False scales are an abomination to Hashem; righteousness delivers from death. The gracious woman obtains honor, the generous soul is made rich, and when it goes well with the righteous the whole city rejoices.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
A false balance is an abomination to Hashem; But a perfect weight is His delight.
verse value 2083
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֑ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "deceit" (מִ֭רְמָה, 4 letters) and the longest is "scales·of" (מֹאזְנֵ֣י, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "scales·of" (מֹאזְנֵ֣י). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "abomination·of" (root תועבה, 21x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root מאזן ("scales·of") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root מרמה ("deceit") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: מֹאזְנֵ֣י [scales·of] (108) + מִ֭רְמָה [deceit] (285) + תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת [abomination·of] (878) + יְהֹוָ֑ה [Hashem] (26) + וְאֶ֖בֶן [and·stone] (59) + שְׁלֵמָ֣ה [perfect] (375) + רְצוֹנֽוֹ [His·pleasure] (352) = 2083.
Ralbag
"Balances" — An abomination to Hashem is one who weighs opinions in balances of deceit — that is, one who does not know how to guard, in his reasoning, against the things that lead to error, for this is among the things that will lead him to make great erroneous claims that bring about great and severe ruin. His will, rather, is that they be weighed with a perfect stone that carries neither excess nor deficiency — and this indeed comes about through observing the ways and methods that guide a person and keep him from error in reasoning.
Metzudat David
"A false balance" — one made so as to tip the scale in whichever way [the seller] wishes, in order to deceive the buyers. "But a perfect weight" — a weight-stone that is complete, without deficiency, is pleasing to Hashem.
Metzudat Zion
'Balance' — the instrument of weighing.
Malbim
"A false balance is an abomination to Hashem" — this states that one who departs from evil is himself thereby doing good. For although a false balance is an abomination, do not think that with a true weight it is enough that one has not committed an abomination and is merely one who has departed from evil; rather, in this he has done the will of Hashem, and it is accounted to him as one who performs a commandment — as our Sages said: "One who sits and does not commit a transgression is given a reward as one who performs a commandment."
When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the lowly is wisdom.
verse value 1021
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "and·comes" (וַיָּבֹ֣א, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·with·humble" (וְֽאֶת־צְנוּעִ֥ים, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "comes·pride" (בָּֽא־זָ֭דוֹן), "and·with·humble" (וְֽאֶת־צְנוּעִ֥ים). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wisdom" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "and·comes" (root בוא, 35x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root זדון ("comes·pride") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'shame', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: בָּֽא־זָ֭דוֹן [comes·pride] (70) + וַיָּבֹ֣א [and·comes] (19) + קָל֑וֹן [shame] (186) + וְֽאֶת־צְנוּעִ֥ים [and·with·humble] (673) + חׇכְמָֽה [wisdom] (73) = 1021.
Rashi
When willful wickedness comes, etc. but with the modest is wisdom comes wisdom.
Ibn Ezra
"When pride comes" — the word "man" is omitted; the sense is: when an arrogant man comes, shame comes, for he will be humiliated before people. "But with the lowly" — that is, with the modest. "Is wisdom" — for they bear the shame and do not respond to it; and the "lowly" are those who are ashamed to act arrogantly, as in "and to walk humbly" (Micah 6:8).
Ralbag
"When pride comes" — When a man of pride comes — that is, one who is wicked in his opinions, who rushes to render judgment on matters without proper reasoning — then shame and disgrace come after him, for reality does not agree with what he judged concerning it. But the modest people, who do not rush to rise to this level except after the proper premises and with the proper matters — with them, indeed, wisdom is found.
Metzudat David
"Pride comes" — When a man of pride comes, shame comes with him, for he disgraces people; but with the humble comes wisdom.
Metzudat Zion
'Shame' — disgrace. 'The lowly' — those who conceal themselves out of their great humility.
Malbim
"When pride (zadon) comes" — the zed (the willfully arrogant person) is one who disputes the ways of wisdom and of truth with arguments and syllogisms, and willfully transgresses against it out of contempt; and he is the opposite of the modest person (tzanua), who hides his face, degree by degree, and knows his own low worth — like "and Moses hid his face" (Exodus 3:6). "But with the lowly (tzenu'im) is wisdom" — for the ways of wisdom are established only in the heart of one who believes and accepts and listens to his teachers, and does not willfully dispute with them. But when pride comes, shame comes with it, which is the opposite of honor, for the ways that the arrogant person chooses are contemptible — the opposite of the honored ways of wisdom.
The integrity of the upright shall guide them; But the perverseness of the faithless shall destroy them.
verse value 2837
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "integrity·of" (תֻּמַּ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "straight" (יְשָׁרִ֣ים, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "integrity·of" (תֻּמַּ֣ת), "guides·them" (תַּנְחֵ֑ם), "destroys·them" (יְשׇׁדֵּֽם). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "straight" (root ישר, 35x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root סלף ("and·crookedness·of") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root שדד ("destroys·them") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'guides·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words.
Rashi
The innocence of the upright leads them Heb. תנחם, will guide them. but the distortion of the treacherous robs them Heb. ישדם, like ישדדם
Ibn Ezra
"Tummat" (the integrity of) — is of the same pattern as "tum'at" (uncleanness); though the correct form is "tummat." "Shall guide them" — so that they do not stumble. "And perverseness" — distortion, meaning that they mislead others. "Shall destroy them" — the subject is the perverseness — meaning the treacherous will be plundered; this is the explanation according to the reading with a yod. And according to the reading with a vav, the meaning is that the perverseness will come upon the treacherous, and that very perverseness will plunder them.
Ralbag
"The integrity of the upright" — The integrity of the upright guides them to the harbor of their desire, to attain what they seek. But the brazenness of the treacherous — it shall destroy them and lay them waste.
Metzudat David
"The integrity" — The integrity of the upright guides them on the path that is good for them. "But the perverseness" — the crookedness of the treacherous shall plunder their souls from them.
Metzudat Zion
'And the perverseness' — an expression of twisting, as in 'and perverts the words of the righteous' (Exodus 23:8). 'Shall destroy them' — an expression of plunder and robbery.
Malbim
"The integrity of the upright shall guide them" — There is a difference between "upright" (yesharim) and "righteous" (tzaddikim): the upright person is one whose heart proceeds on a straight path, whether in matters of belief and opinion and understanding — for this reason the word "yashar" (straight) is used mostly regarding understanding — or regarding character traits and deeds whose root is in wisdom. And when it is used regarding the ways of wisdom, it is distinguished from the righteous person in that the upright person's heart, by nature, inclines toward the good because of the uprightness planted within him, whereas the righteous person acts this way because he learned righteousness and became habituated to it, to the point that the righteous person subdues his [evil] inclination and trains himself against his nature, while the upright person's nature is already so. Also, the upright person looks not merely at the statutes of righteousness (justice), but at the statutes of the uprightness of his own heart, to the point that he acts beyond the strict letter of the law, as our Sages taught concerning "and you shall do that which is right (ha-yashar) and good" (Deuteronomy 6:18). Now in order to walk on the path of good one needs: (1) that his path be straight, and (2) that he be guided on the path, as it is written, "Hashem, guide me in Your righteousness... make Your way straight before me" (Psalms 5:9). One who is not upright — his path is not straight, and he needs help from above to straighten his path. But even the upright person, although his path is straight by virtue of the trait of uprightness within him, still needs to be guided on the path, because the needs of his body and his affairs sometimes divert him from his path. But the defining feature of "wholeheartedness" (temimut) is that one stands constantly in a state of completeness without deviating from it, and likewise that he has no ulterior motive or other intention. And this wholeheartedness, when found in the heart of the upright, "guides" them on the path — for then the disturbing hindrances do not hold them back. "But the perverseness of the faithless shall destroy them" — the faithless (bogdim) are the opposite of the upright of heart, for they walk contrary to uprightness; and "perverseness" (selef) refers to that which corrupts uprightness and righteousness — and this will destroy them, for this perverseness is like bandits found on a crooked and desolate road, who plunder the wealth of the soul and cast it into the pit of destruction.
Riches profit not in the day of wrath; But righteousness delivers from death.
verse value 1774
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "wealth" (ה֭וֹן, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·profits" (לֹא־יוֹעִ֣יל, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "not·profits" (לֹא־יוֹעִ֣יל). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·day·of" (root יום, 32x in Proverbs); "from·death" (root מות, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wrath', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: לֹא־יוֹעִ֣יל [not·profits] (157) + ה֭וֹן [wealth] (61) + בְּי֣וֹם [in·day·of] (58) + עֶבְרָ֑ה [wrath] (277) + וּ֝צְדָקָ֗ה [and·justice] (205) + תַּצִּ֥יל [delivers] (530) + מִמָּֽוֶת [from·death] (486) = 1774.
Ibn Ezra
"Profit not" — their wealth will not profit the treacherous on the day when Hashem abhors them on account of it. "But righteousness" — shall deliver the upright from the death of the treacherous, or shall deliver them so that they do not die except in ripe old age.
Ralbag
"Profit not" — Wealth does not profit a man to save him on the day of wrath; rather, he shall be swept away. Only righteousness and uprightness shall deliver him from death.
Metzudat David
"In the day of wrath" — On the day that anger comes from the Omnipresent, riches will not avail to ransom the soul, for the one standing over him will utterly scorn the abundance of his wealth; but righteousness delivers from death.
Malbim
"Riches profit not in the day of wrath" — Although wealth is profitable in a time of peace, as it says, "The rich man's wealth is his strong city" (Proverbs 10:15), nevertheless on a general day of wrath, such as a time of plague or sword, it does not profit; indeed, on the contrary, at such a time there is "riches kept by their owner to his hurt" (Ecclesiastes 5:12). But righteousness delivers from death even on the day of wrath. And with this [understanding], this is not a repetition of what was stated above (10:2), for there it speaks of natural death.
The righteousness of the sincere shall make straight his way; But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
verse value 3898
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "falls" (יִפֹּ֥ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·his·wickedness" (וּ֝בְרִשְׁעָת֗וֹ, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "makes·straight" (תְּיַשֵּׁ֣ר), "and·in·his·wickedness" (וּ֝בְרִשְׁעָת֗וֹ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "his·way" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "makes·straight" (root ישר, 35x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·way', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: צִדְקַ֣ת [justice·of] (594) + תָּ֭מִים [complete] (490) + תְּיַשֵּׁ֣ר [makes·straight] (910) + דַּרְכּ֑וֹ [his·way] (230) + וּ֝בְרִשְׁעָת֗וֹ [and·in·his·wickedness] (984) + יִפֹּ֥ל [falls] (120) + רָשָֽׁע [wicked] (570) = 3898.
Ibn Ezra
"Shall make straight" — so that they do not stumble and fall; and the proof is what follows in this verse: "the wicked shall fall."
Ralbag
"The righteousness of the sincere makes his way straight" — to find his desires, for on account of it Hashem's providence cleaves to him, since his way is toward righteousness and uprightness. The wicked man, however, falls by his own wickedness, for his way is toward wickedness, and on account of this he falls in the middle of his path — for Hashem withholds from him the attainment of the desire which the wicked man intends, along with the harm to others which he intends.
Metzudat David
"Shall make straight" — The righteousness that he performs leads him on the straight path, for his own good. "But by his own wickedness" — the very wickedness that the wicked man prepared for someone else, by that very thing he himself shall fall.
