Proverbs

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:15a

Text (BHS):

פְּרָעֵהוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בּוֹ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Flout* it,** do not travel on it;

*The LXX apparently, not knowing the meaning of the Hebrew word, reads "in which place they might camp" (...).
**The antecedent is either "way" or "path."

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

פְּרָעֵהוּ () : Qal imperative 2 m.s. of פָּרַע (pāraʿ) + pronominal 3 m.s. suffix : let it alone = avoid it (BDB).
אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בּוֹ () : negation אַל (ʾal) + Qal imperfect 2 m.s. of עָבַר (ʿāḇar) + prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + pronominal 3 m.s. suffix : do not travel on it.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:15b

Text (BHS):

שְׂטֵה מֵעָלָיו וַעֲבוֹר

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

turn aside from going* upon it,** and pass on.

*The prepositions imply this verb of motion (IBHS
**The LXX reads "from them," making "wicked ... evil men" the antecedent.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

שְׂטֵה () : Qal imperative 2 m.s. of שָׂטָה (śāṭāh) : turn away.
מֵעָלָיו (mēʿālāyw) : prep. מִן (min) + prep. עַל (ʿal) + 3 m.s. suffix : from going* upon it.
וַעֲבוֹר () : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + Qal imperative of עָבַר (ʿāḇar) : and pass on.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:16a

Text (BHS):

כִּי לֹא יִשְׁנוּ אִם־לֹא יָרֵעוּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כִּי לֹא יִשְׁנוּ () : conj. כִּי (kı̂) + negation לֹא (lōʾ) + Qal imperfect 3 m.p. of יָשֵׁן () : for they cannot sleep.
אִם־לֹא יָרֵעוּ () : hypothetical particle אִם (ʾim) + negation לֹא (lōʾ) + hiphil imperfect 3 m.p. of רָעָה (rāʿāh) : unless they have done wrong.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:16b

Text (BHS):

וְנִגְזְלָה שְׁנָתָם אִם־לֹא יַכְשִׁילוּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְנִגְזְלָה שְׁנָתָם () : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + Niphal perfect 3 f.s. of גָּזַל (gāzal) noun שֵׁנָה () + 3 m.p. suffix : they are robbed of sleep.
אִם־לֹא יַכְשִׁילוּ () : hypothetical particle אִם (ʾim) + negation לֹא (lōʾ) + Hiphil imperfect 3 m.p. of כָּשַׁל () unless they have made someone stumble (figurative = bring injury or ruin to someone BDB).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:17a

Text (BHS):

כִּי לָחֲמוּ לֶחֶם רֶשַׁע

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

For they eat the bread of wickedness

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כִּי לָחֲמוּ () : conj. כִּי (kı̂) + Qal perfect 3 c.p. of לָחַם (lāḥam) : for they eat.
לֶחֶם רֶשַׁע () : construct לֶחֶם (leḥem) + noun רֶשַׁע () : the bread of wickedness.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:17b

Text (BHS):

וְיֵין חֲמָסִים יִשְׁתּוּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and the wine of violent acts* they drink.**

*The plural is exceptional. Out of 60 occurrences of the noun only four are plural; the other three function as attributive genitive with ("man"). Accordingly the plural is best taken as a countable metonymy for violent deeds (cf. IBHS
**The LXX reads, "they become intoxicated." Actually, "they drink" is more powerful, for one swallow of this vile drink is too much.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְיֵין חֲמָסִים () : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + construct of יַיִן (yayin) + plural of חָמָס (ḥāmās) : and the wine of violent acts.
יִשְׁתּוּ () : Qal imperfect 3 m.p. of שָׁתָה () : they drink.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:18a

Text (BHS):

וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Now* the path of the righteous is like the morning sun**

*The waw is disjunctive, not copulative, introducing new participants (IBHS
**S. Aalen (TDOT, 1:151, s.v. ) says that nōg̱ah "brightness" refers to the dawn, but the data suggest that refers to the morning when the full brightness begins (Judg. 19:26).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים (wᵉʾōraḥ ṣaddı̂qı̂m) : disjunctive וְ (wᵉ) + construct אֹרַח (ʾōraḥ) + plural of צַדִּיק (ṣaddı̂q) : the path of the righteous.
כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ () : prep. כְּ (kᵉ) + construct אוֹר () + noun f.s. נֹגַהּ (nōg̱ah) : [is] like the light of brightness.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:18b

