Proverbs

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:16b

Text (BHS):

וִימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּם

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

and they make haste to shed blood.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וִימַהֲרוּ () : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + Qal imperfect 2 m.p. of (māhar) : and they hasten.
לִשְׁפָּךְ () : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + Qal infinitive construct of שָׁפַךְ () : to shed.
דָּם (dām) : blood.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:17

Text (BHS):

כִּי־חִנָּם מְזֹרָה הָרָשֶׁת בְּעֵינֵי כָל־בַּעַל כָּנָף

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (TNIV):

How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כִּי () : conjunction : for.
חִנָּם (ḥinnām) : adverb : in vain.
הָרָשֶׁת () : definite article + pausal vocalization of רֶשֶׁת () : the net.
מְזֹרָה () : Pual participle of זָרָה () : is spread (metaphor, Holladay).
בְּעֵינֵי () : preposition בְּ (bᵉ) + dual construct of עַיִן (ʿayin) : in the eyes/sight of.
כָל (kol) : construct of כֹּל (kōl) : any (Waltke note 22 page 185).*
בַּעַל (baʿal) : construct : possessor of (IBHSכָּנָף (kānāp) : wing.

*Before an indeterminate genitive kol is used in the more indefinite (individualizing) sense of of all kinds, any ... or distributively, each, every (GKC #127c).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:18

Text (BHS):

וְהֵם לְדָמָם יֶאֱרֹבוּ יִצְפְּנוּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָם

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְהֵם (wᵉhēm) : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + demonstrative adjective m.p. הֵם (hēm) : but these men.
יֶאֱרֹבוּ () : Qal imperfect 3 m.p. of אָרַב (ʾārab) : lie in wait.
לְדָמָם (lᵉdāmām) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + noun דָּם (dām) + pronominal 3 m.p. suffix : for their own blood.
יִצְפְּנוּ () : Qal imperfect 3 m.p. of צָפַן (ṣāpan) : they set an ambush.
לְנַפְשֹׁתָם () : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + noun נֶפֶשׁ () + pronominal 3 m.p. suffix : for their own lives.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:19

Text (BHS):

כֵּן אָרְחוֹת כָּל־בֹּצֵעַ בָּצַע אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלָיו יִקָּח

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כֵּן (kēn) (= "as has just been said" Holladay) : such [are].
אָרְחוֹת () : plural construct of אֹרַח (ʾōraḥ) : the ways of.
כָּל (kol) : construct of כֹּל (kōl) : everyone.
בֹּצֵעַ (bōṣēaʿ) : Qal participle of בָּצַע (bāṣaʿ) : who gains by violence (BDB).
בֹּצֵעַ (bōṣēaʿ) : pausal vocalization of בֶּצַע (beṣaʿ) : unjust gain (BDB).
יִקָּח (yiqqāḥ) : Qal imperfect 3 m.s. pausal of לָקַח (lāqaḥ) : it takes away.
אֶת (ʾet) : direct object marker.
נֶפֶשׁ () : construct : the life of.
בְּעָלָיו (bᵉʿālāyw) : plural of בַּעַל (baʿal) + pronominal 3 m.s. suffix : its possessors.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:20

Text (BHS):

חָכְמוֹת בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה בָּרְחֹבוֹת תִּתֵּן קוֹלָהּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

חָכְמוֹת () : plural of חָכְמָה () [intensive plural or abstract noun (Waltke)] : wisdom.
תָּרֹנָּה () : Qal imperfect 3 f.s. + pseudo-cohortative suffix (Waltke) of רָנַן (rānan) : cries aloud.
בַּחוּץ () : preposition בְּ (bᵉ) + noun חוּץ () : in the street.
בָּרְחֹבוֹת () : preposition בְּ (bᵉ) + definite article + plural [of extension (Waltke)] of רְחֹב (rᵉḥōb) : in the public square.
תִּתֵּן (tittēn) : Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of נָתַן (nātan) : she raises.
קוֹלָהּ () : noun קוֹל () + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : her voice.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:21a

Text (BHS):

בְּרֹאשׁ הֹמִיּוֹת תִּקְרָא

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

on the highest* walls** she calls out

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּרֹאשׁ () : preposition בְּ (bᵉ) + noun רֹאשׁ () : on the highest.*
הֹמִיּוֹת () : walls.**
תִּקְרָא (tiqrāʾ) : Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of קָרָא (qārāʾ) : she calls out.

*
*MT's is Qal feminine plural participle, retaining the original yodh of the root hmh (GKC #75v), a substantival adjective meaning "noisy"/"stirring"/"tumultuous" places. "Head-of-streets" occurs in Isa. 51:20; Lam. 2:19; cf. Ezek. 16:25). The LXX reads teicheōn, not from (pace Fichtner [BHS]) because that retroversion does not account for yodh, but from Ugaritic-Phoenician ḥmyt ("wall"). Scribes frequently confuse h and ḥ. The parallel in 8:2, ("on the highest heights"), better matches "wall" than does "noisy" (Waltke).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:21b

Text (BHS):

בְּפִתְחֵ י שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֹאמֵר

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

at the entrance of the city gates she speaks

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּפִתְחֵי () : preposition בְּ (bᵉ) + plural* construct of פֶּתַח (petaḥ) : at the entrance of.
שְׁעָרִים () : plural of שָׁעַר () : the gates.
בָּעִיר () : preposition בָּעִיר (bᵉ) + definite article + עִיר () : to the city.
תֹאמֵר (tōʾmēr) : Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of אָמַר (ʾāmar) : she speaks.
אֲמָרֶיהָ () : plural of אֵמֶר (ʾēmer) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : her words.

*Plural of extension (IBHS

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:22a

Text (BHS):

עַד־מָתַי פְּתָיִם תְּאֵהֲבוּ פֶתִי

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

"How long, you gullible, will you love being gullible" ―

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

עַד (ʿad) : until.
מָתַי (mātay) : when?
פְּתָיִם (pᵉtāyim) : plural of פֶּתִי () : young, naive person (easily deceived) (Holladay).
תְּאֵהֲבוּ () : Qal imperfect 2 m.p. of אָהֵב (ʾāhēb) : will you love.
פֶתִי () : abstract noun ("gullibility") (Waltke) : being gullible.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:22b

Text (BHS):

וְלֵצִים לָצוֹן חָמְדוּ לָהֶם

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

― and mockers delight themselves in mocking

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְלֵצִים () : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + Qal participle m.p. of לִיץ () : and mockers.
חָמְדוּ () : Qal perfect 3 c.p. of חָמֵד (ḥāmēd) : covet (Holladay).
לָהֶם (lāhem) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + pronominal 3 m.p. suffix : for themselves.
לָצוֹן () : noun : [the pleasure of] mocking.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:22c

Text (BHS):

וּכְסִילִים יִשְׂנְאוּ־דָעַת

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and fools hate knowledge?

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּכְסִילִים () : conjunction וּ () + plural of כְּסִיל () : and fools.
יִשְׂנְאוּ () : Qal imperfect 3 m.p. of שָׂנֵא (śānēʾ) : hate.
דָעַת (dāʿat) : knowledge.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:23a

Text (BHS):

תָּשׁוּבוּ לְתוֹכַחְתִּי

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Turn back* [you gullible young people] to my rebuke

* + lᵉ = "to turn oneself toward" and + min = "to turn back from" (see BDB) p. 997; HALOT), 4:1328), disallowing "how long will you turn away at [= from] my reproof" (pace NAB and R. Murphy [...]).
**The insertion clarifying "you" refers to the gullible, not the fools and scoffers of the parenthesis (see verse 22).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

תָּשׁוּבוּ () : Qal imperfect 2 m.p. of שׁוּב () : turn back (Holladay) ("or, repent " Waltke).
לְתוֹכַחְתִּי () : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + תּוֹכַחַת (tōkaḥat) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : to my rebuke (or correction Waltke).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:23b

Text (BHS):

הִנֵּה אַבִּיעָה לָכֶם רוּחִי

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

I will pour out my spirit to you

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

הִנֵּה () : demonstrative particle : behold/see.
אַבִּיעָה () : Hiphil imperative 1 c.s of נָבַע (nābaʿ + directional ה : I will pour out.
לָכֶם (lākem) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + pronominal 2 m.p. suffix : to you.
רוּחִי () : feminine noun רוּחַ () + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my spirit.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:23c

Text (BHS):

אוֹדִיעָה דְבָרַי אֶתְכֶם

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

I will make my words known to you.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אוֹדִיעָה () : Hiphil imperfect 1 c.s. of יָדַע (yādaʿ) + directional ה : I will make known.
אֶתְכֶם (ʾetkem) : direct object marker + pronominal 2 m.p. suffix : to you.
דְבָרַי (dᵉbāray) : plural of דָּבָר (dābār) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my words.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:24a

Text (BHS):

יַעַן קָרָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵנוּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

[But] since I cry out* and you refuse** [to listen].***

*An instantaneous perfective (IBHS
**With a waw-consecutive, the short prefix conjugation has the same tense value as the preceding perfective (IBHS
***Pace NIV and JB, "rejected me." A verb is usually used with the infinitive "to obey" and the like and never used with a personal direct object.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

יַעַן (yaʿan) : conjunction : since.
קָרָאתִי () : I cry out.*
וַתְּמָאֵנוּ () : consecutive ו (waw) + Piel imperfect 2 m.p. of מָאֵן (māʾēn) : and you refuse** (to listen).

To listen is inserted from the parallel that completes the verbal notion (Waltke).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 1:24b

Text (BHS):

נָטִיתִי יָדִי וְאֵין מַקְשִׁיב

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and when I stretch out my hand, none gives heed

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

נָטִיתִי () : Qal perfect 1 c.s. of נָטָה () : I stretch out.
יָדִי () : noun יָד (yād) + pronominal 1 c.s suffix : my hand.
וְאֵין () : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + negation אֵין () : but none.
מַקְשִׁיב () : Hiphil participle of קָשַׁב () : gives heed.