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 Sirach 24:1

Wisdom will praise herself, and will glory in the midst of her people: Verses 1-2 explain to the reader that the speaker in verses 3-22 is Wisdom, presented as female figure. Good News Translation helps the reader further by calling on the reader to “Listen to Wisdom!” (New English Bible “Hear the praise of wisdom from her own mouth.”) Good News Translation expresses the ideas in praise and glory as “proudly sings her own praises.” The verb “sings” is appropriate to the poetic form, and alerts the reader to this. The Revised Standard Version footnote gives an alternate translation for the second line, which is actually preferable. Good News Translation adopts this interpretation and so does New Revised Standard Version, which says “and tells of her glory in the midst of her people.” Her people refers to the Israelites (verses 8-12), and Good News Translation makes this explicit by saying “among the Israelites, her own people.” In languages that have not personified Wisdom in previous chapters, it will be difficult to avoid it here in this chapter (see the comments on 1.1). We suggest that translators include a footnote at the beginning of this chapter explaining that the author is personifying Wisdom as a woman. Perhaps a translator may capitalize Wisdom or “Understanding” here and render the whole verse as follows:

• Wisdom may be compared to a woman who proudly praises herself and tells about her greatness among the Israelites, her own people.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.