Malbim
"The righteousness of the sincere shall make straight his way" — We have already explained (on verse 3) the difference between "upright" (yashar), "sincere" (tamim), and "righteous" (tzaddik): the upright person's path is straight by nature — not so the sincere person. For although the defining feature of sincerity (temimut) is that one's deeds remain constantly in one state, without wavering from it — so that if he is upright by nature, he never departs from his uprightness at any time — nevertheless, so long as he is not upright by nature, it is not certain that he walks on a straight path. The sage [Solomon] explains that through "the righteousness of the sincere" — that is, through the sincere person becoming habituated to doing righteousness, this becomes for him like a [second] nature, and this habituation "makes straight his way," [causing him] to walk on the path of uprightness. "But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness" — the wicked person, who is the opposite of the sincere person, in that he persists constantly in doing evil — this wickedness becomes a fixed possession in his soul, and fills his path with pits and holes, until he falls into them, the casting down of the soul into the pit of destruction.
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them; But the faithless shall be trapped in their own crafty device.
verse value 2272
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "justice·of" (צִדְקַ֣ת, 4 letters) and the longest is "straight" (יְ֭שָׁרִים, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "delivers·them" (תַּצִּילֵ֑ם), "and·in·desire·of" (וּ֝בְהַוַּ֗ת), "are·trapped" (יִלָּכֵֽדוּ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "straight" (root ישר, 35x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'delivers·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: צִדְקַ֣ת [justice·of] (594) + יְ֭שָׁרִים [straight] (560) + תַּצִּילֵ֑ם [delivers·them] (570) + וּ֝בְהַוַּ֗ת [and·in·desire·of] (419) + בֹּגְדִ֥ים [faithless] (59) + יִלָּכֵֽדוּ [are·trapped] (70) = 2272.
Rashi
but in the destruction In the destruction that they perpetrate, they are caught; the verse is transposed. [It means] “and the treacherous in the destruction will be caught.”
Ibn Ezra
"Shall deliver them" — from trouble; and "by the craving of the treacherous" — the very craving for treachery that they act upon, by it they shall be trapped.
Ralbag
"The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them" — from misfortunes. But the treacherous shall be trapped by the very scheme with which they intended to harm others. The intent here is: "and in the mischief of the treacherous" — these treacherous ones who were mentioned shall themselves be trapped.
Metzudat David
"Shall deliver them" — Righteousness shall deliver the upright from evil. "But by the mischief" — by the ruin that the treacherous prepared for others, they themselves shall be trapped in it.
Metzudat Zion
'And their crafty device' — an expression of breaking, as in 'from the pestilence of calamities' (Psalms 91).
Malbim
"The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them" — The upright do not need righteousness to make their path straight, as the sincere do, for their path is already straight by nature, as explained above (verse 3). But the deed of righteousness benefits them by delivering them from the snare of the trap and the evils of the time — for then the treacherous will be caught in calamity and ruin, while the upright will be saved by the merit of their deed of righteousness.
When a wicked man dies, his expectation shall perish, And the hope of strength perishes.
verse value 2950
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 33 letters. Verse gematria: 2950 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "man" (אָדָ֣ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·hope·of" (וְתוֹחֶ֖לֶת, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·death·of" (בְּמ֤וֹת), "and·hope·of" (וְתוֹחֶ֖לֶת), "vigour" (אוֹנִ֣ים). The root אבד appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "man" (root אדם, 44x in Proverbs); "in·death·of" (root מות, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hope', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּמ֤וֹת [in·death·of] (448) + אָדָ֣ם [man] (45) + רָ֭שָׁע [wicked] (570) + תֹּאבַ֣ד [perishes] (407) + תִּקְוָ֑ה [hope] (511) + וְתוֹחֶ֖לֶת [and·hope·of] (850) + אוֹנִ֣ים [vigour] (107) + אָבָֽדָה [perishes] (12) = 2950.
Rashi
When a wicked man dies, hope is lost The hope of all who trust in him. and the expectation of his children is lost Heb. אונים. The expectation of his children, who are the products of his strength, is lost, for no good will come to them in his merit. But when the righteous die, their children have trust in their righteousness.
Ibn Ezra
"When he dies," "shall perish" — namely, that which he hoped to gain by oppressing the poor. "Onim" (strength) — from "aven" (iniquity/vigor), meaning that they hoped to commit iniquity; or "onim" may be a descriptive noun, like "boshim" ("ashamed ones") or "tovim" ("good ones").
Ralbag
"When a wicked man dies, his expectation shall perish" — for he has no survival of the soul, and the hope he had in the greatness of his strength has perished. Or, alternatively, this means that when the wicked man dies, the hope that his loved ones had — that he would protect them by his strength — perishes, and the expectation they had in him, that he would be able to help them, has already perished, for his strength departed at his death.
Metzudat David
"His expectation shall perish" — the hope of those who trusted in him. "And the hope" — the hope of his sons is lost, for there was no merit in him to protect his sons.
Metzudat Zion
'Strength' — sons who come from his strength, as in 'my strength and the first fruit of my vigor' (Genesis 49:3).
Malbim
"When a wicked man dies, his expectation (tikvah) shall perish" — There is a difference between "tikvah" (hope) and "tochelet" (certain expectation): one who has tochelet waits for something that will certainly come, like one waiting for the light of day, or for a promise [already assured]; whereas one who has tikvah does not hope for something certain. The wicked have no tochelet, only tikvah, as noted above concerning "the hope (tikvah) of the wicked is wrath" (Proverbs 11:23) — for they do not truly expect the reward hidden away for the righteous, but only hope for the success of temporal fortune, which is not certain, and at his death this hope perishes. "And the hope of strength (tochelet onim) perishes" — [referring to] his sons, who are mourning (ha-onenim) over his death: for surely they had a tochelet, a certain expectation, that they would inherit their father's estate — this too perishes, for strangers shall inherit his labor, and his wealth shall be lost in a bad venture.
The righteous is delivered out of trouble, And the wicked comes in his stead.
verse value 2130
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "wicked" (רָשָׁ֣ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·his·place" (תַּחְתָּֽיו, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "is·delivered" (נֶחֱלָ֑ץ), "in·his·place" (תַּחְתָּֽיו). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "and·comes" (root בוא, 35x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'is·delivered', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: צַ֭דִּיק [just] (204) + מִצָּרָ֣ה [from·trouble] (335) + נֶחֱלָ֑ץ [is·delivered] (178) + וַיָּבֹ֖א [and·comes] (19) + רָשָׁ֣ע [wicked] (570) + תַּחְתָּֽיו [in·his·place] (824) = 2130.
Rashi
A righteous man is extricated from trouble when the wicked man dies, and this is connected to the preceding verse.
Ibn Ezra
"Is delivered" — from the same root as "and they shall remove the stones" (Leviticus 14:40), meaning Hashem extricates him from the trouble decreed upon a person. "And the wicked comes" — into trouble in his place, to be an atonement for him.
Ralbag
"The righteous" — It indeed happens that Hashem delivers the righteous man from trouble, and brings the wicked man in his stead, to be his ransom.
Metzudat David
"The righteous" — When trouble was decreed upon the righteous man, and on account of his merit the decree was annulled; or when the righteous man is extricated from the trouble, a wicked man comes in his place into that same trouble, for the attribute of justice is not appeased until another comes in his stead.
Metzudat Zion
'Is delivered' — an expression of extraction and drawing out, as in 'and she shall draw off his shoe' (Deuteronomy 25).
Malbim
(Verses 8-9) "The righteous..." — If the wicked person prepares evil against the righteous person, the outcome is that the righteous person is extricated from the trouble, and the wicked person comes in his place — as happened with Haman and Mordechai. And [Scripture] explains: if "the wicked man with a flattering mouth destroys his neighbor" [verse 9] — that is, he incites the righteous person through flattery in order to destroy him — "through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered" [verse 9], and the evil returns upon the slanderer, the digger of the pit. Also, it may be explained that this means: whoever flatters and does not rebuke wishes to destroy his fellow, as it is written, "A man that flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his steps" (Proverbs 29:5).
With his mouth the impious man destroys his neighbor; But through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered.
verse value 2104
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "with·mouth" (בְּפֶ֗ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "just" (צַדִּיקִ֥ים, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "with·mouth" (בְּפֶ֗ה), "impious" (חָ֭נֵף), "destroys" (יַשְׁחִ֣ת). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·neighbor" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs); "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "with·mouth" (root פה, 34x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·neighbor', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּפֶ֗ה [with·mouth] (87) + חָ֭נֵף [impious] (138) + יַשְׁחִ֣ת [destroys] (718) + רֵעֵ֑הוּ [his·neighbor] (281) + וּ֝בְדַ֗עַת [and·through·knowledge] (482) + צַדִּיקִ֥ים [just] (254) + יֵחָלֵֽצוּ [are·delivered] (144) = 2104.
Rashi
With his mouth, the flatterer The flatterer who entices his friend on an evil way, destroys him with his mouth. but with knowledge, righteous men are extricated But the righteous man is extricated from [the flatterer] with the knowledge of the Torah, which warned concerning him (Deut. 13: 9): “You shall not consent to him, etc.”
Ibn Ezra
"With the mouth of the impious" — refers to wickedness in his mouth, that he speaks false testimony against his fellow, wishing to destroy him, or through talebearing; while the righteous, through their knowledge, are saved and delivered from destruction.
Ralbag
"With his mouth" — The impious and wicked man destroys his neighbor with his mouth, for his speech draws people to sin and destroys them. The righteous, however — it is not enough that they do not destroy others, but they themselves shall also be delivered, through their knowledge, from the evils that are destined to come.
Metzudat David
"With his mouth the impious man" — with words of flattery he destroys his neighbor, the one he flatters, for he traps him into following his (the flatterer's) opinion. "But through knowledge" — because of the knowledge of the Torah, they put the words of the flatterer out of their hearts and are not drawn after him.
When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; And when the wicked perish, there is joy.
verse value 2068
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "jubilation" (רִנָּֽה, 3 letters) and the longest is "just" (צַ֭דִּיקִים, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·good·of" (בְּט֣וּב), "rejoices" (תַּעֲלֹ֣ץ), "and·when·perish" (וּבַאֲבֹ֖ד). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "in·good·of" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'city', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּט֣וּב [in·good·of] (19) + צַ֭דִּיקִים [just] (254) + תַּעֲלֹ֣ץ [rejoices] (590) + קִרְיָ֑ה [city] (315) + וּבַאֲבֹ֖ד [and·when·perish] (15) + רְשָׁעִ֣ים [wicked] (620) + רִנָּֽה [jubilation] (255) = 2068.
Ibn Ezra
"When it goes well with the righteous" — when Hashem does good to them, then the people of their city rejoice; and when the wicked perish, they sing for joy.
Ralbag
"By the good of the righteous" — By the success and good fortune of the righteous, the city rejoices, for they are beloved by the people as a whole, and their good fortune is good for the people. And the opposite of this is found regarding the wicked: the people of the city do not rejoice in their good fortune, but rather sing and exult when they perish. By the success of the upright the city is raised up and exalted, for they love the people as a whole, and by their blessing the people are blessed. But the city that is governed by the mouth of the wicked shall be destroyed, for he makes its governance corrupt, and this is the cause of the destruction of the city.
Metzudat David
"The city rejoices" — because they bestow upon others some of the good that Hashem has apportioned to them. "There is joy" — because while they were alive, they did harm to people.
Metzudat Zion
'Rejoices' — it shall be glad.
