This verse illustrates what it means to be generous or greedy in verses 24-25. The saying presupposes a scarcity of grain due to poor harvests. See the case of Joseph in Egypt in Gen 41.

“The people curse him who holds back grain”: “Curse” means to speak badly against someone. In this context we are not dealing with a “curse” placed on someone as a form of punishment; the sense here is that people say bad things to and about the offender. “Holds back grain” refers to the grain merchant or farmer who hoards grain waiting for a higher price. Note how Good News Translation has made “waiting for a higher price” a part of its text. “Grain” renders a word that refers to wheat but is also used generally for cereals or grass seeds that are eaten by people. If wheat is not known, a more general term for grain may be used. If no grains are grown or known locally, you may need to speak of “food” or “crops.”

“But a blessing is on the head of him who sells it”: “Blessing” is the opposite of “curse” and means here to speak well of or to praise. “Head” in the expression “on the head” is the use of part of the body to represent a whole person and so the sense is “him” or better “the person who.” “Sells it” indicates that the person sells his grain when there is a shortage instead of withholding it from the market while waiting for the price to go up.

We may translate this verse, for example, “People will say bad things about a merchant who hoards grain waiting for a higher price, but they will speak well of the one who puts his grain up for sale. “If a person keeps his food at a time when people want to buy it, they will say bad things about him, but if someone lets people buy food from him, they will be happy with him.”

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 .