“He dies for lack of discipline”: For a similar thought see 1.30-32. The possession of wisdom promises the learner a long life in 3.16. Here it is the absence of “discipline”, that is, lack of self-control, inability to say no to desires, that leads to a shortened life and premature death.

“Because of his great folly he is lost”: Again the sense is almost the same as in the first line. “Folly” translates the same word as used in Psa 69.5 (Hebrew verse 6), “thou knowest my folly.” In 22.15 “folly” is “bound up in the heart of a child” and is driven out by the “rod of discipline.” This kind of foolishness or lack of thought is sometimes expressed as having a narrow heart or a mindless head. Note Good News Translation “utter stupidity.”

“Lost” renders a word that means to go astray and is used here in a moral sense. It may also refer to death. Some translators make a slight change in the Hebrew to get a word meaning “he will perish.” However, “go astray” seems to give a clear meaning and can be used in parallel with the first line. New Jerusalem Bible says, “For want of discipline, he dies, led astray by his own excessive folly.” Contemporary English Version restructures these lines to say, “They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self control.” Both of these are good models for translators.

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 .