witness

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “witness” in English is translated in these ways:

  • “truly have seen” in Highland Popoluca
  • “telling the truth regarding something” in Eastern Highland Otomi
  • “know something” in Lalana Chinantec
  • “verily know something to be the truth” in San Mateo del Mar Huave
  • “we ourselves saw this” in Desano
  • “tell the truth about something” in Eastern Highland Otomi
  • “know something is true because of seeing it” in Teutila Cuicatec (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • “ones who will confirm that these-things that you have seen are true” in Kankanaey (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • “ones who are to testify about these things, because it all happened before your eyes” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Proverbs 14:5

Verse 5 contrasts what can be expected from a faithful witness on the one hand, and from a false witness on the other hand.

“A faithful witness does not lie”: “Faithful” in relation to a “witness” means a truthful witness, someone who reports the facts honestly and accurately in court. See 12.17 for “witness”. “Does not lie” may also be expressed positively as “always tells the truth.” See Good News Translation.

“But a false witness breathes out lies”: This is almost identical to 6.19a.

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 14:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 14:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “(A) person who is fond of the truth, does not give a false witness statement,
    but (a) liar ties/gives false statements about people.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “A good witness will not tell lies,
    A lying witness always gives a false witness.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A trustworthy witness tells the truth, but the untrustworthy lies.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The trustworthy witness, the truth is what he tells, but the not trustworthy, entirely/all lies are what he testifies.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Witnesses who are reliable always say what is true/really happened,
    but witnesses who are not reliable constantly tell lies about what happened.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 14:5

14:5

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

5a
An honest witness does not deceive,

5b but a dishonest witness pours forth lies.

This verse is similar to 12:17. That verse has “declares what is right” in the first line and “speaks deceit” in the second line.

14:5a

An honest witness does not deceive: The word honest also means “reliable” or “truthful.” Some other ways to express the meaning of this line are:

A truthful witness tells no lies (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
A reliable witness always tells the truth (Good News Translation)

14:5b

a dishonest witness pours forth lies: In Hebrew, this line is identical to 6:19a, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “a false witness…gives false testimony.”

a dishonest witness: This phrase refers to a person who testifies what he knows to be untrue. This testimony may be given either in court or in an informal setting.

pours forth lies: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “breathes/blows lies.” This poetic expression may imply that the false witness lies repeatedly or that it is easy for him to lie. For example:

the false witness lies with every breath (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
a dishonest witness tells nothing but lies (Contemporary English Version)

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