Translation commentary on Proverbs 7:25

“Let not your heart turn aside to her ways”: “Turn aside” translates the same verb as used in 4.15. This caution or command means “Don’t let your heart be influenced” or “Don’t be led astray.” For “heart” see 2.2. “Her” refers again to the loose woman from verse 5, as verses 24-27 pick up again the general warning there. Some translations render this line as “Don’t let your insides be aroused to follow this sort of woman.” To avoid a passive construction others say, “Don’t let this sort of woman lead you astray.”

“Do not stray into her paths”: This line is parallel and very similar in meaning to line 1. “Stray” means to wander, go about without destination or purpose, or drift from the group or boundary. Bible en français courant says “don’t leave the good road to follow her.”

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 7:25)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 7:25:

  • Kupsabiny: “Stay (plur.) away from that woman and do not follow her ways.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Do not keep such women in your mind.
    Don’t go down such a road.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (plur.)] do- not -be-carried-away by this kind of woman; [you (plur.)] do- not -let- her -lead- you (sing.) -astray.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Do not be-thinking-about a woman like that-one and do not be deceived by them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 7:25

7:25

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

25a
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways ;

25b
do not stray into her paths.

7:25a–b

Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths: The verbs used in these parallel lines have slightly different connotations. The first verb turn aside means to turn aside or stray into an area. The second verb means to wander around within an area. The New Living Translation (2004) expresses this as:

Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path. (New Living Translation (2004))

ways…paths: In Proverbs, the words translated ways and paths often refer figuratively to a person’s behavior or way of life. The young man should not allow himself to stray off the path of right behavior toward involvement with another man’s wife. Once he gets involved, he will wander around in adulterous behavior.

In some languages, this may have to be expressed without using figures of speech. For example:

Do not allow your thoughts to stray toward women like that. Do not become involved in their way of life.

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