Translation commentary on Proverbs 31:8

Verses 8-9 promote the ideal of a king who is his people’s protector. This saying emphasizes the responsibility of a king or ruler to uphold and defend the rights of those who are poor and disadvantaged.

“Open your mouth for the dumb”: “Open your mouth” is expressed by many versions as “Speak up” (Good News Translation, New International Version) or “speak out” (Scott, Revised English Bible). New Jerusalem Bible similarly says “Make your views heard. . ..” “The dumb” does not refer to people with a physical speech disability but to those who are unable to defend themselves, because of poverty or for some other reason. So Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, and New International Version all describe them as people “who cannot speak for themselves.” Contemporary English Version calls them “those who are helpless.”

“For the rights of all who are left desolate”: “All who are left desolate” is an idiom similar to “all the afflicted” in verse 5. It is literally “all the sons of passing away.” Some renderings of the expression are “all the unwanted” (New Jerusalem Bible), “all who are destitute” (New International Version), “all who are helpless” (Good News Translation), and “[those who] have no hope” (Contemporary English Version).

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 31:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 31:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “Speak for those who are hated and make true judgments.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Speak out for those
    who are unable to speak out.
    Do justice for the sake of the helpless.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Depend the rights of the people who are pitiful, who can- not -depend themselves.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It-is-necessary that you (sing.) protect those who are not able-to-stand-up-for their rights.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Speak to defend people who are unable to defend themselves;
    speak to encourage others to do what is right for those who are helpless.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 31:8

31:8–9

In this paragraph, Lemuel’s mother advises him to defend the rights of people who are poor and cannot defend themselves in court.

31:8

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning They refer to the same group of people.

8a Open your mouth for those with no voice,

8b
for the cause of all the dispossessed.

There is an ellipsis in 31:8b. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply the missing verb from 31:8a. For example:

8b
⌊Open your mouth⌋ for the cause of the dispossessed.

31:8a

Open your mouth: Instead of neglecting the rights of poor people due to being drunk (31:5), the king is advised to be their spokesman in court. The phrase Open your mouth is a figure of speech. Some other ways to translate this figure of speech are:

Speak out (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Make your views heard (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
But you must defend (Contemporary English Version)

for those with no voice: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “for the dumb/mute.” It refers figuratively to people who are not able to defend themselves in court. Their inability to speak may be due to their lack of education, fear of retaliation, or any other reason.

Some other ways to translate this line are:

Speak out for those who cannot speak (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
You must be the spokesman for people who cannot defend themselves in court.

31:8b

for the cause of all the dispossessed: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as all the dispossessed is literally “all the sons of passing away.” It probably refers to people who are extremely poor. They may be homeless and starving. In the context of verses 8–9, they have no hope of winning a court case. Some other ways to translate this line are:

defend the rights of all who have nothing (New Century Version)
-or-
Protect the rights of all who are helpless. (Good News Translation)

General Comment on 31:8a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these parallel lines. For example:

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; oppose any that go to law against them (Revised English Bible)
-or-
But you must defend those who are helpless and have no hope. (Contemporary English Version)

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