Counsel for the table of rulers and against wearying yourself to be rich — for riches make themselves wings like an eagle. Buy the truth and sell it not; and look not upon the wine when it is red, for at the last it bites like a serpent.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider well the one who is before you;
verse value 3239
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "surely" (בִּ֥ין, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·a·ruler" (אֶת־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "when·you·sit" (כִּֽי־תֵ֭שֵׁב), "to·eat" (לִלְח֣וֹם), "with·a·ruler" (אֶת־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "surely" (root בין, 46x in Proverbs); "before·you" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs); "who" (root אשר, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·a·ruler', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־תֵ֭שֵׁב [when·you·sit] (732) + לִלְח֣וֹם [to·eat] (114) + אֶת־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל [with·a·ruler] (777) + בִּ֥ין [surely] (62) + תָּ֝בִ֗ין [discern] (462) + אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר [who] (902) + לְפָנֶֽיךָ [before·you] (190) = 3239.
Rashi
If you sit down to dine Heb. ללחום, to eat. you should understand well Give thought to know who he is, whether he is stingy or generous.
Ibn Ezra
"For," "and you shall put," "do not" — [verses 1-3] three connected [verses]. "Lilchom" [to dine] — to eat bread. "Bin tavin" ["consider well"] — an expression of examining; and likewise "avinah vevanim" ["I will consider concerning the sons"]; that is, those who stand before you to indulge in the manner of food — consider them; and the vav of "ve-samta" ["and you shall put"] stands in place of "or."
Ralbag
"When you sit to eat with a ruler" — This refers to the nourishment of wisdom, by which the ruler within man — namely, the intellect — is nourished. From your sitting down [with this intent], it will come about for you to receive the wisdom to understand that which is before you.
Metzudat David
"When you sit to eat bread" — when you sit to eat bread with the one ruling over it, he is the master of the feast. "Consider well" — pay attention to understand the things before you, to observe them, whether his eye is good or evil.
Malbim
"When you sit down to eat with a ruler" — when you sit down to eat bread with a ruler: (1) you must understand who is sitting before you, and not forget that you are sitting with a ruler; for at the time of the feast one sometimes forgets the reverence and honor due to him, and thereby puts his own life at risk.
And put a knife to your throat, if you be a man given to appetite.
verse value 2227
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 23 letters. The shortest word is "soul" (נֶ֣פֶשׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "if·master·of" (אִם־בַּ֖עַל, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·put" (וְשַׂמְתָּ֣), "knife" (שַׂכִּ֣ין), "in·your·throat" (בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·your·throat', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ [and·put] (746) + שַׂכִּ֣ין [knife] (380) + בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ [in·your·throat] (122) + אִם־בַּ֖עַל [if·master·of] (143) + נֶ֣פֶשׁ [soul] (430) + אָֽתָּה [you] (406) = 2227.
Rashi
and you shall put a knife into your jaw Heb. בלועך, into your jaw. If you see that he is stingy, do not eat of his [food]. if you are a man with a hearty appetite If you are a glutton and long to eat, it is better that you thrust a knife between your teeth. Our Sages expounded this as referring to a disciple sitting before his teacher. If he knows that his teacher will give him an answer for everything he asks, let him investigate the subtle points and ask concerning his tradition, but if not, let him keep his peace.
Ibn Ezra
"Belo'akha" [your throat] — this is the gullet, meaning: put a knife to your throat if you are a man of desirous appetite who rules over it. And he mentioned "bread" because it is the main part of the meal, or it stands generally for all foods, as in: "who gives bread to all flesh" (Psalm 136:25).
Ralbag
"if you be a man given to appetite" — [that is,] one who eats and is nourished by his food, being a man of appetites that rule over his intellect. "And put" [a knife to your throat] — behold, you will put thorns in your throat and your gullet, so that you choke on them.
Metzudat David
"And put" — that is, perhaps you will consider the matter, and it will be better for you to put a knife to your throat than to eat with him. "If you be a man given to appetite" — if you have an understanding soul, to despise evil.
Metzudat Zion
"A knife" ("sakhin") — Like "sakin," spelled with a samech, as in "can you fill his skin with barbed irons" (Job 40:31). "Your throat" ("belo'echa") — An expression of swallowing, as in "they lap up blood" (Job 39); and the letter "bet" [prefix] is an instrumental bet.
Malbim
"And put" — (2) he commands him not to eat much, whether on account of his own desire — if you are a person of appetite and strong desire — then you shall "put a knife to your throat," to restrain yourself from eating much.
