Translation commentary on Proverbs 28:10

“He who misleads the upright into an evil way”: “Misleads” is literally “causes to stray.” Revised English Bible has “tempts . . . into evil ways.” “The upright”, as in 2.7, refers to honest, good, honorable people. “An evil way” may be expressed as “an evil life” or “a bad path.”

“Will fall into his own pit”: “Pit” renders a word used only here. The “pit” is a hole that has been dug as a trap. If “pit” or “hole” is used, it may be best, as in Revised English Bible, to say “in the pit he has dug.” The meaning of this figure of speech is that what this person plans for someone else will happen to him.

“But the blameless will have a goodly inheritance”: Some interpreters regard this line as something added by later copyists or as a line from a different saying. The line is literally “but the blameless will inherit good,” and this gives the sense of the Hebrew terms. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates the Hebrew of this line as “A” and so believes it belongs here. It recommends translating “and the perfect will inherit what is good.” Note Good News Translation “The innocent will be well rewarded.” Contemporary English Version has “but all who live right will have a bright future.”

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 28:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 28:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “If/When a person deceives a righteous person, that person will meet with his own sin/evil,
    but righteous people will get/find good words/matters.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “People who lead good people along an evil path
    will fall into the ditch that they themselves have dug.
    But for good people there will be a reward.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A man who schemes that a righteous man will-(cause-to)-sin will-be-victimized by his own scheme. But a man whose life is without blame/fault will-prosper.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It’s-as-if you (sing.) have dug a pit into-which-you(sing.)-will-fall if you lead into sinning the righteous, but the righteous by-contrast, their lives will-become-good/better.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Those who cause honest/good people to do what is evil
    will fall into their own pits/traps,
    but good things will happen to those who are innocent/have not done what is wrong.” (Source: Translation for Translators)