Translation commentary on Proverbs 7:26

The conclusions in verses 26-27 are similar to the thoughts expressed in 2.18-19 and 5.5-6.

“For many a victim has she laid low”: This line is literally “for many are the wounded she has made fall.” The sense is that the loose woman has wounded and brought death to many people. For the whole verse Contemporary English Version says “Such a woman has caused the downfall and destruction of a lot of men.” See Good News Translation.

“Yea, all her slain are a mighty host”: “Yea” translates the common Hebrew connector, which here affirms what follows as do the words “truly” or “indeed.” “Slain” translates the common verb meaning to kill with ruthless violence. “Her slain” means the men she has killed. “A mighty host” refers to numerous or countless men.

The loose woman is seen here as a murderess. There is nothing in the text that suggests she sets out to destroy the young man she seduces.

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 7:26)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 7:26:

  • Kupsabiny: “Refrain (plur.), because that woman has destroyed many people.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Many men have been ruined
    because of women like this.
    Countless people have already been killed
    by [women] like this.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Many men already were-destroyed because of her.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “A woman like that-one is the cause of the being-destroyed and dying of many men.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 7:26

7:26a–b

As in 7:19a, this verse begins with the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “For.” This word introduces the reason why the young man should heed the warning in 7:25–26.

she has brought many down to death; her slain: These parallel phrases indicate that the adulterous women referred to here indirectly caused the deaths of their victims. They did this by seducing their victims into having illicit sex. Their victims eventually died or were killed as a result. These phrases do not mean that these women were actual murderers.

Other ways to express the correct meaning are:

…she has…caused the death of too many to count (Good News Translation)
-or-
…many have died because of her (New Century Version)

death…her slain: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as death is literally “pierced ones,” which calls to mind the arrow piercing the liver in 7:23a. This word usually refers to men who were killed violently in battle. The parallel term her slain similarly refers to men who have been fatally wounded and killed.

she…her: The words she and her refer to adulterous women in general. They do not refer to a particular person.

General Comment on 7:26a–b

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

Because women like this have been the cause of countless men losing their lives.

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.