understanding ("head 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 jol or “word wisdom” which is also used for “understanding,” good sense,” “intelligent,” or “insight.”

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

power / strength

The Hebrew that is typically translated in English as “power” or “might” or “force” is translated in the English translation by Goldingay (2018) as energy or energetic.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 24:5

“A wise man is mightier than a strong man”: As the Revised Standard Version footnote shows, this rendering is based on ancient translations rather than on the Hebrew text as we have it. The Hebrew is literally “a man [or, warrior] of wisdom [is] in strength,” which is rendered in New International Version as “A wise man has great power.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers the Hebrew text (with a “C” rating) and suggests the translation “a wise man proves strong.” Other versions that follow the Hebrew are New Jerusalem Bible “The wise is mighty in power” and Contemporary English Version “Wisdom brings strength.” Of the versions that follow the ancient translations, Scott has “A wise man is superior to a strong one,” and Good News Translation “Being wise is better than being strong.” Translators may follow either of the above approaches to the text of this line. The Hebrew term for “strong” here refers to physical force or might.

“And a man of knowledge than he who has strength”: In the case of this line, the Hebrew is literally “and a man of knowledge increasing strength,” and again Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers this (with a “C” rating) over other possibilities. With a change in the vowels this is taken as “and a man of knowledge than the mighty [man] of strength,” which is parallel with the alternative based on the ancient translations for the previous line. Of the versions that follow the Hebrew, New International Version is quite literal with “and a man of knowledge increases strength,” while Contemporary English Version has “and knowledge gives power.” Of those that follow Revised Standard Version, Scott has “and a learned man is better than one who is physically powerful,” and Good News Translation “yes, knowledge is more important than strength.” Again, translators may follow either of these approaches. “Strength” renders a different Hebrew word than “strong” in the previous line; it can have the same meaning, but in a context like this it may also have the sense of ability or efficiency.

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 24:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 24:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “Understanding/experience brings strength, and wisdom brings power. It is better to use wisdom than strength.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “A wise man is more powerful than a strong man.
    Wisdom is more important than strength.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The wise men could help very much to increase the strength/ability of the fighters/warriors,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The wise person, larger is his power than the strong-(person). Skill/intelligence is also more-valuable than strength of body.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 24:5

Paragraph 24:5–6 Saying 21

This saying teaches the importance of wise advisors in a time of warfare. Verse 24:5 states the main idea: wisdom enables a person to use his power more effectively. Verse 24:6 provides a specific context (warfare) that illustrates the truth of this statement.

24:5

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

5a
A wise man is strong,

5b and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.

24:5a–b

There is a similar textual issue in both lines. The Notes will summarize the options for both lines together.

(1) According to the Masoretic Text, a wise and knowledgeable man is able to use his strength with great effectiveness. For example:

5a A wise man is full of strength,

5b and a man of knowledge enhances his might, (English Standard Version)

(2) According to the LXX, a wise and knowledgeable man is better than a strong man. For example:

5a A wise man is mightier than a strong man,

5b and a man of knowledge is more powerful than a strong man. (New Living Translation (1996))

It is recommended that you follow option (1) along with most versions. However, both options have good support. If you use textual footnotes, you may want to give option (2) in a footnote. For example:

This is what the Hebrew (MT) says. What is written in the Greek translation (LXX) is: “A wise man is better than a strong man, and a man who has knowledge is more important than a strong man.”

24:5a

A wise man: In the context of war (24:6), the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man could refer to a “warrior” (NET Bible). But it could also refer to an adviser. Most versions use the general word man.

is strong: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “[is] in strength.” The word “strength” can refer to physical strength. It can also refer to might or power. In this context, it probably refers to the kind of strength or power that a wise leader possesses to influence or rule over other people.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

A wise man has great power (New International Version)
-or-
Wisdom brings strength (Contemporary English Version)

24:5b

and a man of knowledge enhances his strength: The Berean Standard Bible translates the Hebrew quite literally. It indicates that a man with knowledge is able to use power or strength more effectively. Some other ways to translate this line are:

and knowledge gives power (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
When a man has knowledge, his strength/power increases.

General Comment on 24:5a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these two lines. For example:

A wise person who knows what he is doing can use his power very effectively.

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