Proverbs

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:6):

[hebrew](+RT ZQnYM BnY BnYM
WTp)RT BnYM )BWTM[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

‘^eteret z^eqēnīm b^enē bānīm
w^etip’eret bānīm ’^abōtām

Translation (Waltke):

The [splendid] crown of the aged is children's children,
and the glorious [crown] of children is their fathers.

Comment (brackets added):

The crown [‘^eteret] of the aged (z^eqēnīm), which is "the most common and general term for someone old" and certifies the meaning of sēbā in the parallel of 16:31, is children's children [b^enē bānīm] (see 13:22), representing the potential limit of living descendants. [...] And [w^e] complements the splendor of parents through children with the splendor of children through parents. The splendid [tip’eret] [crown] of children [bānīm] is their fathers [’^abōtām], not excluding mothers [...] of each generation [...].

— Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:7):

[hebrew]L) n)WH LnBL $pT YTR
)p kY LnDYB $pT $QR[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

lō’ nā’wāh l^enābāl s^epat yeter;
’ap kī l^enādīb s^epat shāqer.

Translation (Waltke):

An eloquent lip is not fitting for a godless fool;
how much more unfitting is a lying lip for a nobleman.

Comment (brackets added):

An eloquent [yeter] lip [s^epat] is not [lō’] fitting [nā’wāh] for [l^e] a godless fool [nābāl];
how much more [’ap kī] unfitting [lō’ nā’wāh] is a lying [shāqer] lip [s^epat] to [l^e] a nobleman [nādīb].
In sum, if the virtue of eloquence in style is unfitting for social outcasts,
how much more the vice of lies in substance for nobles!

— Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:8):

[hebrew])BN XN H$XD B(YnY B(LYW
)L kL )$R YpnH Y$kYL [/hebrew]

Transliteration:

’eben khēn hashshōkhad b^e‘ēnē b^e‘ālāyw
’el kol ’^asher yipneh yaskīl

Translation (Waltke):

A bribe is a magic stone in the eyes of its owner;
to whomever he turns he thinks he will succeed.

Comment (brackets added):

A bribe (hashshōkhad) "is never used of a disinterested gift" (see mattān in 15:27); its 20 other occurrences mostly pertain to a gift that adversely affects the administration of justice [...]. [...] Is a magic stone (or charm, ’eben khēn) is a hapax legomenon. Khēn essentially denotes that which disposes others to favor or accept someone or something [...]. Its parallel supports HALOT's gloss, "magic stone, which provides favor." In the eyes of [b^e‘ēnē] denotes a fool's state of self-delusion and reliance on his own opinion [...]. [...] It's owner (b^e‘ālāyw; [...]) probably denotes the bribe giver who owns the charm, not the bribe taker who thinks it is his due [...]. To whomever [’el kol] refers to the bribe taker who threatens the giver. He turns (yipneh) refers to the instigator of the bribe because "stone" [’eben] is feminine; thus the masculine verbal action with ’el refers to turning toward the threatening person, not a thing. He thinks glosses the gapped "in his opinion." He will succeed (yaskīl; [...]) in perverting justice in this book must be ironic [...]. This fool's potent instrument succeeds with depraved officials, but not with God and the wise. — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

Glossary:

hashshōkhad : prefixed & assimilated definite article hash- / [hebrew]H[/hebrew] + shōkhad / [hebrew]$XD[/hebrew] bribe.
hapax legomenon : A word that appears only once in a designated document or body of literature.
b^e‘ēnē : prefixed preposition b^e / [hebrew]B[/hebrew] + ‘ēnē = plural construct state of ‘ayin / [hebrew](YN[/hebrew] eye.
b^e‘ālāyw : ba‘al / [hebrew]B(L[/hebrew] owner + possessive pronoun suffix yw / [hebrew]YW[/hebrew] its.
kol : Waltke's footnote: "Indefinite kol has the distributive sense "every" (GKC, ¶ 127c)."
yipneh : Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of pānāh / [hebrew]pnH[/hebrew] turn.
yaskīl : Hiphil imperfect 3 m.s. of sākal / [hebrew]$kL[/hebrew] prosper, have success.

