Proverbs

[John Reece]

Proverbs 7:23c

Text (BHS):

וְלֹא־יָדַע כִּי־בְנַפְשׁוֹ הוּא

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

And he does not know [he acts] against* his own life.

*The preposition demands a verb ()

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְלֹא (wᵉlōʾ) : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + negation לֹא (lōʾ) : and not.
יָדַע (yāḏaʿ) : Qal perfect 3 m.s. : he knows.
כִּי (kı̂) : conjunction : that.
בְנַפְשׁוֹ () : prep.* בְ (ḇᵉ) + noun נֶפֶשׁ () + pronominal 3 m.s. suffix : against his [own] life.
הוּא () : personal pronoun 3 m.s. he [acts].*

[John Reece]

Proverbs 7:24a

Text (BHS):

וְעַתָּה בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִי

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

So now, sons,* listen to me;

*The LXX smooths the text by consistently using singular "my son."

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְעַתָּה (wᵉʿattā) : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + adverb עַתָּה (ʿattā) : so now.
בָנִים (ḇānı̂m) : masculine plural of בֵּן (bēn) : sons.
שִׁמְעוּ () : Qal imperative 2 m.p. of שָׁמַע () : listen.
לִי (lı̂) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : to me.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 7:24b

Text (BHS):

וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לְאִמְרֵי־פִי

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ () : conj. וְ (wᵉ)+ Hiphil imperative 2 m.p. of קָשַׁב () : and be attentive.
לְאִמְרֵי () : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + plural construct of אֵמֶר (ʾēmer) : to the words of.
פִי (p̱ı̂) : noun פֶּה (peh) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my mouth.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 7:25a

Text (BHS):

אַל־יֵשְׂטְ אֶל־דְּרָכֶיהָ לִבֶּךָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (RSV):

Let not your heart turn aside to her ways

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אַל (ʾal) : negation for prohibition : [let] not
יֵשְׂטְ (yēśᵉṭ) : Qal imperfect 3 m.s. apocopated of שָׂטָה (śāṭāh) : turn aside.
אֶל (ʾel) : preposition : to.
דְּרָכֶיהָ () : plural of דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : her ways.
לִבֶּךָ (libbeḵā) : noun לֵב (lēḇ) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : your heart.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 7:25b

Text (BHS):

אַל־תֵּתַע בִּנְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (RSV):

do not stray into her paths

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אַל (ʾal) : negation for prohibition : [do] not.
תֵּתַע (tēṯaʿ) : Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of תָעָה (ṯāʿāh) : stray.
בִּנְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ () : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + plural absolute of נְתִיבָה (nᵉṯı̂ḇāh) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : into her paths.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 7:26a

Text (BHS):

כִּי־רַבִּים חֲלָלִים הִפִּילָה

Transliteration (Accordance):

kı̂-rabbı̂m ḥᵃlālı̂m hippı̂lāh

Translation (TNIV):

Many are the victims she has brought down

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כִּי (kı̂) : conjunction : for.
רַבִּים (rabbı̂m) : plural of רַב (raḇ) : many.
חֲלָלִים (ḥᵃlālı̂m) : plural of adjective חָלָל (ḥālāl) : victims.
הִפִּילָה (hippı̂lāh) : Hiphil perfect 3 f.s. of נָפַל (nāp̱al) : she has brought down.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 7:26b

Text (BHS):

וַעֲצֻמִים כָּל־הֲרֻגֶיהָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (TNIV):

her slain are a mighty throng.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וַעֲצֻמִים (waʿᵃṣumı̂m) : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + plural of עָצוּם () : and countless.
כָּל (kol) : construct of כֹּל (ḵōl) : [are] all.
הֲרֻגֶיהָ () : Qal passive participle m.p. of הָרַג (hārag̱) + 3 f.s. suffix : her slain.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 7:27a

Text (BHS):

דַּרְכֵי שְׁאוֹל בֵּיתָהּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke, via Accordance):

Her house* presents the ways to the grave,

*The disagreement in number between the singular bētāhntybwtyh and nybth. Among other arguments he regards 7:26 as a gloss and notes the parallelism drkyh//ntybwtyh in the versets of 7:25. According to him (see also BHS) the text was purposely changed to bythbietetbedeutenbirgt

