understanding ("head wisdom")

In the Tzeltal translation for the dialectal variant of Highland Tzeltal (Biblia Tzeltal yu’un Oxchuc soc Tenejapa, 2001) the translation team used three different words to translate the Hebrew term that is translated as “wisdom” in English. One of them is p’ijil jol or “word wisdom” which is also used for “understanding,” good sense,” “intelligent,” or “insight.”

For the complete story and more background, please see wisdom (Proverbs).

Translation commentary on Proverbs 9:6

“Leave simpleness, and live”: Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint with “simpleness”. Note that the Hebrew has “simple ones.” Good News Translation translates the Hebrew with “Leave . . . ignorant people.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, which gives the Hebrew text an “A” rating, recommends both the sense of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, that is, “abandon foolishness” or “abandon foolish people.” “And live” is a consequence of giving up the company of ignorant or foolish people. In many languages it will be necessary to say “and you will live” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). In some cases it will be more natural to reverse the order and say, for example, “If you wish to live, stop making friends with. . .” or “If you wish to live, stop being ignorant.”

“And walk in the way of insight”: “Walk” . . . “way” means “live so that you will have insight” or “do as insight shows you.” For “insight” see 1.2. “Insight” refers to discernment, perception, or understanding. Contemporary English Version says “let understanding guide your steps.”

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 9:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 9:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “Leave your (plur.) ways of foolishness in order to live. I am saying, be wise.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If you want to live,
    give up your foolish behavior
    and try to live.
    Go on the path of wisdom.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (plur.)] give-up/[lit. vanish] your (plur.) being-ignorant so-that you (plur.) continue to live. [You (plur.)] live with understanding.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Turn- your -backs-on the behavior of mindless ones and follow the way-of-life of wise-ones so that you will live.’” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 9:6

9:6

In this verse, lines 6a and 6c are parallel. Line 6b gives the result or consequence of 6a.

6a
Leave your folly behind,

6b and you will live;

6c
walk in the way of understanding.

9:6a

Leave your folly behind: The verb Leave can also mean “forsake” or “abandon.” There are two ways to interpret the phrase your folly :

(1) It refers to a pattern of behavior and means immaturity. For example:

Lay aside immaturity (New Revised Standard Version)

(2) It refers to a class of people and means immature people. For example:

Abandon the company of simpletons (Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English versions and the LXX. For the meaning of folly, see the note on “simple” in 1:4a. This word does not refer to a simple lifestyle, as the New International Version might imply, but rather to “immaturity” (New Revised Standard Version) or being naive. Other ways to translate this meaning are:

Stop being gullible (God’s Word)
-or-
Stop being easily deceived

In languages that cannot use expressions such as “stop being immature,” you may be able to say:

Forsake the behavior of those who are immature.

9:6b

and you will live: The consequence of forsaking immature behavior is that you will live. As in other verses in Proverbs, this implies a long and good life. In some languages, it may be more natural to change the clause order. For example:

If you want to have a long life, then stop being easily deceived.

9:6c

walk in the way of understanding: This command is a figure of speech. It describes a path that leads to understanding. For example:

Start traveling the road to understanding. (God’s Word)

Some ways to translate this command without using a figure of speech are:

Make steady progress in adding to your understanding/insight.
-or-
See to it that your insight is continually added to.

walk: This word means to “go forward,” “walk straight ahead,” or “go on.”

understanding:

General Comments on 9:6a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder the lines of this verse so that the two parallel commands go together. For example:

6a Abandon the path of immaturity 6c and start walking on the road that leads to understanding 6b so that you will have a good, long life.

See also 9:6a–c (combined/reordered) in the Display.

The versions differ as to where Wisdom’s invitation ends:

(1) It ends at the end of 9:6.

(2) It continues through 9:12.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because the subject matter of 9:7–12 does not sound like an invitation. In some languages, quotation marks will adequately mark the end of Wisdom’s invitation. In other languages, it may be necessary to add a sentence such as:

⌊This is what Wisdom said in her invitation.⌋

© 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.