Proverbs

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:16a

Text (BHS):

פְּעֻלַּ֣ת צַדִּ֣יק לְחַיִּ֑ים

Transliteration (Accordance):

pᵉʿullaṯ ṣaddı̂q lᵉḥayyı̂m

Translation (Waltke):

The wage of the righteous is surely life

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

פְּעֻלַּ֣ת צַדִּ֣יק (pᵉʿullaṯ ṣaddı̂q) : construct of פְּעֻלָּה (pᵉʿullā) + adjective צַדִּ֣יק (ṣaddı̂q) : the wage of the righteous.
לְחַיִּ֑ים (lᵉḥayyı̂m) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + חַיִּ֑ים (ḥayyı̂m) : [is surely] life.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:16b

Text (BHS):

תְּבוּאַ֖ת רָשָׁ֣ע לְחַטָּֽאת

Transliteration (Accordance):

Translation (Waltke):

the earnings* of the wicked are surely** sin and death.

*The nominal pattern of and denotes the result or product of an act (IBHS
**Lamed is probably emphatic (IBHS, p. 211, P. 11.2.10i), but Harman believes that the point is moot (NIDOTTE

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

תְּבוּאַ֖ת רָשָׁ֣ע () : construct of תְּבוּאָה* () + רָשָׁ֣ע () : the gain of the wicked.
לְחַטָּֽאת (lᵉḥaṭṭāʾṯ) : preposition לְ (lᵉ)** + חַטָּאת (ḥaṭṭāʾṯ) : [are surely] sin and death.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:17a

Text (BHS):

אֹ֣רַח לְ֭חַיִּים שׁוֹמֵ֣ר מוּסָ֑ר

Transliteration (Accordance):

Translation (Waltke):

Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אֹ֣רַח (ʾōraḥ) : [on the] path.
לְחַיִּים (lᵉḥayyı̂m) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + noun חַיִּים (ḥayyı̂m) : to life.
שׁוֹמֵ֣ר מוּסָ֑ר () : Qal participle of שָׁמַר () + noun מוּסָ֑ר () : [is] : he who heeds instruction.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:17a ― revised to correct translation attribution

My original post of this verset contained NOT Waltke's translation ― as I erroneously indicated, but rather that of the NRSV. This revised post seeks to correct that error.

Text (BHS):

אֹ֣רַח לְ֭חַיִּים שׁוֹמֵ֣ר מוּסָ֑ר

Transliteration (Accordance):

Translation (Waltke):

Whoever keeps instruction is a path to life*

*

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context) ― word order of translation reversed to correspond that of English:

שׁוֹמֵ֣ר מוּסָ֑ר () : Qal participle of שָׁמַר () + noun מוּסָ֑ר () : whoever keeps instruction [is].
אֹ֣רַח (ʾōraḥ) a path.
לְחַיִּים (lᵉḥayyı̂m) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + noun חַיִּים (ḥayyı̂m) : to life.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:17b

Text (BHS):

וְעוֹזֵ֖ב תּוֹכַ֣חַת מַתְעֶֽה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

but whoever abandons correction leads astray.*

*IBHS, p. 439, P. 2.2ff; cf. Jer. 42:20). The parallelism favors a two-place Hiphil with the object elided (IBHS

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְעוֹזֵ֖ב תּוֹכַ֣חַת () : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + Qal participle of עָזַב (ʿāzaḇ) + noun תּוֹכַ֣חַת () : but whoever abandons correction.
מַתְעֶֽה (maṯʿeh) : Hiphil participle of תָּעָה (tāʿāh) : leads astray.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:18a

Text (BHS):

מְכַסֶּ֣ה שִׂ֭נְאָה שִׂפְתֵי־שָׁ֑קֶר

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

As for one who conceals hatred with lying lips

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

מְכַסֶּ֣ה (mᵉḵasseh ) : Piel particle of כָּסָה (kāsāh) : [as for] one who conceals.
שִׂ֭נְאָה (śinʾāh) : hatred.
שִׂפְתֵי־שָׁ֑קֶר () : plural construct of שָׂפָה (śāp̱āh) + pausal vocalization of שֶׁקֶר () : [with] lying lips.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:18b

Text (BHS):

וּמוֹצִ֥א דִ֝בָּ֗ה ה֣וּא כְסִֽיל

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and whoever utters slander is a fool.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּמוֹצִ֥א דִ֝בָּ֗ה () : conjunction וּ () + Hiphil participle of יָצָא (yāṣāʾ) + דִ֝בָּ֗ה (ḏibbā) : and he who utters slander.
ה֣וּא כְסִֽיל () : personal pronoun m.s. ה֣וּא () + noun כְסִֽיל (ḵᵉsı̂l) : [he] is a fool.

[John Reece]

Sorry, but my brain is no longer functioning well enough for me to continue this thread.

I think I may just focus on Greek threads, which are easier for my mind to process than are Hebrew threads.

[John Reece]

Sorry, but my brain is no longer functioning well enough for me to continue this thread.

I think I may just focus on Greek threads, which are easier for my mind to process than are Hebrew threads.

The problem I have doing a Hebrew thread is like the problem I now have balancing the check book ― I just cannot do it any more.

May wife does not like to handle the check book ― which she could do if she were willing ― so she just takes it to the bank once a month and gets a clerk to do the necessary figuring to balance it.

