envy / envious

The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is translated as “envy” or “envious” in most English translations is, according to Nida (1952, p. 134), translated into Tzeltal and Tabasco Chontal in the following manner:

“Envy is bred of covetousness and self-centeredness. The Tzeltals, who recognize a covetous man as having a ‘small heart,’ say that an envious person has ‘a greedy heart.’ ‘Small hearts’ and ‘greedy hearts’ go together, and the soul shrinks in direct proportion to its greediness. The envious person is never satisfied, for he can never keep step with his own insatiable ego.

“The Chontal Indians, living in the low, swampy delta land of Tabasco in southern Mexico, regard envy in a more subtle way. They say of the man who is envious of his neighbor, ‘He did not want to see his neighbor.’ This describes the end result of envy. People cannot bear to see others enjoying the privileges which they insist should be their own. The envious man has acquired such a self-directed stare that he cannot take his eyes off self to see another’s enjoyment.”

In Central Mazahua is is translated as “jealous of each other, their fellow people,” in Sayula Popoluca as “hate those who have something” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), in Matumbi as sukya, which means “envy” but also “hate” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext), and in Kupsabiny as “blackstomached” (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation).

Translation commentary on Proverbs 3:31

“Do not envy a man of violence”: “Envy” here means to desire what someone else has. It is assumed violent people obtain goods or wealth that may lead others to be envious of their ill-gotten fortune. Psa 37 gives reasons for not being envious of wrongdoers. In Psa 18.48 the psalmist gives thanks that God has delivered him from “men of violence.” “Violence” refers not only to cruel behavior but to any kind of unlawful, high-handed, or dishonest dealings.

“Do not choose any of his ways”: This is well expressed by Contemporary English Version as “or follow their example.” We may also say, for example, “or do the things they do” or “or act the way they do.”

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 3:31)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 3:31:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not envy things of a forcing/violent person or do anything that that person does.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Don’t envy people who keep on quarrelling.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (sing.)] do- not -envy a violent man or follow what he is-doing.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Do not envy a cruel/malicious person and do not follow his behavior,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 3:31

3:31

Notice the parallel commands. There is an implied progression from an attitude in 3:31a to an action in 3:31b.

31a Do not envy a violent man

31b or choose any of his ways ;

3:31a–b

Do not envy…or choose any of his ways: In this context, it is implied that the violent person commits crime in order to gain wealth. The son is admonished to not envy or be jealous of such a person. He should not desire to possess for himself the wealth or social status of a rich criminal.

The parallel command or choose any of his ways indicates that he should not decide to follow any of the rich criminal’s wicked behavior.

Some other ways to translate these parallel commands are:

Don’t be jealous of violent people or decide to act as they do. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Don’t be jealous of those who use violence, and don’t choose to be like them. (New Century Version)

3:31a

a violent man: The word that the Berean Standard Bible and most versions translate as violent often refers to someone who uses physical brutality (Contemporary English Version has “cruel”). But it may also refer to anyone who breaks the law. For example, both the Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures and New American Bible have:

lawless man (New American Bible, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

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