The preparations of the heart are man's, but the answer of the tongue is from Hashem. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall; the hoary head is a crown of glory found in the way of righteousness.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
The preparations of the heart are man’s, But the answer of the tongue is from Hashem.
verse value 1070
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "to·man" (לְאָדָ֥ם, 4 letters) and the longest is "arrangements·of·heart" (מַעַרְכֵי־לֵ֑ב, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "arrangements·of·heart" (מַעַרְכֵי־לֵ֑ב). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·from·Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "to·man" (root אדם, 44x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'arrangements·of·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: לְאָדָ֥ם [to·man] (75) + מַעַרְכֵי־לֵ֑ב [arrangements·of·heart] (372) + וּ֝מֵיְהֹוָ֗ה [and·from·Hashem] (72) + מַעֲנֵ֥ה [answer·of] (165) + לָשֽׁוֹן [tongue] (386) = 1070.
Rashi
The preparations of the heart are man’s He arranges his counsel and his words in his heart. but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord When he comes to answer, the Holy One, blessed be He, causes him to stumble with his words—or if he merits, He prepares a good reply for him.
Ibn Ezra
[vv. 1-4] "To man," "all," "commit," "all" — the four are connected. "The preparations of the heart" — that which a person arranges in his heart, the thoughts; but from Hashem [comes] the speech of the tongue, which He brings forth — for before the speech, we do not know it, similar to the matter: "there is not a word in my tongue" (Psalm 139:4). And Hashem, who knows also the preparations of the heart, sees the response of a person. And this is [the meaning of] "all the ways of a man" — that he is pure and clean in his own eyes; [yet] Hashem sees his ways, for He weighs the spirits, to accomplish His will.
Ralbag
"The preparations of the heart are man's, and from Hashem..." — This refers to what a person arranges of matters in his heart; but along with this he needs divine help to bring the matters out through his mouth, for one finds that many things confuse the words in a person's mouth even though they were arranged in the heart in a complete manner.
Metzudat David
"Belong to man" — It is in man's power to arrange matters in his heart in a fitting order; but from Hashem comes the help to arrange his words in speech, so that he not stumble in them.
Metzudat Zion
"Preparations" (ma'archei) — an expression of arrangement. "Answer" (ma'aneh) — an expression of speech.
Malbim
"The preparations of the heart are man's, but the answer of the tongue is from Hashem" — The heart arranges and organizes what it will speak. And since choice is in man's hand, he arranges many arrangements and various ways of what to answer; but nevertheless, the completion — the actual answer of the tongue — is from Hashem, and one needs help from on high in order to give a good answer, meaning the completion of the deed. And in particular, the speech of the tongue is from Hashem, as it is written, "and I prayed to the God of Heaven. And I said to the king..." (Nehemiah 2:4-5) — that he prayed regarding the answer of the tongue, that it should turn out well in his hand, as fitting.
All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; But Hashem weighs the spirits.
verse value 1892
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1892 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "clean" (זַ֣ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·ways·of·man" (כׇּֽל־דַּרְכֵי־אִ֭ישׁ, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "all·ways·of·man" (כׇּֽל־דַּרְכֵי־אִ֭ישׁ), "clean" (זַ֣ךְ), "spirits" (רוּח֣וֹת). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "all·ways·of·man" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "in·his·eyes" (root עין, 43x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root זך ("clean") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root תכן ("and·weighs") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·his·eyes', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כׇּֽל־דַּרְכֵי־אִ֭ישׁ [all·ways·of·man] (595) + זַ֣ךְ [clean] (27) + בְּעֵינָ֑יו [in·his·eyes] (148) + וְתֹכֵ֖ן [and·weighs] (476) + רוּח֣וֹת [spirits] (620) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 1892.
Rashi
but the Lord counts the spirits and counts the hearts; who is the good one, and who is the bad one.
Ralbag
"All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes" — Each one of a man's ways is clean in his own eyes. The illustration of this is: the intellectual motive faculty will regard the good way as clean in his eyes, while the imaginative motive faculty will regard the bad way as clean in his eyes, because it is pleasant or beneficial according to his thinking. And the One who helps weigh the spirits, so that the spirit and the will remain on the good path, is Hashem — and this is for a purpose and a benefit, for by way of providence the good man is kept from being defiled by evil deeds.
Metzudat David
"Clean in his own eyes" — For he sees no fault in himself. "But [Hashem] weighs" — Hashem is within the spirit of every man, and He knows whether his ways are upright or not.
Metzudat Zion
"Clean" (zach) — pure and clear, as in "pure olive oil" (Exodus 27:20). "And weighs" (ve-tochen) — from the language of "tokh" (the inward part).
Malbim
"All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but Hashem weighs the spirits" — The paths of the soul are very numerous, and it is impossible for a person to choose the clean path without any admixture of dross. Only Hashem assesses and measures the spirit that raises up the images upon the heart. That is to say: sometimes a person walks in the way of charity and compassion, but it comes about through an image of pride — he gives charity in order to exalt himself (i.e., to be honored). [Or] he walks in the way of humility and lowliness of spirit, but its root within his spirit stems from pride, for he wants people to say of him that he is humble, and so forth. And likewise there is a due measure for the spirit: the king and the High Priest, whose spirit is high and lofty, must walk in a more elevated way, and it befits his heart to be lifted up in the ways of Hashem. And all of this a person cannot know — only Hashem alone; He alone has bounded all of this according to the laws of wisdom.
Commit your works to Hashem, And your thoughts shall be established.
verse value 1402
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "roll" (גֹּ֣ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "your·thoughts" (מַחְשְׁבֹתֶֽיךָ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "roll" (גֹּ֣ל), "your·works" (מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ), "and·shall·be·established" (וְ֝יִכֹּ֗נוּ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root מעשה ("your·works") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·works', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: גֹּ֣ל [roll] (33) + אֶל־יְהֹוָ֣ה [to·Hashem] (57) + מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ [your·works] (440) + וְ֝יִכֹּ֗נוּ [and·shall·be·established] (92) + מַחְשְׁבֹתֶֽיךָ [your·thoughts] (780) = 1402.
Rashi
Commit your affairs to the Lord גל. Roll and cast your necessities upon Him, and your plans will be established. Another explanation: Commit your affairs to the Lord pray to Him for all your necessities. will be established Will be founded and will endure.
Ibn Ezra
"Commit" — he [Solomon] speaks to the one being admonished, meaning: he makes known to him his ways, that Hashem does everything for the sake of the pure one, grants him his request, and performs his desire in whatever he asks. And when you commit [your works] to Him, He will fulfill your wishes. And it also serves to include, beyond the wishes of the pure one, that even the wicked one will come to a day of calamity, so that he not harm the pure one.
Ralbag
"Commit your works to Hashem" — Direct all your deeds toward the service of Hashem, and then your thoughts will be established, for Hashem will help you accomplish them.
Metzudat David
"Commit" — Direct your deeds toward Hashem, so that they lead to His service, and then your thoughts will be established and made firm.
Metzudat Zion
"Commit" (gol) — roll and turn over.
Malbim
(Proverbs 16:3): "Commit your works to Hashem, and your thoughts shall be established" — Since thoughts are many and sweep across the surface of the soul, and they have no foundation or footing, if a person performs all his deeds only for the sake of Hashem — to increase the honor of Hashem and to do His will, so that Hashem is the ultimate purpose of his deeds — then his thoughts have a footing and a foundation, for he will think only to do what constitutes the honor of Hashem and His will.
Hashem has made every things for His own purpose, Indeed, even the wicked for the day of evil.
verse value 1437
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "all" (כֹּ֤ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·His·own·purpose" (לַֽמַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "for·His·own·purpose" (לַֽמַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ), "and·even·wicked" (וְגַם־רָ֝שָׁ֗ע). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "and·even·wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "for·day·of" (root יום, 32x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·His·own·purpose', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: כֹּ֤ל [all] (50) + פָּעַ֣ל [made] (180) + יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + לַֽמַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ [for·His·own·purpose] (201) + וְגַם־רָ֝שָׁ֗ע [and·even·wicked] (619) + לְי֣וֹם [for·day·of] (86) + רָעָֽה [evil] (275) = 1437.
Rashi
The Lord made everything for His praise Heb. למענהו. He made everything for His praise, as in (Ps. 147:7): “Praise (ענו) the Lord with thanksgiving.” Another explanation: To testify concerning Him. That is to say that His work testifies concerning Him, about His mighty acts. Both are in the Aggadah of Psalms (Midrash Tehillim 19:1). even the wicked man He made, to leave him for the day of evil. All this is for His praise.
Ralbag
"Hashem has made every thing for His own purpose" — Everything that Hashem has made is for a purpose and a benefit; and also what you observe — that the wicked person is harmed for the day of evil — is for a benefit, for there is in this a benefit for taking correction.
Metzudat David
"All" — Hashem created everything for the sake of His own praise; even the prosperity of the wicked person and the strength of arm that He gave him are meant to be ready as a strap of chastisement on the day evil comes, to be the rod of His wrath. And if so, this too is for His own sake.
Malbim
(Proverbs 16:4): "Hashem has made everything for His own purpose" — He explains in what way one is to commit his deeds to Hashem: because Hashem has made everything for His own purpose, and every created being was created for His honor, and He desires that all of a person's deeds be directed toward His honor and that His name be sanctified through His creatures. And even if you see the wicked man, who profanes the honor of Hashem and acts against His will, and yet he prospers and endures — this too is for the honor of Hashem, for he is being kept in readiness for the day of evil, since there is an appointed day on which he will receive his punishment, and then His name will be sanctified — as it is said: when He executes judgment upon the wicked, His name is magnified in the world.
Every one who is proud in heart is an abomination to Hashem; My hand upon it! he shall not be unpunished.
verse value 1250
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1250 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "hand" (יָ֥ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·proud·of·heart" (כׇּל־גְּבַהּ־לֵ֑ב, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "all·proud·of·heart" (כׇּל־גְּבַהּ־לֵ֑ב). The root יד appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "hand" (root יד, 24x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root גבה ("all·proud·of·heart") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·proud·of·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת [the·abomination·of] (878) + יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + כׇּל־גְּבַהּ־לֵ֑ב [all·proud·of·heart] (92) + יָ֥ד [hand] (14) + לְ֝יָ֗ד [to·hand] (44) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + יִנָּקֶֽה [will·be·clean] (165) = 1250.
Rashi
hand to hand he will not go unpunished From hand to hand the punishment for his haughtiness will come to him.
Ibn Ezra
"Hand to hand" — the hand of Hashem, on account of the hand of the wicked one. That is: the hand of Hashem will destroy him on account of his hand that commits oppression; therefore he will not go unpunished, for he will receive his due.
Ralbag
"An abomination to Hashem" — Pride is a very repugnant character trait, an abomination to Hashem, for it is a cause of great evils in civic affairs, and it is also among the greatest of the causes that prevent the perfection of the soul. Therefore this man who conducts himself with this base trait will fare badly, and he will not be cleared of the sudden evils that may harm him.
Metzudat David
"Hand to hand" — the recompense will come from the hand of the Omnipresent to the hand of the guilty party, and he will not be cleared of it, for it (His hand) will not return empty.
