Proverbs

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:14a

Text (BHS):

הַשְּׂמֵחִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

those who are joyful in* doing evil

*The preposition lᵉ with the verbal adjective describes their psychological state and signifies "with regard to" (cf. 17:5), not purpose, "to do evil." ―Waltke, op. cit.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

הַשְּׂמֵחִים (haśśᵉmēḥı̂m) : definite article + Qal m.p. participle of שָׂמַח (śāmaḥ) : those who delight.
לַעֲשׂוֹת () : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + Qal infinitive construct of עָשָׂה (ʿāśāh) : in doing.
רָע (rāʿ) : pausal pronunciation of רַע (raʿ).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:14b

Text (BHS):

יָגִילוּ בְּתַהְפֻּכוֹת רָע

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

[and] rejoice in evil perversions

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

יָגִילוּ () : Qal imperfect 3 m.p. of גִּיל (gı̂l) : [and] rejoice.
בְּתַהְפֻּכוֹת () : preposition בְּ (bᵉ) + noun feminine plural construct of תַּהְפֻּכָה (tahpuḵāh) : in the perverseness of.
רָע (rāʿ) : pausal vocalization of רַע (raʿ) evil.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:15a

Text (BHS):

אֲשֶׁר אָרְחֹתֵיהֶם עִקְּשִׁים

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (TNIV):

whose paths are crooked

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

אֲשֶׁר () : relative whose.
אָרְחֹתֵיהֶם () : noun masculine plural of אֹרַח (ʾōraḥ) + masculine plural suffix : paths.
עִקְּשִׁים () : adjective masculine plural of עִקֵּשׁ () : (are) crooked.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:15b

Text (BHS):

וּנְלוֹזִים בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָם

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (TNIV):

and who are devious in their ways.

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וּנְלוֹזִים () : conjunction וּ () + Niphal participle m.p. of לוּז (lūz) : and who are devious.
בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָם () : preposition בְּ (bᵉ) + m.p. of מַעְגָּל (maʿg̱āl) + pronominal 3 m.p. suffix : in their tracks/ways.

[John Reece]

proverbs 2:16a

Text (BHS):

לְהַצִּילְךָ מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

to deliver you from the unchaste wife

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לְהַצִּילְךָ (lᵉhaṣṣı̂lḵā) : preposition לְ (lᵉ) + Hiphil infinitive construct of נָצַל (nāṣal) + 2 m.s. suffix : to deliver you.
מֵאִשָּׁה () : preposition מִן (min) + אִשָּׁה () : from the wife.
זָרָה (zārāh) : (who is) unchaste.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:16b

Text (BHS):

מִנָּכְרִיָּה אֲמָרֶיהָ הֶחֱלִיקָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

from the outsider who cause her words to be smooth

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

מִנָּכְרִיָּה (minnāḵᵉrı̂ā) : prep. מִן (min) + adj. f.s. נָּכְרִיָּה (nāḵᵉrı̂ā) : foreign woman, as technical term, in Proverbs, for harlot (perhaps because harlots were originally chiefly foreigners) ―BDB.
אֲמָרֶיהָ () : plural of אֵמֶר (ʾēmer) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : her words.
הֶחֱלִיקָה (heḥᵉlı̂qāh) : Hiphil perfect 3 f.s. of חָלַק (ḥālaq) : she has made smooth.

.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:17a

Text (BHS):

הַעֹזֶבֶת אַלּוּף נְעוּרֶיהָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

who abandons the companion of her youth

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

הַעֹזֶבֶת (haʿōzeḇeṯ) : definite article הַ (ha) + Qal participle f.s. of עָזַב (ʿāzaḇ) : who forsakes.
אַלּוּף () : construct : the companion of.
נְעוּרֶיהָ () : abstract plural (IBHSנְעוּרִים () + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : her youth.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:17b

Text (BHS):

וְאֶת־בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיהָ שָׁכֵחָה

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and forgets her covenant with God*

*The pronominal suffix modifies "covenant," not "God" (GKC, #135n). However, , since elsewhere God authors covenants and people accept them, he is the author of her obligations. The LXX omits the pronominal suffix. Fichtner (BHS) unnecessarily emends to ʾhᵒlāh "her tent," investing it with the meaning of ḥuppātāh "her covering, tent."

