Proverbs

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:4a

Text (BHS):

אֲלֵיכֶם אִישִׁים אֶקְרָא

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

To you, men* I call out;

*The unusual plural of is the regular Phoenician plural and is also found in Ps. 141:4, which is ascribed to David, suggesting that it is not late (pace HALOT, 1:43, s.v. ).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אֲלֵיכֶם () : preposition + 2 m.p. suffix : to you.
אִישִׁים () : Phoenician plural* of אִישׁ () : men.
אֶקְרָא (ʾeqrāʾ) : Qal imperfect 1 c.s. of קָרָא (qārāʾ) : I call out.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:4b

Text (BHS):

וְקוֹלִי אֶל־בְּנֵי אָדָם

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (WEB):

I send my voice to the sons of mankind

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְקוֹלִי () : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + noun קוֹל () + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : and my voice [I send].
אֶל (ʾel) : to.
בְּנֵי () : plural construct of בֵּן (bēn) : the sons of.
אָדָם (ʾāḏām) : mankind.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:5a

Text (BHS):

הָבִינוּ פְתָאיִם עָרְמָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

O simple ones, learn prudence

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

הָבִינוּ () : Hiphil imperative 2 m.p. of בִּין (bı̂n) : learn.
פְתָאיִם (p̱ᵉṯāʾyim) : plural of פֶּתִי (peṯı̂) : O simple ones
עָרְמָה (ʿormāh) : prudence.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:5b

Text (BHS):

וּכְסִילִים הָבִינוּ לֵב

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and you fools, set your heart on it.*

*The repetition of in the MT is textually suspicious. The LXX reads enthesthe kardianhkynw lēb; so Baumgartner, [Leipzig: Brockhaus, 1863], p. 27), an easy graphic confusion with hbynw. Although entithēmi could conceivably render bı̂n in the Hiphil, it renders hbynw in verset A as noēsate (< hbynwpace McKane [Proverbs, p. 43]). If is original, the idiom hkyn lēb[/i]HALOT, 2:465, s.v. ) and

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּכְסִילִים () : conj. וּ () + plural of כְּסִיל (ḵᵉsı̂l) : and [you] fools.
הָבִינוּ לֵב () : Hiphil imperative 2 m.p. of בִּין (bı̂n) + noun לֵב (lēḇ) : learn heart (pay attention [RSV]).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:6a

Text (BHS):

שִׁמְעוּ כִּי־נְגִידִים אֲדַבֵּר

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Listen, because I speak what is right*

*Nᵉgı̂dı̂mnāgı̂d). Gemser (, p. 36) cites Eph. 4:29; Phil. 4:8; Col 4:6. Toy (Proverbs, p. 166) emends the text to nᵉkōḥı̂mnᵉgı̂dı̂mA propos de Prov.neged), achieves the same meaning by revocalizing the text to nᵉgādı̂m, a plural form of the preposition negednōkaḥnākōaḥnᵉkōḥı̂m (i.e., they are clear and true; cf. 24:26; Isa. 59:14). Likewise the sages employed a plural form of neged with a moralistic value that is practically a synonym of nᵉkōḥı̂m and suffix; cf. 3:8, , a hapax legomenon.; 4:24, (only elsewhere in 6:12); 9:13, , a [i]hapax legomenon.; and . Due to the short duration of some words, the copyists conformed this hapax legomenon to the common word nāgı̂d, with which they were more familiar, just as they transformed to

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

שִׁמְעוּ () : Qal imperative 2 m.p. of שָׁמַע () : listen.
כִּי (kı̂) : because.
נְגִידִים (nᵉg̱ı̂ḏı̂m) : plural abstract princely things [BDB].*
אֲדַבֵּר (ʾᵃḏabbēr) : Piel imperfect 1 c.s. of דָּבַר (dāḇar) : I speak.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:6b

Text (BHS):

וּמִפְתַּח שְׂפָתַי מֵישָׁרִים

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and the opening* of my lips speaks** what is right.***

*Miptaḥ is another hapax legomenon
**
***Although

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּמִפְתַּח () : conj. וּ () + construct of מִפְתָּח (mip̱tāḥ) : and the opening of.
שְׂפָתַי (śᵉp̱āṯay) : plural of שָׂפָה (śāp̱āh) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my lips.
מֵישָׁרִים () : plural of מֵישָׁר () : [speaks] what is right.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:7a

Text (BHS):

כִּי־אֱמֶת יֶהְגֶּה חִכִּי

Transliteration (Accordance):

kı̂-ʾᵉmeṯ yehgeh ḥikkı̂

Translation (NRSV):

for my mouth will utter truth

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כִּי (kı̂) : for.
אֱמֶת (ʾᵉmeṯ) : truth.
חִכִּי (ḥikkı̂) : noun חֵךְ (ḥēḵ) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my palate/mouth.
יֶהְגֶּה (yehgeh) : Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of הָגָה (hāg̱āh) : utter/speak.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:7b

