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).

Translation commentary on Proverbs 4:11

“I have taught you the way of wisdom”: As in 2.12 and 13, where “way” identifies the life or manner of living of evil people, here “way of wisdom” is the kind of life that wisdom teaches, and this is often expressed as “the path of wisdom” or “the right way to live.”

“I have led you in the paths of uprightness” is literally “I have made you walk in the tracks of uprightness.” This line is parallel to the first line with almost exactly the same sense. For “uprightness” see 2.13. We may render verse 11, for example: “I have taught you good sense and the way to live right.” Or “I have taught you how to have good sense and to walk on the straight path.”

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 .