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:9):

[hebrew]mkSH p$( mBQ$ )HBH
W$nH BDBR mpRYD )LWP[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

m^ekasseh pesha‘ m^ebaqqēsh ’ah^abā
w^eshōneh b^edābār maprīd ’allūp

Translation (Waltke):

Whoever would foster love is one who covers over a transgression,
but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends.

Comment (brackets added):

Whoever would foster [m^ebaqqēsh] [or seek what seems inaccessible] love [’ah^abā] is one who covers over [m^ekasseh] a transgression [pesha‘]. But [w^e] marks the contrast. Whoever ... separates [maprīd] close friends [’allūp] repeats 16:28. [...] In its six other occurrences in the Qal [...] is one who repeats (shōneh) always refers to doing something once more, a second time, never "again and again," "to harp on." Not even once does he repeat a matter (or word, dābār; see 11:13). "Matter" is a better gloss than "word" because the parallel is "transgression." The gossip makes future reconciliation impossible. The glory of the wise is that they do not seek vengeance [...], knowing that God will deal with the guilt of others [...] and sin will be punished [...]. — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005)

Glossary:

m^ekasseh : Piel participle of kāsāh / [hebrew]kSH[/hebrew] cover.
m^ebaqqēsh : Piel participle of bāqash / [hebrew]BQ$[/hebrew] seek.
shōneh : Qal active participle of shānāh / [hebrew]$nH[/hebrew] repeat, do something again, for the second time.
maprīd : Hiphil participle of pārar / [hebrew]pRR[/hebrew] break, destroy, put an end to.

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:10):

[hebrew]TXT G(RH BmBYN
mHkWT kSYL m)H[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

tēkhat g^e‘ārā b^emēbīn
mēhakkōt k^esīl mē’ā

Translation (Waltke):

A rebuke penetrates more deeply into a discerning person
than flogging a fool a hundred times.

Comment (brackets added):

This comparative proverb, whose two halves share the common predicate of "penetrate" [tēkhat], contrasts a morally indignant rebuke [g^e‘ārā] (13:1; 13:8) of a discerning (or understanding, mēbīn; [...]) person with flogging (hakkōt) a fool (k^esīl; [...]). [...] Penetrates (tēkhat; [...] represents a rare root that occurs once each in the Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil and four times in the Qal and essentially means to move from a higher to a lower place [...]. Twice it is used in the context of chastisement with into (b^e; [...]), and here in the metaphor of a rebuke descending into a person's inner being. The comparative more deeply is demanded by the initial comparative than (min) of verset B. Comparative than marks the standard to which the success of a rebuke is compared, namely, a fool (k^esīl; [...]) physically beaten with a rod [...]. A hundred times (mē’ā; [...]) is hyperbole. In the Egyptian papyrus Sallier from the New Kingdom, it signifies a round, exaggerated number, more than twice the 40 blows the law allowed for the worst crimes [...]. — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005).

Glossary:

tēkhat : Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of nākhēt / [hebrew]nXT[/hebrew] penetrate (more) deeply (than) subject rebuke Pr 17:10. (Holladay).
b^emēbīn : composite word consisting of prefixed preposition b^e / [hebrew]B[/hebrew] + mēbīn.
b^e : Holladay lists 20 senses, including "9. after verbs of motion into."
mēbīn : Hiphil participle of bīn / [hebrew]BYN[/hebrew] understand, perceive.
mēhakkōt : composite word consisting of prefixed and assimilated form (mē) of preposition min / [hebrew]mN[/hebrew] + hakkōt.
min : Holladay lists 11 senses, including "5. b) in expressions of comparison more than."
hakkōt : Hiphil infinitive construct of nākāh / [hebrew]nkH[/hebrew] strike, hit, beat.
hakkōt mē’ā beat 100 times Pr 17:10. (Holladay).

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:11):

[hebrew])K mRY YBQ$ R(
WmL)K )kZRY Y$LX BW[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

ak-m^erī y^ebaqqesh rā’
ūmal’āk akzārī y^eshullakh bō

Translation (Waltke):

An evil person fosters only rebellion,
But a cruel messenger is sent against him.