Be not desirous of his dainties; seeing they are deceitful food.
verse value 1624
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. Notable word values: "and·it" (וְ֝ה֗וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "bread·of" (לֶ֣חֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "of·his·dainties" (לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָ֑יו, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "do·not·desire" (אַל־תִּ֭תְאָו), "of·his·dainties" (לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָ֑יו). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·it" (root הוא, 21x in Proverbs); "bread·of" (root לחם, 21x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'of·his·dainties', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַל־תִּ֭תְאָו [do·not·desire] (838) + לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָ֑יו [of·his·dainties] (611) + וְ֝ה֗וּא [and·it] (18) + לֶ֣חֶם [bread·of] (78) + כְּזָבִֽים [lies] (79) = 1624.
Rashi
Do not desire his delicacies but leave him and go [to study] before a competent teacher, and do not embarrass him with questions, since he does not know what to answer.
Ibn Ezra
"Kezavim" [deceitful] — "a man" is elided; that is, if it is the bread of a man who speaks falsehood, do not desire his bread and his delicacies.
Ralbag
"Be not desirous of his dainties" — even though they seem pleasant to you, for his food is bread of falsehood and vanity, in which there is no benefit or permanence at all.
Metzudat David
"Be not desirous" — do not desire his dainties, his tasty and good foods. "Seeing they are" — that is, his food is deceptive in its effect, for the way of food is to make the body healthy, but not so the food that comes from one with an evil eye.
Metzudat Zion
"His dainties" ("lematamotav") — Tasty and choice foods, as in "and make me savory food" (Genesis 27:4).
Malbim
"Be not" — or, on account of the delicacies themselves, do not desire his delicacies. And he explains the reason: because it is "deceitful food" — for the ruler does not give it to you for your own sake, not for your benefit or your sustenance, and not to honor you, but only for his own benefit; and it is not true food, but merely a preparation for what he will heap upon you and demand of you. And all of this is a parable for the ruler that is within a person — namely, his desiring impulse (yetzer) and the arousing power that rules over the body — which he called, in Ecclesiastes, by the name of "an old and foolish king" (Ecclesiastes 4:13). And it is this ruler-impulse that invites the true person — that is, the powers of his intellect — to eat of its bread. One must know who is sitting before him, and beware of its enticements: both not to let his desiring soul expand to break through bounds, and not to desire an abundance of delicacies but only the necessary sustenance — for it is "deceitful food," and is not food suited to the soul and to the person insofar as he is a person, but only insofar as he is an animal.
Weary not yourself to be rich; Cease from your own wisdom.
verse value 1693
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 21 letters. The shortest word is "cease" (חֲדָֽל, 3 letters) and the longest is "do·not·weary" (אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "do·not·weary" (אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע), "from·your·understanding" (מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥), "cease" (חֲדָֽל). 4 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·become·rich', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע [do·not·weary] (514) + לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר [to·become·rich] (615) + מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ [from·your·understanding] (522) + חֲדָֽל [cease] (42) = 1693.
Rashi
Do not weary yourself to grow rich To make your learning into bundles because you will ultimately forget it.
Ibn Ezra
"Mibinatekha" [from your understanding] — the understanding by which you would know how to amass wealth — cease from it.
Ralbag
"Weary not yourself to be rich" — once you have found what suffices for you; for [continuing to pursue wealth] will deprive you of your understanding, since it consumes your time with the matter of wealth — the very opposite of wealth's true purpose. For the purpose of wealth is that it serve as a help to a person, so that his heart be free to seek wisdom and understanding.
Metzudat David
"Weary not yourself" — by increasing business, to increase wealth. "Cease from your own wisdom" — that is, even without my counsel, cease from this by your own understanding, for what benefit is there in the increase of wealth?
Metzudat Zion
"Weary" ("tiga") — An expression of "yegi'ah" (toil).
Malbim
"Weary not yourself to be rich" — after he commanded that one not be drawn after the desiring power in eating and indulgence, he now commands that one not be drawn after the amassing of wealth, since through this one comes to abandon contemplating the Torah. And this is what he means by "weary not yourself to be rich" — for through this you will cease from your own understanding, for "not everyone who increases in business becomes wise, and it [wisdom] is not across the sea," as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. And he goes on to explain.
Will you set your eyes upon it? it is gone; For riches certainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flies toward heaven.
verse value 3740
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "on·it" (בּ֗וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·you·set·your·eyes" (הֲתָ֤עִיף־עֵינֶ֥יךָ, 10 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "do·you·set·your·eyes" (הֲתָ֤עִיף־עֵינֶ֥יךָ), "and·it·is·not" (וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ), "it·makes·for·itself" (יַעֲשֶׂה־לּ֣וֹ). The root עוף appears 3 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs); "and·it·is·not" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs); "surely" (root עשה, 34x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root עוף ("do·you·set·your·eyes") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root נשר ("like·an·eagle") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wings', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words.
