Proverbs 6

 

Proverbs 6:1

בְּ֭נִי אִם־עָרַ֣בְתָּ לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ תָּקַ֖עְתָּ לַזָּ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

 

Proverbs 6:2

נוֹקַ֥שְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִ֑יךָ נִ֝לְכַּ֗דְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

 

Proverbs 6:3

עֲשֵׂ֨ה זֹ֥את אֵפ֪וֹא׀ בְּנִ֡י וְֽהִנָּצֵ֗ל כִּ֘י בָ֤אתָ בְכַף־רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֵ֥ךְ הִ֝תְרַפֵּ֗ס וּרְהַ֥ב רֵעֶֽיךָ׃

 

Proverbs 6:4

אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן שֵׁנָ֣ה לְעֵינֶ֑יךָ וּ֝תְנוּמָ֗ה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

 

Proverbs 6:5

הִ֭נָּצֵל כִּצְבִ֣י מִיָּ֑ד וּ֝כְצִפּ֗וֹר מִיַּ֥ד יָקֽוּשׁ׃פ

 

Proverbs 6:6

לֵֽךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָ֥ה עָצֵ֑ל רְאֵ֖ה דְרָכֶ֣יהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

 

Proverbs 6:7

אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֵֽין־לָ֥הּ קָצִ֗ין שֹׁטֵ֥ר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

 

Proverbs 6:8

תָּכִ֣ין בַּקַּ֣יִץ לַחְמָ֑הּ אָגְרָ֥ה בַ֝קָּצִ֗יר מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

 

Proverbs 6:9

עַד־מָתַ֖י עָצֵ֥ל׀ תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב מָ֝תַ֗י תָּק֥וּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

 

Proverbs 6:10

מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

 

Proverbs 6:11

וּבָֽא־כִמְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵאשֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹֽרְךָ֗ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃פ

 


Proverbs 6:12

אָדָ֣ם בְּ֭לִיַּעַל אִ֣ישׁ אָ֑וֶן ה֝וֹלֵ֗ךְ עִקְּשׁ֥וּת פֶּֽה׃

A man of Belial; a man of iniquity is walking with a crooked mouth. 

Paraphrase:  A wicked person and those who are steeped in sin are easy to spot.  They are the ones who are always spouting off all kinds of foolish and twisted things. (Revelation 13:5)

Comments:

 


Proverbs 6:13

קֹרֵ֣ץ בְּ֭עֵינָו מֹלֵ֣ל בְּרַגְלָ֑ו מֹ֝רֶ֗ה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

winking with his eyes, signaling with his feet, pointing with his fingers

Paraphrase:  Such ones are clever even in their non-verbal ways of communicating.  They wink with their eyes and send all kinds of different signals with their hands and feet.

Comments:

 


Proverbs 6:14

תַּֽהְפֻּכ֨וֹת׀ בְּלִבּ֗וֹ חֹרֵ֣שׁ רָ֣ע בְּכָל־עֵ֑ת מְדָנִים יְשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

Fraud is in his heart; scheming evil at all time; quarrels, he sends out

Paraphrase:  Behind all these non-verbal signals is a heart that is full of evil schemes.  Such people sit around dreaming up new ways of defrauding people.  They are constantly starting fights and quarrels.

Comments:

 


Proverbs 6:15

עַל־כֵּ֗ן פִּ֭תְאֹם יָב֣וֹא אֵיד֑וֹ פֶּ֥תַע יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר וְאֵ֣ין מַרְפֵּֽא׃פ

Therefore, suddenly his disaster will come; instantly, he will be broken and there is no rescue.

Paraphrase:  Such persons have a day coming.  It’s a day of disaster, and God has planned it for them.  Suddenly, without any previous warning, disaster will fall on their heads. (Deuteronomy 32:35)  They will be smashed to pieces; there will not be any hope for deliverance.

Comments:

עַל־כֵּן introduces the ground for a previous statement.  Here the facts stated in the vs13-14 are the ground or reason for the sentence pronounced here.

 


Proverbs 6:16

שֶׁשׁ־הֵ֭נָּה שָׂנֵ֣א יְהוָ֑ה וְ֝שֶׁ֗בַע תּוֹעֲבוֹת נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

Behold, six things YHWH hates, and seven His soul abhors.

Paraphrase:  Now there are a number of things which YHWH hates.  Pay attention to these because you should hate these things as well.

Comments:

Notice the numerical form of this proverb.  It is also found in:

  • one and two in Job 33:14 and Psalm 62:11;
  • three and four in Amos 1:3 and Proverbs 30:15;
  • seven and eight in Micah 5:5; Ecclesiastes 11:2.

See Delitzsch’s comment (p146) on this.  The NET Bible notes say that the meaning here is that the seventh item does not exhaust the list.  There are still more things which God hates but are not mentioned.

