Proverbs

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:1b

Text (BHS):

תָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר כַּפֶּיךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

[If]* you have struck your palm** for a stranger

*The LXX, not recognizing that the "if" is gapped, begins the apodosis here.
**L and the majority of medieval manuscripts read plural, but more than 20 medieval manuscripts and the ancient versions read singular. The practices of becoming surety are not well enough known to decide the textual issue. ....

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

תָּקַעְתָּ (tāqa) : Qal perfect 2 m.s. of תָּקַע (tāqaʿ) : [if] you have clapped.
לַזָּר (lazzār) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + definite article + Qal participle of זוּר () : for a stranger.
כַּפֶּיךָ () : plural of כַּף (kap̱) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : your palm/hand(s).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:2a

Text (BHS):

נוֹקַשְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִיךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

you have been ensnared by the words of your lips

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

נוֹקַשְׁתָּ () : Niphal perfect 2 m.s. of יָקֹשׁ () : you have been ensnared.
בְאִמְרֵי־פִיךָ () : prep. בְ (ḇᵉ) + plural construct of אֵמֶר (ʾēmer) + noun פֶּה (peh) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : by the words of your mouth [LXX lips (cheilē)].

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:2b

Text (BHS):

נִלְכַּדְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִיךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

you have been captured by the words of your mouth.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

נִלְכַּדְתָּ (nilkaḏtā) : Niphal perfect 2 m.s. of לָכַד (lāḵaḏ) : you have been captured.
בְאִמְרֵי־פִיךָ () : prep. בְ (ḇᵉ) + plural construct of אֵמֶר (ʾēmer) + noun פֶּה (peh) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : by the words of your mouth [LXX lips (cheilesin)].

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:3a

Text (BHS):

עֲשֵׂה זֹאת אֵפוֹא בְּנִי וְהִנָּצֵל

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

So do this,* my son, and** deliver yourself***

*A. J. Baumgartner (...) comments that in the presence of numerous textual variations in the ancient versions, it is easy to see that the MT [Hebrew] is the more correct and more pure.
**The first imperative functions as a condition; the second states the consequences involved (GKC #325, 110f).
***The Hiphil nāṣal designates the taking away or freeing someone or something from all sorts of situations where one is held fast. With this verb the Niphal functions as the passive/reflexive stem of the Hiphil (IBHSNiphal combines the reflexive notion with the notion of allowing an agent, in this case the debtor, to effect upon the subject the action denoted by the verb. It also involves an element of efficacy: what the subject allows to happen can indeed be carried through (IBHS

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

עֲשֵׂה זֹאת אֵפוֹא () : Qal imperative 2 m.s. of I עָשָׂה (ʿāśāh) + demonstrative adjective f.s. זֹאת (zōʾṯ) + enclitic particle אֵפוֹא () : do this then.
בְּנִי (bᵉnı̂) : noun בֵּן (bēn) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my son.
וְהִנָּצֵל (wᵉhinnāṣēl) : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + Niphal imperative 2 m.s. of נָצַל (nāṣal) : and save yourself.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:3b

Text (BHS):

כִּי בָאתָ בְכַף־רֵעֶךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):

kı̂ ḇāʾṯā ḇᵉḵap̱-rēʿeḵā

Translation (Waltke):

for you have come into the hand of your neighbor

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כִּי בָאתָ (kı̂ ḇāʾṯā) : conj. כִּי (kı̂) + Qal perfect 2 m.s. of בּוֹא () : for you have come.
בְכַף־רֵעֶךָ (ḇᵉḵap̱-rēʿeḵā) : prep. בְ (ḇᵉ) + construct כַף (kap̱) + noun רֵעַ (rēaʿ) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : into the hand of your neighbor.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:3c

Text (BHS):

לֵךְ הִתְרַפֵּס וּרְהַב רֵעֶיךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

go, weary yourself* and badger your neighbors.**

*Or "humble yourself," The LXX reads "do not give up!" (< ʾal titrappeh, "do not be slack"). The sense, however, can be defended from the MT [Hebrew]. Gemser (, p. 36) wants "unvereilt" ("without delay") on the basis of Assyrian ina repsi "at once."
**The LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate read a fascinating singular. (see verse 1).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לֵךְ (lēḵ) : Qal imperative 2 m.s. of הָלַךְ (hālaḵ) : go.
הִתְרַפֵּס (hiṯrappēs) : Hithpael imperative 2 m.s. of רָפַס (rāp̱as) : humble/weary yourself.
וּרְהַב () : conj. וּ () + Qal imperative of רָהַב (rāhaḇ) : and importune/badger.
רֵעֶיךָ () : plural of רֵעַ (rēaʿ) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : your neighbors.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:4a

Text (BHS):