Malbim
(Verses 10-11) "When it goes well with the righteous"... "by the blessing of the upright" — the righteous perform righteousness in actual deed, while the upright are people of understanding whose nature inclines toward the good, and who act beyond the strict letter of the law, as explained above on verse 3. [Solomon] depicts that the upright bestow blessing upon the city, and through their blessing the city is exalted in greatness and loftiness — for blessing comes through an increase of holy influence present in the soul of the one who blesses. The righteous, meanwhile, are those who bestow of their material good through the deed of their righteousness, and through their good the city rejoices, for they receive good from them. And with the wicked, in both respects, it is the reverse: as regards the joy of the city, "and when the wicked perish, there is joy," for they actively cause harm; and as regards the matter of the soul, "by the mouth of the wicked [the city] is destroyed" — whether through their curse or through slander and evil talk (lashon hara).
By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted; But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
verse value 3913
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. Verse gematria: 3913 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "city" (קָ֑רֶת, 3 letters) and the longest is "by·blessing·of" (בְּבִרְכַּ֣ת, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "by·blessing·of" (בְּבִרְכַּ֣ת), "is·exalted" (תָּר֣וּם), "and·by·mouth·of" (וּבְפִ֥י). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "straight" (root ישר, 35x in Proverbs); "and·by·mouth·of" (root פה, 34x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root הרס ("is·overthrown") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'city', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּבִרְכַּ֣ת [by·blessing·of] (624) + יְ֭שָׁרִים [straight] (560) + תָּר֣וּם [is·exalted] (646) + קָ֑רֶת [city] (700) + וּבְפִ֥י [and·by·mouth·of] (98) + רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים [wicked] (620) + תֵּהָרֵֽס [is·overthrown] (665) = 3913.
Rashi
the ceiling is raised The ceiling of the Temple will be preserved at its height from falling. As long as the kings of Judah were upright, their prayer preserved the Temple.
Ibn Ezra
"By the blessing of" — this connects with the previous verse, and indeed they deserve to rejoice, for on account of the blessing of the righteous a city is exalted — meaning its buildings are raised up — or this alludes to its people; and on account of the mouth of a wicked man who testifies falsely, or through talebearing, their city is torn down.
Metzudat David
"By the blessing" — At the time that blessing comes to the upright, and they alone are ascendant and guide the people of the city with upright guidance, then the city is exalted thereby. "But by the mouth, etc." — but when the blessing is in the mouth of fools, and they alone are ascendant, and all the affairs of the city are governed by their word, then it is overthrown thereby.
He who despises his neighbor lacks understanding; But a man of discernment holds his peace.
verse value 2329
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "and·man·of" (וְאִ֖ישׁ, 4 letters) and the longest is "despises·to·his·neighbor" (בׇּז־לְרֵעֵ֥הוּ, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "keeps·silent" (יַחֲרִֽישׁ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·man·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'lacking·of·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: בׇּז־לְרֵעֵ֥הוּ [despises·to·his·neighbor] (320) + חֲסַר־לֵ֑ב [lacking·of·heart] (300) + וְאִ֖ישׁ [and·man·of] (317) + תְּבוּנ֣וֹת [discernment] (864) + יַחֲרִֽישׁ [keeps·silent] (528) = 2329.
Rashi
but a man of understanding is silent when the one devoid of sense despises him, like Saul, as it is written (I Sam. 10:27): “And they despised him and brought him no gift; and he was as one who kept his peace.”
Ibn Ezra
"Despises" — whoever scorns his fellow who deserves to be honored for his wisdom, that scorner lacks understanding. "But a man of discernment" — bears the scorn and stays silent, so as not to disparage his fellow; or, alternatively, he stays silent and does not respond to him.
Ralbag
"He who despises his neighbor" — The man who lacks understanding is the one who despises his neighbor, who is lacking in understanding just like himself, in that he considers himself wise and his neighbor a fool. But a man of discernment does not despise a brother who is his neighbor; rather, he keeps silent when his neighbor speaks, in order to listen to his words. And even though his neighbor says nothing that he does not already know, still, out of respect for him, he listens to his words, even though there is no benefit in his words.
Metzudat David
"He who despises" — He who despises his fellow lacks understanding [lit. "heart"]. "But a man..." — if the one being despised is a man of discernment, he keeps silent and does not answer him regarding all his words, and pays no attention to the words of one who lacks understanding.
Metzudat Zion
'Holds his peace' — he is silent.
Malbim
"He who despises his neighbor lacks understanding (chaser lev)" — and further on (14:21), "He who despises his neighbor sins." Each is to be understood from its own context: there [14:21] it speaks of one who despises him without cause, and this is a sin against the laws of wisdom; but here it speaks of a case where his neighbor despised him first — so that in despising him back he does not sin, only that it is against the laws of understanding (binah), as it is written (14:29), "He who is slow to anger is of great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly." And fools are those "lacking a heart," as it is written, "and fools die for lack of understanding," for they have no power to rule over their spirit, and they do not conduct themselves according to understanding so as to grasp a matter accurately, since they are deficient also in matters of understanding — which obligates one to be slow to anger and not to despise [another] immediately. And concerning this it says, "but a man of discernment holds his peace" — even in a place where he would have been justified in responding to the disgrace done to him, for this is the definition of "holding one's peace" (charishah), and its distinction from its synonyms [other terms for silence].
He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.
verse value 1161
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "matter" (דָבָֽר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·faithful·of·spirit" (וְנֶאֱמַן־ר֝֗וּחַ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "reveals·secret" (מְגַלֶּה־סּ֑וֹד), "and·faithful·of·spirit" (וְנֶאֱמַן־ר֝֗וּחַ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "matter" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs); "he·who·walks" (root הלך, 35x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root גלה ("reveals·secret") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root אמן ("and·faithful·of·spirit") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'reveals·secret', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הוֹלֵ֣ךְ [he·who·walks] (61) + רָ֭כִיל [talebearer] (260) + מְגַלֶּה־סּ֑וֹד [reveals·secret] (148) + וְנֶאֱמַן־ר֝֗וּחַ [and·faithful·of·spirit] (361) + מְכַסֶּ֥ה [conceals] (125) + דָבָֽר [matter] (206) = 1161.
Ibn Ezra
"He who goes about" — he is called so because he mixes into matters that are not his; and it says "goes about" because he hears this secret and goes to reveal it to others.
Ralbag
"He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets" — It comes to him, from this evil trait, that he goes about as a talebearer and causes loss to people. But one who is of a faithful spirit conceals and hides the matter that was told to him, even though it was not told to him in confidence. Or, alternatively, this means: one who reveals the secret of wisdom in divine and very deep matters is disgraceful, like a talebearer, for by this he causes great loss to people. But one who is of a faithful spirit, and guards himself from this — from doing something that would bring people to sin — conceals the gracious matter of wisdom from those unworthy of it.
Metzudat David
"He who reveals a secret" — One who reveals his fellow's secret is indeed "one who goes about as a talebearer," even if he did not tell the matter in front of the person about whom it was said, for [as they say], "your friend has a friend," and the matter will be revealed to him too. "But one of a faithful spirit" — One whose spirit is faithful to Hashem conceals every matter, even one that was not told to him in confidence.
Malbim
"He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets" — he explains that one who goes about as a talebearer, it is his nature to reveal his fellow's secret; and the secret is like a deposit that his fellow entrusts to his spirit. And just as a person does not entrust a deposit to someone unreliable — for one may not entrust a secret to an unreliable spirit — so too, when a person goes about as a talebearer, we know that he is also unreliable in his spirit. And further on it says, "he who reveals a secret goes about as a talebearer," explaining that the converse is likewise true: if we see a man who reveals a secret, we know that it is his nature to be a talebearer. "But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter" — not only does he not reveal a secret, he even strives to cover the matter and hide it; and how much more so will he not go about as a talebearer to reveal and publicize his fellow's affairs.
Where no wise direction is, a people falls; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
verse value 2306
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "in·multitude·of" (בְּרֹ֣ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "direction" (תַּ֭חְבֻּלוֹת, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "falls·people" (יִפׇּל־עָ֑ם). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "without" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs); "in·multitude·of" (root רב, 26x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root תשועה ("and·salvation") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root יעץ ("counselor") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'falls·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּאֵ֣ין [without] (63) + תַּ֭חְבֻּלוֹת [direction] (846) + יִפׇּל־עָ֑ם [falls·people] (230) + וּ֝תְשׁוּעָ֗ה [and·salvation] (787) + בְּרֹ֣ב [in·multitude·of] (204) + יוֹעֵֽץ [counselor] (176) = 2306.
Rashi
Without strategy When trouble befalls Israel, and they do not put their heart to understand, to fast and to repent, the people will fall.
Ralbag
"Where there is no wise counsel" — Because of the failure to adopt strategies in war, a people falls into the hand of its enemies; but through many advisers who adopt strategies, the people is delivered from its enemies in war. Or, the intent of this may be: because of the failure to adopt strategies to defeat the desiring soul, a people (i.e., a person) falls into its net — meaning, the limbs of man and his psychic faculties; but through many advisers there is salvation. According to this interpretation, the verse that follows continues [the theme]: to keep the intellect from becoming surety for the desiring soul in paying its debt to Hashem — the intent being that "the evil man shall be broken," etc.
Metzudat David
"Where there is no..." — When strategies are not devised in the matter of war, the people fall into the hand of their enemies; but with many counselors, salvation is near.
Malbim
"Where no wise direction is, a people falls" — and further on (20:18) it says, "Plans are established by counsel, and with wise guidance make war" — for there is a difference between a "thought" (machashavah) and a "counsel" (etzah): counsel is the resolution one's understanding settles upon as to which path to choose, whereas in thought one considers every possible side, and the thoughts are many; and once he has selected one from among them all, that resolution is called a "counsel," as it is written, "Many are the thoughts in a man's heart, but the counsel of Hashem — that shall stand" (Proverbs 19:21). And this is the meaning of "Plans are established by counsel": whoever has not settled upon a final counsel will be tossed about like foam upon the breakers of his own thoughts, but if he has settled upon a final counsel from among all the thoughts that arose in his heart, then he has found stability and a foundation. But this holds true only in the ordinary affairs of the world, such as when one considers and takes counsel about what to trade in and how to profit, and the like. In war, however, counsel alone does not suffice, for the enemy too has his own counsel and resolution, and perhaps one's counsel will not prevail against the enemy's counsel — as Hushai the Archite answered against the counsel of Ahithophel — and a "stratagem" (tachbulah) is needed, for the nature of a stratagem is a binding-together of many counsels, tying cord to cord of causes and effects, so that whichever way the enemy turns, he will find a counsel already prepared against him, as he keeps turning about, by means of these chains of causation, in his stratagems against the enemy's counsel. Therefore, "with stratagems make war." And here it says, "Where there are no stratagems, a people falls," which likewise speaks of a time of war. Accordingly, for war one needs many advisors, each supplying a different counsel, for every counsel has its place in war — since sometimes, if one counsel does not succeed against the enemy, one turns to a second counsel; and this is the meaning of, "but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." This matter is also a parable for another war, an inner one, against the inner enemy, and it recurs a second time further on, in chapter 24, where it speaks of the inner war, as will be explained there.
He who is surety for a stranger shall smart for it; But he who hates those who strike hands is secure.
verse value 2067
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. Verse gematria: 2067 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "stranger" (זָ֑ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "surely·suffers·harm" (רַע־יֵ֭רוֹעַ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "surely·suffers·harm" (רַע־יֵ֭רוֹעַ), "and·hates" (וְשֹׂנֵ֖א), "those·who·strike·hands" (תֹקְעִ֣ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·hates" (root שנא, 28x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root זר ("stranger") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'stranger', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: רַע־יֵ֭רוֹעַ [surely·suffers·harm] (556) + כִּי־עָ֣רַב [when·stands·surety] (302) + זָ֑ר [stranger] (207) + וְשֹׂנֵ֖א [and·hates] (357) + תֹקְעִ֣ים [those·who·strike·hands] (620) + בּוֹטֵֽחַ [is·secure] (25) = 2067.