 


Proverbs 6:17

עֵינַ֣יִם רָ֭מוֹת לְשׁ֣וֹן שָׁ֑קֶר וְ֝יָדַ֗יִם שֹׁפְכ֥וֹת דָּם־נָקִֽי׃

 


Proverbs 6:18

לֵ֗ב חֹ֭רֵשׁ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָ֑וֶן רַגְלַ֥יִם מְ֝מַהֲר֗וֹת לָר֥וּץ לָֽרָעָה׃

 


Proverbs 6:19

יָפִ֣יחַ כְּ֭זָבִים עֵ֣ד שָׁ֑קֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּ֥חַ מְ֝דָנִ֗ים בֵּ֣ין אַחִֽים׃פ

 


Proverbs 6:20

נְצֹ֣ר בְּ֭נִי מִצְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תּוֹרַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

My son, guard the command of your father and do not abandon the teaching of your mother.

Paraphrase:  Dear children, you are now getting older and starting the transition to adulthood.  Let me give you this counsel.  Be careful to keep firm in your minds the rules and principles for living which your father taught you.  Same with your mother; don’t turn your back on all the values she tried to instill in you.

Comments:

 


Proverbs 6:21

קָשְׁרֵ֣ם עַל־לִבְּךָ֣ תָמִ֑יד עָ֝נְדֵ֗ם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

Bind them on your heart always; tie them to your neck.

Paraphrase:  On the contrary, take all the things your parents taught you and fasten them firmly to your heart.  Put them in a place where they will can do the most good.  Wear them like a necklace, so you never forget them.

Comments:

 


Proverbs 6:22

בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ֨׀ תַּנְחֶ֬ה אֹתָ֗ךְ בְּֽ֭שָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר עָלֶ֑יךָ וַ֝הֲקִיצ֗וֹתָ הִ֣יא תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃

When you walk about, it will lead you;  when you lie down, it will keep guard over you, and when you wake up, it will speak to you.

Paraphrase:  When you put your parent’s instruction in your heart, you put it in a place where it can do so much good.  When you go about your daily routine, it will nudge you in the right direction and help you make wise choices.  When your work is finished and you lie down to rest, it will keep watch over you while you sleep.  Then when you wake up in the morning, it will be right there with you.  You can have pleasant conversation with it.  Even after your parents are gone, it lives on in your soul.

Comments:

Note the meaning of the hitpael here.  Also this usage of the infinitive in chp 20q.

 


Proverbs 6:23

כִּ֤י נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה וְת֣וֹרָה א֑וֹר וְדֶ֥רֶךְ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תּוֹכְח֥וֹת מוּסָֽר׃

For a lamp is the command, and instruction is light, and the way of lives is the rebukes of discipline.

Paraphrase:  In life, you don’t want to walk in the dark.  Well all the instruction your parents gave you will be like a flashlight on your path and illumine your way.  Their teaching will come back to you and shine brightly so you can see the traps and dangerous places in the road.  Even the rebukes they gave you and the sharp words will be good for you.  They will make your life to be better in itself but also more useful to others. 

Comments:

 


Proverbs 6:24

לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאֵ֣שֶׁת רָ֑ע מֵֽ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת לָשׁ֥וֹן נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

 

Proverbs 6:25

אַל־תַּחְמֹ֣ד יָ֭פְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝קָּֽחֲךָ֗ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

 

Proverbs 6:26

כִּ֤י בְעַד־אִשָּׁ֥ה זוֹנָ֗ה עַֽד־כִּכַּ֫ר לָ֥חֶם וְאֵ֥שֶׁת אִ֑ישׁ נֶ֖פֶשׁ יְקָרָ֣ה תָצֽוּד׃פ

 

Proverbs 6:27

הֲיַחְתֶּ֤ה אִ֓ישׁ אֵ֬שׁ בְּחֵיק֑וֹ וּ֝בְגָדָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

 

Proverbs 6:28

אִם־יְהַלֵּ֣ךְ אִ֭ישׁ עַל־הַגֶּחָלִ֑ים וְ֝רַגְלָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃

 

Proverbs 6:29

כֵּ֗ן הַ֭בָּא אֶל־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֑הוּ לֹ֥א יִ֝נָּקֶ֗ה כָּֽל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּֽהּ׃

 

Proverbs 6:30

לֹא־יָב֣וּזוּ לַ֭גַּנָּב כִּ֣י יִגְנ֑וֹב לְמַלֵּ֥א נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ כִּ֣י יִרְעָֽב׃

 

Proverbs 6:31

וְ֭נִמְצָא יְשַׁלֵּ֣ם שִׁבְעָתָ֑יִם אֶת־כָּל־ה֖וֹן בֵּית֣וֹ יִתֵּֽן׃

 

Proverbs 6:32

נֹאֵ֣ף אִשָּׁ֣ה חֲסַר־לֵ֑ב מַֽשְׁחִ֥ית נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ ה֣וּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

 

Proverbs 6:33

נֶֽגַע־וְקָל֥וֹן יִמְצָ֑א וְ֝חֶרְפָּת֗וֹ לֹ֣א תִמָּחֶֽה׃

 

Proverbs 6:34

כִּֽי־קִנְאָ֥ה חֲמַת־גָּ֑בֶר וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חְמ֗וֹל בְּי֣וֹם נָקָֽם׃

 

Proverbs 6:35

לֹא־יִ֭שָּׂא פְּנֵ֣י כָל־כֹּ֑פֶר וְלֹֽא־יֹ֝אבֶ֗ה כִּ֣י תַרְבֶּה־שֹֽׁחַד׃פ

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