Rashi
Should you blink your eyes at it The moment you blink your eyes to close them, that study will no longer be found with you. התעיף, like “and you shall fold” (Ex. 26:9), which Onkelos renders: ותעיף.
Ibn Ezra
"Hata'if" [will you cause it to fly] — it is possible that it derives from "te'ufah" [flight]. And its meaning: if you cause your eye to shine, to gaze upon riches.
Ralbag
"Will you set your eyes upon it? it is gone" — And what benefit is there in wealth? Behold, in the very same brief span of time it takes your eye to reach it, the wealth departs; for by the slightest of causes it can vanish — many causes exist that make wealth pass away — for wealth itself departs and grows wings for itself to fly on, from the house of the wealthy man to another's, as swiftly as an eagle flying in the heavens.
Metzudat David
"Will you set your eyes" — that is, what profit is there in wealth, and is it something that endures? Behold, at times it is lost within a brief moment — while you are still blinking your eye to look at it, it is gone, for suddenly it is lost, as though it had made for itself wings to fly away from you swiftly, like this eagle that hastens to fly toward the heavens and is hidden from sight.
Metzudat Zion
"Fly" ("hata'if") — An expression of flying and movement.
Malbim
"Will you set your eyes upon it? It is gone" — for as regards your understanding, you must not remove your eyes from it even for a moment. It is like a winged bird in a person's hand: the instant he turns from it, it flies upward. So too a person's intellectual grasp (haskalah) and understanding — if he loses awareness of it for a moment, it flies away from him, since it is not aroused of itself but only through much diligence and effort. And this is the meaning of: if you "let your eyes fly" — that is, let the eyelid (afaf, from the same root as "fly," uf) come down over the eye — then "your understanding is gone," for it grows wings for itself and flies away from you. And so did our Sages, of blessed memory, expound: "'Flying' refers only to Torah, as it is said, 'Will you let your eyes fly upon it? It is gone.'"
Eat you not the bread of the one who has an evil eye, Neither desire you his dainties;
verse value 2837
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "evil·of" (רַ֣ע, 2 letters) and the longest is "of·his·dainties" (לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "do·not·eat" (אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם), "bread·of" (אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם), "of·his·dainties" (לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו). The root לחם appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "evil·of" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs); "eye" (root עין, 43x in Proverbs); "do·not·eat" (root לחם, 21x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'eye', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם [do·not·eat] (509) + אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם [bread·of] (479) + רַ֣ע [evil·of] (270) + עָ֑יִן [eye] (130) + וְאַל־תִּ֝תְאָ֗ו [and·do·not·desire] (844) + לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו [of·his·dainties] (605) = 2837.
Ibn Ezra
"Ra ayin" [an evil eye] — equivalent to "ayin ra'ah"; and "your eye is evil" has "a man" elided; and likewise "tov ayin" ["good of eye," he shall be blessed] — the correct form being "a man good of eye."
Ralbag
After warning us against eating with a person of great appetite, he now warns us not to eat the bread of the miser. He said: "Do not eat the bread of the one who has an evil eye" — meaning one whose eye is grudging over what you eat from it — "and do not desire his dainties." For in his soul this food is like a gate that is hard [to open for you]; your eating from it is very difficult for him. And even though he says with his mouth, "Eat and drink," still, the bread you ate from him will be hard for him to have mixed within your stomach, and he will wish for it to come out that same way, and so you will spoil the pleasant words that you speak with him at his table. Now it appears — and this is correct — that he called "evil of eye" one who holds an evil and false view among his opinions. And therefore he said one should not desire his dainties, for it is not the way of a miser to prepare dainties; rather, he said this because this person's postulates, in [his] first principles and foundations, are very pleasant to one for whom bodily pleasures are pleasant, as we mentioned previously. And it is clear that the heart of this food is not with you, for it is all lies and vanities, and it will bring it about that what you ate of his good bread you will vomit up, and it will ruin your pleasant words, which you grew up trusting. And he said that the bread of the man of false view is like a gate and a doorway in his soul, one that must always stand open; for whatever follows from those [false] premises, since it conflicts with these premises and foundations, must constantly be forced back to those premises, and they [its holders] must strain to frame the matter so that it will not conflict with what has been implanted in it. The opposite is true of genuine foundations and premises, for what follows from [true] premises testifies to the truth of the premises. Therefore he said that the false premise — which is the "bread of the one who has an evil eye" — is like a gate and a doorway; and behold, it tells you, "Eat and drink," as you acquire this premise, seeming to guide you to what follows from the premise — but the heart of this premise is not with you, to [truly] guide you to what follows from the premise.
