Proverbs

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:21b

Text (BHS):

נְצֹר תֻּשִׁיָּה וּמְזִמָּה

Transliteration (Accordance):

nᵉṣōr tušı̂ā ûmᵉzimmā

Translation (Waltke):

guard sound judgement and discretion

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

נְצֹר (nᵉṣōr) : Qal imperative 3 m.s. of נָצַר (nāṣar) : guard.
תֻּשִׁיָּה (tušı̂ā) = תּוּשִׁיָּה (tûšı̂ā) : sound judgment.
וּמְזִמָּה (ûmᵉzimmā) : conj. וּ (û) + מְזִמָּה (mᵉzimmā) : and discretion.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:22a

Text (BHS):

וְיִהְיוּ חַיִּים לְנַפְשֶׁךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):

wᵉyihyû ḥayyı̂m lᵉnap̱šeḵā

Translation (Waltke):

so that* they may become life for you

*Simple waw with prefix conjugation after a volitional form normally signifies purpose/result (...).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְיִהְיוּ (wᵉyihyû) : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + Qal imperfect 3 m.p. of הָיָה (hāyāh) : so that they might become.
חַיִּים (ḥayyı̂m) : life.
לְנַפְשֶׁךָ (lᵉnap̱šeḵā) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + נֶפֶשׁ (nep̱eš) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : to your soul.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:22b

Text (BHS):

וְחֵן לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶיךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):

wᵉḥēn lᵉg̱argᵉrōṯêḵā

Translation (Waltke):

[and] an attractive ornament* for your neck.

*Literally "grace," in its aesthetic sense (cf. 3:4; Deut. 4:11) and a metonymy of adjunct for the ornament.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְחֵן (wᵉḥēn) : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + חֵן (ḥēn) : and grace/an ornament.
לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶיךָ (lᵉg̱argᵉrōṯêḵā) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + גַּרְגְּרוֹת (gargᵉrôṯ) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : for your neck.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:23a

Text (BHS):

אָז תֵּלֵךְ לָבֶטַח דַּרְכֶּךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):

ʾāz tēlēḵ lāḇeṭaḥ darkeḵā

Translation (NRSV):

Then you will walk on your way securely

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אָז (ʾāz) : adverb : then.
תֵּלֵךְ (tēlēḵ) : Qal imperfect 2 m.s. of הָלַךְ (hālaḵ) : you will walk.
לָבֶטַח (lāḇeṭaḥ) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + adverb בֶּטַח (beṭaḥ) : securely.
דַּרְכֶּךָ (darkeḵā) : noun דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : your way.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:23b

Text (BHS):

וְרַגְלְךָ לֹא תִגּוֹף

Transliteration (Accordance):

wᵉrag̱lᵉḵā lōʾ ṯiggôp̱

Translation (NRSV):

and your foot will not stumble.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְרַגְלְךָ (wᵉrag̱lᵉḵā) : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + noun רֶגֶל (reg̱el) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : and your foot.
לֹא תִגּוֹף (lōʾ ṯiggôp̱) : negation לֹא (lōʾ) + Qal imperfect 2 m.s. of נָגַף (nāg̱ap̱) : will not stumble.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:24a

Text (BHS):

אִם־תִּשְׁכַּב לֹא־תִפְחָד

Transliteration (Accordance):

ʾim-tiškaḇ lōʾ-ṯip̱ḥāḏ

Translation (Waltke):

