Translating and interpreting a text can sometimes present real challenges. We can be grateful that our knowledge of ancient Hebrew is as developed and robust as it is!

Even still there are some passages which require further investigation beyond even a good translation. This is largely due to ways of speech, idioms and things which were particular to an ancient culture.

This is even true today both between languages and even within a single language due to time.

In Germany they have a phrase that says, “You have tomatoes on your eyes.”

What it means is that “You are not seeing with your physical eyes what everyone else can see.”

Even within the English language both the meaning of words and their spellings have changed. In the 1600’s the word “cute” actually meant bowleggaged. So you can see how this might lead to misunderstanding!

All that said, Proverbs 16 offers some interesting statements that need further consideration. However, a good working knowledge of scripture helps eliminate certain options and steers you towards the meaning originally intended by the author – in this case King Solomon!