אַל־תִּתֵּן שֵׁנָה לְעֵינֶיךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Do not give sleep to your eyes

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אַל־תִּתֵּן (ʾal-tittēn) : negation אַל (ʾal) + Qal imperative 2 m.s. of נָתַן (nāṯan) : do not give.
שֵׁנָה () : noun f.s. : sleep.
לְעֵינֶיךָ () : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + plural of עַיִן (ʿayin) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : to your eyes.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:4b

Text (BHS):

וּתְנוּמָה לְעַפְעַפֶּיךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

nor slumber to your pupils.*

.*Traditionally ʿap̱ʿap̱ayim was rendered "eyelids," and still is by the REB/NIV in Jer. 9:19[17]. KBL² (p. 723, s.v. ʿap̱ʿap̱ayim) said that it meant rather "glance," and that translation is found in the same English versions here. HALOT (...) however renders it "eyelashes." M. H. Pope (...) cites a Ugaritic parallel where the ʿp̱ʿp̱y(m) are described as bowls made of some sort of precious stone. M. Dahood (...) cites a Qumran text where the ʿp̱ʿp̱ see, Eyeballs, glossed as "pupils" seems the best guess.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּתְנוּמָה () : conj. וּ () + noun תְנוּמָה () : nor slumber.
לְעַפְעַפֶּיךָ () : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + plural עַפְעַפַּיִם (ʿap̱ʿap̱ayim) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : to your pupils.*

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:5a

Text (BHS):

הִנָּצֵל כִּצְבִי מִיָּד

Transliteration (Accordance):

hinnāṣēl kiṣḇı̂ mı̂āḏ

Translation (Waltke):

Deliver yourself as a gazelle from someone's hand.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

הִנָּצֵל (hinnāṣēl) : Niphal imperative 2 m.s. of נָצַל (nāṣal) : deliver yourself.
כִּצְבִי (kiṣḇı̂) : substantive. כְּ (kᵉ) + noun צְבִי (ṣᵉḇı̂) : as a gazelle.
מִיָּד (mı̂āḏ) : prep. מִן (min) + noun יָד (yāḏ) : from a hand.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:5b

Text (BHS):

וּכְצִפּוֹר מִיַּד יָקוּשׁ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּכְצִפּוֹר () : conj. וּ () + prep. כְ (kᵉ) + noun צִפּוֹר () : and as a bird.
מִיַּד (mı̂aḏ) : prep. מִן (min) + construct of יָד (yāḏ) : from the hand of.
יָקוּשׁ () : the fowler.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:6a

Text (BHS):

לֵךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָה עָצֵל

Transliteration (Accordance):

lēḵ-ʾel-nᵉmālāh ʿāṣēl

Translation (Waltke):

Go to the ant, you sluggard

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לֵךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָה (lēḵ-ʾel-nᵉmālāh) : Qal imperative 2 m.s. of הָלַךְ (hālaḵ) + prep. אֶל (ʾel) + noun נְמָלָה (nᵉmālāh) : go to the ant.
נְמָלָה (nᵉmālāh) : sluggard.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:6b

Text (BHS):

רְאֵה דְרָכֶיהָ וַחֲכָם

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

observe its ways and be wise.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

רְאֵה () : Qal imperative 2 m.s. of רָאָה (rāʾāh) : observe.
דְרָכֶיהָ () : plural of דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : its ways.
וַחֲכָם (waḥᵃḵām) : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + Qal imperative 2 m.s. (pausal vocalization) of חָכַם (ḥāḵam) : be wise.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:7a

Text (BHS):

אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לָהּ קָצִין

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

It has no overseer*

*For the MT's qāṣı̂n ("leader") the LXX has geōrgiou ("field").

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אֲשֶׁר () : relative/connecting link as to which.
אֵין־לָהּ () : construct of particle of non-being אַיִן (ʾayin) + prep. לְ (lᵉ) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : without to it/it has no.
קָצִין (qāṣı̂n) : ruler, leader, superior.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:7b

Text (BHS):

שֹׁטֵר וּמֹשֵׁל

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

officer, or ruler

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

שֹׁטֵר () : officer.
וּמֹשֵׁל () : conj. וּ () + noun מֹשֵׁל () : or ruler.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 6:8a

Text (BHS):

תָּכִין בַּקַּיִץ לַחְמָהּ

Transliteration (Accordance):

tāḵı̂n baqqayiṣ laḥmāh

Translation (Waltke):

It provides for its grain in summer

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

תָּכִין (tāḵı̂n) : Hiphil imperfect 3 f.s. of כּוּן () : she/it prepares/provides.
בַּקַּיִץ (baqqayiṣ) : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + definite article + noun קַיִץ (qayiṣ) : in the summer.
לַחְמָהּ (laḥmāh) : noun לֶחֶם (leḥem) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : her/its grain/food.