forget

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “forget” in English is translated in Noongar as dwangka-anbangbat, lit. “ear-lose.” (Source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).

See also remember and forget (Japanese honorifics).

drink

In Telugu different verbs for humans drinking (tāgu / తాగు) and animals drinking (cēḍu / చేడు) are required.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 31:5

“Lest they drink and forget what has been decreed”: This verse is the reason for the warning just given. “Lest” introduces a possibility that is undesirable, to be avoided; New Revised Standard Version expresses this element as “or else they will. . ..” New Jerusalem Bible has “for fear that. . .,” and Revised English Bible “If they drink, they will. . ..” “What has been decreed” is taken by some to refer to the laws: “forget the laws” (Good News Translation), “forget what the law decrees” (New International Version). Others express it more generally; for instance, “forget his duty” (Scott), “forget your responsibilities” (Contemporary English Version).

“And pervert the rights of all the afflicted”: This is the second undesirable outcome of a king’s drinking. “Pervert” renders a Hebrew verb meaning to “change” or “alter,” but in this context it clearly has a negative sense of taking away the rights of defenseless people. Revised English Bible expresses this as “twist the law against,” Scott “deny the rights of,” and Good News Translation “ignore the rights of.” Contemporary English Version uses more general language with “mistreat the poor.” “The rights of all the afflicted” uses almost the same Hebrew words as in verse 9 (“the rights of the poor”). For “rights” see 29.7, and for “afflicted” see 15.15. Here “all the afflicted” is the idiom “all the sons of affliction.” In some languages the line is expressed as “and they do not do what is right towards poor people.”

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 31:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 31:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “When (they) drink (they) forget the law and never pay attention to people who should be rescued/saved.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Otherwise they forget matters of justice and the law,
    and they will forget to give justice
    to those who have to live being oppressed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “For if they are now drunk, they forget the laws, and they trespass the rights of the poor-ones.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “because if they get-drunk they will forget the law that they have judicially-determined and they will not defend the rights of the poor.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “If they do that, they forget the laws that they have made,
    and they do not do what is right for poor/afflicted people.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 31:5

31:5

This verse gives the reason for the warning not to drink in 31:4. The underlined parallel parts describe what will happen if kings do not heed this warning. The part in 31:5b gives a specific example of the part in 31:5a.

5a lest they drink and forget what is decreed,

5b
depriving all the oppressed of justice.

31:5a

lest they drink: The word lest introduces the bad consequences of ignoring the warning. Some other ways to introduce these consequences are:

For if they drink (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
or else they will drink (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
When they drink (Good News Translation)

and forget what is decreed: The phrase what is decreed refers to the laws of the country, not to the law of Moses.

they forget what they have decreed (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
they may forget their duties (New Living Translation (1996))

31:5b

depriving all the oppressed of justice: The purpose of the civil laws was to ensure all people could have justice, especially the oppressed. The king was responsible to uphold these laws and to ensure that poor people were treated fairly.

depriving: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as depriving is literally “change.” In this verse, the word refers to a change that hurts oppressed people. For example:

and change the standard of justice for all oppressed people (God’s Word)

A drunken king could not think clearly about the laws. He either ignored them or incorrectly interpreted their meaning. The result was that the “oppressed” were prevented from getting “justice.”

oppressed: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as oppressed refers to people who are poor. It emphasizes that they suffer some kind of distress or disability. Because such people have low status in society, their lives are difficult. Others often oppress them. Some other ways to translate this word are:

all the poor (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
people in need (Good News Translation)

Some other ways to translate this line are:

and violate the rights of all who are in need (New American Bible)
-or-
and alter the ⌊course of⌋ justice for all the ⌊poor and⌋ afflicted (The Voice)
-or-
and keep the needy from getting their rights (New Century Version)

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