Translation commentary on Proverbs 15:24

“The wise man’s path leads upward to life”: “The wise man’s path” may often be restated as “the path of the wise” or “the way wise people live.” “Leads upward to life” is literally “to upward to the prudent,” since there is no verb in the Hebrew. The presence of “upward” here and “Sheol” “beneath” in the next line has suggested to some interpreters that this saying refers to eternal life in heaven and eternal punishment in hell. Accordingly, King James Version translates “The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.” However, as Whybray says, “such a belief is extremely improbable here in view of its absence otherwise from Proverbs.” It is significant that the words “upward” and “beneath” are not represented in the Septuagint. Throughout Proverbs “Sheol” represents physical death, and, in contrast to “Sheol”, “life” here represents physical life. See, for example, 13.14 and 14.27.

To express this line requires adjustments in some languages; for example, if we assume that it refers to a long and happy life, we may say “The wise person follows the path that leads to a long life” or “The wise walk the path that gives them a long life.”

“That he may avoid Sheol beneath”: “He” refers to “the wise man” in the first line. Since “Sheol” refers to physical death, we may translate, for example, “and avoid the path that leads to death” or “and so do not take the road that goes down to death.”

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 15:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 15:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “(A) wise man heads for (a/the) path of life,
    so that (he) may not fall headlong into the world of the dead.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The road followed by those
    who have wisdom
    moves them upwards towards life,
    and it takes [them] far away from death.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A wise man follows the path that leads to life so-that he can-avoid death.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The path-taken-by the wise is the path that leads to life which is not the path that leads to death.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Wise people walk on a road that leads up to a long life;
    they do not walk on a road that leads down to the place where dead people are.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 15:24

15:24

The second line gives either the purpose or the result of the first line:

24a The path of life leads upward for the wise,

24b that he may avoid going down to Sheol.

15:24a–b

The path of life leads upward for the wise, that he may avoid going down to Sheol: In Hebrew, the second line of this proverb indicates the intended result of the first line. This implies that the wise person deliberately follows The path of life. It also implies that as a result of this choice, he is kept from going down to Sheol.

In many languages, it will not be possible to express both purpose and result at the same time. You may translate either way:

(a) The second line expresses purpose. For example:

The wise follow the path of life upwards in order to avoid Sheol below.

(b) The second line expresses result. In the second example, the result is only implied. For example:

For the prudent, the path of life leads upwards, thus avoiding Sheol below. (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
The path of life leads upward for the wise. They avoid whatever would bring them down to the world of the dead.

The first meaning line in the Display for 15:24b indicates purpose. The second indicates result.

path of life…Sheol: Some scholars feel that this proverb at least implies the idea of eternal life in heaven. Others feel that it expresses the usual contrast in Proverbs between a long, good life and a premature death. It is recommended that you translate in such a way as to allow either meaning.

15:24a

the wise: The Hebrew word maśkil, which the Berean Standard Bible translates here as the wise, refers to a person who is wise, prudent, or sensible.

15:24b

Sheol: As elsewhere, the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Sheol refers to the world/place of the dead. It was regarded as being under the earth.

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