Rashi
will be broken by it The wicked man who gave his heart as surety to idolatry. but he who hates hand-claspers Those who clasp hands with the enticers to follow their counsel. But our Rabbis expounded this in regard to surety in monetary matters.
Ibn Ezra
"Ra" (harm) — is a noun. "Shall smart" — from the same root as "you shall break them" (Psalm 2:9), and likewise "shall surely be broken" — namely, one who becomes surety for a stranger he does not know. "But he who hates" those who strike the hand in a pledge — is secure and does not fear a creditor.
Ralbag
"He shall surely suffer harm" — The intent is that the evil man will be broken and destroyed, because he stands surety on behalf of the faculty that is foreign to him insofar as he is a human being — namely, the faculty that is aroused toward bodily desires. And as for "he who hates those who strike hands" — the meaning is that he hates one who is willing to stand surety for his fellow in this manner; rather, he who exerts his intellect in acquiring the ideas that are proper to it alone is secure, and there is no fear before his eyes, for the providence of Hashem clings to him.
Metzudat David
"Shall smart for it" — He shall be broken and crushed, because he was surety for a strange man whom they did not know to be trustworthy; but one who altogether hates the striking of hands in surety is secure from breaking and crushing.
Metzudat Zion
'Shall surely smart for it' — an expression of breaking and crushing, as in 'you shall break them with a rod of iron' (Psalms 2:9).
Malbim
(Proverbs 11:15): "He shall smart, for he is surety for a stranger" — this is based on what will be explained further on (17:17): that although a friend must help his friend with all that is in his power, which includes entering into surety for him, nevertheless he should not enter into a handclasp-pledge, which is a suretyship of direct liability, whereby the creditor collects immediately from the guarantor. And on this it says: whoever is surety for a stranger — even a plain suretyship — "shall smart for it"; and even for a friend, for whom he is obligated to be surety, nonetheless: "he who hates those who strike hands is secure" — he should not enter into a suretyship of the handclasp, for then he is not secure even with a friend, since they will move first to collect from him.
A gracious woman obtains honor; And strong men obtain riches.
verse value 3123
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "grasps" (תִּתְמֹ֣ךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "grasp·riches" (יִתְמְכוּ־עֹֽשֶׁר, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "a·woman·of·grace" (אֵֽשֶׁת־חֵ֭ן), "grasps" (תִּתְמֹ֣ךְ), "and·awe-inspiring" (וְ֝עָרִיצִ֗ים). The root תמך appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "a·woman·of·grace" (root אשה, 24x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'honor', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: אֵֽשֶׁת־חֵ֭ן [a·woman·of·grace] (759) + תִּתְמֹ֣ךְ [grasps] (860) + כָּב֑וֹד [honor] (32) + וְ֝עָרִיצִ֗ים [and·awe-inspiring] (426) + יִתְמְכוּ־עֹֽשֶׁר [grasp·riches] (1046) = 3123.
Rashi
draws near to honor Heb. תתמך. The people of Israel constantly draw near to the honor of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Torah. ( but strong men draw near to riches that it should not be lost to them.)
Ibn Ezra
"A gracious woman" — the possessor of grace and beauty, she holds fast to her honor, in that she is honored on account of her beauty; or "honor" alludes to wealth, and this is the correct reading in my view — and "holds fast" means she does not spend from it for her needs, and instead desires the gifts of others. "And ruthless men" — fearsome ones — hold their wealth through the abundance of gifts from others whom they bribe. But...
Ralbag
"A gracious woman" — Behold, the wise inherit honor, for by the depth of their inquiry, every tongue that rises against them in judgment, they condemn. Now, when the soul that serves the intellect is a "gracious woman" — one who finds favor in the intellect's eyes, because her intention is always directed toward him, providing whatever testimony from the senses he requires — she then supports the wise man in this honor, and it is as if she were a pillar upon which this honor rests, just as the powerful support wealth and are like pillars for it, guarding it from every plunderer and looter.
Metzudat David
"A gracious woman" — A woman who bears grace because of the worthiness of her deeds — her way is to support her honor so that it does not depart from her, and she creates supports for her honor by adding worthy deeds. "And the mighty [aritsim]" — Men of great strength, their way is to create supports for wealth, so that it not be lost to them.
Metzudat Zion
'And the mighty' — strong ones, as in 'the mighty of the nations' (Ezekiel 28).
Malbim
"A gracious woman" — the two virtues, wealth and honor, when they are a gift of God, always come joined together — this being so when one uses the gift of wealth to perform kindness, charity, and good, for then he merits honor as well. But when they come apart, honor is then a virtue in its own right — namely, when one is worthy of honor through his character and virtues — while wealth is a deficiency, if one acquires it through robbery and violence, or uses it for evil. Here he pictures these two virtues as though standing apart, each needing someone to support it in hand — that is, the owner of the possession who upholds these virtues. "A gracious woman" supports "honor," meaning that mighty men are not needed to uphold it, for it is not attained through tyranny, but rather through a good woman who attains grace through her good deeds — or, in the figurative sense, a precious, good, and wise soul, which is the allegorical woman spoken of throughout this book. And "the ruthless" — those who use the power of might unlawfully to oppress the poor — they are the ones who uphold "riches."
The merciful man does good to his own soul; But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
verse value 1933
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "does·good" (גֹּמֵ֣ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "cruel" (אַכְזָרִֽי, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "does·good" (גֹּמֵ֣ל), "and·troubles" (וְעֹכֵ֥ר), "his·flesh" (שְׁ֝אֵר֗וֹ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "his·soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root עכר ("and·troubles") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'kindness', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: גֹּמֵ֣ל [does·good] (73) + נַ֭פְשׁוֹ [his·soul] (436) + אִ֣ישׁ [man·of] (311) + חָ֑סֶד [kindness] (72) + וְעֹכֵ֥ר [and·troubles] (296) + שְׁ֝אֵר֗וֹ [his·flesh] (507) + אַכְזָרִֽי [cruel] (238) = 1933.
Rashi
does himself good He does good to his kin. A kind man lit. a man of kindness, a man who is kind. but a cruel one troubles his own flesh But the cruel one troubles his kin.
Ibn Ezra
"The merciful man does good to his own soul" — he sustains it through his kindness and brings it to completion until a ripe old age. "His own flesh" — his body. He [the cruel man] is one who acts through willful transgression until he destroys another. He said "his flesh" is paired with "the cruel one," because his intent is to sustain the body through the pleasures of the world, whereas the pious man sustains the soul, through his integrity and his kindness.
Ralbag
"He who does good to his own soul" — Behold, one who nurtures his material soul and sustains it, giving it the material things it necessarily needs — food and clothing — is a man of kindness, for he does not withhold from it what is properly its due, and he has compassion on what deserves compassion. But one who troubles his flesh and distresses his body is cruel; for one who is cruel to himself is all the more cruel to others. Now he says this because some people think that afflicting their body with suffering is a service to Hashem, but this is the opposite of Hashem's will. Therefore you will find that the Torah did not establish anything that would involve affliction of the animalistic soul, except a little, on one day of the year — and this is because the material, psychic faculties are disposed for the service of the intellect, and this cannot be readied for them unless they are in good health. Therefore, whoever causes the body to become sick — and through its sickness these faculties become weakened — disrupts Hashem's intent.
Metzudat David
"Does good to his own soul" — One who bestows good on his own soul — which desires that its necessary needs be given to it, to keep it alive and maintain it in a state of health — is certainly a pious man, for just as he has compassion on his own soul, so he has compassion on the soul of another; but one who troubles his own flesh and starves himself, because he is anxious over money, how much more so is he cruel to another.
Metzudat Zion
'And he who troubles' — an expression of ruin and confusion, as in 'you have troubled me' (Genesis 34). 'His flesh' — his flesh, as in 'can He also provide flesh' (Psalms 78:20).
Malbim
"The merciful man does good to his own soul" — a "man of kindness" is one whose way it is to do kindness with every person, without hope of reward, and without being stirred by some emotional trait such as compassion, pity, and the like. His opposite is the cruel man, who not only fails to perform kindness, but even when he is stirred by the distress of the downtrodden, he does not have mercy — rather he acts cruelly and does not deal well with him. Here he pictures man as having two parts: his soul (nafsho), which is the spiritual soul, and his flesh (she'eiro), which is the body. And he says that the man of kindness, even though it appears that he harms his body by giving away his money to others, nonetheless does good to his spiritual soul, for it is this that will inherit the hidden good. (And it has been explained by me that the verb "gamal" [to requite] is used of an act bound up with a feeling of love or hatred — meaning that he "requites" his soul through his love for the spiritual part within him, which is the essence of man.) "But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh" — the cruel man not only troubles his spiritual soul; do not think that by this he benefits his body, for he troubles his flesh and body as well, since through his cruelty, others will in turn act cruelly toward him. And, "he who troubles his household shall inherit the wind" — (for the one in between the two extremes, who is neither a man of kindness nor cruel, even though he does not requite his soul, he also does not trouble his flesh).
The wicked earns deceitful wages; But he who sows righteousness has a sure reward.
verse value 3568
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "wicked" (רָשָׁ֗ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "wage·of·falsehood" (פְעֻלַּת־שָׁ֑קֶר, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "wage·of·falsehood" (פְעֻלַּת־שָׁ֑קֶר). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "does" (root עשה, 34x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root זרע ("and·he·who·sows") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root שכר ("reward·of") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wage·of·falsehood', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: רָשָׁ֗ע [wicked] (570) + עֹשֶׂ֥ה [does] (375) + פְעֻלַּת־שָׁ֑קֶר [wage·of·falsehood] (1180) + וְזֹרֵ֥עַ [and·he·who·sows] (283) + צְ֝דָקָ֗ה [righteousness] (199) + שֶׂ֣כֶר [reward·of] (520) + אֱמֶֽת [truth] (441) = 3568.
Rashi
A wicked man earns illusory wages The wage of a wicked man lies to him. He thinks that his prosperity will remain, but all is lost. but he who sows charity [receives] a true reward But he who sows charity, it is a wage of truth, for he is surely confident that he will receive his wage at the end. שכר cornial in Old French. [This appears to mean a weir in several dialects; i.e., a fence placed in the water to catch fish.] Manuscripts of Rashi yield: eclusse or esklusa, which is e’cluse [in modern French]; in German wasserschleuse, a lock or a sluice gate). Like a man who locks a canal in order to gather fish, and he is confident that he will find many fish there. A similar instance is (Isa. 19:10): “all who make dams (שכר) for still ponds.”
Ibn Ezra
"A sure reward" — one who sows righteousness, his reward that Hashem gives him is certain/true, and the sowing of righteousness is the deed itself.
Ralbag
"The wicked man performs deceitful work" — The man who is wicked in character traits and in beliefs performs deeds that have no benefit; rather, they are vanity and falsehood. But one who sows righteousness — whether in character traits or in beliefs — has a wondrous and enduring reward, and this reward is the attainment of truth, which is the whole fruit of human success. So just as the attainment of truth follows from the sowing of righteousness, so likewise follows [what is stated next], etc.
