“Wisdom builds her house” is literally “The wisest of women has built her house.” “Wisest” in Hebrew is plural but “has built” is singular. Revised Standard Version has attempted to resolve this plural-singular conflict by making a change in the Hebrew for “wisest” which gives “Wisdom” and drops “women.” In this way the line says the same as in 9.1a. Also, it allows “Wisdom” to contrast with the abstract noun “folly” in line 2. New Revised Standard Version departs somewhat from Revised Standard Version by changing “women” to “woman” and says “The wise woman builds her house.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, which rates the text as “A,” comments that the Hebrew text is “probably not original, but the earliest attested text” and supports the New Revised Standard Version adjustment with “each of the wise women builds her house,” or recommends as an alternative “all the wise women build their houses.”

Some scholars argue that women did not build houses in Old Testament times and, therefore, “builds her house” should be understood in a figurative sense, that is, “founds her family” or “establishes her home.” It is in this sense that Good News Translation says “Homes are made by the wisdom of women,” where “to make a home” in English means to establish, build up, or create a family unit. New English Bible says “The wisest women build up their homes.” Bible en français courant has “The wisdom of a woman guarantees the stability of a home [foyer],” and Contemporary English Version “A woman’s family is held together by her wisdom.” Translators may follow either the figurative or the nonfigurative sense of “builds her house”.

“But folly with her own hands tears it down”: The translation of this line will depend on the way “wise woman” and “builds her house” are treated in the first line. “Folly” renders a feminine singular noun first used in 5.23; see there for comments. “With her own hands” serves to personify “folly” or “stupidity.” Most modern versions contrast “folly”, either as singular or plural, with “wise woman”; for example, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “the foolish woman” and Revised English Bible “the foolish” (“women” being understood). It is also possible to understand that “folly” applies to the same woman as in line 1; for example, Contemporary English Version “but it can be destroyed by her foolishness.” If you have translated “builds her house” as a literal house construction, it may be best to keep “with her own hands”. On the other hand, if what is destroyed is the family unit, “with her own hands” may be less suitable, and “tears it down” may need to be rendered by an expression such as “ruins” or “spoils.” One example of a translation that takes this approach is: “but the foolish woman spoils her home by her stupid behavior.”

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 .