lazy person

The Hebrew that is translated as “lazy person” or “sluggard” or similar in English is translated in Low German as Fuulpelz, an idiomatic term that literally means “someone who wants to rest on an animal hide” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1937, republ. 2006).

See also lazy.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 26:15

This saying with slight variation is the same as 19.24. See there for comments.

“It wears him out” is literally “he makes himself weary.” New Revised Standard Version expresses this more naturally than Revised Standard Version with “[he] is too tired.”

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 26:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 26:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “Some people are very lazy,
    so they are not even able to bring food to the mouth.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Lazy people put their hands in the dish,
    but they feel that it is too difficult
    to lift their hands to eat.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “There are people who are very lazy that even to eat [they] are- still -lazy.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “There-are others (each of) whose laziness is excessive and he is (too) lazy to feed himself (lit. his body).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Some people are extremely lazy;
    they put their hand in a dish to get some food but do not even lift the food up to their mouths.” (Source: Translation for Translators)