Proverbs 1:1 - 7

The following is a back-translation of Proverbs 1-7 from the Spanish Traducción en Lenguaje Actual (publ. 2002, 2004):

1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, a son of David, Israel’s king.
2-4 It is their purpose
That you, young people,
May come to be wise,
May straighten up your behavior
And may also understand words
That are well thought and well said.
These proverbs serve as well
To teach those with no experience,
So they can take care of themselves,
And be just and honest in everything.
So they may show they are smart and knowledgeable,
And think over what they do.
5 Those of you who are wise and intelligent,
Listen to what I want to tell you.
You will thus become wiser
And will gain more experience.
6 You will thus be able to understand
The difference between a proverb,
An example, and a riddle.
7 Whoever wants to become wise
Must begin by obeying God.
But ignorant people
Don’t want to be corrected
Nor do they want to become wise.

Spanish text available here, translation by Alfredo Tepo in The Bible Translator 2001, p. 2016ff. .

Translation commentary on Proverbs 1:5

As noted in the comments on verse 2, verse 5 does not begin in the same way as verses 2, 3, 4, and 6. It is a statement that interrupts the list of things that the proverbs of Solomon are useful for. Because of this some interpreters and translators regard verse 5 as a parenthesis, with verse 6 then referring back to verse 1 in the same way as verses 2, 3, and 4. New International Version shows this quite clearly, with verse 5 being enclosed between dashes, and Scott has it in parentheses. New Jerusalem Bible has moved verse 5 to a position after verse 6, showing in a different way that it is not considered part of the main structure.

On the other hand translations such as Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, and Revised English Bible begin a new sentence at the beginning of verse 5 which includes all of verses 5 and 6. This way of understanding the text makes the Hebrew expression “for understanding. . .” at the beginning of verse 6 refer back to the term “skill” in verse 5 rather than to the proverbs of verse 1. Translators may follow either approach.

“The wise man also may hear and increase in learning”: “The wise man” stands in contrast to the immature person of verse 4 and refers to a person who has already gained understanding and whose judgment is sound and mature. “The wise man” possesses the wisdom that the ancients have gathered from long experience. The use of the masculine in “wise man” and later in “man” is not intended to be exclusive. “Hear” means more than simply receiving information through the ears; it means being open and obedient to the teaching and thoughts that the proverbs contain. “Learning” likewise is not so much acquiring facts as it is getting understanding, and in this context it refers more exactly to the content of instruction. Wise persons can become wiser by applying themselves to the learning of these proverbs.

“The man of understanding acquire skill”: “Man of understanding” translates a form of the word used in line 2 of verse 2. The word is parallel with “wise man” and has a similar meaning, that is, a perceptive person, someone who has insight. “Skill” is a word that may be related to the Hebrew noun for “rope” and the verb meaning “to tie.” The idea is that of steering or guidance. Consequently Scott translates “and the discerning man may find guidance.” Note Good News Translation “give guidance to the educated.” The sense of “guidance” is that wise persons will be guided in their judgments, decisions, and conduct by the wisdom acquired from the proverbs in this book.

We may translate verse 5, for example, “Even wise people who pay attention to these proverbs will become wiser, and those with insight will find guidance.” Contemporary English Version offers a translation using two conditional clauses: “If you are already wise, you will become even wiser. And if you are smart, you will learn to understand.”

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 1:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 1:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “And when a wise person/man follows these words/things, his knowledge/wisdom/understanding increases.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “By them, those who have [some] insight,
    will gain [even] more,
    and [they] will guide the educated ones.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “By listening to it, the wisdom of the wise-ones will-increase even more and the ones who have knowledge will-be-guided.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The skillful/intelligent, their knowledge will-be-added-to, and those-able-to-understand, they will-be-guided” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Those who are wise should also pay attention to these proverbs,
    in order to become more wise,
    and those who understand these teachings will receive good advice/guidance.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 1:5

1:5

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

5a let the wise listen and gain instruction,

5b and the discerning acquire wise counsel

There is an ellipsis in 1:5b. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the verb “listen” from 1:5a. For example:

5b and the discerning ⌊listen and⌋ acquire wise counsel

1:5a–b

At this point, the author interrupts the series of purpose clauses in 1:2–4 and 1:6. In this verse, he directs his advice to people who are wise and discerning. He exhorts them that they also should pay attention to the proverbs. Some versions translate these exhortations as third-person commands. For example:

Let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. (New Living Translation (2004))

Other versions translate them as statements, so the exhortation is only implied. For example:

Wise people can also listen and learn. (New Century Version)

Make sure it is clear in your translation that the author is giving advice to the wise. He is not just stating what the wise will do.

listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel: In these parallel phrases, the readers are advised to listen to the proverbs in order to learn more and receive guidance. The command listen (implied in 1:5b) tells how the readers will add to their learning and receive guidance.

1:5a

the wise: The Hebrew word ḥakam, which all English versions translate as wise, refers to a person who is skilled in doing what is right. Wise people know what is right and wrong. They understand what will lead to a good result, and they act accordingly.

listen and gain instruction: The commands to listen and gain are not two separate commands. To gain instruction gives the purpose for the command to listen. In some languages, listen applies only to oral instruction. In such a case, you may want to use a term such as “pay attention” or “heed.” Another way to translate 1:5a is:

As for wise people, they should also heed these proverbs so that they will continue to learn.

1:5b

the discerning: The Hebrew word nabon, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as the discerning, refers to a person who has either binah “insight” or tǝbunah “good sense.” All three words are related to the root bin “to understand/perceive.”

A nabon is a person who can understand and interpret ideas and can draw conclusions. He is also a person who is sensible and competent. He can act in an appropriate way when he needs to make a decision or solve a problem. He is able to discern the difference between right and wrong, between a good decision and a bad one. Some other ways to translate this term are:

those with understanding (Revised English Bible)
-or-
smart (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
intelligent (New American Bible)
-or-
discerning/sensible

A term such as “educated” is not recommended here, because it may incorrectly refer to a person who has had formal schooling.

acquire wise counsel: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wise counsel refers here to good advice that will enable a person to make wise decisions. For example:

find good advice in these words (New Century Version)

General Comment on 1:5a–b

In this verse, the “wise” and the “discerning” are parallel and refer to the same group of people. Also, “gain instruction” is parallel with “acquire wise counsel.” In some languages, it may be clearer to combine and/or reorder the parallel lines. For example:

Those of you who are wise and have the ability to understand, you also should pay attention to these proverbs, so that you will know more and you will be guided/directed in what you do.

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