De La Biblia...Otra Vez-

Question

This is from Proverbs, chapter six. 6.12- El que es malvado y perverso anda siempre contando mentiras; 6.13- guiña los ojos, hace señas con los pies, señala con los dedos...

So, 6.12 speaks of the one who is wicked and perverse always goes telling lies, then, 6.13 adds, winking his eyes, and- and this is where I want to make sure that I am understanding this correctly. Hace señas con los pies=beckoning with his feet; Señala con los dedos=indicating with his fingers. Is all of that right or is something being lost in translation?

Answer 1

To put this into context this portion of Proverbs is written as, let's call them instructions, from a teacher or parent to a student or son. Proverbs chapter six starts with a discussion of the relationship to "your neighbor":

"My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor ..."

Next is an admonition to plead with that neighbor.

That is followed by the question (In more contemporary English from the English Standard Version, ESV) from 6.9:

"How long will you lie there, O sluggard?"

Then in 6.11:

" A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

6.12 &13;:

"A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger,

And then continues with the expected outcome of this (calamity).

At my level of linguistic development, I could not even try to translate this into Spanish.

Answer 2

What Spanish version are you reading from? I have the Reina-Valera 1909 and it says for 6:13, "Guiña de sus ojos, habla con sus pies, Indica con sus dedos."

A Bible based on the KJV (King James Version) in English says that he "speaketh with his feet" or speaks with his feet and "teacheth with his fingers" or teaches with his fingers.

I can see how beckoning with his feet and indicating with his fingers still portrays a similar understanding to what I read in mine.

If you line up all the Bible versions in English, you're likely to get a vast selection of different translations as well, and that's just in English alone.

As for the translation, if you sense in any way that it doesn't make sense, pull out your Strong's concordance and check out the words in Hebrew. Look at all the possible English translations it offers and then judge whether or not something is being lost. Also do a little homework on the version of your Spanish Bible.