Translation commentary on Proverbs 28:22

“A miserly man hastens after wealth”: “A miserly man” is literally “a man with an evil eye;” see 23.6 where “miserly” is rendered “stingy.” “Hastens after wealth” may be translated in the same way as “hastens to be rich” in verse 20.

“And does not know that want will come upon him”: “Want will come upon him” means that he will end up in poverty. See Good News Translation for a model translation.

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 28:22)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 28:22:

  • Kupsabiny: “A selfish person runs to riches quickly,
    and does not know that poverty is coming to him.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Greedy people tend to feel in a hurry
    to become rich,
    But they do not understand
    how quickly they will have nothing.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A man who is greedy of money is indeed in-a-hurry-to-get-rich, but in-fact he does not know that he will-become-poor.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The stingy-one, he wants to become-rich immediately. He does not know that he will increasingly become-poor.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Selfish people are very eager to become rich quickly;
    they do not realize that they will soon become poor.” (Source: Translation for Translators)