acrostic in Proverbs 31

In the Hebrew text, each verse of the acrostic in Proverbs 31:10-31 is started with the successive 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. While most translations mention that in a note or a comment, a number of Bible translations have been able to use the same the rhetorical device. The Swedish Bibel 2000 had the advantage of an additional three letters in the Swedish alphabet aside from the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet (A-Z) — Å, Ä, and Ö are added behind Z — and by skipping some of the more difficult letters (source: Staphan Lindström). The letters that are successively employed are A, B, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, V, Å, Ä, Ö.

Click or tap here for the complete 22 verses in Swedish:

10 Att finna en driftig hustru, vem förunnas det —
       långt mer än pärlor är hon värd.
11 Blint litar hennes man på henne,
       och vinsten uteblir inte.
12 Dagligen är hon honom till nytta,
       aldrig till skada.
13 Efter att ha skaffat ull och lin
       arbetar hon med flinka händer.
14 Från avlägsna trakter hämtar hon förråd,
       hon är som köpmannens skepp.
15 Gryningen är inte inne när hon stiger upp,
       sätter fram mat åt familjen och ger pigorna deras portioner.
16 Hon ser ut en åker och köper den,
       planterar en vingård för det hon själv har tjänat.
17 Ivrigt går hon till verket
       och hugger i med starka armar.
18 Kan hon märka att affärerna går bra
       får hennes lampa brinna hela natten.
19 Lätt hanterar hon sländtrissan
       och håller sländan i handen.
20 Mot de svaga räcker hon ut handen,
       hon öppnar sin famn för de fattiga.
21 När snön kommer ängslas hon inte:
       hela familjen har kläder av ylle.
22 Också täcken väver hon själv,
       hon är klädd i linne och purpur.
23 På hennes man ser alla med aktning,
       där han sitter bland de äldste i porten.
24 Rockar av linne syr hon och säljer,
       handlaren förser hon med bälten.
25 Styrka och värdighet utstrålar hon
       och ser leende framtiden an.
26 Talar gör hon med klokhet,
       vänliga förmaningar delar hon ut.
27 Uppmärksamt följer hon allt i huset,
       aldrig äter hon lättjans bröd.
28 Välsignad blir hon av sina barn,
       och hennes man lovprisar henne:
29 Åtskilliga duktiga kvinnor har jag sett,
       men du överträffar dem alla! —
30 Älsklighet kan bedra, skönhet förgår,
       för sin gudsfruktan skall en hustru prisas.
31 Överlämna åt henne hennes mödas lön,
       må hon prisas i portarna för sina verk.

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Likewise, Danish also has additional letters in its alphabet (Æ, Ø, and Å) and the Danish Bibelen på Hverdagsdansk (publ. 1985, rev. 2015 et al.) also maintained an acrostic in this passage:

Click or tap here for the verses in Danish:

10 At finde den ideelle hustru er enhver mands drøm.
Lykkes det, har han fundet en uvurderlig skat.
11 Bedre kan ingen mand ønske sig det,
altid har hun hans fulde tillid.
12 Charmerende er hun tillige,
støtter og opmuntrer ham livet igennem.
13 Dagene bruger hun flittigt,
hun samler uld og hør og har travlt med at spinde.
14 Eksotiske retter forstår hun at frembringe,
for hun har en bred horisont.
15 Før daggry står hun op for at lave mad til familien
og fordele opgaverne mellem husets piger.
16 Går hun forbi et frugtbart jordstykke, køber hun det
og planter en vingård for, hvad hun har tjent.
17 Hun går energisk i gang
og arbejder med stor udholdenhed.
18 Indsatsen bærer frugt,
og der er lys i hendes vindue til langt ud på natten.
19 Jævnligt sidder hun ved sin rok
eller spinder dygtigt ved tenen.
21 Kulden er ikke noget problem,
for hun er klar med det varme tøj.
20 Lider de fattige nød,
er hun der straks med en hjælpende hånd.
23 Man ser hendes mand som en af byens ledere,
for han er en mand, der aftvinger respekt.
22 Nydeligt er hun klædt i dragter af det fineste stof,
hun syr selv sit tøj og væver sine tæpper.
25 Optimistisk ser hun fremtiden i møde,
hun optræder værdigt og karakterfast.
24 Penge har hun nok af,
for hun sælger af det pragtfulde tøj, hun fremstiller.
26 Råd og opmuntring giver hun gerne,
hun taler med visdom og venlige ord.
27 Sit hus har hun styr på,
hun kender ikke til lediggang.
28 Til hver en tid får hun ros af sine børn,
og hendes mand lovpriser hende med følgende ord:
29 „Utallige kvinder er dygtige,
men du overgår dem alle!”
30 Ydre skønhed falmer, og charme kan bedrage,
men en kvinde, der følger Herren, er al beundring værd.
31 Ære og hæder fortjener hun fuldt ud,
og hendes gerninger lovprises overalt i byen.