Metzudat David
"Deceitful wages" — that is to say, his labor deceives him and does not endure. "But he who sows" — one who sows righteousness, his reward comes in truth; therefore his labor — namely, the reward of righteousness — indeed comes and endures.
Metzudat Zion
'Sure' — its meaning is something established, as in 'and let your words be established as true' (II Samuel 7:28).
Malbim
(18-19) "The wicked earns deceitful wages" — There is a difference between ma'aseh (a completed deed) and pe'ulah (an activity/endeavor). Pe'ulah is the engagement in which a person occupies himself with some matter, while ma'aseh is the completion of the deed. Now, the wicked man "does" [oseh] — meaning, it appears that he completes his deed; for example, he gathers wealth and riches, builds a house, and plants a vineyard through oppression and violence — these are completed deeds. But from the true perspective, all these imagined acquisitions are not ends in themselves; they are merely activities [pe'ulot], that is, means for attaining some [further] end. For if we say that they exist so that through them one may live a life of success, [we must ask]: what is the end of life itself? For even temporal life is not an end in itself. Therefore, when we consider these acquisitions in light of their [ultimate] end, they are "deceitful wages" — for in that which he does [po'el], he does not [truly] accomplish [oseh]; that is, in that which he engages himself in order to attain some end, he does not attain through it the desired end. He is like one who sows seed, and it sprouts, yet never becomes flour. If so, these are "deceitful wages." But "he who sows righteousness" — meaning, one who performs tzedakah, which is the good before God — resembles one who sows, not one who performs a completed deed. For with tzedakah, the end is not visible at the time of the deed; rather, he only sows, as one sows in the ground in order to reap after many days, at the time of harvest. And "he shall reap a sure reward" — and [Scripture] itself explains its own words: tzedakah leads to life; the sowing of tzedakah — "in joy shall he reap" — a sure reward, for tzedakah: his deeds are genuine, and they lead to life — both the life of this world, as it was said above, "tzedakah delivers from death," and the true life of the World to Come. Thus he shall reap a sure reward. But the deed of the wicked is "deceitful wages," for in that he pursues evil, he pursues his own death. The "pursuer" is one who strives to attain something quickly; the evil that, by nature, is still far off from the wicked man, he pursues in order to attain it before its time, and thereby he pursues his own death — whether the death of the body, in that through his wickedness evil and death come upon him before their time, or the death of the soul in the World to Come. And so it was said above: "the activity [pe'ulah] of the righteous leads to life; the increase of the wicked, to sin."
Steadfast righteousness tends to life; But he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.
verse value 1454
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "evil" (רָעָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "steadfast·of·righteousness" (כֵּן־צְדָקָ֥ה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "steadfast·of·righteousness" (כֵּן־צְדָקָ֥ה), "to·his·death" (לְמוֹתֽוֹ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·life" (root חי, 32x in Proverbs); "evil" (root רעה, 25x in Proverbs); "to·his·death" (root מות, 23x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root רדף ("and·he·who·pursues") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·life', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: כֵּן־צְדָקָ֥ה [steadfast·of·righteousness] (269) + לְחַיִּ֑ים [to·life] (98) + וּמְרַדֵּ֖ף [and·he·who·pursues] (330) + רָעָ֣ה [evil] (275) + לְמוֹתֽוֹ [to·his·death] (482) = 1454.
Rashi
The truth of charity Heb. כן, the truth of charity is that its end is for life, as in (Num. 27:7): “The daughters of Zelofchad speak right (כן).”
Ibn Ezra
"So is righteousness" — just as the reward of righteousness is certain, so is righteousness [conducive] to the life one attains through it, and that is the life of the soul. "And he who pursues" is a transitive verb, [directed] either at himself (lit. "to the heart") or at another; and so he is bent on pursuing it, to his own death — that he will die before his time.
Ralbag
"So righteousness" — thus, from it follows the attainment of true life, for a thing's share in existence is its share in life, in truth, as has been explained in First Philosophy [Metaphysics]. But one who pursues evil and wickedness — whether in character traits or in beliefs — from this, the onset of death and destruction follows for him.
Metzudat David
"So righteousness" — True righteousness, that is, [righteousness] given for its own sake, is a cause for attaining life; but one who pursues, along with righteousness, evil — [performing charity] in order to deceive people, so that they will consider him righteous — this is a further cause of his death, for it is not counted to him as merit but rather as guilt.
Metzudat Zion
'Steadfast' — its meaning is like 'true' and 'just,' as in 'the daughters of Zelophehad speak rightly' (Numbers 27:7).
Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination to Hashem; But such as are upright in their way are His delight.
verse value 2498
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "way" (דָֽרֶךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "crooked·of·heart" (עִקְּשֵׁי־לֵ֑ב, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "crooked·of·heart" (עִקְּשֵׁי־לֵ֑ב), "complete·of" (תְּמִ֣ימֵי). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "way" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "the·abomination·of" (root תועבה, 21x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'crooked·of·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת [the·abomination·of] (878) + יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + עִקְּשֵׁי־לֵ֑ב [crooked·of·heart] (512) + וּ֝רְצוֹנ֗וֹ [and·His·pleasure] (358) + תְּמִ֣ימֵי [complete·of] (500) + דָֽרֶךְ [way] (224) = 2498.
Ralbag
"An abomination to Hashem" — this refers to people who are perverse in heart, for their perverseness always leads them to error in beliefs and in the greatest fundamental principles. And Hashem's will is that people walk in their inquiry with integrity and completeness, so as to guard against errors.
Metzudat David
"Perverse in heart" — He shows a man his uprightness, while the thoughts of his heart are perverse. "Upright in their way" — One who is innocent in his ways and makes his hidden self equal to his revealed self — he is pleasing to Hashem.
Metzudat Zion
'Perverse' — an expression of crookedness.
Malbim
"Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination to Hashem; but such as are upright in their way are His delight." "Abomination" and "delight" are two extremes, and there is a middle ground between them that is neither "delight" (meaning, that He desires it) nor "abomination" (as I explained on verse 1 [of this chapter], and on 12:22 and 15:8). "Heart" represents the ruling faculty in a person, which directs all his faculties according to the laws of wisdom and justice. And one who always directs [his faculties] according to wisdom is called "wise of heart," and he is then "upright in his way" — meaning, the actions and conduct in which he walks are always whole/complete; he never stumbles so as to turn from the way on account of desires and the impulses of the heart, for his heart is ruled by the fear of Hashem, and he is the one who is pleasing in the eyes of Hashem, so as to draw forth "delight" from Him. And one who is "perverse of heart" is the opposite of "wise of heart" — he is one who disputes the laws of wisdom and directs his faculties contrary to its laws, and this is an "abomination" in the eyes of Hashem. And as for the one who stands between the two extremes — who is not "perverse of heart" so as to dispute the laws of wisdom, but is also not "upright in his way" — for although his heart does not dispute the laws of wisdom, nevertheless he sometimes turns from the good way if the spirit of the [evil] inclination rises up against him — he is neither "delight" nor "abomination," for this man still stands in the bonds of the struggle, whether to be victorious or to be defeated in the end.
My hand upon it! the evil man shall not be unpunished; But the seed of the righteous shall escape.
verse value 1190
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "hand" (יָ֣ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "not·be·unpunished" (לֹא־יִנָּ֣קֶה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "not·be·unpunished" (לֹא־יִנָּ֣קֶה), "escapes" (נִמְלָֽט). The root יד appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "evil" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs); "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "hand" (root יד, 24x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root מלט ("escapes") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'evil', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: יָ֣ד [hand] (14) + לְ֭יָד [to·hand] (44) + לֹא־יִנָּ֣קֶה [not·be·unpunished] (196) + רָּ֑ע [evil] (270) + וְזֶ֖רַע [and·seed·of] (283) + צַדִּיקִ֣ים [just] (254) + נִמְלָֽט [escapes] (129) = 1190.
Rashi
From hand to hand From the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, to his hand shall come to him his wage, and he will not be cleansed of the evil that he committed.
Ibn Ezra
"Hand to hand" — Hashem's hand is set against the hand of the evildoer, therefore he shall not go unpunished. And the meaning is: he shall not be clear/innocent, for Hashem will return his recompense upon his own head. "And the seed of the righteous" — they are the children of the righteous, who will escape trouble for the sake of their fathers.
Ralbag
"Hand to hand" — Behold, the sudden calamities that come from hand to hand — the wicked man will not go unpunished from them, because Hashem does not watch over him to protect him from them. But the seed of the righteous escapes from it, because the providence of Hashem clings to them to protect them. Or, the intent of this may be: at the time of great, sudden calamities that come from hand to hand, in which no one is free from harm — for it destroys both the wicked and the good — the seed of the righteous, that is, their offspring who possess perfection of the intellect, escapes, because this evil cannot rule over the intellect.
Metzudat David
"Hand to hand" — From the hand of the Omnipresent the requital comes to the hand of the one liable, and the evil man shall not be cleared of it, for it shall not return empty; but the seed of the righteous sometimes escape the evil that would be sent upon them, on account of the merit of the worthy deeds of their fathers.
Malbim
"Hand to hand, the evil man shall not go unpunished" — [Solomon] says that Hashem's punishments reach the evil man through particular providence, not through an intermediary; rather, He Himself punishes him by His own hand, such that the punishment comes "hand to hand," like one who gives from his own hand into the hand of the recipient, not through a messenger. For sometimes a thing passes from the hand of the giver to the hand of the recipient through intermediaries — agents of nature — and in that case one can picture, first, that the punishment might not reach the evil man himself, for instance if his hour is fortunate and his fate stands by him; and likewise one can picture that the offspring of the righteous, who have not sinned, might be overtaken by the evil, as it is written: "Did not Achan trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath came upon all the congregation of Israel, and he, one man, did not perish alone in his iniquity?" (Joshua 22:20) — for that punishment came about through the hiding of [Hashem's] face. But if it comes from the hand of Hashem directly into the hand of the evil man, then the evil man will not go unpunished, and also the offspring of the righteous escapes. Not so if the punishment comes through a messenger/agent, for once permission has been granted to the Destroyer, it does not distinguish between the good and the evil; and not only does the righteous man himself escape, but his offspring too escapes from the providential harm, as it is written: "And God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out from the midst of the overthrow" (Genesis 19:29).
As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman who turns aside from discretion.
verse value 1605
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "ring·of" (נֶ֣זֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "hog" (חֲזִ֑יר, 4 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·nose·of" (בְּאַ֣ף), "hog" (חֲזִ֑יר), "fair" (יָ֝פָ֗ה). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "woman" (root אשה, 24x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root זהב ("gold") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root טעם ("discretion") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hog', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: נֶ֣זֶם [ring·of] (97) + זָ֭הָב [gold] (14) + בְּאַ֣ף [in·nose·of] (83) + חֲזִ֑יר [hog] (225) + אִשָּׁ֥ה [woman] (306) + יָ֝פָ֗ה [fair] (95) + וְסָ֣רַת [and·who·turns·aside·from] (666) + טָֽעַם [discretion] (119) = 1605.
Rashi
[As] a gold ring in a swine’s snout that bemires it in the dungheap, so is a Torah scholar who turns away from the good way. from whom sense has departed Who has departed from the Torah.
Ibn Ezra
"In the snout of a swine" — for it (the swine) will bring it (the ring) into the mud and ruin it; and this is a parable: so is beauty like gold, and the foolish woman is like the swine, which has no sense, and the beauty in her is ruined when she turns away from the sense of wisdom. And "turned away" (sarat) is of the same grammatical pattern as "who sojourns in her house" (Exodus 3:22).
