snare

The now commonly-used German expression Fallstrick for “snare,” but today only used in German in the sense to cause someone to stumble (“jemandem einen Fallstick legen”), was first coined in 1534 in the German Bible translation by Martin Luther. (Source: Günther 2017, p. 65)

For other idioms or terms in German that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 20:25

This saying is a warning against making vows without carefully considering what their cost or effect will be. The two lines of the verse are not parallel, but the second line continues or completes the sense of the first.

“It is a snare for a man to say rashly, “It is holy””: “It is a snare for a man” indicates that what follows is “dangerous” (Revised English Bible) or likely to cause harm for a person. “To say rashly” is literally “to talk wildly”; in the light of the second line it probably means to say something without thinking about it first. Contemporary English Version, which joins the two lines of the verse together, says “. . . making promises to God before you think.” ““It is holy”” is a single word in Hebrew that is used to dedicate something to God; this is the vow or “vows” referred to in the next line. The whole sense is well expressed by Good News Translation’s “promise an offering to God.”

“And to reflect only after making his vows”: This is literally “after the vows to consider.” Most English versions take this as expanding on “say rashly”, giving the sense as “only later to consider his vows” (New International Version) or “stops to consider only after making the vow” (Scott). According to Toy it is possible to take the verb “reflect”, which means literally to “seek” or “make inquiry,” in the sense of “make inquiry into one’s affairs or into the terms of the vow, so as to escape payment.” Along similar lines a footnote in Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia indicates that with different vowels the Hebrew words can mean “take it back in the morning,” which Scott gives as an alternative rendering, “tries to get out of it.” The Handbook advises translators to follow the majority of versions with a rendering such as “and begin to reflect only after making a vow” (New Revised Standard Version) or “to make a vow and then have second thoughts” (Revised English Bible).

The picture of the “snare” or “trap” may not be meaningful in this context in some languages; if this is the case, translators may follow the model of Good News Translation: “Think carefully before you promise an offering to God.” An example of another translation that takes this approach is: “If you want to make an offering to the Lord, think well first. If you don’t, you will suffer because of it.”

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 20:25)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 20:25:

  • Kupsabiny: “It is not good for a person to rush when he promises God something,
    because he may come to cry over it later.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Before you dedicate anything to God,
    think it over carefully,
    Otherwise, later on you may have to regret it.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “(It is) dangerous if you (sing.) quickly promise that you (sing.) are going to offer a thing to the LORD. You (sing.) should think first before you (sing.) promise.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It is difficult for one who promises a thing to God and he does not think-about-it first.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “You should think carefully before you solemnly promise to dedicate something to God,
    because later you might be sorry you have promised to do it.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 20:25

20:25

The underlined parallel parts in this proverb refer to the same action.

25a It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly,

25b only later to reconsider his vows.

This proverb warns people not to make vows to dedicate something to the LORD without first thinking whether they will able to fulfill those vows. Once a person has made a vow, he is obligated to carry it out. So if he has made a sudden vow, he will be trapped. He will not be able to escape the consequences.

20:25a

It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly: This is a metaphor. It compares a person who makes a rash vow to an animal that gets caught in a trap. The similarity is that both are in a difficult or dangerous situation that will result in harm or other serious consequences. For other ways to translate this metaphor, see the General Comment on 20:25a–b after the note on 20:25b.

to dedicate something rashly: In Hebrew this phrase is literally “to say rashly, ‘(It is) holy/consecrated.’ ” By saying those words, a person made a solemn promise. He promised that the “holy/consecrated” item was set apart for the LORD from then on and belonged to him.

rashly: In Hebrew, “say rashly” is a single word. It probably means to speak unthinkingly, hastily, or impulsively, without carefully considering the consequences.

20:25b

only later to reconsider his vows: This part of the verse further explains the meaning of “dedicate something rashly.” It indicates that the person makes the vow without thinking. He does not first consider whether he can fulfill what he promised to do or give.

General Comment on 20:25a–b

Here are some other ways to translate the metaphor along with the further explanation in 20:25b.

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

It is a snare for one to say rashly, “It is holy,” and begin to reflect only after making a vow. (New Revised Standard Version)

Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost. (New Living Translation (2004))

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

A person who suddenly promises to give something to the LORD is like an animal caught in a trap. It is dangerous to make a vow without carefully thinking about it first.

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

It’s dangerous to promise something to God too quickly. After you’ve thought about it, it may be too late. (New Century Version)

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

Do not vow suddenly to offer something to the LORD. You need to first think whether you will be able to fulfill the vow. If you do not do that, you will be like an animal that gets caught in a trap.

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