Malbim
"Every one who is proud in heart is an abomination to Hashem" — He states that although Hashem does not punish for a mere thought or for evil character traits, so long as they have not yet produced fruit in a person's action, and likewise even for the action itself He does not punish at once through special providence, but rather hides His face from the sinner and leaves him to the happenstance of time — this is not so with the trait of haughtiness of heart. For one who thinks in his heart that he stands on a very lofty level thereby breaches every boundary with all the powers of his soul, so as to regard his own heart as the heart of God, and because of this he will not heed the words of the Torah and its teachers, and he transgresses the bounds of morality. This is a root that bears gall and wormwood, and it is an abomination to Hashem to the point that He will punish him "hand to hand" — meaning, not through an intermediary — and "he shall not be unpunished." For punishment that comes by way of nature sometimes allows a wicked man to prolong his evildoing, because there is hope that he will repent; this is not so with the haughty of heart, for there is no hope that he will improve his way.
By mercy and truth iniquity is expiated; And by the fear of Hashem men depart from evil.
verse value 2178
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2178 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "iniquity" (עָוֺ֑ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·by·the·fear·of" (וּבְיִרְאַ֥ת, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 310: is·atoned·for, from·evil. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "is·atoned·for" (יְכֻפַּ֣ר), "iniquity" (עָוֺ֑ן), "and·by·the·fear·of" (וּבְיִרְאַ֥ת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "from·evil" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'iniquity', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: בְּחֶ֣סֶד [by·mercy] (74) + וֶ֭אֱמֶת [and·truth] (447) + יְכֻפַּ֣ר [is·atoned·for] (310) + עָוֺ֑ן [iniquity] (126) + וּבְיִרְאַ֥ת [and·by·the·fear·of] (619) + יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + ס֣וּר [departing] (266) + מֵרָֽע [from·evil] (310) = 2178.
Rashi
and through fear of the Lord turn away from evil Through the fear of the Lord turn away from evil.
Ibn Ezra
"Depart" — the fear [of Hashem] draws [a person] to depart from evil.
Ralbag
"By mercy and truth" — One who conducts himself with uprightness and truth in acts of lovingkindness — the punishment that would have been fitting to come upon him is atoned for him.
Metzudat David
"By mercy" — because of the mercy and truth that a person does, iniquity is atoned for — but only when he turns away from evil out of fear of Hashem, not out of fear of other people.
Malbim
"By mercy and truth iniquity is expiated" — Even one who has sinned deliberately still has a remedy, by holding fast to mercy and truth — performing acts of lovingkindness between one person and another without expectation of reward, which is a kindness of truth — and likewise by holding fast to the attribute of truth in study, as our sages of blessed memory said (Berakhot 5): "'mercy' — this is acts of lovingkindness; 'truth' — this is Torah." And by this iniquity is atoned for, as it is written [of the house of Eli]: "the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or meal-offering" (1 Samuel 3:14) — by sacrifice and meal-offering it is not atoned for, but it is atoned for through Torah and acts of lovingkindness. Even so, better still is one who walks in the fear of Hashem, for through that fear he will turn away from evil altogether and will have no need of atonement at all, as it is written: "Happy is he whose transgression is forgiven... happy is the man unto whom Hashem imputes not iniquity" (Psalms 32:1-2).
When a man’s ways please Hashem, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
verse value 2134
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "with·him" (אִתּֽוֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "even·his·enemies" (גַּם־א֝וֹיְבָ֗יו, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "when·pleased·with" (בִּרְצ֣וֹת), "even·his·enemies" (גַּם־א֝וֹיְבָ֗יו), "with·him" (אִתּֽוֹ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "ways·of·man" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root איב ("even·his·enemies") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'ways·of·man', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בִּרְצ֣וֹת [when·pleased·with] (698) + יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ [ways·of·man] (545) + גַּם־א֝וֹיְבָ֗יו [even·his·enemies] (78) + יַשְׁלִ֥ם [makes·be·at·peace] (380) + אִתּֽוֹ [with·him] (407) = 2134.
Rashi
When the Lord accepts a person’s ways, He will cause even his enemies to make peace with him He will appease [them] for him that they should make peace with him.
Ibn Ezra
"Makes...to be at peace" — He brings them into a covenant of peace with him. And the word "even" (gam) serves to extend the scope regarding the goodwill [shown].
Ralbag
"When a man's ways please Hashem" — When Hashem, may He be blessed, is pleased with a man's ways because of the integrity of his ways, Hashem, may He be blessed, removes from him the evils that were destined to befall him, and therefore He makes all his enemies be at peace with him — and all the more so He protects him from people who were not previously his enemies stirring up disputes against him. And it is possible that he also alludes here to the divine help that accompanies him in matters of opinion/understanding, saying that when Hashem, may He be exalted, is pleased with a person's way, He protects him from erring in inquiry, such that even the "enemies of the truth" in that inquiry — that is, the doubts that arise concerning it because of the opposing thoughts that occur to him — will be at peace with the matter under investigation. The resolution [of such a doubt] consists in clarifying that that opposing thought is in fact true, but with respect to a different subject than the one at hand. But a thought that is not true in itself does not need this kind of resolution — rather, it must be rejected entirely.
Metzudat David
"When... please" — when Hashem is pleased with a man's ways, because they are upright, then even his enemies will make peace with him — and all the more so that new enemies will not arise against him.
Metzudat Zion
"To be at peace" (yashlim) — from the language of "peace" (shalom).
Malbim
"When a man's ways please Hashem" — He has already stated that His favor rests upon those who are blameless of way — that to attain favor from Hashem one must be blameless of way, meaning that he does not mix any ulterior, external motive into his spirit, and through this he stands always in wholeness/integrity. And then Hashem makes his enemies to be at peace with him — namely his inner enemies, which are the images of desire — that they be at peace with him, once no evil image arises in his heart at all, for this is the very definition of that wholeness. And through the fact that his inner enemies are made peaceful, Hashem also makes his outer enemies to be at peace with him, measure for measure — just as he himself made peace with Hashem regarding the enemies of the divine soul. This is hinted at in the phrase "even his enemies He makes to be at peace," meaning that He makes the enemies of Hashem be at peace with Hashem — these being the images of the [evil] inclination — and so too Hashem makes the enemies of the body be at peace with him.
Better is a little with righteousness Than great revenues with injustice.
verse value 1856
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "from·abundance·of" (מֵרֹ֥ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "good·little" (טוֹב־מְ֭עַט, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "from·abundance·of" (מֵרֹ֥ב), "produce" (תְּ֝בוּא֗וֹת). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "with·not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "good·little" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs); "from·abundance·of" (root רב, 26x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·righteousness', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: טוֹב־מְ֭עַט [good·little] (136) + בִּצְדָקָ֑ה [with·righteousness] (201) + מֵרֹ֥ב [from·abundance·of] (242) + תְּ֝בוּא֗וֹת [produce] (815) + בְּלֹ֣א [with·not] (33) + מִשְׁפָּֽט [judgment] (429) = 1856.
Ibn Ezra
"Better is a little" — wealth gathered through righteousness is better than a great abundance gathered through wickedness. "Without justice" — and he does not perform righteousness as is just.
Ralbag
"Better is a little" — Of wealth gathered with righteousness and uprightness, than [attained by] one who gathers great revenues without justice — that is, through robbery, violence, and crooked paths. And likewise he alludes here to matters of theoretical inquiry, saying that it is better for a person to attain a little of the theoretical matters and complete his investigation of them with righteousness and uprightness, than to attain much of them without a proper investigation. For this latter [approach] is something that will lead him to think he has attained the truth when this is not so; and even if he has attained the truth, he has not attained it by proper method, and this does not fall within the category of [true] knowledge.
Metzudat David
"Better" — a little wealth acquired in righteousness and honesty is better than abundant income gathered without justice, but rather through robbery and oppression.
Malbim
"Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice" — This is the very same idea stated in Psalms 37[:16]: "Better is a little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked," where the reason is then explained: "for the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Hashem upholds the righteous" (Psalms 37:17) — that the little of the righteous man is upheld by Hashem, whereas [divine] providence is engaged in destroying the abundance of the wicked man. So it is also with a person's money and possessions: the little that he acquired through righteousness is under the providence of Hashem and has the capacity to endure, whereas the great revenues that he acquired without justice, Hashem will cause to be lost. And in this there is no duplication with what was said above, "Better is a little with the fear of Hashem" (Proverbs 15:16), for there the subject is the pleasure itself — that what is gathered in the fear of Hashem, one finds in it pleasure and contentment; and even though the days of the poor are evil, nevertheless this little is good for him, more than the great treasure of one whose heart feasts continually, in which he finds only turmoil, for there is no peace for the wicked.
A man’s heart devises his way; But Hashem directs his steps.
verse value 919
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "heart·of" (לֵ֣ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·Hashem" (וַ֝יהֹוָ֗ה, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 32: heart·of, and·Hashem. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "his·step" (צַעֲדֽוֹ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "his·way" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "heart·of" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root חשב ("devises") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·way', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: לֵ֣ב [heart·of] (32) + אָ֭דָם [man] (45) + יְחַשֵּׁ֣ב [devises] (320) + דַּרְכּ֑וֹ [his·way] (230) + וַ֝יהֹוָ֗ה [and·Hashem] (32) + יָכִ֥ין [directs] (90) + צַעֲדֽוֹ [his·step] (170) = 919.
Rashi
A man’s heart plans his way to walk on the straight way. but the Lord prepares his step as we learned: He who comes to purify himself is granted assistance.
Ibn Ezra
"The heart of a man" — a righteous person plans the way that is proper for him, and Hashem establishes his steps so that he does not stumble, and helps him — similar to the matter [of the saying]: "one who comes to purify himself is helped [from Above]."
Ralbag
"A man's heart" — A man's heart considers how he ought to proceed on his way in what he wishes to do; but in bringing it into actuality, he needs divine help to prepare his step and to guide him to what is fitting for him on that way, for man's way is not his own.
Metzudat David
"Devises his way" — [considers] by which path he will walk. "Directs" — He (Hashem) prepares his footsteps to walk to the place where He wishes.
Malbim
"A man's heart devises his way; but Hashem directs his steps" — The root ḥ-sh-v (chashav, "to think/devise"), when it appears in the active verb form [yachshov], indicates thoughts that depart from the ordinary, or improper thoughts. Jeremiah already said, "I know, Hashem, that man's way is not his own; it is not for a man who walks to direct his own step" (Jeremiah 10:23). "The way" is what a person chooses — by which path he will walk; "the step" is what he treads with his feet. And although the choice [of path] is given to man, nevertheless the limbs of motion by which his action is completed are moved by Hashem through His power — whether the tongue, which brings forth the thought in matters of speech, as it is written, "The arrangements of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from Hashem" — or the feet, which carry out his thought in matters of motion, along the path he has chosen. And since it is not for a man who walks to direct his own step — because the limbs of motion are in Hashem's hand — it follows that man's way is not his own; for the One who moves them can restrain his motion if Hashem does not desire his way. And it says (Psalms 37), "A man's steps are established by Hashem, and He delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast down," etc. — for since even the steps of the mighty man are from Hashem, and Hashem delights in his way — even though the choice of the path belongs to man — Hashem restrains his motion if He does not desire that path. And when you see a righteous man falling, so that his feet cannot stand firm on the path he has chosen, know that he shall not be cast down, for Hashem upholds his hand, and He restrains his motion so that he may rise and walk on the path that is good in Hashem's eyes. And it says further on, "A man's steps are from Hashem; how then can a man understand his own way?" And this is the meaning: if you see that "a man's heart devises" — that is, he devises improper schemes regarding his way — know that it will not help, since Hashem directs his steps, and he cannot take a step without Hashem's will.