When you lie down,* you will not dread

*The LXX reads "when you sit down" (< tēšēb), followed by the NRSV and many others. Its difference from MT's tškb ("lie down") is slight, and it offers a nice progression of movement from "walk" ( verse 23a) to "sit" (verse 24a) to "lie down" (verse 24b). However, one is more likely to dread when lying down than sitting down. The similarity in form between k and b more likely caused haplography in the LXX than the addition of k by dittography. škb has a wide range of meaning, from "to lie down" (cf. 1 K. 3:19), to "retire to bed" (1 Sam. 3:3), to "lie down and sleep" (Gen. 28:11), allowing its repetition here in different senses.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אִם (ʾim) : hypothetical particle : if.
תִּשְׁכַּב (tiškaḇ) : Qal imperfect 2 m.s. of שָׁכַב (šāḵaḇ) : you lie down.
לֹא־תִפְחָד (lōʾ-ṯip̱ḥāḏ) : negation לֹא (lōʾ) + Qal imperfect 2 m.s of פָּחַד (pāḥaḏ) : you will not dread.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:24b

Text (BHS):

וְשָׁכַבְתָּ וְעָרְבָה שְׁנָתֶךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):

wᵉšāḵaḇtā wᵉʿārᵉḇāh šᵉnāṯeḵā

Translation (Waltke):

and when you fall asleep,* your sleep will be pleasing.

*The accent shift points to a waw consecutive for a (con)sequential situation (IBHS, pp. 520, 523, §§32.1.1b, 32.1.).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְשָׁכַבְתָּ (wᵉšāḵaḇtā) : consecutive* וְ (wᵉ) + Qal perfect 2 m.s. of שָׁכַב (šāḵaḇ) : and when you lie down.
וְעָרְבָה (wᵉʿārᵉḇāh) : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + Qal perfect 3 f.s. of עָרַב (ʿāraḇ) : will be sweet.
שְׁנָתֶךָ (šᵉnāṯeḵā) : noun שָׁנָה (šānāh) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : your sleep.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:25a

Text (BHS):

אַל־תִּירָא מִפַּחַד פִּתְאֹם

Transliteration (Accordance):

ʾal-tı̂rāʾ mippaḥaḏ piṯʾōm

Translation (Waltke):

Do not be afraid of* sudden** calamity,***

*Min marks the cause (IBHS, p. 213, §11.2.11d).
**Normally piṯʾōm is an adverb, but it functions as a noun after the pre-genitive.
***The same Hebrew word is rendered "dread" in verse 24.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אַל־תִּירָא (ʾal-tı̂rāʾ) : negation אַל (ʾal) + Qal imperfect 2 m.s. of יָרֵא (yārēʾ) : do not be afraid.
מִפַּחַד פִּתְאֹם (mippaḥaḏ piṯʾōm) : prep. מִן (min) + construct פַּחַד (paḥaḏ) + substantive פִּתְאֹם (piṯʾōm) : of sudden calamity.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:25b

Text (BHS):

וּמִשֹּׁאַת רְשָׁעִים כִּי תָבֹא

Transliteration (Accordance):

ûmiššōʾaṯ rᵉšāʿı̂m kı̂ ṯāḇōʾ

Translation (Waltke):

or the ruin of the wicked* when it comes

*The genitive may be either agentive (= by the wicked) or objective (= upon the wicked).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּמִשֹּׁאַת רְשָׁעִים (ûmiššōʾaṯ rᵉšāʿı̂m) : conjunction וּ (û) + prep. מִן (min) + construct of שׁוֹאָה (šôʾāh) + plural of רָשָׁע (rāšāʿ) : or the ruin of the wicked.
כִּי תָבֹא (kı̂ ṯāḇōʾ) : conjunction כִּי (kı̂) + Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of בּוֹא (bôʾ) : when it comes.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:26a

Text (BHS):

כִּי־יְהוָה יִהְיֶה בְכִסְלֶךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):

kı̂-YHWH yihyeh ḇᵉḵisleḵā

Translation (Waltke):

for the Lord will be at your side*

*Or, "will be your confidence."

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כִּי־יְהוָה (kı̂-YHWH) : conjunction כִּי (kı̂) + proper name יְהוָה (YHWH) : for Yahweh/the LORD.
יִהְיֶה (yihyeh) : Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of הָיָה (hāyāh) : will be.
בְכִסְלֶךָ (ḇᵉḵisleḵā) : prep. בְ (ḇᵉ) + noun כֶּסֶל (kesel) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : at your side.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:26b

Text (BHS):

וְשָׁמַר רַגְלְךָ מִלָּכֶד

Transliteration (Accordance):

wᵉšāmar rag̱lᵉḵā millāḵeḏ

Translation (Waltke):

and he will guard* your foot from capture.