Text (BHS):

הוֹלֵךְ וָאוֹר עַד־נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (TNIV):

shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

הוֹלֵךְ וָאוֹר () : Qal stative participle ("i.e. verbal adjective" -Waltke) of הָלַךְ (hālaḵ) + conj. וְ (wᵉ) + Qal participle of אוֹר () : becoming lighter ("literally" -Waltke).
עַד־נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם () : prep. עַד (ʿaḏ) + Niphal participle construct of כּוּן () + def. article + noun יוֹם () : until the day is firm (Waltke).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:19a

Text (BHS):

דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים כָּאֲפֵלָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים () : construct דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ) + plural of רָשָׁע () : the way of the wicked.
כָּאֲפֵלָה (kāʾᵃp̱ēlāh) : substantive כְּ (kᵉ) + definite article + noun אֲפֵלָה (ʾᵃp̱ēlāh) : [is] like darkness (simile of wickedness BDB).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:19b

Text (BHS):

לֹא יָדְעוּ בַּמֶּה יִכָּשֵׁלוּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

they do not know what they stumble over.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לֹא יָדְעוּ () : negation לֹא (lōʾ) : Qal perfect 3 c.p. of יָדַע (yāḏaʿ) : they do not know.
בַּמֶּה (bammeh) : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + definite article + indirect interrogative מֶה (meh) : over what.
יִכָּשֵׁלוּ () : Niphal imperfect 3 m.p. pausal of כָּשַׁל () : they stumble.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:20a

Text (BHS):

בְּנִי לִדְבָרַי הַקְשִׁיבָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (RSV):

My son, be attentive to my words

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּנִי (bᵉnı̂) : noun בֵּן (bēn) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my son.
לִדְבָרַי (liḏḇāray) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + plural of דָּבָר (ḏāḇār) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : to my words.
הַקְשִׁיבָה () : Hiphil imperative 2 m.s. of קָשַׁב () + voluntative ה : be attentive.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:20b

Text (BHS):

לַאֲמָרַי הַט־אָזְנֶךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):

laʾᵃmāray haṭ-ʾozneḵā

Translation (RSV):

incline your ear to my sayings.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לַאֲמָרַי (laʾᵃmāray) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + plural of אֵמֶר (ʾēmer) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : to my sayings.
הַט־אָזְנֶךָ (haṭ-ʾozneḵā) : Hiphil imperative 2 m.s. of נָטָה (nāṭāh) + noun אֹזֶן (ʾōzen) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : your ear.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:21a

Text (BHS):

אַל־יַלִּיזוּ מֵעֵינֶיךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Do not allow them to depart* from before** your eyes***

*Tolerative Hiphil (...) and possibly internal Hiphil (...) ...
**Elided preposition (...).
***The LXX reads "so that your springs will not fail," confounding ʿayin "eye" with ʿayin "spring" (a sexual symbol?) and running roughshod over the syntax.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אַל־יַלִּיזוּ () : negation אַל (ʾal) + Hiphil imperfect 3 m.p. of לוּז () : let them not depart.
מֵעֵינֶיךָ () : prep. מִן (min) + plural of עַיִן (ʿayin) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : from your eyes.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:21b

Text (BHS):

שָׁמְרֵם בְּתוֹךְ לְבָבֶךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

keep them within your heart.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

שָׁמְרֵם () : Qal imperative 2 m.s. of שָׁמַר () + 3 m.p. suffix : keep them.
בְּתוֹךְ () : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + construct of substantive תָוֶךְ (ṯāweḵ) : within.
לְבָבֶךָ (lᵉḇāḇeḵā) : noun לֵב (lēḇ) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : your heart.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 4:22a

Text (BHS):

כִּי־חַיִּים הֵם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶם

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

For they are life to those who find them

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כִּי־חַיִּים הֵם (kı̂-ḥayyı̂m hēm) : conjunction כִּי (kı̂) + noun חַיִּים (ḥayyı̂m) + personal pronoun 3 m.p. הֵם (hēm) : for life they [are].
לְמֹצְאֵיהֶם () : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + Qal m.p. participle of מָצָא (māṣāʾ) + pronominal 3 m.p. suffix : to those who find them.