Proverbs

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:3a

Text (BHS):

שָׁלְחָה נַעֲרֹתֶיהָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

She has sent out her servant girls*

*The LXX and Syriac curiously render the feminine ṇaʿᵃrōt by masculine doulous and ʿabde, respectively. Did their sense of propriety preclude sending female servants out into the street?

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

שָׁלְחָה () : Qal perfect 3 f.s. of שָׁלַח () : she has sent out.
נַעֲרֹתֶיהָ () : plural of נַעֲרָה (naʿᵃrāh) + pronominal 3 f.p. suffix : her servant girls.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:3b

Text (BHS):

תִקְרָא

Transliteration (Accordance):

ṯiqrāʾ

Translation (Waltke):

she* cries out**

*Proverbs, p. 187) holds that the plural is original but stumbles over the singular in verse 4b. McKane (Proverbs, p. 361) suggests that the singular be understood as distributive.
**The present imperfect represents an iterative situation in the imagery that up to now has been presented holistically. The LXX paraphrases synkalousa

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

תִקְרָא (ṯiqrāʾ) : Qal imperfect 3 f.s. of קָרָא (qārāʾ) : she cries out.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:3c

Text (BHS):

עַל־גַּפֵּי מְרֹמֵי קָרֶת

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

on the tops* of the heights** of the city.

* is based on its Syriac and Arabic cognates (HALOT, 1:200, s.v. gap). On the basis of gpt gʿrWIANE, p. 9) rendered Proverbs and Northwest Semitic Philology [Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1963], p. 18) countered that the etymology of gpt
**

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

עַל־ (ʿal-) : preposition : on.
גַּפֵּי () : plural construct of גַּף (gap̱) : the tops of.
מְרֹמֵי () : plural construct of מָרוֹם () : the heights of.
קָרֶת (qāreṯ) : pausal vocalization of קֶרֶת (qereṯ) : the city.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:4a

Text (BHS):

מִי־פֶתִי יָסֻר הֵנָּה

Transliteration (Accordance):

mı̂-p̱eṯı̂ yāsur hēnnā

Translation (Waltke):

"Whoever is gullible, let him turn aside here."

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

מִי (mı̂) : interrogative who/whoever [is].
פֶתִי (p̱eṯı̂) : gullible.
יָסֻר (yāsur) : Qal imperfect apocopated jussive of סוּר () : let him turn aside.
הֵנָּה (hēnnā) : adverb : here.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:4b

Text (BHS):

חֲסַר־לֵב אָמְרָה לּוֹ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

As for the one who has no sense, she says* to him.**

*wʾmr), probably a facilitating reading to yield a smoother sentence. The MT cannot be explained away from a text-critical point of view.
**The syntax of ḥᵃsar-lēb

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

חֲסַר (ḥᵃsar) : construct of adjective חָסֵר (ḥāsēr) : [as for the one who is] lacking/in want of.
לֵב (lēḇ) : noun : sense.
אָמְרָה (ʾāmᵉrāh) : Qal perfect 3 f.s. of אָמַר (ʾāmar) : she says.
לּוֹ () : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + pronominal 3 m.s. suffix : to him.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:5a

Text (BHS):

לְכוּ לַחֲמוּ בְלַחֲמִי

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Come, dine on* my food

*Lḥm bᵉIBHSHALOT (2:526, II lḥmbᵉ

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לְכוּ () : Qal imperative 2 m.p. of הָלַךְ (hālaḵ) : come.
לַחֲמוּ () : Qal imperative 2 m.p. of לָחַם (lāḥam) : eat.
בְלַחֲמִי (ḇᵉlaḥᵃm) : prep. בְּ (ḇᵉ) + noun לֶחֶם (leḥem) + 1 c.s. suffix : of my bread.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:5b

Text (BHS):

וּשְׁתוּ בְּיַיִן מָסָכְתִּי

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and drink the wine I have mixed

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּשְׁתוּ () : conjunction וּ () + Qal imperative 2 m.p. of שָׁתָה () : and drink.
בְּיַיִן (bᵉyayin) : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + noun יַיִן (yayin) : of the wine.
מָסָכְתִּי (māsāḵᵉtı̂) : Qal perfect 1 c.s. pausal vocalization of מָסַךְ (māsaḵ) : I have mixed.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:6a

Text (BHS):

עִזְבוּ פְתָאיִם וִחְיוּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Leave your ways, you gullible ones,* and live**

*The ancient versions probably read pᵉtı̂ or pᵉtāʾyim probably stands in contrast to the abstract form in v. 13b. Besides, the LXX is too free to be used to reconstruct its Vorlage. Fox (, p. 417) thinks that the concrete now stands for the abstract, but in Proverbs the abstract stands for the concrete, not vice versa. Delitzsch (Proverbs, p. 200) prefers to take pᵉtāʾyim either as a vocative with the imperative supplying the object from the notion of pᵉtāʾyimderek
**The logical connection between the volitional forms in verset A is based on semantics, not on the grammatical construction (...).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