Comment (brackets added):

The synthetic parallels of v. 11, linking the fool's rebellion with God's retribution, are phonetically held together by the broken consonance of their mutual phrases, ak-m^erī ("only rebellion") and mal’āk akzārī ("cruel messenger"). The incorrigible fool is now equated with the morally repulsive evil person (rā’; [...]) who fosters (y^ebaqqesh; see 17:9) only [ak] rebellion (m^erī). [...] And [ū] combines his rebellion with God's retribution. The hard-as-flint cruel (akzārī; [...]) matches the evil person's unrelenting, willful rebellion that hurts others and pains God [...]. This cruel [akzārī] messenger (mal’āk; see 13:17) is sent (y^eshullakh; [...]) against him [bō] from the throne of heaven, to judge from the consistent use of "rebellion" as against God and from the alternating structure in which God is the Agent [...]. — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005).

Glossary:

y^ebaqqesh : Piel imperfect 3 m.s. of bāqash / [hebrew]BQ$[/hebrew] seek.
ūmal’āk : composite word consisting of conjunction ū (and) + mal’āk (messenger).
y^eshullakh : Pual imperfect 3 m.s. of shālakh / [hebrew]$LX[/hebrew] send.
bō : composite word consisting of prefixed preposition b (against) + pronoun ō (him).
b = b^e (see 17:10 Glossary).

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:12):

[hebrew]pGW$ DB $kWL B)Y$
W)L kSYL B(WLTW[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

pāgōsh dōb shakkūl b^e’īsh
w^e’al k^esīl b^e’iwwaltō

Translation (Waltke):

Meet a she-bear robbed of her young by a man,
but [do] not [meet] a fool in his folly.

Comment (brackets added):

Meet (pāgōsh) signifies to come face-to-face, eye-to-eye, on another in an unavoidable encounter that one or both parties intended. [...] English usage demands interpreting the epicene noun as a she-bear (dōb), a biblical symbol of anger and ferocity. [...] Her anger and ferocity are exacerbated by the phrase robbed of her young [shakkūl]. [...] by a man [b^e’īsh] shows the bear has been bereaved of her young by human action, not by accident, and so is bent on venting her anger and ferocity against the victimizer. [...] But [w^e] marks the antithetical command in the implicit a fortiori argument. If one should not confront a bear, how much more a fool. Do not [’al], which assumes an elided form of imperative "meet," a fool (k^esīl; see 17:10) in his folly [b^e’iwwaltō], which, answering to"robbed ... by man," refers to his paroxysm of anger. — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005).

Glossary:

pāgōsh : Qal infinitive absolute of pāgash / [hebrew]pG$[/hebrew] meet.
epicene noun : having only one form of the noun for male and female.
shakkūl : adjective bereaved (of bear) who has lost her cubs (and is therefore fierce) Pr 17:12. (Holladay).
b^e’īsh : preposition b^e / [hebrew]B[/hebrew] (by) + ’īsh / [hebrew])Y$[/hebrew] (a man).
[hebrew]B[/hebrew] : Holladay lists 21 definitions, including "— 15. means, tool by."
w^e’al : conjunction w^e / [hebrew]W[/hebrew] (but) + ’al / [hebrew])L[/hebrew] (not).
[hebrew]W[/hebrew] : Holladay lists 30 definitions, including "— 15. with antitheses, w^e = but."
b^e’iwwaltō : preposition prefix b^e / [hebrew]B[/hebrew] (in) + ’iwwelet / [hebrew])WLT[/hebrew] (folly) + possessive pronoun suffix ō / [hebrew]W[/hebrew] (his).
A possessive pronoun is not a separate word; it is attached to the noun in a fragmentary and much modified form as a suffix.

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:13):

[hebrew]m$YB R(H TXT +WBH
L) TmY$ R(H mBYTW[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

mēshīb rā‘ā takhat tōbā
lō’ tāmīsh rā‘ā mibbētō

Translation (Waltke):

As for the one who repays evil for good,
evil does not depart from his house.