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

דַּרְכֵי () : plural construct of דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ) : the ways to.
שְׁאוֹל () : the grave
בֵּיתָהּ () : noun בַּיִת (ḇayiṯ) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : her house.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 7:27b

Text (BHS):

יֹרְדוֹת אֶל־חַדְרֵי־מָוֶת

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (TNIV):

leading down to the chambers of death.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

יֹרְדוֹת () : Qal f.p. participle of יָרַד (yāraḏ) : descending.
אֶל (ʾel) : to.
חַדְרֵי () : metaphor : plural construct of חֶדֶר (ḥeḏer) : the chambers of.
מָוֶת (māweṯ) : death.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:1a

Text (BHS):

הֲלֹא־חָכְמָה תִקְרָא

Transliteration (Accordance):

hᵃlōʾ-ḥoḵmāh ṯiqrāʾ

Translation (Waltke):

Does not Wisdom call out,*

*The LXX understood tiqrāʾ

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

הֲלֹא (hᵃlōʾ) : interrogative הֲ (hᵃ) + negation לֹא (lōʾ) : [does] not?
חָכְמָה (ḥoḵmāh) : wisdom.
תִקְרָא (ṯiqrāʾ) : Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of קָרָא (qārāʾ) : call out.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:1b

Text (BHS):

וּתְבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלָהּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and Understanding raise her voice?

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּתְבוּנָה () : conj. וּ () + noun תְבוּנָה () : and understanding.
תִּתֵּן (tittēn) : Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of נָתַן (nāṯan) : raise.
קוֹלָהּ () : noun קוֹל () + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : her voice.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:2a

Text (BHS):

בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרוֹמִים עֲלֵי־דָרֶךְ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

On the highest points* beside the way

*HALOT, 3:1,166, s.v. ).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּרֹאשׁ () : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + construct רֹאשׁ () : on the top of.
מְרוֹמִים () : plural of מָרוֹם () : the heights.
עֲלֵי () : preposition עַל (ʿal) : beside.
דָרֶךְ (ḏāreḵ) : pausal vocalization of דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ) : the way.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:2b

Text (BHS):

בֵּית נְתִיבוֹת נִצָּבָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

at the crossroads* she takes** her stand.

*The form is II byṭ (feminine of bynHALOT, 1:129, s.v. II bayit).
**An instantaneous perfective (IBHS

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בֵּית () : between.
נְתִיבוֹת () : plural of נְתִיבָה (nᵉṯı̂ḇāh) : [the] paths.
נִצָּבָה (niṣṣāḇāh) : Niphal perfect 3 f.s. of נָצַב (nāṣaḇ) : she takes her stand.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:3a

Text (BHS):

לְיַד־שְׁעָרִים לְפִי־קָרֶת

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Beside* the gates** at the entries*** of the city****

*See HALOT, 2:388, s.v. yad.
**IBHS
***
****Qrt is found exclusively in wisdom literature. Since it is attested in Ugaritic (UT, #2284), it is not late (pace BDB, p. 900, s.v. qeret

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לְיַד (lᵉyaḏ) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + construct of יָד (yāḏ, metaphor*) : beside.
שְׁעָרִים () : plural (of extension**) of שַׁעַר () : the gates.
לְפִי (lᵉp̱ı̂) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + construct of פֶּה (peh***) : at the mouth of,
קָרֶת (qāreṯ****) : pausal vocalization of qeret : the city.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:3b

Text (BHS):

מְבוֹא פְתָחִים תָּרֹנָּה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

at the entrances* of the openings** she cries aloud.***

*Construing the singular as a collective (IBHS
**Construing the plural as a plural of extension (IBHS, p. 120, P. 7.4.1c; cf. 1:21).
***An onomatopoetic word, to get a hearing.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

מְבוֹא () : construct of מָבוֹא () : at the entrances* of
פְתָחִים (p̱ᵉṯāḥı̂m) : plural** of פֶּתַח (p̱eṯaḥ) : the openings.
תָּרֹנָּה (tārōnnā)*** : Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of רָנַן (rānan) : she cries aloud.