A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; His mouth trespasses not in judgment.
verse value 1888
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·lips·of·king" (עַֽל־שִׂפְתֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "divination" (קֶ֤סֶם), "upon·lips·of·king" (עַֽל־שִׂפְתֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ), "trespasses·his·mouth" (יִמְעַל־פִּֽיו). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "upon·lips·of·king" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs); "in·judgment" (root משפט, 20x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·lips·of·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: קֶ֤סֶם [divination] (200) + עַֽל־שִׂפְתֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ [upon·lips·of·king] (980) + בְּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט [in·judgment] (431) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + יִמְעַל־פִּֽיו [trespasses·his·mouth] (246) = 1888.
Rashi
There is magic on a king’s lips On the lips of a wise man sitting in judgment.
Ibn Ezra
"A divine sentence" (kesem) — lacking the comparative kaf: [as if to say] "like one who divines divinations" (ke-kosem kesamim) — that is, one who issues decrees. And "kesem" is a general term for the decree of the judgment of the stars. Likewise "decrees" (gezarin) that he decrees to come about. That is: just as a kesem is something decreed, so is it fitting for [true judgment] to be upon the lips of a king — that he decree with a judgment of truth, and not act falsely in the words of his mouth.
Ralbag
"A divine sentence is on the lips of the king" — On the lips of the king there is something that resembles divination for telling the truth in matters, for nothing is hidden from the king. Many reasons combine to bring this about. The first: that his affairs in his kingdom are arranged by Hashem, as it says, "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of Hashem." The second: because, owing to people's desire to find favor in his eyes, he will find in every matter someone who will reveal it to him in order to tell him the truth. And for this very reason his mouth does not trespass in judgment, for he tells the truth, and his judgments accord with the standard of judgment set by Hashem, may He be exalted.
Metzudat David
"A divine sentence" — the words of the king are clear, as if there were a divine word upon his lips, for nothing is hidden from the king, since all people go about seeking to find favor in his eyes; therefore in every matter there is someone to reveal it to the king's ear. Therefore his mouth does not err in his judgment by perverting justice on account of mistake or oversight.
Metzudat Zion
"Divine sentence" (kesem) — an expression of divination, as in "a diviner of divinations" (Deuteronomy 18). "Trespasses" (yim'al) — an expression of betrayal and guilt.
Malbim
"A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; his mouth trespasses not in judgment" — "The lips" refers to outward speech, and "the mouth" refers to the inward speech of wisdom. Now, whatever the king utters with his lips, even if by chance, is regarded like a kesem [an oracle/divination] that people rush to interpret and to decide by — for according to what he brings forth with his lips, and the quality of his outward speech in which he clothes the words of his mouth, it is like a divination by which great matters are decided. Therefore, in judgment, "his mouth trespasses not" — he does not cover his mouth with a cloak [reading yim'al, "trespass," as connected to me'il, "cloak"] — meaning, every word of his mouth that he speaks in wisdom to decide the judgment, he speaks clearly, so that there is no room for error, lest thereby his mouth come to commit a trespass (ma'al) and an open betrayal (beged, which also means "garment").
A just balance and scales are Hashem’s; All the weights of the bag are His work.
verse value 1393
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "balance" (פֶּ֤לֶס, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·stones·of·bag" (כׇּל־אַבְנֵי־כִֽיס, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "His·work" (מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗הוּ), "all·stones·of·bag" (כׇּל־אַבְנֵי־כִֽיס). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "judgment" (root משפט, 20x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: פֶּ֤לֶס [balance] (170) + וּמֹאזְנֵ֣י [and·scales·of] (114) + מִ֭שְׁפָּט [judgment] (429) + לַיהֹוָ֑ה [to·Hashem] (56) + מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗הוּ [His·work] (421) + כׇּל־אַבְנֵי־כִֽיס [all·stones·of·bag] (203) = 1393.
Rashi
The balance and scales of justice are the Lord’s etc. to requite a person according to his deed. משפט is (justice in French, in German Gerechtigkeit, and so in Isaiah 7,) the retribution for a person’s sins with a balance and scales. all the weights in the bag Just as among the weights in the bag, there are large weights and small ones, so is everything according to a person’s deeds.
Ibn Ezra
"A balance" (peles) and "scales" (mishkal) — these are of one meaning; and "bag" (kis) refers to a count [of weights]. The lamed of "belonging to Hashem" functions like "because" — for He commanded that one act with weight and balances in accordance with justice, and that is the very function of the peles. "All the weights of the bag" — for the shekel is twenty gerah, and the meaning is that there should not be one [weight] there greater or smaller [than it should be]. Another interpretation: "belonging to Hashem" — they are His, meaning: for He desires them [i.e., just weights].
Ralbag
"A just balance" [pelles] — The weighing in theoretical matters, and the scales of righteousness and judgment by which the correct and the false are weighed, belong to Hashem, for this requires divine help, [to weigh] in righteousness and uprightness, on account of the many errors that can occur in it. And therefore all the weights in the bag by which one weighs any theoretical matter are likewise the work of Hashem, for these matters have their own methods by which one is guided so as to remove the erroneous paths from them — and these methods differ according to the different kinds of inquiry. Now he also alludes here to the matter of [literal] weights and scales, for the knowledge that they are set honestly belongs to Hashem, and therefore a person ought to be in awe concerning this. The first explanation is the more correct one. And it seems, according to the first explanation, that his statement "a divine sentence is on the lips of the king" [v. 10] refers back to the ruling part in man, which is the intellect — and indeed he called it "king" because in this way its inquiry is set right for it when it rules over the other powers of the body and soul, and they all serve it. And it is known that error does not occur in the apprehension that is proper to the intellect alone, and therefore no error occurs in [pure] conception, since that belongs to the intellect alone; but error does occur in affirmation/judgment, because that apprehension is composed of intellect and sense, as has been explained in the Book of the Soul. For this reason its "mouth" does not trespass in judgment regarding what falls within its own proper domain. And according to this explanation, what we explained first regarding the phrase "a just balance and scales, etc." follows well — and this explanation is the one that appears correct in this place.
Metzudat David
"A balance" — behold, in Hashem's hand there is a balance and scales with which to weigh the judgment of recompense; and His workings in the matter of recompense are like all the stones of the pouch, which are the weight-stones placed in the bag — among which there are heavy weights and light weights. So too does the Omnipresent weigh out recompense for each person according to what he deserves.
Metzudat Zion
"Balance" (peles) — an expression of straightness, as in "make level the path of your feet" (above, chapter 4), and it is borrowed figuratively for the beam of the scales, since it makes the weighing even. "Bag" (kis) — a pouch and sack.
Malbim
"A just balance and scales are Hashem's; all the weights of the bag are His work" — A peles [a leveling instrument] is larger than a set of scales [moznayim], and it is used, essentially, for measuring a circuit [ma'agal] — that is, the roundabout path taken to measure the place near one's intended destination. With scales, one places the item being weighed in one pan and the counterweights in the other, to see whether they balance against each other. He is saying that Hashem has a peles to weigh a man's ways, his conduct, and his paths, and to align them toward the straight course; and He also has scales of judgment to weigh the deeds of human beings and repay them with a reward, good or bad, according to their own measure. And what are the "weights of the bag" that He places within the scales? They are "His work" — meaning that Hashem arranged all the workings [of nature] that He made, in order to weigh against them the willful deeds of human beings; so that according to the deed a man performs and places on the scale-pan, so will Hashem's works and the ways of nature and providence be aligned to correspond — as it is written: "If you will indeed obey My commandments... then I will give the rain of your land in its season" ... "lest your heart be seduced... and He shut up the heavens." And among Hashem's works are all sorts of weights, great and small, all of which are weights of righteousness, aligned in the balance on the scale-pan of Hashem's works in the great world [the macrocosm], opposite the second pan on which man, the choosing being, places his deeds — the pan of choice — in his small world [the microcosm]; and the two pans always rise and fall together, whether for good or for bad.
It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness; For the throne is established by righteousness.
verse value 2762
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "is·established" (יִכּ֥וֹן) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "abomination·of" (תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "throne" (כִּסֵּֽא). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wickedness" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs); "to·commit" (root עשה, 34x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wickedness', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת [abomination·of] (878) + מְ֭לָכִים [kings] (140) + עֲשׂ֣וֹת [to·commit] (776) + רֶ֑שַׁע [wickedness] (570) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + בִ֝צְדָקָ֗ה [by·righteousness] (201) + יִכּ֥וֹן [is·established] (86) + כִּסֵּֽא [throne] (81) = 2762.
Rashi
It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness It is an abominable thing for judges, and it is not proper for them to commit wickedness.
Ibn Ezra
"Abomination," "favor," "wrath," "light," "acquire" — the five are connected. [vv. 12-16] Each one of the kings will love [him who speaks uprightly]. "Latter rain" (malkosh) — this is rain. And thus its meaning continues: kings ought to abhor one who does wickedness, for it is through the righteousness they do that their throne is established, and they favor one who speaks righteousness — that is, the king will love one who speaks true and upright words, for his wrath is like the wrath of the angels of death, who cause the wicked to die suddenly.
Ralbag
"An abomination to kings" — Indeed, to kings — who are the human intellects — it is greatly abominable and hated to do wickedness, whether in beliefs [opinions] or in character traits. This is because doing wickedness in character traits will be a cause that the king's throne will not be established; rather, the soul's faculties will turn away from serving him, and on account of this the perfection which is, as it were, his life will be withheld from him. And doing wickedness in beliefs — whose cause is grasping thoughts and imaginative forms not correctly — is a cause that the proper service will not come from them, for it is through righteousness and uprightness that the throne and the dominion he has over them is established; but without this he has no benefit.
Metzudat David
"An abomination" — it is an abominable thing for kings to do wickedness, for it is through righteous deeds that a throne is established; therefore he abhors wickedness, in order to establish the throne firmly.
Malbim
"It is an abomination to kings..." — I have already explained (Isaiah 9) that the establishment of a monarchy rests upon justice [mishpat] between one man and another, but the endurance of the throne and its stability rest upon righteousness [tzedakah], as it is written, "to establish it in justice from now, and to uphold it in righteousness forever" (Isaiah 9). And since it is only through righteousness — which consists of good deeds — that the throne is made stable so as to endure, therefore committing wickedness, which is the opposite of righteousness, is "an abomination to kings," for this will destroy the foundation of their throne and their kingship.
Righteous lips are the delight of kings; And they love the one who speaks right.
verse value 2260
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. Notable word values: "loves" (יֶאֱהָֽב) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "pleasure·of" (רְצ֣וֹן, 4 letters) and the longest is "lips·of·righteousness" (שִׂפְתֵי־צֶ֑דֶק, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "lips·of·righteousness" (שִׂפְתֵי־צֶ֑דֶק). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "lips·of·righteousness" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs); "and·he·who·speaks" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs); "right·things" (root ישר, 35x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'lips·of·righteousness', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: רְצ֣וֹן [pleasure·of] (346) + מְ֭לָכִים [kings] (140) + שִׂפְתֵי־צֶ֑דֶק [lips·of·righteousness] (984) + וְדֹבֵ֖ר [and·he·who·speaks] (212) + יְשָׁרִ֣ים [right·things] (560) + יֶאֱהָֽב [loves] (18) = 2260.
Ralbag
"The delight of kings is righteous lips" — Indeed, the delight of kings is righteous lips, in that they testify truthfully in relating the accounts of predecessors, as is necessary in the sciences where the verification of what one needs to verify by sense-perception in them cannot be completed except over a long, extraordinary period of time exceeding a human lifespan — as is the case in the science of the stars [astronomy] and in many natural matters. And he who speaks uprightly is loved, for uprightness in matters guides him to find the truth in what he investigates.
Metzudat David
"Righteous lips" — words of righteousness. "They love" — [refers] to the kings.