Comment (brackets added):

The one who repays (mēshīb; [...]) glosses a term that literally means "to cause someone or something to turn in the opposite direction." Evil [rā‘ā] here refers to moral insolence that harms [...], given in payment in exchange for [takhat] good [tōbā]. [...] In verset B evil (rā‘ā; [...]), now personified as a household guest, refers to the consequent harm of insolent behavior. Not [lō’] modifies the whole situation. Does ... depart [tāmīsh] entails that a collection of distressing happenings has first been visited upon his [suffix ō = the subject of verset A] house [bēt]. — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005).

Glossary:

• mēshīb : Hiphil participle of shūb / [hebrew]$WB[/hebrew] a verb with a rather wide semantic range. HALOT lists 11 definitions of the Hiphil, including "—4. a) to cause to turn around, meaning to give back [...] b) to give back, meaning to repay ... Pr 17:13."

• takhat : preposition, for which BDB lists 11 definitions, including "in exchange for ... Pr 17:13."

• tāmīsh : Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of mīsh / [hebrew]mY$[/hebrew] withdraw, give way, fail to be present (Holladay).

• mibbētō : preposition prefix mib (assimilated form of min = from) + bēt (house) + possessive pronoun suffix ō; see 17:12 glossary.

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:14):

[hebrew]pW+R mYM R)$YT mDWN
WLpnY HTGL( HRYB n+W$[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

pōtēr mayim rē’shīt mādōn;
w^elipnē hitgalla‘ hārīb n^etōsh.

Translation (Waltke):

The beginning of strife is one who breaks open a dam;
so before a quarrel breaks out drop the controversy.

Comment (brackets added):

The beginning (rē’shīt; [...]) of strife (mādōn; [...]) is implicitly likened to the one who breaks open (pōtēr; [...]) a dam or sluice [mayim "water"]. Peter [[hebrew]p+R[/hebrew]] denotes the "firstborn" (what opens and passes through the womb). An Akkadian parallel means "to open a source of water," The metaphor assumes that the "water" in view is that of a dam or sluice [...]. [...] The conjunctive "and" [w^e] is glossed so because verset B logically subordinates the consequence. Before [lipnē] (see 16:18) is temporal, and the quarrel (hārīb; see 15:18) in parallel with mādōn refers to an acrimonious controversy. Breaks out (hitgalla‘) occurs only three times, all in Proverbs with reference to strife [...]. [...] Drop [n^etōsh] essentially means "to leave someone, something or some situation unattended and uncared for" and here "to desist from," "let alone."[...] — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005).

Glossary:

pōtēr : Qal active participle of pātar / [hebrew]p+R[/hebrew] with mayim : let out (water through irrigation gate or the like) Pr 17:14. (Holladay).
w^elipnē : conjunction (w^e / [hebrew]W[/hebrew]) + preposition (li / [hebrew]L[/hebrew]) + m. p. construct (pnē / [hebrew]pnY[/hebrew]) of pāneh / [hebrew]pnH[/hebrew] "face, presence").
lipnē : properly at the face or front of, the most general word for in the presence of, before (BDB).
hitgalla‘ : Hithpael perfect 3 m.s. of gāla‘ / [hebrew]GL([/hebrew] break out (of dispute) Pr 17:14. (Holladay).
hārīb : definite article (hā / [hebrew]H[/hebrew] "the") + rīb / [hebrew]RYB[/hebrew] dispute, quarrel.
n^etōsh : Qal imperative 2 m.s. of nātash / [hebrew]n+$[/hebrew] quit something desist from Pr 17:14. (Holladay).

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:15):

[hebrew]mcDYQ R$( WmR$Y( cDYQ
TW(BT YHWH GM $nYHM[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

matsdīq rāshā‘ ūmarshīa‘ tsaddīq
tō‘^abat YHWH gam sh^enēhem

Translation (Waltke):

As for the one who pronounces a wicked person innocent,
and as for the one who pronounces a righteous person guilty,
both, yes, both of them are an abomination to the LORD.

