wisdom

Click here to view graphically

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is translated as “wisdom” in English is rendered in Amganad Ifugao and Tabasco Chontal as “(big) mind,” in Bulu and Yamba as “heart-thinking,” in Tae’ as “cleverness of heart” (source for this and all above: Reiling / Swellengrebel), in Palauan as “bright spirit (innermost)” (source: Bratcher / Hatton), in Ixcatlán Mazatec as “with your best/biggest thinking” (source: Robert Bascom), in Noongar as dwangka-boola, lit. “ear much” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018 — see also remember), and in Dobel, it is translated with the idiom “their ear holes are long-lasting” (in Acts 6:3) (source: Jock Hughes).

See also wisdom (Proverbs).

wisdom ("heart 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. For the verses referenced here, it uses p’ijil-o’tanil or “heart wisdom.”

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

happiness / joy

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the Hausa Common Language Ajami Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.

Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions, rejoiced greatly / celebrated, the Mossi translation of “righteous”, and joy.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 29:3

The language of this saying is similar to that of the Instructions in the poems in chapters 1–9. See, for example, 6.32; 8.17.

“He who loves wisdom makes his father glad”: “He who” is literally “a man who.” New Revised Standard Version has translated “A child who” as more appropriate in the context of pleasing a father. In some languages it is not possible to speak of loving an abstract such as “wisdom”. Accordingly, it is sometimes necessary to say “loves doing what is wise” or to use a figurative expression; for example, “If your heart is warm to wisdom” or “If wisdom causes your liver to move.” For “makes his father glad” see 10.1.

“But one who keeps company with harlots squanders his substance”: For warnings against adultery see chapter 5. “Keeps company with harlots” is literally “a friend of harlots.” For “harlots” see 6.26 and 7.10. Note that here association with harlots is condemned because it “squanders . . . substance”, which means “wastes wealth.” “His substance” is ambiguous since “his” might refer back to the father or the son. The meaning is given clearly in New Revised Standard Version: “to keep company with prostitutes is to squander one’s substance.” Note Good News Translation “It is a foolish waste to spend money on prostitutes.” Contemporary English Version goes further: “chasing after bad women will cost you everything.”

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 .