Proverbs

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:18b

Text (BHS):

הוֹן עָתֵק וּצְדָקָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

enduring wealth and prosperity.*

*Waltke note: rᵉbia mugras disallows construing ṣedeqIBHS

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

הוֹן () : wealth.
עָתֵק (ʿāṯēq) : adjective : enduring.
וּצְדָקָה () : conj. וּ () + noun צְדָקָה (ṣᵉḏāqāh) : and prosperity.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:19a

Text (BHS):

טוֹב פִּרְיִי מֵחָרוּץ וּמִפָּז

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

My fruit is better than gold, even* fine gold

*Reading Kethib, Qere omits waw.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

טוֹב () : good, [with following prep. מִן (min)] better
פִּרְיִי (piryı̂) : noun פְּרִי (p̱ᵉrı̂) + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : [is] my fruit.
מֵחָרוּץ () : prep. מִן (min) + noun חָרוּץ () : than gold.
וּמִפָּז () : conj. וּ () + pausal vocalization of פַּז (p̱az) : even pure.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:19b

Text (BHS):

וּתְבוּאָתִי מִכֶּסֶף נִבְחָר

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

and my yield than choice silver.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּתְבוּאָתִי () : conj. וּ () + noun תְּבוּאָה () + pronominal 1 c.s. suffix : and my yield.
מִכֶּסֶף (mikkesep̱) : prep. מִן (min) + noun כֶּסֶף (kesep̱) : than silver.
נִבְחָר (niḇḥār) : Niphal participle m.s of בָּחַר (bāḥar) : chosen/choice.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:20a

Text (BHS):

בְּאֹרַח־צְדָקָה אֲהַלֵּך

Transliteration (Accordance):

bᵉʾōraḥ-ṣᵉḏāqāh ʾᵃhallēḵ

Translation (NRSV):

I walk in the way of righteousness

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּאֹרַח (bᵉʾōraḥ) : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + construct of אֹרַח (ʾōraḥ) : in the way of.
צְדָקָה (ṣᵉḏāqāh) : righteousness.
אֲהַלֵּך (ʾᵃhallēḵ) : frequentive Piel imperfect 1 c.s. of הָלַךְ (hālaḵ) : I walk about/live ()

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:20b

Text (BHS):

בְּתוֹךְ נְתִיבוֹת מִשְׁפָּט

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

along the paths of justice

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּתוֹךְ () : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + construct of substantive תָּוֶךְ (tāweḵ) : in the midst of.
נְתִיבוֹת () : plural construct of נְתִיבָה (nᵉṯı̂ḇāh) : the paths of.
מִשְׁפָּט () : justice.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:21a

Text (BHS):

לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

so that* I bequeath property to those who love me

*Construing the infinitive as denoting a result clause (see IBHS

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לְהַנְחִיל (lᵉhanḥı̂l) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + Hiphil infinitive construct of נָחַל (nāḥal) : endowing (NRSV).
אֹהֲבַי (ʾōhᵃḇay) : Qal particle of אָהֵב (ʾāhēḇ) + 1 c.s. suffix : those who love me.
יֵשׁ () : substantive : (with) wealth (NRSV).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:21b

Text (BHS):

וְאֹצְרֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּא

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and I fill their treasuries.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְאֹצְרֹתֵיהֶם () : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + plural of אוֹצָר () + pronominal 3 m.p. suffix : and their storehouses.
אֲמַלֵּא (ʾᵃmallēʾ) : Piel imperfect 1 c.s. : I fill.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:22a

Text (BHS):

יְהוָה קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

The Lord brought me forth as the first of his way*

*

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

יְהוָה (YHWH) : Yahweh/the LORD.
קָנָנִי (qānānı̂) : Qal perfect 3 m.s. of קָנָה (qānāh) + 1 c.s. suffix : created me.
רֵאשִׁית () : construct : the first of.
דַּרְכּוֹ () : noun דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ) + pronominal 3 m.s. suffix : his way.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:22b

Text (BHS):

קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָז

Transliteration (Accordance):

qeḏem mip̱ʿālāyw mēʾāz

Translation (Waltke):

the earliest of his deed from of old.*

*

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

קֶדֶם (qeḏem) : construct : the earliest of.
מִפְעָלָיו (mip̱ʿālāyw) : plural of מִפְעָל (mip̱ʿāl) + pronominal 3 m.s. suffix : his works.
מֵאָז (mēʾāz) : prep. מִן (min) + adverb אָז (ʾāz) : literally from that time ; in time past, of old (BDB).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:23a

Text (BHS):

מֵעוֹלָם נִסַּכְתִּי

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

In the most remote time I was formed*

*, p. 88), P. Lagarde (Anmerkungen, p. 29), and H. B. Swete (Introduction to the Old Testament in Greek [Cambridge: Cambridge University and New York: G. P. Putnam, 1914], p. 337) emend nāsak) thinks that it is the Niphal of either II skk or of II nāsak, p. 46, followed by Fichtner [BHS]) emend to nᵉsakkōtı̂, the expected Niphal of skk.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

מֵעוֹלָם () : prep. מִן (min) + noun עוֹלָם () : from a long time back (HALOT).
נִסַּכְתִּי (nissaḵtı̂) : Niphal perfect 1 c.s. of III נָסַךְ (nāsaḵ) : I was installed (of Wisdom) BDB).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:23b

Text (BHS):

מֵרֹאשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי־אָרֶץ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

at the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

מֵרֹאשׁ () : prep. מִן (min) + noun רֹאשׁ () : from the beginning.
מִקַּדְמֵי () : prep. מִן (min) + plural construct of קֶדֶם (qeḏem) + pausal vocalization of אֶרֶץ (ʾereṣ) : from the earliest times of the earth.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:24a

Text (BHS):

בְּאֵין־תְּהֹמוֹת חוֹלָלְתִּי

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

When there were no depths* I was brought forth

*McKane (Proverbs

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּאֵין () : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + negation אֵין () : when [there were] no.
תְּהֹמוֹת () : plural of תְּהוֹם () : depths.
חוֹלָלְתִּי () : Pol'lal perfect 1 c.s. of חוּל () : metaphor of Wisdom (BDB) I was brought forth.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:24b

Text (BHS):

בְּאֵין מַעְיָנוֹת נִכְבַּדֵּי־מָיִם

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

when there were no fountains abounding* with water.

*The gerundive Niphal participle of kbdIBHS, p. 387, P. 23.3d), and no alterations of the MT are necessary (pace Fichtner BHS).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּאֵין () : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + negation אֵין () : when [there were] no.
מַעְיָנוֹת () : plural of מַעְיָן (maʿyān) : fountains.
נִכְבַּדֵּי־מָיִם () : Niphal participle plural construct of כָּבֵד (kāḇēḏ) + noun מָיִם (māyim) : full of water.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:25a

Text (BHS):

בְּטֶרֶם הָרִים הָטְבָּעוּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Before the mountains had been planted

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּטֶרֶם (bᵉṭerem) : prep. בְּ (bᵉṭ) + adverb of time טֶרֶם (ṭerem) : before.
הָרִים (hārı̂m) : plural of הַר (har) : the mountains.
הָטְבָּעוּ () : Hophal perfect 3 c.p. of טָבַע (ṭāḇaʿ) : had been planted.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 8:25b

Text (BHS):

לִפְנֵי גְבָעוֹת חוֹלָלְתִּי

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

before the heights, I was brought forth.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לִפְנֵי () : before.
גְבָעוֹת () : plural of גִּבְעָה (giḇʿāh) : the heights.
חוֹלָלְתִּי () : Po'lal perfect 1 c.s. of חוּל () : I was brought forth.