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.

the beginning of wisdom

In French, the phrase le commencement de la sagesse or “the beginning of wisdom” is used as an idiom for something fundamentally important to understand. (Source: Muller 1991, p. 28)

wisdom - instruction

The Greek words that are translated in English as “wisdom” and “instruction” are translated in the German Luther translation (most versions) as Weisheit and Unterweisung, creating a sense of similarity between the two concepts with the repeated syllable “weis.”

Translation commentary on Wisdom 6:17

Verse 17 should begin a new paragraph. Verses 17-20 constitute a series of statements arranged in this manner:

(17) A is B and B is C
(18) and C is D and D is E
(19) and E is F;
(20) therefore A is F.

Some of the ancient Greek writers were fond of this arrangement. (Compare Rom 10.14-15). The series here is not a perfect example of this form because in verses 19 and 20 two different expressions are used for the F term. For this see the notes on verse 20.

The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction: Compare Psa 111.10; Pro 1.7; 9.10; Sir 1.14. The grammar is not clear here. The adjective sincere could just as easily go with beginning of wisdom. New English Bible translates well: “The true beginning of wisdom is the desire to learn.” (A more literal rendering of the Greek would be “The truest beginning….”) We recommend this over Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Translators could say “Wisdom really begins when you want to learn” or “You truly become wise [or, gain Wisdom] when you want to learn.”

And concern for instruction is love of her may be rendered “When you want to learn, you show your love for Wisdom.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Wisdom of Solomon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2004. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.