Metzudat David
"Eat not the bread" — do not eat bread; and for additional clarification he explained and said, "the bread of, etc."
Malbim
"Eat not [the bread]" — here too he speaks by way of parable, saying that one should not eat the bread of one who has an evil eye, and also should not desire his delicacies.
For as one who has reckoned within himself, so is he: ‘Eat and drink’, says he to you; But his heart is not with you.
verse value 2461
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·his·soul" (בְּנַפְשׁ֗וֹ, 5 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "like" (כְּמ֥וֹ), "reckoned" (שָׁעַ֥ר), "in·his·soul" (בְּנַפְשׁ֗וֹ). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·his·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "in·his·soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs); "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + כְּמ֥וֹ [like] (66) + שָׁעַ֥ר [reckoned] (570) + בְּנַפְשׁ֗וֹ [in·his·soul] (438) + כֶּ֫ן־ה֥וּא [so·he] (82) + אֱכ֣וֹל [eat] (57) + וּ֭שְׁתֵה [and·drink] (711) + יֹ֣אמַר [says] (251) + לָ֑ךְ [to·you] (50) + וְ֝לִבּ֗וֹ [and·his·heart] (44) + בַּל־עִמָּֽךְ [not·with·you] (162) = 2461.
Rashi
for it is as though it poured gall שער. This שער is vowelized half with a “patach” and half with a “kamatz,” and the accent is at the end of the word; therefore, it is a verb and not a noun; for were it a noun, it would be [vowelized completely with] a “pattah” and the accent would be at the beginning of the word, like every שער in Scriptures. Its meaning is that it as though this food poured gall into the soul of this stingy man, so it is. gall Heb. שער, from the expression of (Jer. 29:17): “the loathsome (השערים) figs,” the bitter ones.
Ibn Ezra
"For," "your morsel," "in the ears of" — [verses 7-9] three connected [verses]. "Sha'ar" [reckoned] — a past-tense verb from "me'ah she'arim" ["a hundredfold"] (Genesis 26:12); that is, within such a man he sets a reckoning in his soul: when he says to you, "eat and drink," so he truly does within himself. "And his heart is not with you" — [meaning] he does not love you when you eat his bread.
Metzudat David
"For as one who has reckoned" — like one who imagines within himself something that has no substance at all, but only fancy and mere thought, so is this one who feeds you: even though he says to you, "eat and drink," his heart is not with you, and he does not truly wish that you eat, and there is no substance to his words.
Metzudat Zion
"Reckoned" ("sha'ar") — An expression of estimation and reckoning, as in "a hundredfold" (Genesis 26).
Malbim
(Verses 7-8) "For as the sha'ar in his soul, so is he" — for the natural philosophers have already explained that evil sparks go forth from the evil eye, whose root is in the baseness of the soul that looks with its evil eye, and these are like sparks of death upon the thing being looked at. And they have already mentioned that when one who has an evil eye gazed steadily upon a loaf of bread, death and bereavement were found in it. Therefore it says that the sha'ar — meaning a flawed and repulsive thing found in his inner soul — such is the bread as well: it takes on this sha'ar and becomes ruined bread. So he says to you, "eat and drink," making it seem to you that he has not placed an evil eye into it — yet "his heart is not with you," to the point that the eating will harm you until you vomit up even the bread you ate. And by concluding, "and you will ruin your pleasant words," he has revealed to us that he was speaking by way of parable about the bread of the soul — namely, the study of the intelligibles (muskalot) — that one must be careful not to eat the bread of the intellect from one who has an evil eye. And "good eye" and "evil eye" apply to all the judgments of the intellect (sekhel) that judges for good or for evil: one who has a good eye will judge favorably, and one who has an evil eye will judge unfavorably. And [logical] proof is limited when it comes to the faculty of sekhel — which is the faculty by which one grasps things over which binah (reasoned understanding) has no power, including the statutes of wisdom (chochmah), which cannot be grasped by the faculty of binah. Likewise, all the supernal apprehensions concerning the secret of Hashem's Name, which are hidden from every creature and beyond the reach of their understanding — for these the term "binah" is not used, but rather the term "sekhel," as in "and to have sekhel [le-haskil] in Your truth." Now, in matters of binah all people are equal: whoever understands will understand in the same way, and whoever disagrees does not truly understand, but merely imagines vanity and falsehood. This is not so regarding matters that are not within the power of human binah, such as the ways of wisdom, its practices, and the supernal knowledges — these are nothing but sekhel-apprehensions (haskalot), and we may apprehend them by many different paths, and each person apprehends according to what kind of person he is: the wise man in the way of wisdom, and the fool in the way of folly. One with a good eye will judge according to wisdom, which is inherently good, while one with an evil eye will judge according to the way of folly — "let him not give of his bread to the poor," and so forth. Accordingly he commanded that one not eat the bread of one who has an evil eye, for the study of wisdom is likened to the eating of bread and water, as it says, "Ho, everyone who thirsts, go to the water" (Isaiah 55:1). For the sha'ar that is in his soul — whose heart is full of evil imaginings and sinful schemes — such is his bread. And even though he says to you, "eat and drink," making it seem to you that he is teaching you words of wisdom, "his heart is not with you" — for the heart is the ruling faculty, and it is not with you, since he does not rule over his spirit to subdue the desires of his impulses — to the point that even the bread you ate, and the words of wisdom you had already received, you will vomit up, and you will ruin your pleasant words.