Malbim
"Righteous lips are the delight of kings..." — Righteousness [tzedek] pertains to the matter of judgment: that judgment be rendered according to what is righteous, not a perverted judgment, as it is written, "and he shall judge the poor in righteousness." And this is "the delight of kings," for indeed a king reigns for the sake of righteousness. "The one who speaks right" [yesharim], however, is a rank higher than righteousness — namely, one who does what is right beyond the strict letter of the law, which also includes uprightness of belief — him the king will love, and this is greater than mere delight.
The wrath of a king is as messengers of death; But a wise man will pacify it.
verse value 1835
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "wise" (חָכָ֣ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "messengers·of·death" (מַלְאֲכֵי־מָ֑וֶת, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "wrath·of·king" (חֲמַת־מֶ֥לֶךְ), "messengers·of·death" (מַלְאֲכֵי־מָ֑וֶת), "will·pacify·it" (יְכַפְּרֶֽנָּה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wise" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "and·man" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'messengers·of·death', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: חֲמַת־מֶ֥לֶךְ [wrath·of·king] (538) + מַלְאֲכֵי־מָ֑וֶת [messengers·of·death] (547) + וְאִ֖ישׁ [and·man] (317) + חָכָ֣ם [wise] (68) + יְכַפְּרֶֽנָּה [will·pacify·it] (365) = 1835.
Rashi
The king’s wrath is like messengers of death, like messengers of death [but not angels of death]. will pacify it Will placate it.
Ibn Ezra
"He shall pacify it" (yechaprena) — he will nullify it, and [the king's] wrath will subside of its own accord. And in the light that he [the king] shines from his eyes upon the wise man there is life; and his favor — with which he favors him — is like a cloud of the latter rain that makes the aftergrowth sprout. And how good is the acquisition of wisdom for the wise man, for it nullifies the wrath of the king! "Charutz" (gold) — from the same root as "to decide/cut" (gazor), as in "you decided" (atah charatzta); or it is a name for gold, like "ketem" (pure gold).
Ralbag
"The wrath of a king" — This is the anger which this king becomes angry with, over that which he went to great lengths to investigate according to testimony, and on the basis of which he judged some matter — but afterward it is found by sense-perception to be incorrect, because of a falsehood that was in the testimony. This [wrath] is like messengers of death, to turn a person away from the way of life to the way of death, for it seems to him that the toil in wisdom is in vain. But the wise man removes this wrath by first going to great lengths concerning the matter of the testimony, to consider whether part of it agrees with another part. If he finds them not in agreement, he then determines which of them was correct by many methods. Among them: he considers regarding which of these [lines of testimony] the testimony is repeated more, for that which is testified to more repeatedly appears more likely to agree with the truth. And among them: he considers it from the side of those who testify — that is, that when a more complete and wiser person testifies to something, it is more likely to be correct. And among them: he considers it from the side of the error that could occur in the sense-perception of it — the more [susceptible to] error something is, the more fitting it is to assume it is not correct. And it is also possible for the wise man to remove this anger and wrath in another way: after he has grasped by sense-perception the opposite of what would follow from the testimony, he returns to remove from the testimony that which necessitated this refutation, and investigates it together with the rest [of the testimony] and with what he grasped by sense-perception, for in this way he will be guided to find the truth. And the wise man removes this anger in yet another, more perfect way — namely, that it is his practice not to testify to a matter unless it was correct and free of error; and if it were possible that there be an error in the sense-perception of it, he states this fact in his testimony.
Metzudat David
"Messengers of death" — that wrath is as though messengers of death were sent against a person. "He pacifies it" — he removes the wrath through the sweetness of the words of his mouth.
Metzudat Zion
"Will pacify it" (yechaprenah) — an expression of removal and wiping away, and for this reason the sprinkling-basins are called "golden basins" (kefore zahav) (Ezra 1:10), because the priest wipes his hand of the blood on the rim of the basin.
Malbim
"The wrath of a king is as messengers of death; but a wise man will pacify it" — Chemah [wrath, lit. "heat"] is concealed in the heart, and its outward revelation for the purpose of vengeance is called af ["anger"]. Now, the wrath of an ordinary person is not dangerous, since he cannot take vengeance immediately; but when a king's wrath is aroused, it is like messengers sent to bring death, for in his wrath he can destroy many. One must therefore seek out a wise man who, through his wisdom, knows how to atone for the offense and turn back the wrath. There is also here a figurative allusion to the wrath of the supreme King [Hashem], who aroused messengers of death, and "a wise man will pacify it" — like Pinchas, of whom it is said, "he turned back My wrath," etc., "and he atoned for the children of Israel"; and [Hashem] said He would destroy them, "had not Moses, His chosen one," etc., turned back His wrath from destroying [them].
In the light of the king’s countenance is life; And his favor is as a cloud of the latter rain.
verse value 1433
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "like·cloud·of" (כְּעָ֣ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·light·of·face·of·king" (בְּאוֹר־פְּנֵי־מֶ֥לֶךְ, 10 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·light·of·face·of·king" (בְּאוֹר־פְּנֵי־מֶ֥לֶךְ), "like·cloud·of" (כְּעָ֣ב), "latter·rain" (מַלְקֽוֹשׁ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·light·of·face·of·king" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs); "life" (root חי, 32x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'life', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּאוֹר־פְּנֵי־מֶ֥לֶךְ [in·light·of·face·of·king] (439) + חַיִּ֑ים [life] (68) + וּ֝רְצוֹנ֗וֹ [and·his·favor] (358) + כְּעָ֣ב [like·cloud·of] (92) + מַלְקֽוֹשׁ [latter·rain] (476) = 1433.
Rashi
In the light of the King’s countenance is life The one to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, shows a bright countenance—it is life to him. Therefore, a person must straighten his way before Him. and His delight is like a cloud of the late rain Whoever is accepted by Him—His delight is beneficial to him like the cloud that brings the rain.
Ralbag
"In the light of the king's countenance is life" — Indeed, in the light of this king's countenance — that is, in the apprehension of the intelligibles — eternal life is attained. And what is desired from him toward the rest of the faculties that serve him is comparable to a cloud from which comes the latter rain, which brings the fruit of the plants to their completion. This is because in this way a person is guided to attain the success which is the fruit intended by it.
Metzudat David
"In the light" — when the king brightens his face toward someone and shows him a beaming, smiling countenance, it means life for him, for much good is in the king's hand. "And his favor" — the king's favor is like a cloud that brings the malkosh, which is the late rain that falls upon the stalks and the ears of grain.
Metzudat Zion
"Latter rain" (malkosh) — this is what the late rain is called, as in "the early rain and the latter rain" (Deuteronomy 11).
Malbim
"In the light of the king's countenance is life" — This refers back to what precedes; that is, after a wise man has appeased the wrath, the angels of death depart, and then, when the light of the king's countenance shines — which is a sign that the wrath has departed — one finds life, which is the opposite of death. And if he further brings about the king's favor, it is like a cloud of the latter rain. Now, further on (19:12) it says, "The king's rage is like the roar of a young lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass" — there, the rage (za'af) is a lesser thing than the wrath (cheimah), for it is an inner displeasure one feels about some matter, and it is not full wrath — only that it then withholds the [king's] beneficence and favor, so that a person must not draw near him, just as one must not draw near a young lion while it is roaring. Nevertheless, it does not send death beyond its own territory, for the young lion does not go out after its prey beyond its lair (that is the way of the grown lion, not the young lion) — only within its lair does no living creature dare approach it. Then, once its favor returns, it returns to bestow and grant of its goodness, and all are satisfied, like the dew that comes continually upon the grass to moisten it. But the wrath (cheimah) of a king sends the angels of death beyond its territory, and a wise man is needed to appease it. And if his favor returns after having been withheld for many days — the grass having thirsted for the rain of his goodness — his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain, as if the rain had been withheld for many days and then returns to satisfy the withered grass, weary and lacking water. So too, when he wishes to favor them, he returns to bestow his goodness and blessing after it had been withheld and the showers and the good, kind rain had been held back.
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! Indeed, to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver.
verse value 1723
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "understanding" (בִּ֝ינָ֗ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·get·wisdom" (קְֽנֹה־חׇכְמָ֗ה, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·get·wisdom" (קְֽנֹה־חׇכְמָ֗ה), "and·to·get" (וּקְנ֥וֹת). The root קנה appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "how·good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs); "understanding" (root בין, 46x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'than·gold', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: קְֽנֹה־חׇכְמָ֗ה [to·get·wisdom] (228) + מַה־טּ֥וֹב [how·good] (62) + מֵחָר֑וּץ [than·gold] (344) + וּקְנ֥וֹת [and·to·get] (562) + בִּ֝ינָ֗ה [understanding] (67) + נִבְחָ֥ר [is·chosen] (260) + מִכָּֽסֶף [than·silver] (200) = 1723.
Ralbag
"Get wisdom" — Indeed, the acquisition of wisdom is far better than the acquisition of gold, and the acquisition of understanding is preferable to the acquisition of silver. He hints by this that these acquisitions have no relation or comparable worth to the acquisition of wisdom and understanding. Now, he likened wisdom to a more precious acquisition than [he likened] understanding, because the attainment of wisdom is more complete than the attainment of understanding, as has been explained from our words. Even though it may happen that understanding investigates a more noble subject [in a given instance], and further, that understanding also occurs in matters of ethics — that is, political philosophy — and perhaps it is to this [kind of] understanding that this verse refers.
Metzudat David
"How much better" — how very much better it is than choice gold, which is a type of fine gold. "And to get understanding" — the acquisition of understanding.
Malbim
"How much better is it to get wisdom (chochmah) than gold (charutz)! And to get understanding (binah) is to be chosen rather than silver" — Wisdom (chochmah) is the received teachings as to how one should conduct oneself in every disposition of the soul and in [one's] character traits. Understanding (binah), by contrast, is what a person understands from one thing to another on his own — whether in matters of wisdom, where one derives one thing from another, or in matters that the intellect judges by rational inferences between truth and falsehood. Now, there is a difference between silver and fine gold: silver is [treated as] currency and gold is [treated as] merchandise/produce (kaspa tiv'a ve-dahava peira) — silver is used for spending, for trading other things with it, while gold is stored away in treasuries and not spent, as it says, "for her merchandise is better than the merchandise of silver, and her gain than fine gold" (Proverbs 3:14). Now, wisdom is a treasured possession that one gathers into the treasuries of one's heart and does not spend in trade — rather, it is the produce that is eaten to satisfy the soul. Therefore it says, "get wisdom, how much better it is than fine gold" — for it is a more precious acquisition than fine gold, since it is good in and of itself, on its own account. But with understanding, one engages in trade, for by rational inferences one derives one thing from another, understands things, and exchanges one idea for another, one intellectual concept for another, profiting as one profits from something traded — and for this reason [Scripture] likens understanding to silver, whose value is not intrinsic but derives from its worth, in that other merchandise is received in exchange for it — except that "to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver," for in exchange for it one acquires intellectual matters of great worth.
The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
verse value 3212
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "to·depart" (ס֣וּר, 3 letters) and the longest is "upright" (יְ֭שָׁרִים, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "highway·of" (מְסִלַּ֣ת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·way" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "from·evil" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs); "his·soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·evil', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: מְסִלַּ֣ת [highway·of] (530) + יְ֭שָׁרִים [upright] (560) + ס֣וּר [to·depart] (266) + מֵרָ֑ע [from·evil] (310) + שֹׁמֵ֥ר [keeps] (540) + נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ [his·soul] (436) + נֹצֵ֥ר [guards] (340) + דַּרְכּֽוֹ [his·way] (230) = 3212.
