wisdom

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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).

Translation commentary on Proverbs 30:3

This verse continues in the same tone as verse 2. Here, rather than being stupid or ignorant of things in general, the speaker claims to be lacking in wisdom and ignorant of God.

“I have not learned wisdom”: By saying this, the speaker may mean that he has not received teaching in a formal sense; this may be the sense intended by Good News Translation “I have never learned any wisdom.” On the other hand, it may simply mean that he has not become a wise person: “I never was wise” (Contemporary English Version). “Wisdom” is the main topic of the whole book of Proverbs. With “knowledge of the Holy One” as its matching expression in the next line, this verse is very similar to 9.10; in fact the speaker seems to be claiming that he does not have what is referred to there.

“Nor have I knowledge of the Holy One”: This line is parallel to the first line of the verse. For “knowledge of the Holy One” (literally “knowledge of the holy ones,” as in New Revised Standard Version), see 9.10. “Have knowledge of” is literally “know knowledge of,” and means simply “know about” or “understand.” Good News Translation “I know nothing at all about God” and Contemporary English Version “I don’t understand what God is like” are both good models in English.

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 .