Translation commentary on Proverbs 25:16

Verses 16-17 give two pieces of advice or warnings that share a common vocabulary.

“If you have found honey, eat only enough for you”: The comment “If you have found honey” is followed by the advice, literally “Eat your fill,” which means “Don’t eat too much.” For “honey” see 24.13. The reference here is to wild honey found unexpectedly.

“Lest you be sated with it and vomit it”: “Lest” again introduces the bad consequence of failing to heed the advice just given. “Be sated” means “to be stuffed,” “to have eaten too much.” “Vomit” means to throw up contents of the stomach through the mouth. This saying is very straightforward and may be translated as in Revised Standard Version. Another way of expressing the second line is “If you eat too much, it will make you vomit.”

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 25:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 25:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not stuff yourself with honey so that it does not make you throw up.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If [you] eat too much honey
    it will make you sick to your stomach.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (sing.)] do not eat too much honey for you (sing.) might vomit.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If there-is honey that you (sing.) find, limit what you (sing.) eat. Do not (sing.) be-excessive-with-it lest it return to come-out of your (sing.) mouth.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it,
    because doing that may cause you to vomit.” (Source: Translation for Translators)