Ibn Ezra
"Mesilah" (highway) — that they are directed to turn away from evil, that is their highway. And whoever wishes to guard his soul so that it does not die watches over his way, the way that is proper for him — and that is the way of the commandments.
Ralbag
"The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil" — The way of the upright is to turn away from evil, for they consider their way and conduct themselves on it in a manner that lets them escape from evil, whether in political matters or in theoretical matters. And whoever wishes to guard his soul from evil ought to keep his way in this manner mentioned.
Metzudat David
"The highway" — the way of the upright is to turn away from evil, for they consider their path so as not to come to any hint of sin; and one who wishes to guard his soul should guard his way, not walking according to mere happenstance.
Malbim
"The highway of the upright is to depart from evil" — The upright person (yashar) is one whose nature inclines toward uprightness, and who has no inner battle within his spirit, unlike the righteous person (tzaddik). This one has a beaten, paved highway in which no obstacle is found and his way is not made crooked, and by this he departs from evil, for his way is cleared of desires and the temptations of the heart, as it says, "and the path of the upright is a paved highway" (Proverbs 15:19). But one who does not have a beaten highway and must walk on an unpaved road is in danger, for many wage war against him to turn him from the way and to bring death upon his soul. And whoever guards his soul preserves his way with extra vigilance, so that he not fall into one of the pits, nor turn onto crooked paths, and not become prey to the temptations of the heart, to evil character traits, and to those who lie in wait for the soul.
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
verse value 1538
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "height·of" (גֹּ֣בַהּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "before·breaking" (לִפְנֵי־שֶׁ֥בֶר, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "pride" (גָּא֑וֹן), "a·stumbling" (כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן), "height·of" (גֹּ֣בַהּ). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "before·breaking" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'pride', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: לִפְנֵי־שֶׁ֥בֶר [before·breaking] (672) + גָּא֑וֹן [pride] (60) + וְלִפְנֵ֥י [and·before] (176) + כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן [a·stumbling] (406) + גֹּ֣בַהּ [height·of] (10) + רֽוּחַ [spirit] (214) = 1538.
Ibn Ezra
"Before," "better" — two connected comments. "Haughty spirit" — therefore it is better for the lowly of spirit to be among the humble. "To divide" — taking a share of plunder together with the proud; for then he will be broken along with them, since it is [gotten through] robbery.
Ralbag
"Before destruction, pride" — Indeed, pride, haughtiness, and loftiness of spirit are a cause of ruin and failure, and this is very evident from the nature of this character trait.
Metzudat David
"Before destruction" — before destruction comes upon the wicked person, pride and great dominion come to him first, for through this the pain [of the fall] is doubled. "A haughty spirit" — [comes] because of the abundance of good that comes to him before the stumbling; and the matter is doubled in what is said [i.e., stated twice, for emphasis].
Metzudat Zion
"Pride" (ga'on) — its meaning is dominion, as in "the pride of Jacob" (Amos 7). "A fall" (kishalon) — an expression of weakness and the collapse of strength.
Malbim
(18-19) "Pride goes before destruction," etc., "Better to be of a lowly spirit," etc. — Humility (anavah) and pride (ga'avah) are both matters of choice. The one who is proud raises himself above his own [true] level, while the humble person (anav) lowers his bearing and recognizes the true worth of man, that he has no grounds to be proud, since he is [but] flesh and blood. "Lowly of spirit" (shefal ru'ach) is the furthest extreme, as opposed to humility (anavah), which is the mean, the midpoint between pride and lowliness. The humble person (anav) does feel his own honor, but he is humble by his own choice; whereas in the one who is lowly of spirit, the impressions of his spirit lower him to the point that he feels nothing at all when he is disgraced. Now in all character traits, the proper path is the middle path, but concerning pride they warned very, very strongly, "be lowly of spirit" — that it is good to go to the furthest extreme. However, it is not good for one to be lowly of spirit naturally, without feeling it at all; rather, it is good to be "lowly of spirit among the humble" (Proverbs 16:19), meaning that the lowliness should come about through humility, which is an intellectual choice made in accordance with wisdom and its laws. "Haughty of spirit" (gevah ru'ach) refers to one whose impressions of spirit rise up toward the heart and lift themselves in pride, but these have not yet come out into action, for the heart rules over the impressions of the spirit and can lower them along with its own spirit. But if they act upon the heart until it is affected by them and becomes "haughty of heart" (gevah lev), then it is an abomination — as it says, "every haughty heart is an abomination of Hashem" — and it incurs punishment, as it continues, "hand to hand, he shall not go unpunished" (Proverbs 16:5). At that point the trait of pride nests in his heart, and he is called "proud" (ge'eh). And if it is joined together with his also being wealthy and powerful, then there is in his heart both pride (ge'eh) and haughtiness (ga'on), and he is close to being broken, as it says, "before destruction the heart of man is haughty" (Proverbs 18:12); and here it says, "before destruction [comes] haughtiness (ga'on)." But one who is merely haughty of spirit (govah ru'ach), and whose heart has not yet become haughty and has not reached the level of full pride, is close to stumbling, since pride wages war with him and he may easily stumble — hence it says, "before stumbling, haughtiness of spirit" (16:18). And when he stumbles, after the stumbling comes the breaking, and then haughtiness (ga'on) has preceded it, as it says, "before destruction, haughtiness," for his haughtiness of spirit has ruled over his heart until it reached the level of full haughtiness (ga'on). Thus it is good to be "lowly of spirit among the humble," to be lowly of spirit to the utmost degree of lowliness, for such a person will not stumble, and certainly will not be broken — [better this] than to "divide the spoil with the proud," even though it may seem to him that he is dividing spoil and great gain together with them, for suddenly he will be broken and brought low. But the outcome of humility is honor, as it says, "and before honor [comes] humility" (Proverbs 18:12).
Better it is to be of a lowly spirit with the humble, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
verse value 2391
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "good" (ט֣וֹב, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·humble" (אֶת־עֲנָוִ֑ים, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·be·low·of·spirit" (שְׁפַל־ר֭וּחַ), "with·humble" (אֶת־עֲנָוִ֑ים), "than·to·divide" (מֵחַלֵּ֥ק). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root שפל ("to·be·low·of·spirit") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·humble', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words.
Rashi
It is better to be of humble spirit It is better to join the lowly and to be of humble spirit with them than to divide spoils with the haughty.
Ralbag
"Better is a lowly spirit" — Indeed, it is better for a person to be of lowly spirit and associate with the humble and the lowly, than to associate with the proud and divide the spoil with them over what they conquered in war — a war whose cause was their pride. This is because, even if good sometimes results from this trait, evil results from it many more times. And in fact, their dividing of the spoil is also, in itself, a vengeance upon them, for it accustoms them to this base trait, and this will be a cause that great evils will befall them.
Metzudat David
"Better" — it is better to be of lowly spirit, joining with the humble, even if one gains little with them, than to divide great spoil, which one would gain with the haughty — lest he learn from their deeds.
He who gives heed to the word shall find good; And whoever trusts in Hashem, happy is he.
verse value 1440
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 32 letters. Verse gematria: 1440 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "gives·heed" (מַשְׂכִּ֣יל, 5 letters) and the longest is "finds·good" (יִמְצָא־ט֑וֹב, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·word" (עַל־דָּ֭בָר). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "to·word" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs); "finds·good" (root מצא, 28x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'finds·good', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: מַשְׂכִּ֣יל [gives·heed] (400) + עַל־דָּ֭בָר [to·word] (306) + יִמְצָא־ט֑וֹב [finds·good] (158) + וּבוֹטֵ֖חַ [and·trusts] (31) + בַּיהֹוָ֣ה [in·Hashem] (28) + אַשְׁרָֽיו [happy·is·he] (517) = 1440.
Rashi
He who considers a matter One who sets his heart to consider his matters, to weigh his ways, will find good. and he who trusts in the Lord is fortunate When he weighs his ways and sees that a commandment involves danger or monetary loss, but he trusts in the Holy One, blessed be He, and [still] does that good deed. is fortunate They are his fortunes.
Ibn Ezra
"Maskil" ("he who gives heed") — connects to what precedes; that is, one who is attentive to the matter of humbling himself to be lowly — he shall find good, that Hashem will do good to him. "And trusts in Hashem" — he will not desire to share in plunder with the proud. "Happy is he" — that he will be deemed fortunate as his goodness increases.
Ralbag
"He who deals wisely in a matter shall find good" — Indeed, whoever considers and reflects on how he ought to conduct himself in each and every matter, and does not act hastily and in a rush, will find good in his affairs, for this is among the things by which he is guided to reach the desired goal. And whoever, along with this, places his trust in Hashem — not [only] in the causes he has prepared — happy is he, for Hashem will bring about his desires for him even if he erred in preparing the causes.
Metzudat David
"He who gives heed" — one who considers and looks ahead to the outcome of a matter will find good, for he will succeed; and if, after all this consideration, he trusts in Hashem, happy is he.
Malbim
"He who gives heed to the word shall find good" — that is, one who conducts his affairs without insight and does not take care to choose the means that lead to the desired goal will not find good — which is the goal — since he did not seek it. But one who gives heed to the matter, and seeks with his intellect how and in what way to act, will find good. There is a difference between "one who succeeds" and "one who gives heed": success happens by chance, according to fortune, whereas the one who gives heed considers with his intellect how to find the good means, and then finds good, like one who searched and found what he sought. There is, however, another path — one who does not give heed to his affairs at all, but simply trusts in Hashem and believes that Hashem will do everything according to providence — and of him it is said, "happy is he," for this is happiness and success of the soul that comes through providence, so that this happy person is greater than the one who merely succeeds, for this is happiness of the soul.
The wise in heart is called a man of discernment; And the sweetness of the lips increases learning.
verse value 2223
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. Verse gematria: 2223 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "learning" (לֶֽקַח, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·wise·of·heart" (לַֽחֲכַם־לֵ֭ב, 6 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·wise·of·heart" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "discerning" (root בין, 46x in Proverbs); "lips" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'discerning', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: לַֽחֲכַם־לֵ֭ב [to·wise·of·heart] (130) + יִקָּרֵ֣א [is·called] (311) + נָב֑וֹן [discerning] (108) + וּמֶ֥תֶק [and·sweetness·of] (546) + שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם [lips] (830) + יֹסִ֥יף [adds] (160) + לֶֽקַח [learning] (138) = 2223.
Rashi
The wise-hearted shall be called understanding He who learned wisdom from his teacher. shall be called understanding. Ultimately, he will be understanding in matters and keen in his wisdom, and they will call him understanding. and the sweetness of speech increases learning When a person explains his words to a pupil and makes his words sweet with reasons, he increases learning.
Ibn Ezra
"Wise in heart" — that wisdom is in his heart. "Shall be called discerning" — that he understands what he has not [formally] learned. "And the sweetness of the lips" — the sense is: a man learns through the sweetening of [his] speech; then he increases learning. "The sweetness" — alludes to a wisdom that is sweet, as in the phrase "sweeter than honey."
Ralbag
"The wise in heart shall be called a man of understanding" — Indeed, the one wise in heart is called a man of understanding — meaning, that his attainment of wisdom guides him to the attainment of understanding, even in political matters, to reflect on adopting strategies that will keep him at peace with each and every person. And even though he has already reflected on this in his heart in a fitting manner, still, through the sweetness of his words he adds a further good acquisition beyond what he had thought in his heart, for the pleasantness and sweetness of words draws souls and captures them.