Comment (brackets added):

[...] [The] versets are held together grammatically by the emphatic yes, both of them [gam sh^enēhem], referring to the two kinds of corrupt judges in verset A. In the Hebrew text verset A presents a terse, chiastic assonance: matsdīq rāshā‘ ūmarshīa‘ tsaddīq. As for the one who pronounces the wicked person innocent [matsdīq rāshā‘] denotes a corrupt judge who esteems and declares the behavior of the guilty as conforming to the divinely established moral order as so acquits them from the punishment of wrongdoing [...]. And [ū] links him as just as guilty with as for the one who pronounces a righteous person guilty [marshīa‘ tsaddīq]. [...] The proverb corrects the popular misconception that it is better to set free ten guilty persons than to condemn one innocent person. Both are an abomination to the LORD [tō‘^abat YHWH]. — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005).

Glossary:

matsdīq : Hiphil participle of tsādaq / [hebrew]cDQ[/hebrew] pronounce someone not guilty, innocent (Holladay).
rāshā‘ : one guilty of crime deserving punishment Pr 17:15. (BDB).
marshīa‘ Hiphil participle of rsāha‘ / [hebrew]R$([/hebrew] declare, pronounce (someone) guilty (Holladay).
tsaddīq : just in one's cause right Pr 17:15. (BDB).
tō‘^abat : construct state of tō‘^abāh / [hebrew]TW(BH[/hebrew] something abominable, detestable (Holladay).
gam : particle of association and emphasis (HALOT).
sh^enēhem : sh^enayim (two) + 3 m.p. suffix hem (them).

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:16):

[hebrew]LmH ZH mXYR BYD kSYL
LQnWT XkmH WLB )YN[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

lāmmā zeh m^ekhīr b^eyad k^esīl
liqnōt khokmā w^eleb ’āyin

Translation (Waltke):

Why in the world is there payment in the hand of a fool
to buy wisdom when he has no capacity to learn?

Comment (brackets added):

The introductory proverb implicitly calls on the disciple to accept correction and so have the moral capacity to comprehend the sage's teaching by the dramatic irony of picturing a fool grotesquely coming to the sage with money in hand to buy his wisdom. His rhetorical why [lāmmā] does not wait for an answer but gives vent to the sage's exasperation at the absurd situation. in the world [see zeh in glossary] adds an exclamation point to his exasperation. [Is there] payment (m^ekhīr) denotes the act of giving goods — probably here money [...] — in exchange for goods or services. Three other times it occurs with to buy [liqnōt] [...] wisdom [khokmā] [...]. In the hand [b^eyad] [...] stands in marked antithesis to the inner void of a fool (k^esīl; [...]), who hates knowledge of the moral order and scorns correction. [...] The circumstantial clause when he has no capacity to learn [w^eleb ’āyin] denotes his lack of moral sensibility and so his inability to understand wisdom [...]. — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005).

Glossary:

lāmmā : interrogative for what reason? why? ; often strengthened by zeh (BDB).
zeh : Holladay lists 16 glosses, including "—15. strengthens interrogative words".
Waltke footnote : The use of zeh may serve to add "vividness".
b^eyad : preposition prefix b^e (in) + yad (hand).
liqnōt : preposition prefix l^e (to) + Qal infinitive construct of qānāh / [hebrew]QNH[/hebrew] (buy).
w^eleb ’āyin : conjunction w^e (and) + leb (heart) + ’āyin (no).
khokmā w^eleb ’āyin : literally "wisdom and there is no heart".

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:17):

[hebrew]BkL (T )HB HR(
W)X LcRH YWLD[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

b^ekol ‘ēt ’ōhēb hārēa‘
w^e’ākh l^etsārā yiwwālēd

Translation (Waltke):

At all times a friend is one who loves,
and a relative is born for adversity.

Comment (brackets added):

At all times [b^ekol ‘ēt] is placed emphatically up front. A friend (hārēa‘; [...]) refers to a true or ideal neighbor, like the ideal king in 16:10-16, not a fair-weather friend [...]. Since rēa‘ conceptually denotes "friend," to avoid tautology ’ōhēb is best glossed is one who loves [...], not "friend" (see 14:20). [...] Ambiguous and [w^e] could also be glossed "but" (cf. 16:33). [...]. [...] a relative (’ākh; [...]) [...] Is born [yiwwālēd] means "is brought forth as a child," and for [l^e] represents the purpose of the adversity (tsārā), a state of extreme and highly possible misfortune [...], stands in the outer frame with "at all times," contrasting and comparing the spiritual and natural relationships. — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005).

