Translation commentary on Proverbs 1:23

“Give heed to my reproof”: Wisdom is addressing her words to the simple ones, the scoffers, and the fools mentioned in verse 22. “Give heed”, as the Revised Standard Version footnote shows, is literally “turn,” an expression that sometimes means to “listen to” or “pay attention to.” “Reproof” translates a word used frequently in Proverbs; “reproof” is the correction given to someone who is at fault. “My reproof” means the correction, reprimand, rebuke, or scolding that Wisdom gives the foolish. A translation of the whole line that expresses this says, “Now I speak to you to correct you, and you must listen!” Another renders “reproof” as “speak strongly to you about letting go your bad behavior.”

“Behold, I will pour out my thoughts to you”: “Behold” calls attention to the importance of what is about to follow. Contemporary English Version combines the three lines of this verse and begins “Listen as I correct you and tell you. . ..” “Pour out my thoughts” is literally “pour out my spirit.” The Traduction Œcuménique de la Bible note is instructive at this point: “The spirit of wisdom may mean its inspiration which gives religious intelligence for human conduct (compare the sense of spirit in Job 32.8). It may also mean the Spirit promised by certain prophets (Isa 11.1-4; Joel 3).”

In any event Wisdom is likened to a fountain of water, a gushing spring for the person who will accept her instruction. Translations differ considerably in this line. New American Bible has “pour out to you my spirit,” New Jewish Publication Society Version “speak my mind,” New Jerusalem Bible “pour out my heart,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “I open to you [plural] the treasure of my wisdom.”

It seems best to understand “my spirit” (“my thoughts”) in terms of what characterizes Wisdom, who is the speaker here. Her essential characteristic is wisdom, and therefore we may say something equivalent to Good News Translation “I will give you good advice” or Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “I will fill you with wisdom.”

“I will make my words known to you”: This line repeats the thought of the previous line. “My words” means “my thoughts,” “my decisions,” “what I think.” Since the people refuse to listen to the words or thoughts of Wisdom, she tells them how she will treat them with scorn.

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 .

complete verse (Proverbs 1:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 1:23:

  • Kupsabiny: “Listen to these things/words which I am advising you (plur.) with so I can tell you (plur.) everything which is in my stomach (heart) and you (plur.) know what I am thinking.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If you had responded to my rebuke
    I would have opened my heart to you.
    I would have spread out my thoughts for you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (plur.)] listen to my rebuking of you (plur.).
    Now, I will-tell you (plur.) what I am thinking;
    I will-let- you (plur.) -know what I am about to say against you (plur.):” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Listen to my advice so that I will-make-known my thoughts to you.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

2nd person pronoun with low register (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 1:23

1:23

This verse consists of an exhortation followed by two parallel consequences that have similar meaning. The New Revised Standard Version has been used as the source line, because it follows the recommended interpretation.

23a Give heed to my reproof; (New Revised Standard Version)

23b
I will pour out my thoughts to you ; (New Revised Standard Version)

23c
I will make my words known to you. (New Revised Standard Version)

1:23a–c

(New Revised Standard Version) Give heed to my reproof; I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you: There are two ways to interpret this verse:

(1) Wisdom invites her audience to respond to her warning. If they respond, there will be good consequences. For example:

Pay attention to my warning. To you I will pour out my heart and tell you what I have to say. (New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) Wisdom tells her audience what the good consequences would have been if they had responded (but they had not responded). For example:

If only you had listened when I corrected you, I would have told you what’s in my heart; I would have told you what I am thinking. (New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions. It is clear from the context that Wisdom is still willing to give advice and knowledge if the people will listen to her.

1:23a

(New Revised Standard Version) Give heed: In Hebrew, this verb is literally “turn/return.” In this context, it means “respond,” “listen” or “pay attention.”

(New Revised Standard Version) to my reproof: The word reproof usually indicates verbal correction or rebuke. In many languages, it may be more natural to express these ideas as verbs. For example:

Listen when I reprimand you (Good News Translation)

1:23b

(New Revised Standard Version) I will pour out my thoughts to you: The Hebrew word ruaḥ that the New Revised Standard Version translates as thoughts is literally “spirit.” But the verb that the New Revised Standard Version translates here as pour out usually means to communicate or express a person’s thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

I let you know how I feel
-or-
I will tell you what is in my heart.

1:23c

(New Revised Standard Version) I will make my words known to you: The phrase my words refers here to the thoughts or decisions that Wisdom intends to tell them. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

what I think (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
my knowledge (Good News Translation)

General Comment on 1:23a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder the parts of this verse so that the exhortation comes last. For example:

23b How I long to express my feelings to you 23c and make known to you what is in my thoughts. 23a So listen to my rebuke/reprimand to you.

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