Metzudat David
"The wise in heart" — one who has learned wisdom from his teacher will in the end be called a man of discernment, for he grows wise enough to understand one thing from another. "And the sweetness" — one who sweetens his words for another, so that they will be pleasant to him and accepted by his heart, benefits himself as well, for through this he gains further learning in understanding the depth of the matter.
Malbim
"The wise in heart is called a man of discernment" — we have already explained the difference between "wise" and "wise of heart": the wise person has received the laws of wisdom, but even so there is still a war in his heart against the images of desire and wickedness. But the wise-hearted person is one whose heart — which is his ruling faculty — has become naturally imprinted with the images of wisdom, and he has no inner war at all, because through habituation and study this has become like nature to him. Now, the man of discernment understands one thing from another, and he occupies himself with understanding the laws of wisdom until, in the end, they become knowledge to him, so that he knows them with a knowledge as clear as things perceived by the senses. The man of discernment also easily subdues the images of desire once he understands the laws of wisdom, as it says (14:32), "In the heart of the discerning, wisdom rests." But nevertheless much labor is needed until he understands everything, as it says (15:14), "The heart of the discerning seeks knowledge." And here it says that the wise-hearted person, in whom the images of wisdom have become second nature, is called a man of discernment — for even though he did not attain the reasons of wisdom through the ways of understanding (tevunah), he grasped them from the side of the nature of wisdom itself, which does not contradict the nature of his soul and its qualities. Now, the man of discernment transfers wisdom into the category of knowledge, which is alluded to by "the lips" (as it says, "On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found") — and it says that even the wise-hearted person, who has reached the level of the discerning through his nature and habituation, "increases learning through the sweetness of the lips" if he transfers wisdom onto his lips as something known through knowledge, familiar on the outer lips — he "increases learning," meaning he acquires new lessons in the principles of wisdom, as it says, "Let the wise man hear and increase learning" — for he does not understand through the invention of understanding (binah) and its methods, but rather through habituation in wisdom, whose content is received by tradition. Therefore it uses the term lekach ["learning," literally "receiving"], which corresponds to kabbalah ["received tradition"].
Understanding is a fountain of life to the one who has it; But folly is the chastisement of fools.
verse value 1718
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "understanding·of" (שֵׂ֣כֶל, 3 letters) and the longest is "its·owner" (בְּעָלָ֑יו, 5 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "life" (root חי, 32x in Proverbs); "and·chastisement·of" (root מוסר, 30x in Proverbs); "foolishness" (root אולת, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'its·owner', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: מְק֣וֹר [spring·of] (346) + חַ֭יִּים [life] (68) + שֵׂ֣כֶל [understanding·of] (350) + בְּעָלָ֑יו [its·owner] (118) + וּמוּסַ֖ר [and·chastisement·of] (312) + אֱוִלִ֣ים [fools] (87) + אִוֶּֽלֶת [foolishness] (437) = 1718.
Rashi
Intelligence is a fountain of life to one who has it lit. a fountain of life is the intelligence of its possessor. And this is the interpretation of the verse: The intelligence of the one who has it is a fountain of life to him. but the chastisement of the fools is folly But the chastisement of the fools comes to them because of folly. And this is the apparent meaning: Folly is chastisement to the fools.
Ibn Ezra
"Fountain" — the meaning is that understanding is the fountain from which life issues forth to its possessor. "And the chastisement of fools" — [means] the chastisement of folly.
Ralbag
"A fountain of life" — Behold, observation and contemplation are the owner of the fountain of life and its guide, for from it comes the wellspring that is destined for both bodily life and eternal life. As for bodily life, this is on account of observation regarding political matters, whereby he is spared harm from other people, and good and assistance reach him from them. And as for eternal life, this is because this faculty is an instrument for pursuing inquiry into speculative matters as is fitting, which is the cause of finding truth in them. But fools acquire correction only from folly itself — the illustration being that when some evil befalls the fool because he did not heed the causes that would bring him to attain what he sought, he then takes correction on account of that folly, so as to heed that matter when it happens to him a second time, regarding the cause he had not heeded before this, which was the cause that prevented him from what he had intended to do. Now the benefit he derives from this is very small, for his folly causes him to derive from this only a benefit in the exact measure of that particular matter and that cause alone; and there may be other causes such that, when they are absent, the effect is absent too, yet he will not take heed of them unless he opens his eyes to what he sees through experience — and it is very unlikely that he will attain completeness in this manner even with regard to one particular action. But for the intelligent person, it is a fountain of life and a wellspring in all matters, and this is the wondrous difference that exists in this between the intelligent person and the fool.
Metzudat David
"Understanding" — understanding is to its possessor like a spring flowing with life, for through it life comes to him. "And the chastisement" — the sufferings that come upon fools come because of their folly.
Malbim
"Understanding is a fountain of life to the one who has it" — now [Solomon] explains in what manner the wise-hearted person understands the laws of wisdom until he arrives, through them, at the category of knowledge. He explains that this "fountain of life," from which the wise-hearted person draws knowledge — the owner of the fountain is the intellect (sechel): for even though he does not attain the laws of wisdom through the faculty of understanding (binah), he attains them through the faculty of intellect, which is a keen faculty that exists in man to grasp hidden truths, and to grasp also the laws of wisdom and spiritual matters that are beyond human understanding. There is also a "good intellect," which is the holy spirit that rests upon the wise-hearted person, as it says above (14:15), "The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life... a good intellect gives grace" — where I explained that the "good intellect" too is a fountain of life, and it grants grace and favor from Hashem to grasp lofty matters. And it clarifies that "folly is the chastisement of fools": for even though fools despise wisdom and discipline, since they entertain doubts and cast philosophical doubts upon the laws of wisdom and upon the roots of ethical discipline that are built upon the fear of Hashem, the intellect clarifies the truths by means of the discipline of the intellect, which chastises the fools and exposes their folly and their doubts by means of the intellect. And this lies within the power of the wise-hearted person, as it says, "For wisdom shall enter your heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to your soul, to save you from the way of evil, from a man who speaks perverse things," and as it says, "and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart" — for through wisdom of heart he comes to know the discipline of fools and to nullify their folly and their doubts.
The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips.
verse value 1771
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "heart" (לֵ֣ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·his·lips" (וְעַל־שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·to·his·lips" (וְעַל־שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wise" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "and·to·his·lips" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·mouth', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: לֵ֣ב [heart] (32) + חָ֭כָם [wise] (68) + יַשְׂכִּ֣יל [teaches] (370) + פִּ֑יהוּ [his·mouth] (101) + וְעַל־שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו [and·to·his·lips] (902) + יֹסִ֥יף [adds] (160) + לֶֽקַח [learning] (138) = 1771.
Rashi
The heart of a wise man gives his mouth intelligence His heart teaches his mouth to speak lucidly.
Ibn Ezra
"Heart," "flow" — two connected comments. The wise man reveals understanding through his mouth. "And to his lips he adds" — the heart [continues], to display the [increase in] learning.
Ralbag
"The heart of the wise teaches his mouth" — Behold, what is formed in the heart of the wise man, his mouth makes known to people, for his words agree with what is formed in his soul — whether in political matters, since he does not act with a divided heart, or in speculative matters, since by virtue of his wisdom he knows how to speak in a manner that what he says agrees with what is formed in his soul. And indeed he speaks in such a way that upon his lips he adds a good gain beyond what was merely in his heart. This is because in the heart a statement can contain only a single intent, whereas he states it in a way that encompasses several different intents, all of them beneficial. And this too occurs, from another angle, with regard to political matters, of great benefit — namely, that he adds upon his lips the sweetness of words and their pleasantness, which further captivates people's souls and draws them to whatever he wishes; and likewise with regard to speculative matters, by virtue of what makes the statement pleasant, among the things that beautify the statement and adorn it.
Metzudat David
"Teaches his mouth" — he trains his mouth to sweeten his words, and when they become fluent on his lips, he gains yet more learning in understanding the depth of the matter. Thus the understanding comes from the heart to the mouth, and returns again from the mouth to the heart, without end.
Malbim
"The heart of the wise teaches his mouth" — he explains that this heart — the wise heart in which wisdom has become an acquisition, to the point that the person is called, after it, by the name "wise of heart" — this heart "teaches his mouth." The "mouth" alludes to the speech of wisdom: when he speaks the laws of wisdom, the spirit of intellect that grasps the truths of the laws of wisdom rests upon him, and then "upon his lips he increases learning" — when he speaks them with his lips in order to clarify them with the proofs of knowledge, which is alluded to by "the lips" — he "increases learning," as it says in verse 21, "and the sweetness of the lips increases learning."
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
verse value 2456
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "sweet" (מָת֥וֹק, 4 letters) and the longest is "words·of·kindness" (אִמְרֵי־נֹ֑עַם, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "honeycomb·of·honey" (צוּף־דְּ֭בַשׁ), "and·health" (וּמַרְפֵּ֥א), "to·the·bone" (לָעָֽצֶם). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs); "words·of·kindness" (root אמר, 45x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root מתוק ("sweet") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'words·of·kindness', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: צוּף־דְּ֭בַשׁ [honeycomb·of·honey] (482) + אִמְרֵי־נֹ֑עַם [words·of·kindness] (411) + מָת֥וֹק [sweet] (546) + לַ֝נֶּ֗פֶשׁ [to·the·soul] (460) + וּמַרְפֵּ֥א [and·health] (327) + לָעָֽצֶם [to·the·bone] (230) = 2456.
Rashi
a honeycomb Heb. צוף דבש, sweet as honey (bresche in O.F.). Pleasant words Words of Torah.
Ibn Ezra
"Tzuf" (flow) — [i.e.,] "k'tzuf" (like the flow) of honey, with the comparative kaf omitted; that is, as the flow of honey [is sweet], so are pleasant words sweet.
Ralbag
"As a honeycomb" — Behold, the pleasant words that come out of the wise man's mouth are like the drippings of a honeycomb, which are sweet to the sensing soul when a person feeds on them, and which, moreover, heal crushed limbs when placed upon them, and heal their other ailments as well. So too, the pleasant words of the wise are sweet to the discerning soul, and in them, moreover, is guidance for the improvement of the body, and for clarifying and expelling from it the ailments of base character traits.
Metzudat David
"A honeycomb" — one who sweetens his words with great pleasantness — they are agreeable to their hearers like honeycombs, and they are beneficial to both soul and body, for through this he draws the hearts of people after his understanding, whether in a matter of moral instruction or in a matter of practical need.
Metzudat Zion
"Honeycomb" (tzuf devash) — honeycombs, as in "and the droppings of the honeycomb" (Psalms 19). "To the bones" (la-etzem) — meaning, to the body, for the bones are what sustain the body.
Malbim
"Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones" — this connects to the above, "and upon his lips he increases learning" — [namely,] "a honeycomb": for when knowledge comes upon his lips, then he sweetens the laws of wisdom with knowledge until he finds sweetness in them — not like something that has no taste, but rather he finds in them a honeycomb; and "the words" are "pleasant" — that is, the spiritual pleasantness that comes from spiritual intellections. And he explains that the "honeycomb" is not a physical sweetness to the palate but rather "sweet to the soul"; and likewise "pleasant words" are not exclusive to the soul alone, abstracted from the body, but also "health to the bones" — so that he attains the truths by means of the intellect that is bound up with the body, and "the spirit of God fills all his chambers" with precious and pleasant treasure, and he also turns back the fools through his discipline, the discipline of the intellect.