Ralbag
"A ring of gold" — Behold, the beautiful woman who lacks intellect is comparable to a gold ring placed in an utterly foul place — namely, the snout of the swine, which is found amid filth. And by this he has already directed [us] to keep away from the harlot who is beautiful, for without doubt she lacks good sense, and therefore she is drawn to this abomination and disgrace. And this alludes to the beauty and the readiness that Hashem placed in the matter of man and in his psychic faculties for the service of the intellect; but if he turns away from striving for the perfection for which he was prepared, then this beauty and this readiness is set in another, very disgraceful place. This is because the deficient man is worse than the worst of living creatures, for with the readiness that was prepared for him to attain perfection of the intellect, he instead uses it for disgraceful deeds, and therefore he exceeds even the beasts and animals in doing evil.
Metzudat David
"A ring of gold" — Just as if one were to put a ring of gold in a pig's snout, the pig would not keep this ornament in order to adorn itself with it, but would rather soil it with excrement — so is the way of a beautiful woman who has turned away from taste and the counsel of wisdom, for she does not properly keep herself for what is permitted to her, but only for what is forbidden to her. And this is stated as a parable concerning one who has found wisdom and does not use it for the wisdom of the Torah, but rather to deceive people, and the like.
Metzudat Zion
'A ring' — an ornament placed on the nose; likewise, 'a hook and a ring' (Exodus 35). 'Discretion' — its meaning is counsel and the substance of a matter, as in 'and takes away the discernment of the elders' (Job 12:20).
Malbim
"A ring of gold in a swine's snout" — an ornament only enhances charm and beauty on one who is already fit to receive beauty in himself; but when one places a ring on a swine's snout, it does not beautify its face, since it is entirely soiled with filth — and not only does it fail to lend it charm, it also soils the ring itself. So too a beautiful woman who lacks discretion [ta'am]: the beauty that serves as an ornament on her face does not beautify her, since she is ugly on the inside. Now, ta'am refers to the disposition of the soul and the character traits that are revealed outwardly, as in "and he changed his ta'am before them," and "blessed be your ta'am, and blessed be you." It is borrowed from the sense of taste as applied to food, by which one perceives, through the palate, whether the food is bitter or sweet, good or bad — so too, through a person's impressions, character traits, and speech, one perceives that person's disposition and nature: good or bad, wise or foolish. And when she "lacks ta'am," which is revealed through her speech and conduct — for she is bad and ugly in the inwardness of her soul — what good does the external beauty do her? On the contrary, it will further soil that beauty and disgrace it through her bad character. And in the metaphor: one whose form is beautiful and whose soul is fit for the intelligibles — a learner, a person of understanding, a man of insight — but whose character traits are bad and whose deeds are corrupt — the Torah and the sciences he has learned disgrace him, like a swine wearing a ring of gold. As it has been said: "Whoever reads and studies, but whose speech is not conducted gently... what do people say [of him]? Woe to his teacher who taught him Torah..." etc.
The desire of the righteous is only good; But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
verse value 2902
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "desire·of" (תַּאֲוַ֣ת, 4 letters) and the longest is "just" (צַדִּיקִ֣ים, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "only·good" (אַךְ־ט֑וֹב), "expectation·of" (תִּקְוַ֖ת). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "only·good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'only·good', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: תַּאֲוַ֣ת [desire·of] (807) + צַדִּיקִ֣ים [just] (254) + אַךְ־ט֑וֹב [only·good] (38) + תִּקְוַ֖ת [expectation·of] (906) + רְשָׁעִ֣ים [wicked] (620) + עֶבְרָֽה [wrath] (277) = 2902.
Rashi
the hope of the wicked is wrath They are assured and hope for Gehinnom.
Ibn Ezra
"The desire" — [the word "only"] limits all desires except the desire to do good, while the wicked hope to commit transgression. And the meaning is: to overstep against others; and the trait of anger that oversteps its proper measure is called "transgression."
Ralbag
"The desire of the righteous" — Behold, the righteous — their desire and their purpose and the limit toward which they aim is only the good. But what the wicked hope for as the end toward which they aim is a matter of wrath and fury, for they constantly strive to do evil deeds. And he has already explained this by way of poetic expression — that each of these attains what he hopes for: that is, the righteous seeks the good end in everything he does, and therefore Hashem gives him his reward, that he attains the good of the soul; while the wicked seek an evil end in everything they do, and therefore they attain evil for themselves.
Metzudat David
"Only good" — Of all desires, they choose only the desire for the deed of good, and leave the rest. "Wrath" — All their hope is to find some matter about which to become angry and enraged at someone.
Malbim
"The desire of the righteous" — There is a difference between ta'avah (desire/craving) and tikvah (hope/expectation): one who craves has no assurance whatsoever of attaining the thing — he merely craves it, and that is all — but one who hopes already has some assurance that he will attain the thing. Now, the desire of the wicked is evil, whether because he desires evil — possessions that are not his, through violence, robbery, and forbidden things, as it is written, "the soul of the wicked desires evil" (Proverbs 21:10) — or because he will not attain his desire, as it is written, "the desire of the wicked shall perish" (Psalms 112:10). But the desire of the righteous is only good, whether because he desires only the good, as it is written, "for Your name and for Your remembrance is the desire of the soul" (Isaiah 26:8), or because Hashem grants his desire, as it is written, "and He grants the desire of the righteous" (Proverbs 10:24), "Hashem, You have heard the desire of the humble" (Psalms 10:17) — and it is good in this respect too, that his desire is fulfilled, as it is written, "desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul" (Proverbs 13:19). But "the expectation of the wicked is wrath" — even the very thing that they hope for and consider already prepared before them to attain is, in fact, wrath, in two respects: with regard to the outcome, for they will not attain their hope and will be enraged, as it is written, "and their hope is the drooping of the soul" (Job 11:20), and "the expectation of the wicked shall perish" (Proverbs 10:28), for "what is the hope of the impious though he gain [wealth]?" (Job 27:8); and with regard to the hope itself, which is only for evil, as it is written, "the wicked have hoped for me, to destroy me" (Psalms 119:95) — their hope being that a general wrath and distress should come upon all people, out of their jealousy or out of love of honor, so that they alone should remain in tranquility; but in the end the wrath comes upon them. I have already explained (above, on chapter 10) that the righteous have "tochelet" (a secure hope) while the wicked have only "tikvah" (an uncertain hope), because their situation is not secure. And the meaning of the word "evrah" (wrath) is that through rage one oversteps the boundary [gevul] more than is proper.
There is that scatters, and yet increases; And there is that withholds more than is meet, but it tends only to want.
verse value 2168
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "there·is" (יֵ֣שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "only·to·need" (אַךְ־לְמַחְסֽוֹר, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "scatters" (מְ֭פַזֵּר), "and·increases" (וְנוֹסָ֥ף), "and·withholds" (וְחֹשֵׂ֥ךְ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·uprightness" (root ישר, 35x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root עוד ("yet") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root אך ("only·to·need") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'yet', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: יֵ֣שׁ [there·is] (310) + מְ֭פַזֵּר [scatters] (327) + וְנוֹסָ֥ף [and·increases] (202) + ע֑וֹד [yet] (80) + וְחֹשֵׂ֥ךְ [and·withholds] (334) + מִ֝יֹּ֗שֶׁר [from·uprightness] (550) + אַךְ־לְמַחְסֽוֹר [only·to·need] (365) = 2168.
Rashi
There is one who scatters his money for such things as charity, and he is given more. and one who withholds himself from [giving] what is proper, only for a loss it will be to him.
Ibn Ezra
"There is one who scatters" — to the poor. "And yet increases still" — the wealth. "And he who withholds" — his wealth from what is proper, that is, from doing what is right, in that he does not give to the poor. "And withholds" — because want will come upon him; and "only" limits how much the one who scatters actually increases.
Ralbag
"There is that scatters" — Behold, there is one who scatters and yet gains more, and this is the person who possesses perfection in intellectual inquiry, for the more he adds to teaching knowledge to people, the more his wisdom and understanding increase, as they said, "and from my students I learned more than from all of them." And one who withholds himself from teaching righteousness to people — this matter constitutes for him a deficiency in his own perfection, for by concealing words of righteousness from people, his own inquiry is diminished. And for this same reason as well, behold, "a generous soul shall be enriched, and one who waters others shall himself be watered" — this too teaches that a person of blessed soul should always seek blessing, and that the increase gained through study will be rich and fat, from the fatness of the pleasantness of the intelligibles. And one who gives drink to others from what he himself has attained, and enriches them with wisdom — behold, he too instructs and teaches himself, for by this very act he extends the inquiry further in this study, on account of his descending to explain this inquiry to students. Behold, one who withholds the grain of study — the whole people or the nation will curse him, because he does not wish to benefit people with that which Hashem, may He be blessed, has benefited him. But upon the head of the man who supplies grain and teaches knowledge to the people, blessing shall come — for they will bless him, and blessing shall also come to him through his own study, which will be increased by this very act; blessing shall also come to him from Hashem, may He be exalted, who will give him his reward in return for this good that he has done. And it is possible that these three verses are aligned so as to spur one on toward the act of charity.
Metzudat David
"There is that scatters" — that is to say, one finds a thing: if he scatters it on some matter, it increases even more; but if he withholds from giving from it even what is fitting, it will not be a cause for the thing's preservation, but rather for its loss. And this refers to the scattering of money for charity, for "he who scatters," etc.
Metzudat Zion
'And he who withholds' — and restrains.
Malbim
"There is that scatters, and yet increases; and there is that withholds more than is fitting, but it tends only to want" — The Sages already explained that it is good for a person to choose the middle path. Now, generosity is the middle path between wastefulness and stinginess, both of which are not good, as they said: "One who is extravagant [with charity] should not be extravagant with more than a fifth [of his wealth]." And according to popular opinion, one who leans toward one of the extremes is better off leaning toward stinginess than toward wastefulness, for the wasteful person will lose his wealth, whereas the stingy person will at least guard his money and not lose it. The wise man [Solomon] says the opposite: for one who scatters does not always lose his money — sometimes, through his scattering, his money actually increases, because thereby his name grows great among the wealthy of the land, and everyone lends to him and trusts him, and thereby the honor of his wealth grows, so that at times "he scatters, and yet increases." But one who withholds beyond what is fitting, out of stinginess, only ever diminishes — because through his stinginess and begrudging eye, people flee from him, and his money comes to nothing for lack of anyone doing business with him; and also because of Hashem's punishments, as is explained in the book of Ecclesiastes: "a man to whom God gives riches... but does not empower him [to enjoy them]..." (Ecclesiastes 6:2).
The beneficent soul shall be made rich, and he who satisfies abundantly shall be satisfied also himself.
verse value 1940
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "shall·be·made·rich" (תְדֻשָּׁ֑ן, 4 letters) and the longest is "soul·of·blessing" (נֶֽפֶשׁ־בְּרָכָ֥ה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "soul·of·blessing" (נֶֽפֶשׁ־בְּרָכָ֥ה), "and·he·who·satisfies" (וּ֝מַרְוֶ֗ה), "shall·be·satisfied" (יוֹרֶֽא). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "also·he" (root הוא, 21x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root דשן ("shall·be·made·rich") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'shall·be·made·rich', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: נֶֽפֶשׁ־בְּרָכָ֥ה [soul·of·blessing] (657) + תְדֻשָּׁ֑ן [shall·be·made·rich] (754) + וּ֝מַרְוֶ֗ה [and·he·who·satisfies] (257) + גַּם־ה֥וּא [also·he] (55) + יוֹרֶֽא [shall·be·satisfied] (217) = 1940.
