covet

The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated as “covet” in English is translated as “bulge your eyes over what is someone else’s” in Isthmus Zapotec (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), in Bura-Pabir with ngguka or “have strong desire for” which differentiates from silka or “jealous,” which refers not to one’s jealous attitude to one’s neighbor (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin), and in Newari´as “cause your eye to go to” (source: Newari Back Translation).

See also greed / covetousness.

righteous, righteousness

The Greek, Hebrew, and Latin terms that are translated in English mostly as “righteous” as an adjective or personified noun or “righteousness” (also as “upright(ness)” and “just(ice)”) are most commonly expressed with concept of “straightness,” though this may be expressed in a number of ways. (Click or tap here to see the details)

Following is a list of (back-) translations of various languages:

  • Bambara, Southern Bobo Madaré, Chokwe (ululi), Amganad Ifugao, Chol, Eastern Maninkakan, Toraja-Sa’dan, Pamona, Batak Toba, Bilua, Tiv: “be straight”
  • Laka: “follow the straight way” or “to straight-straight” (a reduplicated form for emphasis)
  • Sayula Popoluca: “walk straight”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl, Kekchí, Muna: “have a straight heart”
  • Kipsigis: “do the truth”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “do according to the truth”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “have truth”
  • Yine: “fulfill what one should do”
  • Indonesian: “be true”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “do just so”
  • Anuak: “do as it should be”
  • Mossi: “have a white stomach” (see also happiness / joy)
  • Paasaal: “white heart” (source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
  • (San Mateo del Mar Huave: “completely good” (the translation does not imply sinless perfection)
  • Nuer: “way of right” (“there is a complex concept of “right” vs. ‘left’ in Nuer where ‘right’ indicates that which is masculine, strong, good, and moral, and ‘left’ denotes what is feminine, weak, and sinful (a strictly masculine viewpoint!) The ‘way of right’ is therefore righteousness, but of course women may also attain this way, for the opposition is more classificatory than descriptive.”) (This and all above from Bratcher / Nida except for Bilua: Carl Gross; Tiv: Rob Koops; Muna: René van den Berg)
  • Central Subanen: “wise-good” (source: Robert Brichoux in OPTAT 1988/2, p. 80ff. )
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “live well”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “goodness before the face of God” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl: “the result of heart-straightening” (source: Nida 1947, p. 224)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “entirely good” (when referred to God), “do good” or “not be a debtor as God sees one” (when referred to people)
  • Carib: “level”
  • Tzotzil: “straight-hearted”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “right and straight”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “walk straight” (source for this and four previous: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
  • Makonde: “doing what God wants” (in a context of us doing) and “be good in God’s eyes” (in the context of being made righteous by God) (note that justify / justification is translated as “to be made good in the eyes of God.” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Aari: The Pauline word for “righteous” is generally rendered by “makes one without sin” in the Aari, sometimes “before God” is added for clarity. (Source: Loren Bliese)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “having sin taken away” (Source: Nida 1952, p. 144)
  • Nyamwezi: wa lole: “just” or “someone who follows the law of God” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Venda: “nothing wrong, OK” (Source: J.A. van Roy in The Bible Translator 1972, p. 418ff. )
  • Ekari: maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (the same word that is also used for “truth“; bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).
  • Guhu-Samane: pobi or “right” (also: “right (side),” “(legal) right,” “straightness,” “correction,” “south,” “possession,” “pertinence,” “kingdom,” “fame,” “information,” or “speech” — “According to [Guhu-Samane] thinking there is a common core of meaning among all these glosses. Even from an English point of view the first five can be seen to be closely related, simply because of their similarity in English. However, from that point the nuances of meaning are not so apparent. They relate in some such a fashion as this: As one faces the morning sun, south lies to the right hand (as north lies to the left); then at one’s right hand are his possessions and whatever pertains to him; thus, a rich man’s many possessions and scope of power and influence is his kingdom; so, the rich and other important people encounter fame; and all of this spreads as information and forms most of the framework of the people’s speech.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in Notes on Translation 1964, p. 11ff.)
  • German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): Gerechtheit, a neologism to differentiate it from the commonly-used Gerechtigkeit which can mean “righteousness” but is more often used in modern German as “fairness” (Berger / Nord especially use Gerechtheit in Letter to the Romans) or Gerechtestun, also a neologism, meaning “righteous deeds” (especially in Letter to the Ephesians)
  • “did what he should” (Eastern Highland Otomi)
  • “a clear man, good [man]” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter 2004)

See also respectable, righteous, righteous (person), devout, and She is more in the right(eous) than I.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 21:26

Some versions such as Good News Translation, New International Version, and Revised English Bible take this verse as a continuation of verse 25: in contrast to the lazy person whose desires are not satisfied, the (hardworking) righteous person has enough to be able to give generously to others.

“All day long the wicked covets”: As the footnotes in Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version indicate, “the wicked” is not found in the Hebrew text but comes from the Septuagint. The Hebrew is literally “All the day he desires desire” or “. . . desires greedily,” in which the subject “he” is the lazy person of the previous verse. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project favors the Hebrew text (a “B” rating), and translators should follow this also. New International Version “All day long he craves for more” is a good model to follow for this line.

“But the righteous gives and does not hold back”: This line contrasts the attitude of “the righteous” with the attitude of the lazy person. “The righteous” are “people who obey God” (Contemporary English Version); the thought behind this line is that they have plenty because they are righteous, and so they are able to give to others. “And does not hold back” goes with the main verb “gives”, and the whole expression means something like “give without sparing” (New International Version), “gives without ever refusing” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “can give, and give generously” (Good News Translation). In some languages this thought is best expressed by saying, for example, “But the person who is straight is able and willing to give plenty of things to others.”

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 21:26)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 21:26:

  • Kupsabiny: “A lazy person is eaten up by his desire the whole day wanting to get something,
    but a righteous person is generous.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Day and night they are only asking for more.
    But righteous people
    are always giving without being unwilling.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A lazy man always desires that (he) can-receive, but a righteous man gives without holding-back.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He continually lacks what he needs, but the righteous-one, he continually gives.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “All during the day wicked people desire to obtain things,
    but righteous people have plenty, with the result that they are able to give things generously to others.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 21:26

21:26

This proverb contrasts a lazy person with people who are righteous. The lazy person is greedy. His desires are never satisfied. In contrast, righteous people are generous.

26a All day long he covets more,

26b but the righteous give without restraint.

It is implied from the parallel contrasts that lazy people are not righteous and do not give anything to others. It is also implied that righteous people are not lazy, so their desires are satisfied.

21:26a

All day long he covets more: There is a textual issue in this clause:

(1) The Masoretic Text has “he.” It probably refers back to “the sluggard ” in 21:25. For example:

All day long he is craving (New American Standard Bible)

(2) The LXX has “the wicked.” For example:

All day long the wicked covet (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most scholars.

he covets more: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “he desires a desire.” This construction intensifies the meaning of “he desires” in some way. For example:

he craves greedily (NET Bible)
-or-
his cravings go unsatisfied (Revised English Bible)

21:26b

but the righteous give without restraint: In contrast to the lazy person who continually wants more for himself, people who are righteous give generously to others. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

the upright gives without ever refusing (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
but the righteous gives and does not hold back (English Standard Version)
-or-
But people who obey God are always generous. (Contemporary English Version)

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