There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end are the ways of death.
verse value 2835
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "there·is" (יֵ֤שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "before·a·man" (לִפְנֵי־אִ֑ישׁ, 7 letters). The root דרך appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "way" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "before·a·man" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs); "right" (root ישר, 35x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'before·a·man', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: יֵ֤שׁ [there·is] (310) + דֶּ֣רֶךְ [way] (224) + יָ֭שָׁר [right] (510) + לִפְנֵי־אִ֑ישׁ [before·a·man] (481) + וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ [and·its·end] (630) + דַּרְכֵי־מָֽוֶת [ways·of·death] (680) = 2835.
Rashi
There is a way that is straight in a man’s view.
Ibn Ezra
"There is a way that seems right" — [referring to] one who places before a man [an inducement] to occupy himself with pleasant words. "And its end" — that if he abandons it, he will find the ways of death. And it says "ways" [in the plural], because the causes of death are many. Another interpretation: that he will walk in ways that will bring him to death.
Ralbag
"There is a way" — Behold, one may find a way that seems right in a person's own eyes, yet he does not perceive the evil that follows from it, for its end is the ways of death. And the wise man directs himself to keep far from this way.
Metzudat David
"Before a man" — according to what his eyes see [i.e., what appears right in his own estimation]. "And its end" — the end of that way leads to the ways of death.
Malbim
(25-26) 'There is a way that is right before a man'; 'a laboring soul labors for itself' — this refers back to the previous verse, which spoke of 'a honeycomb, pleasant words,' and it now clarifies that 'there is a way that is right before a man' — meaning that at its beginning it appears right, in that it seems to fulfill the desires and wishes of the body, 'but its end is the ways of death,' for the end of the body is to die and decay, and then the spiritual soul dies as well. And it says: is it conceivable that the laboring soul should labor because of the compulsion its mouth forces upon it? For the mouth, wanting to eat, forces and compels the spiritual soul to labor constantly without respite (as it is written, 'all the labor of man is for his mouth, yet the soul is not satisfied' [Ecclesiastes 6:7]). And it exposes this folly: that the essence of man is truly the eternal soul within him, and the essence of life is eternal life, which is the life of the soul, and man was created to live the life of the soul — which is achieved by putting to death the body and its wishes. And although this is a way full of thorns at its start, one finds life at its end — everlasting life, after returning to an eternal Eden. And is there a greater folly than this, that this precious soul should abandon its spirituality and labor because of the compulsion of the mouth that wants to eat and drink — 'eat and drink, for tomorrow we die' [Isaiah 22:13] — so that nothing at all remains to the soul from all its labor? This is what the discerning intellect says concerning the life of the soul and the matters of its spirituality and its survival after death. And he has already said this above (14:9): 'fools mock at guilt' — 'a heart knows its own bitterness' — 'there is a way that is right before a man, but its end is the ways of death,' where I explained there that even fools know in their hearts that they bear guilt regarding the soul, for their way, which is right in their own eyes, is to choose the life of vanity whose end is the death of the spiritual soul — and their heart knows the bitterness of their soul and grieves over this. Therefore he says here too that through these words the wise-hearted man disciplines the fools with a honeycomb of pleasant words, and turns them back from the way of their folly.
The hunger of the laboring man labors for him; For his mouth compels him.
verse value 1099
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 25 letters. Notable word values: "for·him" (לּ֑וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "for·him" (לּ֑וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·compels" (כִּֽי־אָכַ֖ף, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "laboring" (עָ֭מֵל), "labors" (עָ֣מְלָה), "for·compels" (כִּֽי־אָכַ֖ף). The root עמל appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "soul·of" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs); "his·mouth" (root פה, 34x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root עמל ("laboring") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: נֶ֣פֶשׁ [soul·of] (430) + עָ֭מֵל [laboring] (140) + עָ֣מְלָה [labors] (145) + לּ֑וֹ [for·him] (36) + כִּֽי־אָכַ֖ף [for·compels] (131) + עָלָ֣יו [upon·him] (116) + פִּֽיהוּ [his·mouth] (101) = 1099.
Rashi
labors for him It labors for his needs. when his mouth forces him When his mouth forces him and demands food, then his labor stands up for him, for he eats what he has already worked for.
Ibn Ezra
"Akhaf" (compels) — [means] caused and brought about; that is, the soul of the laborer labors for him continually, all his days, for his mouth compelled him, caused and brought upon him the toil, because he did not learn pleasant words. And the opposite of this — wisdom gives life to its possessor.
Ralbag
"The hunger of the laboring man" — Behold, the soul of the laboring man labors for himself and for his own benefit, when he has subdued his mouth and made it submit to that labor — meaning, when he has conquered the desire of his mouth for food and pleasant drink, so that the pursuit of those desires does not distract him from seeking wisdom and exerting himself to attain it. This labor then belongs to him alone, which is not so with the labor of gathering possessions, for a man prepares something, and afterward another eats it, and the one who labored for it does not benefit from it and gains no advantage from it except the sight of his own eyes. Or he may mean by this that the soul of the man who continually labors to attain his sustenance labors on its own account, by itself, for his mouth has subdued him and bent him to this labor; and it is as if he is directing us thereby — that if that man were to withhold from himself the surplus of food, and take from it only what is necessary, and restrict his expenditure as much as possible, or gather little by little, he would attain his livelihood without labor.
Metzudat David
"Labors for him" — the toil of labor stands him in good stead for his need; when his mouth compels him to seek food, then it (the labor) serves to fulfill his request.
Metzudat Zion
"Compels" (akhaf) — from the language of coercion and pressing, as in "and my pressure shall not be heavy upon you" (Job 33:7).
An ungodly man digs up evil, And in his lips there is as a burning fire.
verse value 3654
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 33 letters. Verse gematria: 3654 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "man·of" (אִ֣ישׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·in·his·lip" (וְעַל־שְׂ֝פָת֗וֹ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "digs" (כֹּרֶ֣ה), "and·in·his·lip" (וְעַל־שְׂ֝פָת֗וֹ), "as·fire" (כְּאֵ֣שׁ). The root שפה appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "and·in·his·lip" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs); "evil" (root רעה, 25x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'evil', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words.
Rashi
digs up evil In his heart, he plots evil. and on his lips is a kind of searing fire The evil burns on his lips until he expresses it with his mouth and executes it. a kind of searing fire Heb. צרבת burning, as in (Ezek. 21:3): “And all faces shall be scorched (ונצרבו) by it.”
Ibn Ezra
"And on his lips" — on each of his two lips there is evil, like a scorching fire. Another interpretation: [it refers to] the slanderer.
Ralbag
"An ungodly man" — Behold, the ungodly man plots evil in his heart, and what comes out from it to his lips bears the imprint of the evil that is in his heart, and it is destructive like a burning fire. It is as though he said that more evil comes from his mouth than what is merely in his heart, for he strives to make his words go deep, in a way that brings about extraordinary evil from them.
Metzudat David
"Digs up evil" — it is his way to dig and search for schemes to do evil to people, and he also speaks abundantly in sharp, provocative words, as though there were a burning fire upon his lips.
Metzudat Zion
"Digs up" (koreh) — digs a pit, as in "he has dug a pit" (Psalms 7). "Burning" (tzarevet) — an expression of scorching, as in "and all faces shall be scorched by it" (Ezekiel 21:3).
Malbim
'A worthless man digs up evil' — having discussed the way of wisdom, which clothes a person with humility, trust, and the holy spirit, and which turns back those who stray, through the discernment of his lips, he now discusses the way of folly, which is its opposite. There is a worthless man who casts off the yoke of Heaven from himself entirely: he 'digs up evil' — in the depths and in secret he digs a pit for his fellow, to make him fall in; and 'on his lips there is as a burning fire' — for he speaks with the fervor of the sparks of love, until the scorch of the burn appears upon his lips, as it is written, 'silver dross overlaid on an earthen vessel are burning lips and a wicked heart' [Proverbs 26:23] — his lips speak love, while inwardly he sets his ambush.
A froward man sows strife; And a whisperer separates familiar friends.
verse value 2430
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. Verse gematria: 2430 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "man·of" (אִ֣ישׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "perversities" (תַּ֭הְפֻּכוֹת, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·a·whisperer" (וְ֝נִרְגָּ֗ן). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root רגן ("and·a·whisperer") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root פרד ("separates") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'strife', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: אִ֣ישׁ [man·of] (311) + תַּ֭הְפֻּכוֹת [perversities] (911) + יְשַׁלַּ֣ח [sends] (348) + מָד֑וֹן [strife] (100) + וְ֝נִרְגָּ֗ן [and·a·whisperer] (309) + מַפְרִ֥יד [separates] (334) + אַלּֽוּף [a·friend] (117) = 2430.
Rashi
and a grumbler alienates the Lord And through his grumbling, he alienates the Lord of the world from himself.
Ibn Ezra
"Nirgan" (a whisperer) — words of iniquity spread through talebearing.
Ralbag
"A froward man sows strife" — The deceitful man's practice is to send quarrel and strife among people, and it does not suffice him until he stirs up words of complaint so as to separate the officer and the great man from his people — meaning, that he brings it about that they rebel against him.
Metzudat David
"A froward man" — one who twists words from what they actually said stirs up strife among people. "And a whisperer" — one who complains about people's deeds separates from the people the officer set over them, for they then rebel against him, and he in turn becomes an enemy to them.
Metzudat Zion
"And a whisperer" (ve-nirgan) — an expression of complaint, as in "and you murmured in your tents" (Deuteronomy 1). "Familiar friend" (aluf) — a chief, as in "do not trust in a friend" (Micah 7:5).
Malbim
'A froward man sows strife' — there is a froward man who perverts the truth and perverts the ways of wisdom, and it is his way to send forth strife, as it is written above (6:14), 'frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually, he sendeth forth discord.' And there is a whisperer, who is one who constantly complains, claiming that his fellow hates him and does him harm — as in, 'and you murmured in your tents, and said, Because Hashem hated us' [Deuteronomy 1:27]; and as it is written, 'the words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels' [Proverbs 18:8; 26:22] — and he is the one who perpetuates the strife, as it is written, 'where there is no whisperer, strife quiets down' (26:20). And he separates even the loving friend who instructs and shows the good way, by claiming that he seeks his harm.
A man of violence entices his neighbor, And leads him into a way that is not good.
verse value 1552
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "man·of" (אִ֣ישׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·leads·him" (וְ֝הוֹלִיכ֗וֹ, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·leads·him" (וְ֝הוֹלִיכ֗וֹ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "in·a·way" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "his·neighbor" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·neighbor', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: אִ֣ישׁ [man·of] (311) + חָ֭מָס [violence] (108) + יְפַתֶּ֣ה [entices] (495) + רֵעֵ֑הוּ [his·neighbor] (281) + וְ֝הוֹלִיכ֗וֹ [and·leads·him] (83) + בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ [in·a·way] (226) + לֹא־טֽוֹב [not·good] (48) = 1552.
Ibn Ezra
"A man" — one who commits violence entices his fellow, that he should commit violence like him. "In a way that is not good" — [stated] in the masculine gender [grammatical form].
Ralbag
"A man of violence" — Behold, the man who is a man of violence entices his neighbor with his mouth to follow his practice, and by his speech, inciting him, leads him to walk in a way that is not good.
Metzudat David
"Entices his neighbor" — to take hold, he too, of ways of violence, and leads him in a way that is not good, in order to find a companion for himself.
Malbim
'A man of violence entices his neighbor' — there is one who harms his fellow through enticement, leading him along a way that is not good. And all these are harmful and destructive.