עִזְבוּ () : Qal imperative 2 m.p. of עָזַב (ʿāzaḇ) : leave [your ways].*
פְתָאיִם (p̱ᵉṯāʾyim) : plural of adjective פֶּתִי (peṯı̂) : [you] gullible ones.
וִחְיוּ () : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + Qal imperative 2 m.p. of חָיָה (ḥāyāh) : and live.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:6b

Text (BHS):

וְאִשְׁרוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ בִּינָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and proceed on the way of insight*

*The LXX of verse 6 differs significantly from the MT. Perhaps it represents a different recension, and/or paraphrases, and/or doublets (...).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְאִשְׁרוּ () : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + Qal imperative 2 m.p. of אָשַׁר () : and go straight on/advance.
בְּדֶרֶךְ (bᵉḏereḵ) : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + construct דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ) : in/on the way of.
בִּינָה (bı̂nāh) : insight.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:7a

Text (BHS):

יֹסֵר לֵץ לֹקֵחַ לוֹ קָלוֹן

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Whoever chastises a mocker gets shame*

*

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

יֹסֵר (yōsēr) : Qal participle of יָסַר (yāsar) whoever corrects.
לֵץ (lēṣ) : Qal participle of לִיץ (lı̂ṣ) : a scoffer.
לֹקֵחַ (lōqēaḥ) : Qal participle of לָקַח (lāqaḥ) : invites.
לוֹ () : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + pronominal 3 m.s. suffix : to him[self].
לֹקֵחַ (lōqēaḥ) : noun : shame/insults.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:7b

Text (BHS):

וּמוֹכִיחַ לְרָשָׁע מוּמוֹ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and whoever corrects a wicked person* gets hurt.**

*, which in fact is an ethical term for the failed relationship with humanity that brings guilt before God.
** is a predicate nominative; the pronominal suffix, parallel to , is a genitive of a mediated object (IBHS

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּמוֹכִיחַ () : conj. וּ () + Hiphil participle of יָכַח (yāḵaḥ) : and whoever reproves.
לְרָשָׁע () : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + adjective as substantive רָשָׁע () : a wicked person.
מוּמוֹ () : noun מאוּם () + pronominal 3 m.s. suffix : gets hurt.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:8a

Text (BHS):

אַל־תּוֹכַח לֵץ פֶּן־יִשְׂנָאֶךָּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

Do not correct a mocker lest he hate you

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אַל־תּוֹכַח () : negation אַל (ʾal) + Hiphil imperative 2 m.s. of יָכַח (yāḵaḥ) : [do] not reprove.
לֵץ (lēṣ) : a scoffer.
פֶּן (pen) : lest.
יִשְׂנָאֶךָּ (yiśnāʾeḵā) : Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of שָׂנֵא (śānēʾ) + pronominal 2 m.s. suffix : he hate you

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:8b

Text (BHS):

הוֹכַח לְחָכָם וְיֶאֱהָבֶךָּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

correct a wise person so that* he will love you.

*Waw with the prefix conjugation (= jussive, see v. 9b) after an imperative denotes purpose (IBHS, p. 577, P. 34.6).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

הוֹכַח () : Hiphil imperative 2 m.s. of יָכַח (yāḵaḥ) : reprove.
לְחָכָם (lᵉḥāḵām) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + לְחָכָם (lᵉḥāḵām) adjective חָכָם (ḥāḵām) : a wise person.
וְיֶאֱהָבֶךָּ (wᵉyeʾᵉhāḇeḵā) : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + Qal imperative 2 m.s. of אָהֵב (ʾāhēḇ) : and he will love you.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:9a

Text (BHS):

תֵּן לְחָכָם

Transliteration (Accordance):

tēn lᵉḥāḵām

Translation (Waltke):

Give [instruction]* to the wise

*The object leqaḥ probably qualifies tēn and as well as .

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

תֵּן (tēn) : Qal imperative 2 m.s. of נָתַן (nāṯan) : give.
לְחָכָם (lᵉḥāḵām) : prep. לְ (lᵉ) + noun חָכָם (ḥāḵām) : to the wise [instruction].*

[John Reece]

Proverbs 9:9b

Text (BHS):

וְיֶחְכַּם־עוֹד

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

so that he may become wiser still

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְיֶחְכַּם (wᵉyeḥkam) : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + Qal imperative 3 m.s. of חָכַם (ḥāḵam) + adverb עוֹד () : so that he may become wiser still.