Translation commentary on Proverbs 4:3

In verses 3-9 the teacher recalls his own father’s instruction.

“When I was a son with my father”: Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew literally. The father is identifying himself as having been a young learner like his own children. Bible en français courant expresses the thought well “I too had a father who educated me.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “I also have been a son.” See Good News Translation “. . . little boy.”

“Tender, the only one in the sight of my mother”: “Tender” in this context means young in years and refers to a small child. “The only one” means the only child. The emphasis is upon being an only child, not the firstborn. In many languages the only child in a family is given a special name. “In the sight of” is literally “in the face of” and means receiving special care and love from the mother as there were no other children. Some understand “tender” to refer to the relationship between the child and the mother; for example, New Jerusalem Bible “in my mother’s eyes a tender child. . .” and Bible en français courant “I was tenderly loved by my mother.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch suggests another model: “When I was a child my father instructed me; my mother was so tender with me because I was her only child.” In a number of languages the second line of this verse is placed first so that it does not interrupt the flow of thought from the first line into the next verse; for example, “I was the only child of my mother and she loved me very much. When I was a small boy, my father taught 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 .

complete verse (Proverbs 4:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 4:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “When I was still young in my father’s home, I was (the) only one boy of my mother.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When I was a child,
    I was the only son of my parents.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When I was still very young under-the-roof of my father, I was the favorite of my mother.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When I was still small, I was a (lit. one) child in the house of my father-and-mother (lit. pl father) and an only child in the viewpoint of my mother.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 4:3

4:3

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

3a When I was a son to my father,

3b
tender and the only child of my mother,

See the General Comment on 4:3a–b at the end of 4:3b for ways to combine and/or reorder these parallel parts.

4:3a

When I was a son to my father: The author uses this phrase to refer to the time when he was a child being taught by his father. For example:

When I was a boy learning from my father (God’s Word)

4:3b

tender: The word tender refers to his young age, though it does not necessarily refer to early childhood. The next verse clearly implies that he was old enough to receive instruction.

the only child of my mother: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the only child of my mother is more literally “only/unique (Hebrew yaḥid) before my mother.” This phrase may indicate that he was literally an only child. However, the LXX translates yaḥid as “beloved.” Here the phrase may imply that his mother loved him as much as if he were an only child. You may translate this phrase either way. One way to translate the implied meaning is:

⌊tenderly loved by⌋ my mother as an only child (New Living Translation (1996))

General Comment on 4:3a–b

The phrases “to my father” and “the only child of my mother” are parallel. They imply that:

(a) The boy lived at home with both his parents.

(b) Both his parents loved him as an only child.

Be careful not to imply that the boy lived with his father in a separate household from his mother. Also be careful not to imply that the boy’s father may have had other children by a different woman.

In some languages, it may be necessary to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts of this verse. For example:

When I was only a little boy, my parents’ only son (Good News Translation)
-or-
When I was young, my father and mother ⌊loved me very much⌋ . I was like an only child.

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