He shuts his eyes, it is to devise froward things; He who bites his lips brings evil to pass.
verse value 3078
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. Verse gematria: 3078 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "shuts" (עֹצֶ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "perversities" (תַּהְפֻּכ֑וֹת, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·devise" (לַחְשֹׁ֣ב), "brings·to·pass" (כִּלָּ֥ה). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·lips" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs); "his·eyes" (root עין, 43x in Proverbs); "evil" (root רעה, 25x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'perversities', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: עֹצֶ֣ה [shuts] (165) + עֵ֭ינָיו [his·eyes] (146) + לַחְשֹׁ֣ב [to·devise] (340) + תַּהְפֻּכ֑וֹת [perversities] (911) + קֹרֵ֥ץ [bites] (390) + שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו [his·lips] (796) + כִּלָּ֥ה [brings·to·pass] (55) + רָעָֽה [evil] (275) = 3078.
Rashi
He winks his eyes Heb. עצה, an expression of winking, and so (Ps. 32:8): “I will wink (איעצה) to you my eye.” bringing evil to pass כלה, as in (Esther 7:7) “that the evil was determined (כלתה) against him by the king.” He causes evil to come to the world.
Ibn Ezra
"Otzeh" (he shuts) — in my opinion, [it means] that he causes their eyes to close, [like] "otzem eino" ("his eyes are shut"); these forms are from the same root as "atzah eino," and the mem [in "otzem"] is a mark of the participle. The full/correct form would be "otzeh otam et eineihem" ("he shuts them, [namely] their eyes") — just as "vatiftach vatir'ehu et hayeled" ("and she opened [it] and saw him, [namely] the child") (Exodus 2:6), and just as "lechalelo et beito" ("to profane him, [namely] his house"), the correct sense being "to profane it." And thus the interpretation is: "otzeh einav" ("he shuts his eyes") — he seals his eyes shut, so that his heart should not follow his eyes, since he devises perversities as he pleases. "Killeh" (brings to pass) — he completes the evil just as he had planned.
Ralbag
"He shuts his eyes" — Whoever shuts his eyes and closes them, or one of them, so that his thought of frowardness and lies may be more fully formed, and afterward brings forth what is in his thought into action by cutting his lips and opening them to speak the words with his mouth — behold, his speech has completed the evil, for by what he merely thought, no harm would reach people unless he brought it forth with his mouth.
Metzudat David
"He shuts [his eyes]" — one who closes his eyes in order to think how to twist words (for it is the way of one who is thinking deeply about something to close his eyes at that time, so that visible things will not confuse him). "He bites [his lips]" — one who moves his lips to hint at slander. "Brings evil to pass" — this is the completion of the evil he had thought about, for he hinted at it and then carried out the deed.
Metzudat Zion
"Shuts" (otzeh) — an expression of closing, as in "and He has closed your eyes" (Isaiah 29). "Bites" (koretz) — an expression of a gesture to hint, as in "winks with his eyes" (above, chapter 6). "Brings to pass" (kalah) — an expression of completion and fulfillment.
Malbim
'He shuts his eyes to devise froward things' — in that he signals with his eyes in a manner of design, he has already devised froward things, as it is written, 'he winks with his eyes... frowardness is in his heart' [Proverbs 6:13-14]. And when he bites his lips and speaks by way of hint, then the evil is already complete — as though with the hint of the eye he begins, and with the utterance and the biting of the lips he completes his entire evil; so easy does the doing of evil seem in his eyes.
The hoary head is a crown of glory, It is found in the way of righteousness.
verse value 3033
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "crown·of" (עֲטֶ֣רֶת, 4 letters) and the longest is "beauty" (תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת, 5 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·way·of" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "is·found" (root מצא, 28x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'age', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עֲטֶ֣רֶת [crown·of] (679) + תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת [beauty] (1081) + שֵׂיבָ֑ה [age] (317) + בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ [in·the·way·of] (226) + צְ֝דָקָ֗ה [righteousness] (199) + תִּמָּצֵֽא [is·found] (531) = 3033.
Rashi
it will be found in the way of righteousness Through righteousness, they live long.
Ibn Ezra
"Crown" — [namely,] gray hair — is like a crown of glory upon the head.
Ralbag
"The hoary head is a crown of glory" — Behold, gray hair is a crown of glory, for all people honor a man of gray hair. And people attain to this by way of righteousness and uprightness in character or in belief, for absent this, a man might die before his time. Or the intent may be that gray hair which is found by way of righteousness is a crown of glory — for by virtue of uprightness in belief and character, together with the old age that accompanies them, the man's rank and stature grow in wisdom and in political philosophy; for "with the aged is wisdom, and in length of days understanding" (Job 12:12) — by virtue of the great amount he has grasped through sense-experience, and by virtue of the length of time in which he has labored in the pursuit of wisdom, and by virtue of the calming of the natural heat's turbulence at the time of old age.
Metzudat David
"A crown, etc." — one who walks in the way of righteousness — the crown of glory of gray hair will be found in him, for he will live many days in greatness and glory.
Malbim
'The hoary head is a crown of glory' — old age is a crown of glory, for we are obligated to give honor to elders, since their days have accumulated worth and they have done much good and completed their purpose. But this crown is found only in the way of righteousness, for then, whatever days are added, mitzvot and good deeds are added with them; but the wicked man, whatever days are added to him, adds the doing of evil, and does not wear the crown of days. This can also be explained along the lines of what is written, 'the fear of Hashem prolongs days' [Proverbs 10:27], and 'it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days' [Ecclesiastes 8:13]. And since he has just discussed the deeds of wicked men — of whom he already said above [Proverbs 6:12, 15], 'a worthless man,' etc., 'therefore his calamity shall come suddenly' — he says here too that in this way of the wicked one will not find a crown of hoary age, for he will be broken suddenly, and there is no remedy.
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
verse value 1592
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "good" (ט֤וֹב, 3 letters) and the longest is "than·the·mighty" (מִגִּבּ֑וֹר, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "than·the·mighty" (מִגִּבּ֑וֹר), "in·his·spirit" (בְּ֝רוּח֗וֹ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'than·the·mighty', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: ט֤וֹב [good] (17) + אֶ֣רֶךְ [long·of] (221) + אַ֭פַּיִם [nostrils] (131) + מִגִּבּ֑וֹר [than·the·mighty] (251) + וּמֹשֵׁ֥ל [and·he·who·rules] (376) + בְּ֝רוּח֗וֹ [in·his·spirit] (222) + מִלֹּכֵ֥ד [than·he·who·takes] (94) + עִֽיר [city] (280) = 1592.
Rashi
and one who rules over his spirit He conquers his evil inclination.
Ibn Ezra
"Better," "in the lap," "better" — three connected comments. [16:32–33, 17:1] "Better" — stands in place of two [i.e., it serves for both clauses of the verse]. "And slow to anger" — he is better than the mighty man, for he conquers his own anger; whereas the mighty man, even though he conquers others, is unable to conquer his own anger. "He who rules his spirit" — by himself, is better than one who conquers a city, who needs the help of others. And just as when the lot is cast into the lap, its judgment is entirely from Hashem — however it falls, it is so from Hashem — so too is one who is able to rule his own spirit [dependent on Hashem alone].
Ralbag
"He who is slow to anger is better" — Behold, one who can master his anger, so that he can be slow to wrath, is better than a mighty man who defeats another in war; and one who can rule his will and desire, directing them toward what he wishes, is more praiseworthy than one who captures a city — for how can one who cannot rule his own will rule over another? There are things a person may think came about by mere chance and happenstance, but in them there truly is a boundary and an order from Hashem, in the lap.
Metzudat David
"Than the mighty" — for the mighty man prevails only through an act of might, whereas one slow to anger prevails over everything merely by refraining from acting. "He who rules his spirit" — one who has it in his power to subdue his anger is better than a mighty man who conquers a fortified city; and the matter is doubled in what is said [for emphasis].
Metzudat Zion
"His spirit" (be-rucho) — an expression of anger.
Malbim
'He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty' — the mighty man who does not restrain his anger and takes vengeance on his enemies shows his might by overpowering his external enemy; but if he heeds the laws of wisdom not to take vengeance, and overpowers the impulses of jealousy and vengeance that command his limbs to carry out the act of vengeance, he is better than the mighty man, for he has overpowered his internal enemy, which is harder [to conquer]. And there is one who is slow to anger yet is short of spirit (as above, 14:17) — that although he does not carry out the act of vengeance, nevertheless his spirit raises up images of vengeance upon his heart and he bears a grudge, as it is written, 'and he who is short of spirit exalts folly' [Proverbs 14:29]. But one who also rules over his spirit, subduing his enemies so that images of vengeance do not arise upon his heart at all, is 'better than he who takes a city,' for the spirit is like a fortified city full of a great army — the impulse, old and foolish — for these are the images formed by the spirit for all the evil traits; and if he overpowers the spirit, he has conquered the entire small city, and this is a greater might than one who takes a city outside himself with army and strength.
The lot is cast into the lap; But its whole disposing is of Hashem.
verse value 1377
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "in·the·lap" (בַּ֭חֵיק, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·lot" (אֶת־הַגּוֹרָ֑ל, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·the·lap" (בַּ֭חֵיק), "is·cast" (יוּטַ֣ל), "the·lot" (אֶת־הַגּוֹרָ֑ל). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·from·Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "all·its·judgment" (root משפט, 20x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·lot', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: בַּ֭חֵיק [in·the·lap] (120) + יוּטַ֣ל [is·cast] (55) + אֶת־הַגּוֹרָ֑ל [the·lot] (645) + וּ֝מֵיְהֹוָ֗ה [and·from·Hashem] (72) + כׇּל־מִשְׁפָּטֽוֹ [all·its·judgment] (485) = 1377.
Rashi
The lot is cast in the lap By himself, a person cast lots. but all his judgment to choose for each one his share.
Ralbag
There are things that one might think occur by mere chance and happenstance, but in truth there is in them a determination and order from Hashem — this is "in the lap." For the lot is cast into the lap, and one might think its outcome follows the way of chance; but in fact you find that "all its disposing is from Hashem." This is well known from the matter of casting lots in the narratives of the words of prophecy, and you can also confirm it from experience, for to the successful, for the most part, the better lot comes, and the opposite happens to people who have a hard time. Now he said this — according to what I think — because valor in war and the capture of a city is from Hashem, and therefore one should not take pride in these; but the character traits that belong to a person together with his soul stem from his own choice, and therefore taking pride in these is more fitting. Furthermore, the good that comes from patience (length of temper) is greater and involves less danger than the good that comes from valor. The same holds for one who rules his own spirit as compared with one who captures a city, in that through this [ruling one's own spirit] a person attains the good and escapes [danger], without having to harm others.
Metzudat David
"Into the lap" — the way of those who cast lots is to place slips in a lap, or elsewhere in a hidden place, and from there to take them out to place upon the portions, to know what belongs to whom. By this he means: do not imagine about the lot that it happened by chance and coincidence; for while they were casting the lots' slips into the lap, before they had taken them out, the judgment of the matter had already been decreed by Hashem, and each one merited the portion allotted to him by God above.
Metzudat Zion
"Is cast" (yutal) — an expression of throwing.
Malbim
'The lot is cast into the lap, but its whole disposing is of Hashem' — there are things that appear to be given over to chance, yet they are in fact watched over by Hashem; and in the place where the power of human choice and endeavor ceases, the eye of providence appears. For example, in a matter disputed between people, where they cast a lot to determine, by means of the lot, to whom the portion under dispute belongs — although the lot is cast into the lap, hidden from human sight, and given over to chance — nevertheless the eye of Hashem's providence appears upon it, and the judgment that the lot produces is not chance but is from Hashem, as in the division of the Land and the like, where the lot was under the providence of Hashem.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim