Translation commentary on Proverbs 20:20

This verse is a single sentence in two clauses on the theme of honoring or respecting parents. In the Ten Commandments (Exo 20.12) a blessing is promised to those who honor their parents; here there is the prospect of a terrible fate for those who do not.

“If one curses his father or his mother”: “Curses” in this context refers to speech. It does not mean “putting a curse on” someone in the sense of using sorcery against them. To curse someone is to say things that dishonor them, to say bad things about them, to express a hope that something terrible will happen to them, or generally to speak with disrespect. Such behavior was regarded as a very serious sin in ancient Israel and is also regarded as very bad in many cultures today. Other ways of expressing this conditional clause are, for example, “If anyone curses. . .,” “If you curse. . .,” “Whoever curses. . .,” or “Children who curse. . ..” In some languages there are expressions for speaking in this way like “spoil the name of. . .” and “make his name black.”

“His lamp will be put out in utter darkness”: This is the consequence of the bad behavior described in the first line. In the Law the punishment for cursing a parent was death (see Exo 21.17; Lev 20.9), and that is probably the sense in which we should take the expression “his lamp will be put out”. The commandment in Exo 20.12 promises long and prosperous life to those who honor their parents; this is the opposite—a premature and hopeless death. “His lamp” is a metaphor for the life of the person, and if it is “put out” that means that life comes to an end (see 13.9). “In utter darkness” is literally “in the middle [or, pupil] of darkness” in the written Hebrew text, which Hebrew Old Testament Text Project accepts with a “C” rating and suggests rendering “in the middle of the night.” Most English versions keep the word “lamp,” but Good News Translation changes the figure of speech to a simile: “your life will end like a lamp that goes out.” This may be a good model for some languages; but for others it may be better to drop the picture altogether, as in the translation “he will die and go to the place of darkness.”

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 20:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 20:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “If a person goes as far as abusing his father or mother,
    (he) goes like that and will never lit a fire (have no children).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Whoever curses his father or mother,
    his life will be like a lamp
    which has gone out while it was dark.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A child who curses his parents will-die like a lamp which snuffed-out/[lit. died] in darkness.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If someone curses his father or his mother, his life will be earlied (i.e., he will die early) like a light that is suddenly extinguished in the middle of the night.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “If someone curses his father or his mother,
    his life will be ended, just like a lamp is extinguished.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 20:20

20:20

The second line of this proverb describes the severe consequences of the wicked action in the first line.

20a Whoever curses his father or mother,

20b his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness.

In the law of Moses, the penalty for a person who cursed his parents was death. If you use footnotes, you may want to add a footnote that gives this information, along with the references (Exodus 21:17, Leviticus 20:9, Deuteronomy 27:16).

20:20a

Whoever curses his father or mother: The word curses refers here to words, not to sorcery. A person who curses his parents insults or belittles them. He says bad things about them and may even wish them harm. Some other ways to translate this line are:

Children who curse their parents (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
If you insult your father or mother (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
One who reviles his father or mother (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

20:20b

his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness: This clause is a metaphor that refers to a sudden and premature death. It compares the person’s life to a lamp that will be extinguished in the middle of the night. Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

his lamp will be extinguished in the blackest darkness (NET Bible)

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

your life will end like a lamp that goes out in the dark (Good News Translation)

See the note on 13:9b, where similar wording occurs.

in deepest darkness: In Hebrew, this phrase may refer to either the middle of the night or to the blackest/deepest darkness.

General Comment on 20:20a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder some of the verse parts. For example:

The lamp of the person who curses his father and mother will be snuffed out in total darkness. (God’s Word)

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