Translation commentary on Proverbs 30:15a

This saying is a brief one-liner. Scott suggests that possibly it was used as a response to a person who was constantly asking to be given things.

“The leech has two daughters”: As the footnotes in Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version indicate, the meaning of the term rendered “leech” is uncertain. But most translations take this as the meaning. In languages that do not have a name for this creature a descriptive expression is often used; for example, “small bush worm that drinks blood.” However, a better approach in this saying may be for the translator to look for some creature that is known in his or her culture to be always demanding more. Where that is impossible, Contemporary English Version offers another approach: “Greed has twins, each named ‘Give me!'”

““Give, give,” they cry”: The Hebrew has just the two words “Give, give”. The Revised Standard Version rendering makes a complete sentence by taking ““Give, give”” as what the daughters say. New International Version and some others also follow this approach; Revised English Bible translates “ ‘Give,’ says one, and ‘Give,’ says the other.” But it is also possible to regard the two words as the (identical) names of the daughters. So Scott translates, “A leech has two daughters—‘Give!’ and ‘Give!'”; and Good News Translation says, “A leech has two daughters, and both are named ‘Give me!'”

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 .

Translation commentary on Proverbs 30:15 - 16

Verses 15b-16 form the second numerical saying of this collection.

“Three things”: This saying begins with the two line formula “Three things . . . four. . .,” as do three other sayings later in the collection. According to some commentators the sequence of numbers is a rhetorical device to give the sense that the things listed are not necessarily the only things that fit into the particular group or description. Another way of expressing this is, for example, “There are some things that . . . Four of them are. . ..” Some commentators give the indefinite number phrase “three or four” as the appropriate rendering in English; Contemporary English Version follows this approach. Others regard the formula purely as a rhetorical device to help the reader or listener to remember the saying. According to this understanding, the sense of the formula is, “There are four things that. . ., namely. . ..” Good News Translation follows this approach. A further possibility is that the formula focuses attention on the final (fourth) item in the sequence that follows.

“Are never satisfied”: This may also be expressed “things whose desire never ends” or “things that always want more.” Some commentators and translators see these words as linking back to the leech in the previous short saying.

“Four never say “Enough””: This line is completely parallel to the previous line, with the number “four” here replacing the number “Three” there. “Never say “Enough”” has the same meaning as “are never satisfied”. Since the meaning is the same in the two lines, translations like Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version combine the two lines, and translators may wish to follow this approach in other languages.

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 .