This saying warns against hasty, thoughtless acts.

“It is not good for a man to be without knowledge”: This verse, like 18.9, begins in Hebrew with a word meaning “also” or “even.” The line says literally “Also without knowledge the soul [is] not good.” “The soul” (Hebrew nefesh) is translated “a man” by Revised Standard Version. This part of the line may be translated as “without knowledge in the soul,” that is, “without thinking, pondering, reflecting” (on what a person is about to do). Some interpreters understand the subject to be “desire” or “zeal.” Good News Translation has “Enthusiasm.” New Revised Standard Version says “Desire without knowledge is not good.” “Not good” probably has the same sense as in 16.29, that is, “ruin” or “destruction.” The failure of a person to reflect or ponder before acting parallels “makes haste” in line 2.

“And he who makes haste with his feet misses his way”: Revised Standard Version translates the Hebrew literally. However, this part of the saying is not about mere running with the feet but rather about doing things hastily, being in a rush or hurry. “Misses his way” renders the Hebrew verb that is primarily used as “to sin” and used in 8.36 in the sense of “missing the goal” or “going wrong.” The sense here is to make mistakes, to err. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translates the whole saying “Eagerness without thought is not good; much rushing causes errors.” An example of a more extensive restructuring is “When a person hurries to try and do something, but doesn’t understand how to do it, that is no good. A person who always hurries will get nothing but trouble.”

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 .