Proverbs

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:21b

Text (BHS):

נְצֹר תֻּשִׁיָּה וּמְזִמָּה

Transliteration (Accordance):
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 () = תּוּשִׁיָּה () : sound judgment.
וּמְזִמָּה () : conj. וּ () + מְזִמָּה (mᵉzimmā) : and discretion.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:22a

Text (BHS):

וְיִהְיוּ חַיִּים לְנַפְשֶׁךָ

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

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:22b

Text (BHS):

וְחֵן לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶיךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
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 () : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + גַּרְגְּרוֹת () + 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):
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 () : 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):
Translation (Waltke):

When you lie down,* you will not dread

*The LXX reads "when you sit down" (< ), followed by the NRSV and many others. Its difference from MT's ("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. 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 () : Qal imperfect 2 m.s. of שָׁכַב () : 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):
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

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְשָׁכַבְתָּ () : consecutive* וְ (wᵉ) + Qal perfect 2 m.s. of שָׁכַב () : and when you lie down.
וְעָרְבָה (wᵉʿārᵉḇāh) : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + Qal perfect 3 f.s. of עָרַב (ʿāraḇ) : will be sweet.
שְׁנָתֶךָ () : noun שָׁנָה () + 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**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):
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 () : conjunction וּ () + prep. מִן (min) + construct of שׁוֹאָה () + plural of רָשָׁע () : or the ruin of the wicked.
כִּי תָבֹא (kı̂ ṯāḇōʾ) : conjunction כִּי (kı̂) + Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of בּוֹא () : 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):
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 () : consecutive ו (waw)* + Qal perfect 3 m.s. of שָׁמַר () : 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):
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
****Literally "from its possessor."

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אַל־תִּמְנַע־טוֹב () : negation אַל (ʾal) + Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of מָנַע (mānaʿ) + adj. טוֹב () : 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):
Translation (NRSV):

when it is in your power to do it.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

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

[John Reece]

Proverbs 3:28a

Text (BHS):

אַל־תֹּאמַר לְרֵעֶיךָ

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

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