Rashi
A generous person [lit. a soul of blessing,] who is generous with his money, and every expression of blessing is fuison in Old French, excess. and he who sates who sates the poor. shall himself become sated as well He shall be sated with good.
Ibn Ezra
"Yora" (rendered above as "satisfied") — from the sense of "and you shall direct/teach them." And the meaning: the soul that gives from its blessings, Hashem will make it fat, and Hashem will increase it, for He is the one who satisfies it abundantly. "He too shall be satisfied" — He commanded to satisfy a man who is in want, and this is [the commandment]: "You shall surely furnish him" (Deuteronomy 15:14) and "you shall uphold him" (Leviticus 25:35). Another explanation: "and he who satisfies abundantly" is joined together with "the beneficent soul" [forming a single clause]. And the meaning: a man who satisfies others, he too shall experience abundance, for he becomes prosperous through his satisfying a man who is in want. Another explanation: the wise man who satisfies others — God will grant him authority.
Metzudat David
"A soul of blessing" — The soul that desires the increase of good for another, it too shall be made fat [enriched]. "And he who waters abundantly" — One who satisfies the poor, he too shall be satisfied with good.
Metzudat Zion
'Blessing' — every expression of berakhah (blessing) means an increase of good. 'Shall be made rich' — an expression of deshen and shamen (fatness and richness). 'And he who satisfies abundantly' — an expression of satiation, as in 'like a watered garden' (Isaiah 58).
Malbim
(25-26) "A generous soul shall be made fat," "he who withholds grain, the people will curse him" — The second verse explains the first: one who withholds from selling grain, the people will curse him, because by wanting to hoard the produce and cause a price rise, people will die of hunger, and the curse of the people will come upon him. But one who supplies grain and feeds people in years of famine, blessing will come upon his head. And it says that this blessing is great, for the soul that receives this blessing shall be made fat — meaning, through his supplying food, his own soul shall be made fat. And one who gives others plentiful drink, he too shall be given increase and be sated to the full. We find the verb "dashen" (to make fat) used of the soul elsewhere: "and I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness" (Jeremiah 31:14), "and let your soul delight itself in fatness" (Isaiah 55:2) — this refers to the basic vital moisture that increases and adds strength to the body, whereas "satiation" (revayah) is the complete satisfaction that comes from drinking. All of this is a parable for one who withholds wisdom and Torah study from his disciples — he is the one who "withholds grain"; therefore it says "the people (le'om) will curse him," for by definition the term "le'om" refers to the adherents of a religion — this is the difference between "am" (a nation) and "le'om" (a faith-community). And one who supplies [teaching] and teaches Torah, blessing will rest upon him, and then his spiritual soul will be made fat with spiritual fatness. And one who gives his disciples plentiful drink and teaches them the way of Hashem, he too shall be taught (the word "yura" here carrying the sense of "be taught," alongside its plain sense of "be given increase"), and Hashem will teach him knowledge and inform him of the way of understanding. I have already explained the parable of bread and drink for the study of Torah, on Isaiah chapter 55: "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come for water; come, buy and eat" (Isaiah 55:1) — see there.
He who withholds corn, the people shall curse him; But blessing shall be upon the head of the one who sells it.
verse value 1878
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "grain" (בָּ֭ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "curse·him" (יִקְּבֻ֣הוּ, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "the·people" (לְא֑וֹם), "and·blessing" (וּ֝בְרָכָ֗ה), "sells·grain" (מַשְׁבִּֽיר). 7 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root בר ("grain") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root לאם ("the·people") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: מֹ֣נֵֽעַ [he·who·withholds] (160) + בָּ֭ר [grain] (202) + יִקְּבֻ֣הוּ [curse·him] (123) + לְא֑וֹם [the·people] (77) + וּ֝בְרָכָ֗ה [and·blessing] (233) + לְרֹ֣אשׁ [to·head·of] (531) + מַשְׁבִּֽיר [sells·grain] (552) = 1878.
Rashi
He who keeps back grain [who refrains] from teaching Torah.
Ibn Ezra
"Bar" (grain) — it is [the grain] cleansed of straw, on the grammatical pattern of "chag," "pat," "bag" [segolate nouns]. "They shall curse him" — from the sense of "kavah li" ("curse for me," Numbers 22:17) and from its root, for the pattern is "kavah," "havah," and likewise "arah li" ("curse for me," Numbers 22:6); and the shared feature among these forms is [a directive heh ending, as in]: "nekovah" (Genesis 30:28), "yehavah," "na'arah," "shim'ah," "solchah" (Daniel 9:19). "Mashbir" (he who sells grain) — one who sells produce. Meaning: whoever withholds his produce in a time of famine until he sells it at a high price — peoples will curse him, but blessing will come upon the head of the one who sells his grain in time of need.
Metzudat David
"He who withholds corn" — one who refrains from selling his produce in time of need and keeps it stored until a time of high prices, the people of his nation will curse him; but blessing comes upon the head of the one who sells grain in time of need, for everyone will bless him. And this is stated as a parable concerning one who imparts wisdom to others.
Metzudat Zion
'Corn' — grain, as in 'to buy corn' (Genesis 42). 'Shall curse him' — they shall curse him, as in 'come, curse it for me' (Numbers 22:11). 'People' — a nation, as in 'and the one people shall be stronger than the other people' (Genesis 25:23). 'He who sells' — an expression of selling grain, as in 'to buy corn' (Genesis 42).
He who diligently seeks good seeks favor; But he who searches for evil, it shall come to him.
verse value 2533
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "he·who·seeks" (שֹׁ֣חֵֽר, 3 letters) and the longest is "shall·come·to·him" (תְבוֹאֶֽנּוּ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "he·who·seeks" (שֹׁ֣חֵֽר), "and·he·who·searches" (וְדֹרֵ֖שׁ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs); "shall·come·to·him" (root בוא, 35x in Proverbs); "evil" (root רעה, 25x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'favor', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: שֹׁ֣חֵֽר [he·who·seeks] (508) + ט֭וֹב [good] (17) + יְבַקֵּ֣שׁ [seeks] (412) + רָצ֑וֹן [favor] (346) + וְדֹרֵ֖שׁ [and·he·who·searches] (510) + רָעָ֣ה [evil] (275) + תְבוֹאֶֽנּוּ [shall·come·to·him] (465) = 2533.
Rashi
He who desires good Who wishes to lead the people in the good way and reproves and chastises them. seeks acceptance He desires that the Holy One, blessed be He, accept them and and be reconciled with them. Appaisement in Old French, besanftigen in German.
Ibn Ezra
"Shocher" (he who diligently seeks, from "dawn") — he who rises at dawn to do good seeks to appease his fellow whom he has wronged, or he seeks favor, that Hashem will be pleased with him. "And he who searches" — [seeks] to do evil to his fellow; it will come upon him from Hashem, as in the matter: "His mischief shall return upon his own head" (Psalm 7:17).
Ralbag
"He who diligently seeks good" — one who is good and seeks it, it is the will of Hashem, may He be blessed, that it should reach him, for Hashem, may He be blessed, made man with a disposition such that he seeks after good things; and therefore he will attain, without doubt, the end toward which he aimed. "and he who searches" [for evil] — one who seeks to do evil, it shall come upon him; that is, the evil shall come to him in a manner opposite to what he intended, for he intended the evil for another, yet it comes upon himself — in the very net that he laid for another, he himself is caught.
Metzudat David
"He who diligently seeks good" — one who seeks after the good of people and desires it for them thereby seeks favor from Hashem, for through this he will find favor with Him. "But he who searches" — but one who searches after the harm of people and desires it, that very harm will come upon him.
Metzudat Zion
'He who diligently seeks' — an expression of seeking, as in 'and seek God' (Psalms 48).
Malbim
"He who diligently seeks (shocher) good" — This teaches us that human nature inclines more toward evil than toward good, for evil impressions are planted in a person's soul from the days of childhood, and the faculties of matter are more attentive to the senses and to desires. Therefore it says "shocher tov" (he who seeks good early) and "doresh ra'ah" (he who searches for evil) — because the good must be sought early, for the verb "shachar" denotes the extra effort of seeking that a person performs every morning at the rising of the dawn (shachar); whereas evil requires only ordinary searching (derishah). Now, one who seeks the good early must first seek [Divine] favor, that his own faculties should desire the good — for the will toward good is not planted in the powers of the soul on its own; rather, one must seek it out and dig into the depths of the soul until the will emerges from its hidden places. This is not so with one who searches for evil — it comes to him on its own, and he need not seek any will for it, because matter and the desires are already prepared toward evil. He also used the term "yevakesh" (seek), which is related in meaning to prayer (bakashah), because one must seek help from Hashem — for "one who comes to be purified is helped [from Above]," and so he must seek [Divine] favor from Hashem. But one who searches for evil, it shall come to him on its own, for "one who comes to defile himself, the way is opened for him."
He who trusts in his riches shall fall; But the righteous shall flourish as foliage.
verse value 1430
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. Verse gematria: 1430 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "he" (ה֣וּא, 3 letters) and the longest is "just" (צַדִּיקִ֥ים, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·his·wealth" (בְּ֭עׇשְׁרוֹ), "and·like·the·leaf" (וְ֝כֶעָלֶ֗ה), "shall·flourish" (יִפְרָֽחוּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "he" (root הוא, 21x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root עלה ("and·like·the·leaf") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'shall·fall', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: בּוֹטֵ֣חַ [trusts] (25) + בְּ֭עׇשְׁרוֹ [in·his·wealth] (578) + ה֣וּא [he] (12) + יִפּ֑וֹל [shall·fall] (126) + וְ֝כֶעָלֶ֗ה [and·like·the·leaf] (131) + צַדִּיקִ֥ים [just] (254) + יִפְרָֽחוּ [shall·flourish] (304) = 1430.
Ibn Ezra
"He who trusts in his riches" — and not in Hashem, it will not benefit him, for he shall fall into the hand of those who seek his life; but the righteous, who trust in Hashem and not in their riches, shall flourish and blossom like foliage.
Ralbag
"He who trusts in his riches" — one who trusts in his riches, and on account of this thinks to make himself great and to raise himself above other people, he shall fall, for it is not fitting to trust in anyone except Hashem, may He be blessed; and just as the leaf comes forth, beneath which the blossom [emerges], so shall the righteous flourish to produce fruits — namely, those who place their trust in Him, in Hashem.
Metzudat David
"He shall fall" — and his riches will not help him; but the righteous, who trust in Hashem, will flourish like trees.
Malbim
"He who trusts in his riches shall fall" — [Solomon] portrays the affairs of man through the parable of a fruit tree, whose fruit is the fruit of the soul in Torah and purpose. If a person occupies himself with Torah and serves Hashem, then, like a righteous man, he shall flourish like the palm tree, and his fruit shall be given in its season; and his external possessions — that is, his wealth — are comparable to the leaves that guard the fruit and protect it, so too they protect him, so that his [material] needs and livelihood do not distract him from Hashem's Torah and His service. But one who trusts in his riches alone and thinks that this is the essential thing — he shall fall like a leaf falling from a vine, for leaves with no fruit on them are nothing. But "the righteous shall flourish as foliage" — meaning, they shall bloom and put forth blossom and bud, which is the beginning of the growth of the fruit — meaning, they shall produce holy fruit, praises to wisdom and knowledge; and wealth is like the leaf that surrounds the blossom and protects it, so that the fruit is preserved by means of the leaf, and the leaf surrounds and encloses the fruit.