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְאֶת־בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיהָ () : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + direct object indicator אֶת־ (eṯ-) + construct בְּרִית (bᵉrı̂ṯ) + plural noun אֱלֹהִים (ʾᵉlōhı̂m) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : and the covenant of her God.
שָׁכֵחָה () : Hiphil perfect 3 f.s. of שָׁכַח () : she forgets.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:18a

Text (BHS):

כִּי שָׁחָה אֶל־מָוֶת בֵּיתָהּ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (REB):

Surely,* her house is the way down to death

*The clausal adverb emphasizes the clause itself because it exhibits no evident logical link to the preceding clause (IBHS

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כִּי (kı̂) : conjunction surely.
שָׁחָה () : hapax legomenon : read שׁוּחַ () (BDB & HALOT) : sinks down.
אֶל־מָוֶת (ʾel-māweṯ) : preposition אֶל־ (ʾel-) + noun מָוֶת (māweṯ) : to death.
בֵּיתָהּ () : noun בַּיִת (bayiṯ) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : her house.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:18b

Text (BHS):

וְאֶל־רְפָאִים מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and her tracks to the realm of the dead

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְאֶל־רְפָאִים (wᵉʾel-rᵉp̱āʾı̂m) : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + prep. אֶל (el) + plural noun רְפָאִים (rᵉp̱āʾı̂m) (by most connected with the above √ [root or stem] רָפָה (sink, relax) as sunken, powerless ones; wisdom literature and later, name of dead in שְׁאוֹל () : and to the shades/ghosts (BDB).
מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ () : plural of מַעְגָּל (maʿgāl) (track of wagon, figurative = course of action or life) + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix : her tracks, way of life (BDB).

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:19a

Text (BHS):

כָּל־בָּאֶיהָ לֹא יְשׁוּבוּן

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

all who enter into her will not return

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כָּל־בָּאֶיהָ () : construct of כֹּל (ḵōl) + Qal m.p. participle of בּוֹא () + pronominal 3 f.s. suffix (a powerful image for coire cum femina, making the woman herself the orifice to death - Waltke) : all who go into her.
לֹא יְשׁוּבוּן () : negation לֹא (lōʾ) + Qal imperfect 3 m.p. of שׁוּב () : none will come back.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:19b

Text (BHS):

וְלֹא־יַשִּׂיגוּ אָרְחוֹת חַיִּים

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and they will not reach the paths of life

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְלֹא־יַשִּׂיגוּ () : conjunction וְ (wᵉ) + negation לֹא (lōʾ) + Hiphil imperfect 3 m.p. of נָשַׂג (nāśag̱) : and they will not reach.
אָרְחוֹת חַיִּים () : plural of אֹרַח (ʾōraḥ) + plural abstract חַיִּים (ḥayyı̂m) : the paths of life.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:20a

Text (BHS):

לְמַעַן תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבִים

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and so you will walk in the way of good people

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

לְמַעַן תֵּלֵךְ (lᵉmaʿan tēlēḵ) : conj. לְמַעַן (lᵉmaʿan) + Qal imperfect 2 m.s. of הָלַךְ (hālaḵ) : and so you will walk.
בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבִים () : prep. בְּ (bᵉ) + construct דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ) + plural of טוֹב () : good people.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:20b

Text (BHS):

וְאָרְחוֹת צַדִּיקִים תִּשְׁמֹר

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

and the paths of the righteous you will keep

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

וְאָרְחוֹת צַדִּיקִים () : conj. וְ (wᵉ) + plural construct of אֹרַח (ʾōraḥ) + plural of צַדִּיק (ṣaddı̂q) : and the paths of the righteous.
תִּשְׁמֹר () : Qal imperfect 2 m.s. of שָׁמַר () : you will keep.

[John Reece]

Proverbs 2:21a

Text (BHS):

כִּי־יְשָׁרִים יִשְׁכְּנוּ־אָרֶץ

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (Waltke):

surely the upright will dwell in the land

Glossary & Analysis (meanings in this context):

כִּי־יְשָׁרִים () : adverb כִּי (kı̂) + adjective plural of יָשָׁר () : surely the upright.
יִשְׁכְּנוּ־אָרֶץ () : Qal imperfect 3 m.p. of שָׁכַן () + pausal vocalization of אֶרֶץ (ʾereṣ) : will dwell in the land.