Like the Hebrew alphabet, the Tok Pisin alphabet has 22 letters (A, B, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, V, W, Y) which the translators saw as a challenge to maintain the Hebrew acrostic: “One of the ways the Israelites followed in writing was a bit different. In the Hebrew alphabet there are 22 letters. Well sometimes they used to divide the talk that they wanted to write into 22 parts, and each part had to start with a different letter. When people translate Hebrew into other languages, they are not able to follow this custom in the translation. But Tok Pisin has 22 letters in its alphabet, the same number as in Hebrew. So in just this one passage in the Bible, we (translators) have followed this custom and reproduced it (the form of the Hebrew), so that you can see how it goes.” (Source: Note in the translation, translated by Timothy Lloyd Wilt in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 207ff. ).

Click or tap here for the verses in Tok Pisin:

10 Ating man i laik maritim meri i gat gutpela pasin tru, a? Orait bai em i hatwok tru long painim. Kain meri olsem i winim olkain ston i dia tumas.
11 Bai man bilong dispela kain meri i save gut long meri i bihainim gutpela pasin oltaim. Na meri bai i helpim em na em i gat planti samting.
12 Dispela meri i save mekim gutpela pasin tasol long man bilong en.
13 Em i save wokim kain kain tret na em i amamas long lumim olkain laplap.
14 Famili bilong en i gat planti kain kaikai, long wanem, em i save go longwe tumas long kisim kaikai, olsem ol bikpela sip i save mekim.
15 Gutpela meri olsem i save kirap taim tulait i no bruk yet na i kukim kaikai bilong famili bilong en na makim wok bilong ol wokmeri bilong en.
16 Hapmeri olsem i save lukluk gut pastaim long graun em i laik baim, na bihain em i baim. Na bihain, em i kisim mani long bisnis bilong em na baim ol yangpela diwai wain bilong planim.
17 I no gat wanpela taim em i les. Em i strongpela meri na i save taitim bun na i wok.
18 Jak bilong lam bilong en i pulap long wel na lam i lait i stap, na em i wok i go inap biknait tru long taim em i lukim bisnis bilong en i go het gut.
19 Kain meri olsem i save wokim ol tret bilong em yet na lumim ol laplap.
20 Long taim em i lukim ol man i sot long ol samting na i rabis, em i save givim ol samting long ol.
21 Maski ren ais i pundaun, em i no save wari long ol famili bilong en, long wanem, em i bin wokim klos bilong ol long laplap i gutpela tumas.
22 Na em yet i save wokim ol blanket bilong ol bet long haus bilong en. Na em i save kisim ol gutpela waitpela laplap na ol gutpela retpela laplap na wokim ol klos bilong en.
23 Ol hetman bilong ples i givim biknem long man bilong en. Na man bilong en i wanpela bilong ol dispela hetman.
24 Planti taim dispela meri i save samapim ol gutpela klos na wokim ol let, na ol bisnisman i save kam baim.
25 Rispek na biknem i olsem klos bilong en na em i gat strong. Em i no save wari long ol samting bai i kamap bihain.
26 Sapos em i skulim ol manmeri, em i mekim tok isi tasol. Na olgeta tok bilong en i kamapim gutpela tingting na save bilong en.
27 Taim em i lukautim ol samting long haus bilong en, em i no save les. Nogat. Em i save wok strong na mekim gutpela wok tumas.
28 “Ure, ure long mama bilong mipela.” Ol pikinini bilong dispela meri i save tok olsem. Na man bilong en i litimapim nem bilong em moa yet na i tok,
29 “Viles na taun bilong yumi i gat planti meri i save mekim gutpela pasin tru, tasol yu winim ol moa yet.”
30 Wanpela meri inap givim switpela tok long yumi, tasol pasin bilong en i narakain. Na maski meri i luk nais tru, em i no inap i stap olsem oltaim. Mobeta yumi litimapim nem bilong meri i save aninit long Bikpela.
31 Yumi mas tingting long gutpela pasin bilong meri na long gutpela wok em i bin mekim, na givim biknem long em. Olgeta manmeri i ken litimapim nem bilong en.

