wisdom ("heart wisdom")

In the Tzeltal translation for the dialectal variant of Highland Tzeltal (Biblia Tzeltal yu’un Oxchuc soc Tenejapa, 2001) the translation team used three different words to translate the Hebrew term that is translated as “wisdom” or “wise” in English. For the verses referenced here, it uses p’ijil-o’tanil or “heart wisdom.”

For the complete story and more background, please see wisdom (Proverbs).

knowledge ("word wisdom")

In the Tzeltal translation for the dialectal variant of Highland Tzeltal (Biblia Tzeltal yu’un Oxchuc soc Tenejapa, 2001) the translation team used three different words to translate the Hebrew term that is translated as “wisdom” in English. One of them is p’ijil c’op or “word wisdom” which is also used for “knowledge.”

For the complete story and more background, please see wisdom (Proverbs).

wisdom

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “wisdom” in English is rendered in various ways:

  • Amganad Ifugao / Tabasco Chontal: “(big) mind”
  • Bulu / Yamba: “heart-thinking”
  • Tae’: “cleverness of heart” (source for this and all above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Palauan: “bright spirit (innermost)” (source: Bratcher / Hatton)
  • Ixcatlán Mazatec: “with your best/biggest thinking” (source: Robert Bascom)
  • Noongar: dwangka-boola, lit. “ear much” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018 — see also remember)
  • Kwere “to know how to live well” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Dobel: “their ear holes are long-lasting” (in Acts 6:3) (source: Jock Hughes)
  • Gbaya: iŋa-mgbara-mɔ or “knowing-about-things” (note that in comparison to that, “knowledge” is translated as iŋa-mɔ or “knowing things”) (source: Philip Noss in The Bible Translator 2001, p. 114ff. )
  • Chichewa: nzeru, meaning both “knowledge” and “wisdom” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Uma: “clearness” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Kako: “heart thinking” (source: Reyburn 2002, p. 190)

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a hand gesture referring to God to indicate a human quality to communicate that wisdom does not originate from man but is linked to and connected with the fear of God (source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group):


“Wisdom” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

See also wisdom (Proverbs) and knowledge.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 8:11

“For wisdom is better than jewels”: “For” introduces this verse as the reason for following the advice in the previous verse. “Better” is taken here to mean “of greater value” or “of more worth.” For “jewels” see the comments on 3.15.

“All that you may desire cannot compare with her”: “All . . . desire” means “all the things you can desire” or “the thing that would give you the greatest pleasure.” Nothing can compare with wisdom.

In this verse a change to direct address is again advisable, if it has been used in previous verses: “For I am better . . . cannot compare with me.” Compare Good News Translation, which also moves “I am Wisdom” from verse 12 to the beginning of this verse.

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 8:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 8:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “It is like that since wisdom is better than/defeats riches and there is nothing that can be compared to wisdom.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Wisdom is more important
    than diamonds and pearls,
    it is more important
    than anything your heart could wish for.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “For wisdom is more valuable than precious stones and there is no other thing which you (sing.) desire that can-equal/level to it.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because wisdom is more valuable than expensive decorations of the body (e.g. jewelry). Whatever (lit. even who) you want/desire, it is not able-to-equal it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 8:11

8:11

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

11a For wisdom is more precious than rubies,

11b and nothing you desire compares with her.

8:11a–b

For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire compares with her: This verse gives the basis for the exhortation given in 8:10. It gives the reason why a person should prefer being wise to being wealthy. The reason is that having wisdom is better than owning valuable jewels such as rubies or anything else that a person might desire. This verse is almost identical in meaning to 3:15.

This verse is part of Wisdom’s speech that began in 8:4 and continues in 8:12. In some languages, it may be confusing or unnatural for the speaker (Wisdom) to switch from “I” to “she” when referring to herself. If that is true in your language, you may want to continue using first person pronouns when referring to Wisdom, as the Good News Translation has done:

…I am better than jewels; nothing you want can compare with me. (Good News Translation)

See also the third meaning lines in the Display for 8:11a and 8:11b.

8:11a

more precious than rubies: The phrase more precious than is literally “better than,” as in the Good News Translation. The Berean Standard Bible interprets “better” to mean more precious or “more valuable” (New Living Translation (2004)) because of the comparison of wisdom to rubies, which are known to be valuable jewels. For the word translated as rubies, see the note on 3:15a.

8:11b

and nothing you desire compares with her: In Hebrew, the phrase nothing you desire is more literally “no delight.” The pronoun you does not occur. Here are some ways to translate this line without addressing the reader directly:

and desirable things cannot be compared to her (NET Bible)
-or-
and nothing that a person wants ⌊to have⌋ can compare with her

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