Glossary:

b^ekol ‘ēt : prefixed preposition b^e / [hebrew]B[/hebrew] (at) + kol / [hebrew]kL[/hebrew] (all) + ‘ēt / [hebrew](T[/hebrew] (time).
’ōhēb : Qal active participle of ’āhab / [hebrew])HB[/hebrew] (love).
hārēa‘ : definite article hā / [hebrew]H[/hebrew] + rēa‘ / [hebrew]R([/hebrew] (friend).
hā / [hebrew]H[/hebrew] : "The article of class designates hārēa‘ as the subject" (Waltke footnote) .
w^e’ākh : prefixed conjunction w^e / [hebrew]W[/hebrew] (and, but) + ’ākh / [hebrew])X[/hebrew] (brother, blood relative).
l^etsārā : prefixed preposition l^e / [hebrew]L[/hebrew] (for) + tsārā / [hebrew]cRH[/hebrew] (distress, adversity).
yiwwālēd : Niphal imperfect 3 m.s. of yālad / [hebrew]YLD[/hebrew] (be born).

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:18):

[hebrew])DM XSR LB TWQ( kP
(RB (RBH LpnY R(HW[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

’ādām kh^asar lēb tōqēa‘ kāp
‘ōrēb ‘^arubbāh lipnē rē‘ēhū

Translation (Waltke):

One who claps a palm is a human being who has no sense;
the one who pledges a security in the presence of his neighbor.

Comment (brackets added):

In the chiastic synonymous parallels of v. 18 the subject, one who claps a palm [tōqēa‘ kāp], is a metonymy for its stock-in-trade parallel, one who pledges [‘ōrēb] [...]. A security [‘^arubbāh] refers to anything a person might put up as collateral, whether property or an oath, in exchange for future payment [...]. He is classified as a human being (’ādām) who has no sense (kh^asar lēb; [...]). In the presence of now glosses spatial lipnē, "before". Lipnē never means "for" in the sense of "on behalf of," contra all the ancient versions, NIV, NRSV, et al. This meaning suggests that his neighbor (rē‘ēhū; see 17:17) refers to a witness to the transaction to make the pact more secure, not to the one to whom the creditor is liable or to the one being secured. — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005).

Glossary:

kh^asar lēb / [hebrew]XSR LB[/hebrew] : literally "lacking heart/sense".
tōqēa‘ / [hebrew]TWQ([/hebrew] : Qal active participle of tāqa‘ / [hebrew]TQ([/hebrew].
kap (or kāp) / [hebrew]kP[/hebrew] = palm, hand.
tōqēa‘ kāp / [hebrew]TQ( kP[/hebrew] : strike hands (with someone) = conclude a bargain, confirm a contract (Holladay).
‘ōrēb / [hebrew](RB[/hebrew] : Qal active participle of ‘ārab / [hebrew](RB[/hebrew] = pledge oneself as surety for debts (Holladay).
‘^arubbāh / [hebrew](RBH[/hebrew] = security, pledge Pr 17:18. (Holladay).
rē‘ēhū / [hebrew]R(HW[/hebrew] : rēa‘ / [hebrew]R([/hebrew] (comrade, companion, friend, fellow) + suffixed possessive pronoun hō / [hebrew]HW[/hebrew] (his).

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:19):

[hebrew])HB p$( )HB mcH
mGBYH pTXW mBQ$ $BR[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

’ōhēb pesha‘ ’ōhēb matstsā
magbīah pitkhō m^ebaqqesh shāber

Translation (Waltke):

One who loves strife is one who loves transgression,
and one who makes his doorway high is one who loves destruction.