The English Bible translation by Ronald Knox (publ. 1950) is the only English translation that — aside from Psalm 9/10 — maintains every Hebrew acrostic (even though Knox’s translation itself is based on the Latin text of the Vulgate rather than the Hebrew):

10 A man who has found a vigorous wife has found a rare treasure, brought from distant shores.
11 Bound to her in loving confidence, he will have no need of spoil.
12 Content, not sorrow, she will bring him as long as life lasts.
13 Does she not busy herself with wool and thread, plying her hands with ready skill?
14 Ever she steers her course like some merchant ship, bringing provision from far away.
15 From early dawn she is up, assigning food to the household, so that each waiting-woman has her share.
16 Ground must be examined, and bought, and planted out as a vineyard, with the earnings of her toil.
17 How briskly she girds herself to the task, how tireless are her arms!
18 Industry, she knows, is well rewarded, and all night long her lamp does not go out.
19 Jealously she sets her hands to work, her fingers clutch the spindle.
20 Kindly is her welcome to the poor, her purse ever open to those in need.
21 Let the snow lie cold if it will, she has no fears for her household; no servant of hers but is warmly clad.
22 Made by her own hands was the coverlet on her bed, the clothes of lawn and purple that she wears.
23 None so honoured at the city gate as that husband of hers, when he sits in council with the elders of the land.
24 Often she will sell linen of her own weaving, or make a girdle for the travelling merchant to buy.
25 Protected by her own industry and good repute, she greets the morrow with a smile.
26 Ripe wisdom governs her speech, but it is kindly instruction she gives.
27 She keeps watch over all that goes on in her house, not content to go through life eating and sleeping.
28 That is why her children are the first to call her blessed, her husband is loud in her praise:
29 Unrivalled art thou among all the women that have enriched their homes.
30 Vain are the winning ways, beauty is a snare; it is the woman who fears the Lord that will achieve renown.
31 Work such as hers claims its reward; let her life be spoken of with praise at the city gates.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Proverbs 31 as an Acrostic Poem .

Translation commentary on Proverbs 31:19

Verses 19-22 focus on the housewife’s provision for her own household and for the poor, especially the provision of clothing.

“She puts her hand to the distaff”: There is some doubt about the rendering of the last Hebrew word in this line, but most commentators and translators accept the meaning “distaff”. “The distaff” is a device used in the process of spinning thread from raw wool or flax. It is a rod or staff with a split end, which holds the wool or flax from which thread is drawn in spinning by hand. “She puts her hand to . . .” means that she “holds” (New International Version, Revised English Bible) or works with this device; but in translation it is probably more important to refer to the work that she does. So Good News Translation says that “She spins her own thread,” and this is a good model for translators to follow.

“And her hands hold the spindle”: “Her hands hold” has the same sense as “She puts her hands to” in the previous line. “The spindle” is another device used in spinning. It is a rod or shaped piece of wood, which twists the thread as it is spun, and on which the thread is wound. Although “the spindle” is strictly used in the spinning process and not in weaving, both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version apparently take the double reference to “distaff” and “spindle” to refer to the whole process of making cloth: “She spins her own thread and weaves her own cloth” (Good News Translation), “she spins her own cloth” (Contemporary English Version). These renderings may be regarded as culturally inappropriate since in Israel, as in other countries during Old Testament times, weaving was the work of men, not women.

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 31:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 31:19:

  • Kupsabiny: “She prepares her threads by herself and weaves her clothes.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “She spreads out the cotton thread
    and weaves cloth herself.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “She herself does the garment to make cloth.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “She herself weaves cloth” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “She holds the spindle/rod which twists the thread that she is making,
    and then she spins the thread that she will use.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 31:19

31:19–22

This paragraph describes the wife’s work to provide clothing and bed coverings for her family (31:19, 21, 22). It also describes her generous help to the poor (31:20).

31:19

This verse describes the work of spinning the wool fibers into yarn or the flax fibers into thread. The two lines are almost identical in meaning, because the “distaff” and “spindle” are pieces of the same equipment. The woman reaches out and grasps both pieces at the same time. Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

19a
She stretches out her hands to the distaff

19b and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

The parallel parts form a chiasm. The parts in 31:19a occur in the opposite order from the parallel parts in 31:19b. If a chiasm is not natural in your language, you may need to reorder the parts in one of the lines. For example, 31:19a could be reordered as follows:

19a
She holds the distaff in her hand

31:19a–b

These parallel lines are more literally “She stretches out her hands on the distaff and her palms grasp the spindle.”

She stretches out her hands…grasps…with her fingers: In Hebrew, the word translated hands includes the forearms as well as the hands. The word translated fingers is literally “palms.” It refers here to either hands or the fingers.

the distaff…the spindle: The distaff and the spindle are two parts of the equipment that is used to spin wool or flax. The distaff is a stick around which the wool or flax fibers are wrapped before they are spun. The spindle is a rod that is used to twist these fibers into yarn or thread. As the yarn/thread is spun, it also winds around part of the spindle.

Some other ways to translate these parallel lines are:

Specify the parts of the body and the parts of the equipment. For example:

She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle. (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
Her hands ⌊skillfully⌋ place ⌊the unspun flax and wool⌋ on the distaff, and her fingers twist the spindle ⌊until thread forms⌋ . (The Voice)

Specify the parts of the body and the function of the equipment. For example:

Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 31:19a–b

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

She uses her own hands to spin/make yarn and thread.
-or-
She works hard to spin/make yarn and thread.

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