Translation commentary on Proverbs 5:8

In verse 8 the teacher picks up again his instruction to the learner to avoid adultery.

“Keep your way far from her” is literally “Keep your ways far from her,” which means “Stay away from her.” “Her” refers to the woman spoken of in verses 3-6, but it may be necessary in translation to make the connection with those verses by saying, for example, “Stay far away from that kind of woman.”

“Do not go near the door of her house”: The sense of this line is the same as that of line 1, with the positive-negative contrast, “Keep your way far . . . do not go near”. “Door . . . house” refers to the place where she lives. The sense is “Do not even go near her house” or “Don’t even go near where she lives.” Bible en français courant says, “Don’t even approach the threshold of her house.” We may also say, for example, “Don’t even pass near the shadow of her house.”

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 5:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 5:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not let the behavior/life of that woman pull you in and do not go near her door.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Stay far away from such women,
    Don’t even approach the door of their house.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (plur.)] stay-away from that kind of woman. [You (plur.)] do- not -come-near to her house.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Stay-far-from a woman like that. Absolutely do not approach the doorway of her house.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 5:8

5:8

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning. The first command tells the son what he should do. The parallel command tells him what he should not do.

8a
Keep your path far from her;

8b
do not go near the door of her house,

5:8a–b

Keep your path far from her; do not go near the door of her house: The meaning of both of these parallel commands is to stay as far away from an immoral woman as possible. As is common in Hebrew parallelism, the first line speaks in general about staying on a path that is far from the woman. The second line gives a specific location that the son should avoid—the door of her house.

5:8a

Keep your path far from her: In Hebrew, this command is more literally “Make far away from her your way.” Some versions keep the figure of traveling on a “path” or “way.” For example:

set your course as far from her as possible (New Jerusalem Bible)

Other versions translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

Stay away from such a woman. (New Century Version)

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