Comment (brackets added):

The one who loves (’ōhēb; [...]) strife [matstsā] (see 13:10) in either a verbal battle or coming to blows is one who loves transgression [pesha‘] (see 10:12). The one who makes ... high (magbīah; see 16:5) always means "to heighten" someone or something. [...] His doorway (pitkhō) refers to the opening or entrance wherein the door or gate swung [...]. It functions as a synecdoche for a high house in relationship to the neighborhood, not that this one architectural feature is out of proportion with the rest of it. The LXX rightly paraphrases: "one who makes his house high." If so, the high house symbolizes the pride of its owner (cf. 16:5). This arrogant misanthropist is one who seeks [m^ebaqqesh] destruction [shāber] (see 15:4). — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005).

Glossary:

’ōhēb / [hebrew])HB[/hebrew] : Qal active participle of ’āhab / [hebrew])HB[/hebrew] love.
pesha‘ / [hebrew]p$([/hebrew] = transgression.
matstsā / [hebrew]mcH[/hebrew] : occurs only three times and is formed by the nominal pattern of abstract mem [[hebrew]m[/hebrew]] prefixed to the root ntsh [[hebrew]ncH[/hebrew]] "to fight" (Waltke).
magbīah / [hebrew]mGBYH[/hebrew] : Hiphil participle of gābah / [hebrew]GBH[/hebrew] make high.
pitkhō / [hebrew]pTXW[/hebrew] : petakh / [hebrew]pTX[/hebrew] (opening, doorway, entrance) + suffixed pronoun ō / [hebrew]W[/hebrew] (his).
m^ebaqqesh / [hebrew]mBQ$[/hebrew] : Piel participle of bāqash / [hebrew]BQ$[/hebrew] seek.
shāber (also spelled sheber and shēber ) / [hebrew]$BR[/hebrew] = breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash.

[John Reece]

Text (Proverbs 17:20):

[hebrew](Q$ LB L) Ymc) +WB
WnHpK BL$WnW YpWL BR(H[/hebrew]

Transliteration:

‘iqqesh-lēb lō’-yimtsā’-tōb
w^enehpāk bilshōnō yippōl b^erā‘ā

Translation (Waltke):

A person with a perverse heart does not find good,
and one with a corrupt tongue falls into evil.

Comment (brackets added):

A person with a perverse heart [‘iqqesh-lēb] is also one with a corrupt tongue (nehpāk bilshōnō; [...]). And [w^e] combines his perverted heart, the governor of all members [...], with the commands that emerge from the tongue. [...] The heart does not find good [lō’-yimtsā’-tōb] (i.e., tangible property; [...]), but he falls [yippōl] (a metaphor for "to perish"; [...]) into evil [b^erā‘ā]. — Bruce K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs 15-31 (NICOT: Eerdmans, 2005).

Glossary:

‘iqqesh- / [hebrew](Q$[/hebrew] : (adjective) construct state of ‘iqqash / [hebrew](Q$[/hebrew] perverted, false (Holladay).
lēb / [hebrew]LB[/hebrew] : inner man, mind, will, heart (BDB).
lō’ / [hebrew]L)[/hebrew] : (negative) not.
yimtsā’ / [hebrew]Ymc)[/hebrew] : Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of mātsā’ / [hebrew]mc)[/hebrew] attain to, find (BDB).
tōb / [hebrew]+WB[/hebrew] = a good thing, benefit, welfare (BDB).
w^enehpāk / [hebrew]WnHpK[/hebrew] : prefixed conjunction w^e / [hebrew]W[/hebrew] (and) + Niphal participle of hāpak / [hebrew]HpK[/hebrew] (be perverse Pr 17:20. BDB).
bilshōnō / [hebrew]BL$WnW[/hebrew] : prefixed preposition b^e / [hebrew]B[/hebrew] (with) + lāshōn / [hebrew]L$Wn[/hebrew] (tongue) + suffixed possessive pronoun ō / [hebrew]W[/hebrew] (his)
yippōl / [hebrew]YpWL[/hebrew] : Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of nāpal / [hebrew]npL[/hebrew] fall.
b^erā‘ā / [hebrew]BR(H[/hebrew] : prefixed preposition b^e / [hebrew]B[/hebrew] (into) + rā‘ā / [hebrew]R(H[/hebrew] evil, harm; misery, trouble, disaster (Holladay).
b^e / [hebrew]B[/hebrew] : Holladay lists 21 nuances, including —15. means, tool with; —9. after verbs of motion into.