Proverbs

[John Reece]

This is a non-debate reading and grammatical analysis thread.

Please do not post any cabala in this thread.

Abbreviations:

ASV = American Standard Version.
BDB = A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the O.T. (Gesenius) edited by F. Brown, S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs.
BHRG = A Biblical Hebrew Reference GrammarThe Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, by Koehler and Baumgartner.
Holladay = A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old TestamentA Grammar of Biblical Hebrew translated and revised by T. Muraoka.
KJV = King James Version.
NET = New English Translation.
NJB = New Jerusalem Bible.
NRSV = New Revised Standard Version.
Owens = Analytical Key to the Old Testament (Baker Book House, 1989), four volumes, by John Joseph Owens.
REB = Revised English Bible.
TEV = Today's English Version.
TNIV = Today's New International Version.
Waltke = Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs (NICNT: Eerdmans, 2004 [vol. 1], 2005 [vol. 2]).
YLT = Young's Literal Translation.

[John Reece]

Proverbs

BHS Text (Proverbs 1:1):

מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל

Transliteration:
Translation (ESV):

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

Glossary (meanings in this context):

מִשְׁלֵי () : plural construct of מָשָׁל () : the proverbs of.
שְׁלֹמֹה () : Solomon.
בֶן (ben) : construct of בֵּן (bēn) : son of.
דָּוִד (dāwid) : David.
מֶלֶךְ (melek) : construct : king of.
יִשְׂרָאֵל (yiśrāʾēl) : Israel.

[John Reece]

BHS Text (Proverbs 1:2a):

לָדַ עַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר

Transliteration:
Translation (ESV):

To know wisdom and instruction

Glossary (meanings in this context):

לָדַעַת (lādaʿat) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + Qal infinitive construct of יָדַע (yādaʿ) : to know.
חָכְמָה () : wisdom.
וּמוּסָר () : conjunction וּ () + noun מוּסָר () : and instruction

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:2b

Text (BHS):

לְהָבִין אִמְרֵי בִינָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

to understand words of insight

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לְהָבִין () : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + Hiphil infinitive construct of בִּין () : to understand.
אִמְרֵי () : plural construct of אֵמֶר (ʾēmer) : words of.
בִינָה () : insight.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:3a

Text (BHS)

לָקַחַת מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (IBHS):

to acquire the discipline of being prudent

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לְהָבִין (lāqaḥat) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + Qal infinitive construct of לָקַח (lāqaḥ) : to acquire.
מוּסַר () : construct : the discipline of.
הַשְׂכֵּל (haśkēl) : Hiphil infinitive absolute (as substantive) of שָׂכַל (śākal) : prudence.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:3b

Text (BHS):

צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִים

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

[to do]^* what is right and just and fair

^*Verset 3b is in apposition to verset 3a.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

צֶדֶק (ṣedeq) : (what is) right.
וּמִשְׁפָּט () : conjunction וּ () + noun מִשְׁפָּט () : and just.
וּמֵישָׁרִים () : conjunction וּ () + plural** of מֵישָׁר () : and fair.

**An abstract plural (IBHS, pp. 120-21, P. 7.4.2); i.e., "a mass of equitable actions" (Toy, Proverbs, p. 12).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:4a

Text (BHS):

לָתֵת לִפְתָאיִם עָרְמָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

to give the gullible shrewdness

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לָתֵת (lātēt) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + Qal infinitive construct of נָתַן (nātan) : to give.
לִפְתָאיִם (liptāʾyim) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + plural of פֶּתִי () : to the young, naive person (easily deceived) (Holladay).
עָרְמָה () : cleverness (HALOT).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:4b

Text (BHS):

לְנַעַר דַּעַת וּמְזִמָּה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

to the young knowledge and discretion

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לְנַעַר (lᵉnaʿar) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + noun נַעַר (naʿar) : to the young.
דַּעַת (daʿat) : knowledge.
וּמְזִמָּה() : conjunction וּ () + noun מְזִמָּה () : and discretion.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:5a

Text (BHS):

יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיוֹסֶף לֶקַח

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (TNIV):

let the wise listen and add to their learning,

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

יִשְׁמַע () : Qal jussive* 3 m.s. of שָׁמַע () : let ... listen.
חָכָם (ḥākām) : adjective m.s. : the wise.
וְיוֹסֶף () : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + Hiphil jussive 3 m.s. of יָסַף (yāsap) : and add.
לֶקַח (leqaḥ) : noun m.s. : insight (HALOT/Holladay).

*

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:5b

Text (BHS):

וְנָבוֹן תַּחְבֻּלוֹת יִקְנֶה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (TNIV):

and let the discerning get guidance

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְנָבוֹן () : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + Niphal participle m.s. of בִּין () : and the discerning.
יִקְנֶה (yiqneh) : Qal jussive* of קָנָה () : let him get.
תַּחְבֻּלוֹת ()** : guidance.

*
**An abstract plural (Waltke).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:6a

Text (BHS):

לְהָבִין מָשָׁל וּמְלִיצָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

to understand a proverb and a saying

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לְהָבִין () : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + Hiphil infinitive construct of בִּין () : to understand.
מָשָׁל () : a proverb.
וּמְלִיצָה () : conjunction וּ () + noun מְלִיצָה () : and an allusive saying. (Holladay).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:6b

Text (BHS):

דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְחִידֹתָם

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

the words of the wise and their riddles.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

דִּבְרֵי () : plural construct of דָּבָר (dābār) : the words of.
חֲכָמִים () : adjective plural of חָכָם (ḥākām) : the wise.
וְחִידֹתָם () : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + plural of חִידָה () + pronominal 3 m.p. suffix : and their riddles.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:7a

Text (BHS):

יִרְאַת יְהוָה רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (TNIV):

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

יִרְאַת (yirʾat) : construct of יִרְאָה () : the fear of.
יְהוָה (YHWH) : proper name : Yahweh/the LORD.
רֵאשִׁית () : construct : [is] the beginning of.
דָּעַת (dāʿat) : knowledge.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:7b

Text (BHS):

חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר אֱוִילִים בָּזוּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (TNIV):

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

חָכְמָה () : wisdom.
וּמוּסָר () : conjunction וּ () + noun מוּסָר () : and instruction.
אֱוִילִים () : plural of אֱוִיל () : fools.
בָּזוּ () : Qal perfect 3 c.p. of בּוּז () : despise.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:8a

Text (BHS):

שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (TNIV):
Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּנִי () : noun בֵּן (bēn) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my son.
שְׁמַע () : Qal imperative 2 m.s. of שָׁמַע () : listen to.
מוּסַר () : construct : the instruction of.
אָבִיךָ () : noun אָב (ʾāb) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : your father.