Two or three days ago I spent the morning in a semiconscious state unable to even fix myself a cup of coffee or read anything on my iPad. My wife tells me that I just sat at the breakfast table asking for another cup of coffee until I had consumed four of them, and alternately turning my iPad off and then on again without doing anything with it ― I wasn't conscious enough to actually use it; I dropped it on the flour at least once that I remember, because I couldn't hold on to it.

However, I am still able to thank God with all my heart at the beginning and end of each day, for the fact that all my maladies are tolerable ― without the need for any medication.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:19a

Text (BHS):

בְּרֹ֣ב דְּ֭בָרִים לֹ֣א יֶחְדַּל־פָּ֑שַׁע

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

By multiplying words transgression does not cease*

*With a personal subject ḥdlHALOT (1:980, s.v. ḥdl). BDB (p. 293, s.v. ḥādalin multiloquio peccatum non deeritnṣl, not ḥdl.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

בְּרֹ֣ב דְּ֭בָרִים (bᵉrōḇ dᵉḇārı̂m) : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + construct רֹב (rōḇ) + plural of דָּבָר (dāḇār) : when words are many.
לֹ֣א יֶחְדַּל־פָּ֑שַׁע () : negation לֹ֣א (lōʾ) + Qal imperfect 3 m.s. of חָדַל (ḥāḏal) + noun פֶּשַׁע () : transgression is not lacking.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:19b

Text (BHS):

וְחֹשֵׂ֖ךְ שְׂפָתָ֣יו מַשְׂכִּֽיל

Transliteration (Accordance):

wᵉḥōśēḵ śᵉp̱āṯāyw maśkı̂l

Translation (Waltke):

but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְחֹשֵׂ֖ךְ שְׂפָתָ֣יו (wᵉḥōśēḵ śᵉp̱āṯāyw) : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + Qal participle of חָשַׂךְ (ḥāśaḵ) + plural of שָׂפָה (śāp̱āh) + pronominal 3 m.p. suffix : but he who restrains his lips.
מַשְׂכִּֽיל (maśkı̂l) : Hiphil participle m.s. of שָׂכַל (śāḵal) : is prudent.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:20a

Text (BHS):

כֶּ֣סֶף נִ֭בְחָר לְשׁ֣וֹן צַדִּ֑יק

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

The tongue of the righteous is choice* silver

*pepyrōmenon (< pepeiramenos?), to emend the text to nibḥān (pace Fichtner [BHS]). In Job 34:4, 33; Isa. 48:10; bḥr, p. 112), H. Wilderberger (TLOT, 1:210, s.v. bḥr), and HALOT (1:120, s.v. bḥr) contend that this is the meaning of the Niphalnibḥār as dedokimasmenoneklektos

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כֶּ֣סֶף נִ֭בְחָר (kesep̱ niḇḥār) : noun כֶּ֣סֶף (kesep̱) + Niphal participle m.s. absolute of בָּחַר (bāḥar) : choice silver.
לְשׁ֣וֹן צַדִּ֑יק () : construct of לָשׁוֹן () + plural of adjective צַדִּ֑יק (ṣaddı̂q) : [is] the tongue of the righteous.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:20b

Text (BHS):

לֵ֖ב רְשָׁעִ֣ים כִּמְעָֽט

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

the heart of the wicked is of little worth

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לֵ֖ב רְשָׁעִ֣ים () : construct לֵ֖ב (lēḇ) + plural of רָשָׁע () : the heart of the wicked/criminal.
כִּמְעָֽט (kimʿāṭ) : preposition כְּ (kᵉ) + substantive מְעַט (mᵉʿaṭ) : [is] of little worth.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:21a

Text (BHS):

שִׂפְתֵ֣י צַ֭דִּיק יִרְע֣וּ רַבִּ֑ים

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

The lips of a righteous person "shepherd"* many

*The translation retains the metaphor to connote the several specific senses of rʿhHALOT, 3:1,259, s.v. rʿh).

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

שִׂפְתֵ֣י צַ֭דִּיק () : plural construct of שָׂפָה (śāp̱āh) + adjective m.s. צַ֭דִּיק (ṣaddı̂q) : the lips of a righteous person.
יִרְע֣וּ רַבִּ֑ים () : Qal imperfect 3 m.p. of רָעָה (rāʿāh) + m. plural of adjective רַב (raḇ) : shepherd many.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 10:21b

Text (BHS):

וֶֽאֱוִילִ֗ים בַּחֲסַר־לֵ֥ב יָמֽוּתוּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

but fools die through* lack of sense**

*Causal beth (IBHS, p. 198, P. 11.2.5e).
**Taking ḥᵃsar as the construct of ḥeser or ḥōsēr, not [contrary to BDB, see below] as the construct Qal ptcp. of ḥāsēr

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וֶֽאֱוִילִ֗ים (weʾᵉwı̂lı̂m) : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + plural of אֱוִיל (ʾᵉwı̂l) : but fools.
בַּחֲסַר־לֵ֥ב (baḥᵃsar-lēḇ) : preposition בְּ (bᵉ) + Qal infinitive construct of חָסֵר (ḥāsēr) (BDB) : for lack of sense.
יָמֽוּתוּ () : Qal imperfect 3 m.p. of מוּת () : die.