but I did not feel it”: “They beat me” is similar in meaning to “They struck me” in the first line. “I did not feel it” is past tense in English and refers back to the time when the person was beaten; but some take it as a present, that is, referring to the time when the person wakes up. So New International Version, for example, has “They beat me, but I don’t feel it!” The same two possibilities also apply for “I was not hurt” in the previous line.

“When shall I awake?”: “Awake” or “wake up” means more in this context than just waking from sleep; it has the sense of being able to think clearly again, of coming out of the hangover. The question is a rhetorical question, meaning “I wish I could wake up.” Some take it as a time clause linked to the next line, “As soon as I wake up. . .” (Revised English Bible).

“I will seek another drink”: This is literally “I will again seek more of it.” The reference is obviously to “drink”; this is the condition of the drinker “at the last” or “in the end” (see verse 32)—he is addicted to it. Revised English Bible expresses this line as “I shall turn to the wine again.” A number of versions render the sense as “I need another drink” (Good News Translation) or “. . . want another drink” (Scott). Others express this by making the line a purpose clause: “(When will I wake up) so I can find another drink?” (New International Version) and “When will morning come, so I can drink some more?” (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 .

complete verse (Proverbs 23:35)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 23:35:

  • Kupsabiny: “‘I have been beaten but I did not see (it). When will this sleep be over that we may drink again?’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then you will say, "They beat me. But I did not feel it.
    When they beat me I was not even aware of it.
    When will I wake up, and be able to drink again?"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (sing.) will-say, ‘There was-(someone) who hit and beat me, but I did not fell (it). When shall- I -recover so-that I can-drink again?’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And you (sing.) will say in your (sing.) thoughts, ‘There-is probably someone who hit/boxed-me or clubbed-me, but it certainly does not hurt. There-is-nothing that I feel. Why am I not able-to-get-up so-that I will yet drink?’” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 23:35

23:35

This verse describes the drunk person’s words or thoughts when he starts to wake up from his drunken sleep. First he congratulates himself that he has not been injured (35a–b). Then he makes known his desire to get drunk again as soon as his mind clears (35c–d).

35a “They struck me, but I feel no pain!

35b
They beat me, but I did not know it!

35c When can I wake up

35d to search for another drink?”

23:35a–b

Even though it is not in the Hebrew text, the LXX and most English versions, add a quote formula, to clarify that the drunk person is the one who is speaking. He may be speaking aloud to himself or he may be thinking these words in his mind. For example:

You will think, “They hit me… (New Century Version)
-or-
“They hit me,” you will say… (New International Version)

You may translate either way. The New Century Version puts the quote formula at the beginning of the quote and the New International Version puts the quote formula after the words “They hit me.” If you use a quote formula, you may put it wherever it naturally occurs in your language.

They struck me…They beat me: These parallel clauses have almost the same meaning. The drunk person remembers that he was involved in a fight (see 23:29). During this fight, someone hit him with their fists or struck him with a hard object. Some other ways to translate these clauses are:

they hit me…they beat me up (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
they punched me…they clubbed me

You may use any similar terms in your language that fit this context.

but I feel no pain!…but I did not know it!: These parallel clauses have almost the same meaning. During the fight, the drunk person was not aware that he was injured. He felt no pain then, and he still feels no pain. Some versions use present tense to translate these clauses. For example:

but I’m not hurt…I don’t remember it (New Century Version)

Others use past tense. For example:

but I was not hurt…but I did not feel it (New Revised Standard Version)

You may use either of these options.

General Comment on 23:35a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder one or more of the parallel pairs. For example:

“I must have been hit,” you will say; “I must have been beaten up, but I don’t remember it. (Good News Translation)

23:35c–d

When can I wake up: The preceding verse parts (23:35a–b) indicate that the drunk person is not asleep. He has already started to wake up from his drunken condition.

This question expresses the drunk person’s frustration. He is frustrated that he is still unable to wake up completely. He is still affected by the alcohol. He hopes that he will soon be able to think clearly. Some other ways to express this frustration and desire are:

Why can’t I wake up? (Good News Translation)
-or-
I wish I could wake up. (New Century Version)

to search for another drink?: He wants to wake up so he can start drinking again. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

I need another drink. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Then I would get another drink. (New Century Version)

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