He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind; And the foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.
verse value 1279
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "he·who·troubles" (עֹכֵ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "inherits·wind" (יִנְחַל־ר֑וּחַ, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "inherits·wind" (יִנְחַל־ר֑וּחַ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·wise·of·heart" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "his·house" (root בית, 38x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root עבד ("and·slave") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'inherits·wind', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עֹכֵ֣ר [he·who·troubles] (290) + בֵּ֭יתוֹ [his·house] (418) + יִנְחַל־ר֑וּחַ [inherits·wind] (312) + וְעֶ֥בֶד [and·slave] (82) + אֱ֝וִ֗יל [foolish] (47) + לַֽחֲכַם־לֵֽב [to·wise·of·heart] (130) = 1279.
Rashi
He who inherits the wind will trouble his household A lazy man, who always inherits the wind and does not toil in Torah or in work, will ultimately trouble the members of his household, for they will have nothing to eat.
Ibn Ezra
"He who troubles his own house" — through his folly, inherits wind and vapor; and the servant of the fool becomes an inheritance for the one who is wise of heart, for he will acquire him from him. And he made known that the fool destroys his own possessions, while the wise man acquires through his wisdom; or, alternatively, the fool himself is a servant to the wise man.
Ralbag
"He who troubles his own house" — one who destroys his own house, meaning, for instance, the structure of the body, its limbs, and its psychical faculties, to the point that he does not employ them for the benefits for which they are intended — behold, he shall inherit wind and emptiness, for there is no benefit in it. And instead of merely preventing himself from employing his intellect for its intended purpose, he reverts to being a servant to another; meaning, the fool shall indeed become a servant to the one who is wise of heart. Or, alternatively, by the word "servant" he means it as an abstract noun denoting an outcome, and the intent is that the labor of the fool, in which he toiled, shall belong to the one who is wise of heart, as it is said, "he shall prepare it, but the just shall put it on" (Job 27:17).
Metzudat David
"He who troubles his own house" — the lazy man, who because of his laziness troubles and ruins the members of his household, since he cannot provide for their needs — thereby quarrel and anger increase, and it is as though he inherits for himself a spirit of anger. And in the end this fool will become a servant to the one who is wise of heart, in order to sustain his own life.
Metzudat Zion
'Wind' — its meaning is anger, as in 'they have set My anger at rest' (Zechariah 6:8).
Malbim
"He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind" — "He who troubles his own house" is one who destroys the order of his household and ruins his possessions, increasing his expenses beyond his means, so that nothing remains in his hand either to inherit or to bequeath, since a house and wealth are the inheritance of the fathers — and so instead "he shall inherit the wind." And all of this is a parable about the metaphorical house, which is the house of the soul and its dwelling place, concerning which it is said (Proverbs 24:3), "Through wisdom is a house built, and through understanding it is established, and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant wealth." For the laws of wisdom that a person has gathered within his soul — how he should conduct himself in all his character traits and in all the courses of the soul, for good and for bad — this is the building of the house. Like one who builds a house, who gathers the wood and the stones, collects them, and arranges them, so too one gathers all the laws of wisdom; and through understanding, by which he comprehends the laws of wisdom and derives one thing from another, he completes the building so as to finish it. And when he knows everything with clear knowledge, whether in matters of character or in divine understanding, he finds the house of his soul filled with precious and beautiful vessels, as it is written, "and a precious vessel are lips of knowledge." And if the house of the soul is arranged in this manner, then "the house of the righteous has great treasure." But the wicked man, who is satisfied with [only part of] the laws of wisdom, disputes them — and all the more so one who has no understanding or knowledge at all — "troubles his own house," as it is written, "but in the produce of the wicked is trouble." And then "he shall inherit the wind," and the precious wealth and these vessels of the soul are lost, and in their place remain "vanity and vexation of spirit" — this being the storm-wind that raises up the images of desire over the heart, and strikes the four corners of the house and carries it away from its place. From this he derives the moral: "the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart." The definition of "wise of heart" is one whose ruling faculty within the soul (called "the heart") rules according to the conceptions of wisdom and its laws, without turning away from them, and it has already filled his house with all precious and pleasant wealth. And "the fool" is the opposite of him — one who is satisfied with [only part of] the laws of wisdom and disputes them; he is poor in knowledge, and so it is fitting that he be a servant to the wise of heart, like a poor and destitute man who serves the wealthy man.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he who is wise wins souls.
verse value 1770
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "tree·of" (עֵ֣ץ, 2 letters) and the longest is "fruit·of·righteous" (פְּֽרִי־צַ֭דִּיק, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 68: life, wise. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "fruit·of·righteous" (פְּֽרִי־צַ֭דִּיק), "and·he·who·takes" (וְלֹקֵ֖חַ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wise" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "fruit·of·righteous" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "souls" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'life', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: פְּֽרִי־צַ֭דִּיק [fruit·of·righteous] (494) + עֵ֣ץ [tree·of] (160) + חַיִּ֑ים [life] (68) + וְלֹקֵ֖חַ [and·he·who·takes] (144) + נְפָשׁ֣וֹת [souls] (836) + חָכָֽם [wise] (68) = 1770.
Rashi
The fruit of a righteous man The reward of the fruit of the righteous man’s deeds is a tree of life for the world. and the wise man acquires souls Whoever is wise acquires souls for himself. he teaches them the good way, and they are his as though he had acquired them, as the matter is stated (Gen. 12:5): “And the souls that they acquired in Haran.”
Ibn Ezra
"The fruit of the righteous" — the fruit of the thoughts of his intellect, in teaching discipline from his mouth, like the fruit of the tree of life. "And he who wins" — from the sense of "for I have given good instruction" (Proverbs 4:2). And he explained: [the wise man] makes souls wise and makes them aware of the moral teachings, similar to "what does your heart take you to" — [meaning] "it makes you wise" (Job 15:12). Another explanation: "acquires," similar to "those who bring the merchandise" [i.e., merchants]; and in the language of our Sages, they call an acquisition a "mekach" (purchase) — meaning he acquires souls like male and female servants, as in the matter of "and the fool is servant" (Proverbs 11:29). Another explanation: "and he who wins souls" — through his wisdom, he saves him from evil.
Ralbag
"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life" — for the righteous person attains eternal life; and one who takes hold of and draws [others] to the bodily, material forms of service, so that all of them may be aroused toward the intellect, to attain this eternal life — he is wise. Or the meaning may be twofold, and the intent is: the fruit of the righteous is a tree that gives life. This is because it is not enough for the righteous person to acquire life for himself alone, but he must acquire it for others as well; and the wise person is one who takes hold of the souls of people and draws them to the service of Hashem, may He be blessed, so that all of them may acquire eternal life.
Metzudat David
"The fruit of the righteous" — the deed of the righteous is like a tree that brings forth life, for through his deeds, life comes about. "And he who wins" [souls] — one who takes souls for himself, to guide them in the straight path, is regarded as though he had acquired them, as it is written, "and the souls that they had made in Haran" (Genesis 12:5). This one who "wins" is accounted wise.
Malbim
"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he who is wise wins souls" — The righteous man is one who employs the laws of wisdom to actually perform righteousness, and the wise man is one who has gathered the laws of wisdom from his teachers through study. And it says, "Say ye of the righteous, that it shall be well with him, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings," comparing righteousness to a tree that produces fruit, and the righteous man and his companions eat the fruit. And what is the fruit? "Their doings" — which are the deeds that issue from the traits of the soul. And one who eats this fruit eats the fruit of the tree of life, for he eats from it and lives forever the life of the soul — meaning, one who learns from the righteous man's deeds and acts likewise. And the wise man "wins souls" by means of words (for all "acquiring" among people is by means of words) — the wise man draws souls after him through his teachings, by which he teaches them the laws of wisdom, and the righteous man gives them life by feeding them his fruit — meaning, that they should act as he acts.
Behold, the righteous shall be requited in the earth; How much more the wicked and the sinner!
verse value 1643
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "behold" (הֵ֣ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·wicked" (כִּֽי־רָשָׁ֥ע, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·the·earth" (בָּאָ֣רֶץ), "for·wicked" (כִּֽי־רָשָׁ֥ע), "and·sinner" (וְחוֹטֵֽא). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'shall·be·requited', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֵ֣ן [behold] (55) + צַ֭דִּיק [just] (204) + בָּאָ֣רֶץ [in·the·earth] (293) + יְשֻׁלָּ֑ם [shall·be·requited] (380) + אַ֝֗ף [even] (81) + כִּֽי־רָשָׁ֥ע [for·wicked] (600) + וְחוֹטֵֽא [and·sinner] (30) = 1643.
Rashi
Behold! The righteous man will be requited on earth Why should the wicked man feel confident when he prospers? Does he not see that the righteous man is requited the payment of the sins he has committed while he is still on earth, during his lifetime? surely a wicked man and a sinner Surely the wicked will ultimately be requited, either during his lifetime or after his death.
Ibn Ezra
"Shall be requited in the land" — while he is still alive, Hashem will repay him for his good deed. "How much more" — likewise, the wicked will be repaid the reward of their deeds before their death, as in the matter: "He repays him to his face" (Deuteronomy 7:10).
Ralbag
"Behold, the righteous shall be requited in the earth" — Behold, it is not sufficient for the righteous person merely to acquire eternal life, but he shall also stand in peace while he is in the land, with no fear of evil before his eyes. And even when a righteous person sins some sin, nevertheless he shall stand in peace in the land, as you see with Jehoshaphat, who allied himself with Ahab, who was wicked; and though he sinned in this, Hashem, may He be blessed, saved him from harm when the army of Aram rose up against him to kill him, because good things were found in him, as is mentioned in the Book of Chronicles. And so too you find with David: when he sinned in the matter of that woman, the prophet said to him, "Hashem has also removed your sin; you shall not die," because all of his deeds, aside from this one, were of the utmost perfection, as we mentioned there. And for this reason we find that Saul was punished more than David was punished, even though Saul's sin was lesser — but it was because he did not perform as many good deeds as David did; rather, most of his deeds did not proceed along the path of rectitude.
Metzudat David
"Behold, etc." — as if to say: why should the wicked man rely on his momentary success? Does he not see that even the righteous man is repaid for the transgression in his hand while he is still on earth, before he dies — how much more so the wicked man who holds fast to his wickedness and continues to sin, who will surely receive the recompense of his deeds, whether before death or after it.
Metzudat Zion
'How much more' — its meaning is like 'all the more so'; likewise, 'how much more when fire has consumed it' (Ezekiel 15:5).
Malbim
(Proverbs 11:31): "Behold, the righteous shall be requited in the earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner" — After he had said (Proverbs 11:30), "the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life," which refers to the life of the soul, [Scripture] comes to say that from this it follows that [the righteous man] will be overtaken by misfortunes in this world if he commits some sin, for (Ecclesiastes 7:20), "there is not a righteous man on earth who does not sin." Therefore he is requited in the earth, so that his reward is preserved for him in the world of souls, where he shall live forever. And now, all the more so, how much more the wicked man who is a sinner, that his sin shall be repaid to him — except that the repayment of the wicked shall be in the world to come, for he did not eat from the tree of life, and so he shall die the death of the soul in the world of souls. And the [elliptical] construction of the verse is: "Behold, a righteous man who sins shall be requited; how much more a wicked man who sins." And from this it is also learned that the wicked, too, is punished even for a light sin — all the more so is this derived from the case of the righteous.
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim