The Greek that is translated in English as “babble” and “talkative” or similar is translated in the German Luther Bible 2017 with the colloquial expressiuon schwatzhaft or “likely to talk a lot superficially” (note that the first syllable “schwatz” is, like the English “babble,” onomatopoetic). (Source: Jost Zetzsche)
Translation commentary on Sirach 25:20
A sandy ascent for the feet of the aged—such is a garrulous wife for a quiet husband: Anyone who has ever climbed a sand dune will understand the comparison. Sand is hard to walk in, even on level ground. It is harder if someone has to climb on sand, and it would be painfully difficult for most elderly people. This, the author says, is like the difficulty a quiet man has if he has a wife who talks all the time. A garrulous person is someone who talks too much. Good News Translation “nagging” implies a woman who is not only talkative but quarrelsome. This is not really necessary. A slight change to Good News Translation results in the following model for this verse:
• A quiet man with a talkative wife is like an old man climbing up a sandy hill.
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.
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