Text (BHS):

וְתוֹעֲבַת שְׂפָתַי רֶשַׁע

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְתוֹעֲבַת () : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + construct of תּוֹעֵבָה () : and an abomination to.
שְׂפָתַי (śᵉp̱āṯay) : plural of שָׂפָה (śāp̱āh) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my lips.
רֶשַׁע () : [is] wickedness.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:8a

Text (BHS):

בְּצֶדֶק כָּל־אִמְרֵי־פִי

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

All the words of my mouth are spoken* in righteousness

*The verb is elided but implied by the preposition (IBHS

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּצֶדֶק (bᵉṣeḏeq) : preposition בְּ (bᵉ) + noun צֶדֶק (ṣeḏeq) : in righteousness.
כָּל (kol) : construct of כֹּל (kōl) : all.
אִמְרֵי () : construct of אֵמֶר (ʾēmer) : the words of.
פִי (p̱ı̂) : noun פֶּה (peh) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my mouth [are spoken].*

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:8b

Text (BHS):

אֵין בָּהֶם נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּשׁ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and there is not one among them that is deceitful or perverse.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אֵין () : negation : [there is] not.
בָּהֶם (bāhem) : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + pronominal 3 m.p. suffix : among them.
נִפְתָּל (nip̱tāl) : Niphal participle of פָּתַל (pāṯal) : one that is deceitful.
וְעִקֵּשׁ () : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + adjective עִקֵּשׁ () : or perverse.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:9a

Text (BHS):

כֻּלָּם נְכֹחִים לַמֵּבִין

Transliteration (Accordance):

kullām nᵉḵōḥı̂m lammēḇı̂n

Translation (NRSV):

They are all straight to one who understands

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כֻּלָּם (kullām) : noun כֹּל (kōl) + pronominal 3 m.p. suffix : they all.
נְכֹחִים (kullām) : plural of נָכֹחַ (nāḵōaḥ) : [are] straight.
לַמֵּבִין (lammēḇı̂n) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + definite article + Hiphil 2 m.s. participle of בִּין (bı̂n) : to one who understands.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:9b

Text (BHS):

וִישָׁרִים לְמֹצְאֵי דָעַת

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

and right to those who find knowledge.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וִישָׁרִים () : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + plural of יָשָׁר () : and right.
לְמֹצְאֵי (ᵉmōṣᵉ) : prep. לְ (ᵉ) + Qal m.p. participle of מָצָא (māṣāʾ) : to those who find.
דָעַת (ḏāʿaṯ) : knowledge.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:10a

Text (BHS):

קְחוּ־מוּסָרִי וְאַל־כָּסֶף

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Choose* my instruction** instead of*** silver,

*For this meaning of lqḥ see HALOT, 2:534, s.v. lqḥ.
**yodh and following waw, or the LXX may have leveled the text with daʿat, but the suffix may be doing double duty (see M. Dahood, The Anchor Bible: Psalms
***Wᵉʾal or wᵉloʾProverbs, p. 177; Gemser,

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

קְחוּ () : Qal imperative 2 m.p. of לָקַח (lāqaḥ) : choose.*
מוּסָרִי () : noun מוּסָר () + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : my instruction.
וְאַל (wᵉʾal) : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + negation אַל (ʾal) : and not / instead of.***
כָּסֶף (kāsep̱) : silver.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:10b

Text (BHS):

וְדַעַת מֵחָרוּץ נִבְחָר

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

my knowledge rather than* choice gold.**

*Min denotes a comparison of exclusion, not of degree (IBHS
**Proverbs, p. 88; cf. Meinhold, , 1:137).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְדַעַת (wᵉḏaʿaṯ) : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + noun דַעַת (ḏaʿaṯ) : and knowledge.
מֵחָרוּץ () : prep. מִן (min)* + noun חָרוּץ () : rather than gold.
נִבְחָר (niḇḥār) : Niphal particle m.s. of בָּחַר (bāḥar) : [that has been] chosen.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:11a

Text (BHS):

אֲנִי־חָכְמָה שָׁכַנְתִּי עָרְמָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

I, Wisdom,* dwell** with shrewdness;

*IBHS, p. 64, P. 4.2.1a),
**BHS, p. 85), reads , feminine of

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אֲנִי־חָכְמָה (ʾnı̂-ḥoḵmāh) : personal pronoun 1 c.s. אֲנִי (ʾnı̂) + noun חָכְמָה (ḥoḵmāh) : I, Wisdom.
שָׁכַנְתִּי () : Qal perfect 1 c.s. of שָׁכַן () : dwell.
עָרְמָה (ʿormāh) : noun : [together with] prudence [TNIV].