*Waw consecutive to signify (con)sequence (see note here).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְשָׁמַר (wᵉšāmar) : consecutive ו (waw)* + Qal perfect 3 m.s. of שָׁמַר (šāmar) : and he will guard.
רַגְלְךָ (rag̱lᵉḵā) : noun רֶגֶל (reg̱el) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : your foot.
מִלָּכֶד (millāḵeḏ) : prep. מִן (min) + pausal vocalization of noun לֶכֶד (leḵeḏ) : from capture.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:27a

Text (BHS):

אַל־תִּמְנַע־טוֹב מִבְּעָלָיו

Transliteration (Accordance):

ʾal-timnaʿ-ṭôḇ mibbᵉʿālāyw

Translation (Waltke):

Do not withhold [doing]* good** from those*** to whom it is due.****

*the stereotyped phrase "to do good" is split between the two verses (see "innocent blood" in 1:11).
**The LXX captured the sense of "to do [good] by "to aid/help."
***If the parallel "neighbors" in 3:28 is original, the plural is best construed as a countable plural, not as an intensive plural (cf. IBHS, p. 122, §7.4.3a).
****Literally "from its possessor."

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אַל־תִּמְנַע־טוֹב (ʾal-timnaʿ-ṭôḇ) : negation אַל (ʾal) + Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of מָנַע (mānaʿ) + adj. טוֹב (ṭôḇ) : do not withhold good.
מִבְּעָלָיו (mibbᵉʿālāyw) : prep. מִן (min) + plural of בַּעַל (baʿal) + pronominal 3 m.s. suffix : from those to whom it is due.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:27b

Text (BHS):

בִּהְיוֹת לְאֵל יָדֶיךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת

Transliteration (Accordance):

bihyôṯ lᵉʾēl yāḏêḵā laʿᵃśôṯ

Translation (NRSV):

when it is in your power to do it.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בִּהְיוֹת (bihyôṯ) : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + Qal infinitive construct of הָיָה (hāyāh) : when it is.
לְאֵל יָדֶיךָ (lᵉʾēl yāḏêḵā) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + construct אֵל (ēl) + noun יָד (yāḏ) + 2 m.s. suffix : in the power of your hand.
לַעֲשׂוֹת (laʿᵃśôṯ) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + Qal infinitive construct of עָשָׂה (ʿāśāh) : to do.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:28a

Text (BHS):

אַל־תֹּאמַר לְרֵעֶיךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):

ʾal-tōʾmar lᵉrēʿêḵā

Translation (NRSV):

Do not say to your neighbor

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אַל־תֹּאמַר (ʾal-tōʾmar) : negation אַל (ʾal) + Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of אָמַר (ʾāmar) : do not say.
לְרֵעֶיךָ (lᵉrēʿêḵā) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + noun רֵעַ (rēaʿ) + 2 m.s. suffix : to your neighbor.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:28b

Text (BHS):

לֵךְ וָשׁוּב וּמָחָר אֶתֵּן

Transliteration (Accordance):

lēḵ wāšûḇ ûmāḥār ʾettēn

Translation (NRSV):

―“Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”―

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לֵךְ (lēḵ) : Qal imperative 2 m.s. of הָלַךְ (hālaḵ) : go
וָשׁוּב (wāšûḇ) : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + Qal imperative 2 m.s. of שׁוּב (šûḇ) : and come again.
וּמָחָר (ûmāḥār) : conjunction וּ (û) + מָחָר (māḥār) : and tomorrow.
אֶתֵּן (ʾettēn) : Qal imperfect 1 c.s. of נָתַן (nāṯan) : I will give.