The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, And lose your sweet words.
verse value 2692
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "and·you·will·destroy" (וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "your·morsel·you·have·eaten" (פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "your·morsel·you·have·eaten" (פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ), "you·will·vomit·it·up" (תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה), "and·you·will·destroy" (וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·words" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·will·vomit·it·up', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ [your·morsel·you·have·eaten] (951) + תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה [you·will·vomit·it·up] (566) + וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ [and·you·will·destroy] (714) + דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ [your·words] (236) + הַנְּעִימִֽים [the·pleasant] (225) = 2692.
Rashi
your morsel that you ate in his house, you will ultimately vomit because of embarrassment. and you will lose your sweet words The gratitude that you extended and spoke to him tender words—you lost everything.
Ibn Ezra
"You shall vomit it up" — for he looked at you with an evil eye. "Veshichat" [and you shall lose] — for you will be reckoned a glutton, and your pleasant words will not be considered worth anything.
Metzudat David
"Your morsel" — the morsel that he gave you, which you ate, in the end you will vomit up from your body, because he looked upon you with an evil eye at the time you ate; and so your pleasant words that you spoke to him gently, praising him as good and gracious for the meal, are ruined, for retroactively they were for nothing, since you will vomit up the food.
Metzudat Zion
"You shall vomit up" ("takiennah") — This is bringing the food back out, as in "vomit and filth" (Isaiah 28).
Speak not in the ears of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
verse value 1362
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "fool" (כְ֭סִיל, 4 letters) and the longest is "do·not·speak" (אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·ears·of" (בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י), "do·not·speak" (אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר), "for·he·will·despise" (כִּי־יָ֝ב֗וּז). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "fool" (root כסיל, 49x in Proverbs); "do·not·speak" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'do·not·speak', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י [in·ears·of] (70) + כְ֭סִיל [fool] (120) + אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר [do·not·speak] (637) + כִּי־יָ֝ב֗וּז [for·he·will·despise] (55) + לְשֵׂ֣כֶל [to·prudence·of] (380) + מִלֶּֽיךָ [your·words] (100) = 1362.
Ibn Ezra
"Speak not" — to reprove him, for he will despise the wisdom of your words — these being your pleasant words.
Ralbag
"Speak not in the ears of a fool" — words of wisdom, for he will despise and disparage the sense of your words and the wisdom contained in them.
Metzudat David
"Speak not" — any of the words of wisdom, for due to his lack of understanding he will despise your sayings that are spoken with intelligence.
Metzudat Zion
"Your words" ("melecha") — Your utterances, as in "there is not a word on my tongue" (Psalms 139:4).
Malbim
"Speak not in the ears of a kesil (fool); for he will despise the sekhel of your words" — it has already been explained that there is a difference between the kesil (the fool who knows better) and the eviyl (the fool who doubts the very statutes of wisdom): the eviyl doubts the statutes of wisdom outright, but the kesil sometimes knows the statutes of wisdom, yet turns away from them on account of his desire. Therefore, if it is possible to demonstrate the statutes of wisdom to the eviyl by proof, he would turn back from his folly; but not so the kesil, who flees from wisdom even though he knows its worth, because it stands in the way of his desire. Now, the statute of wisdom (chochmah) cannot be demonstrated by the proofs of reason (tevunah), but through the intellect (sekhel) one can grasp the statutes of wisdom, for sekhel is a keen faculty that extends even to the grasp of wisdom. And one who possesses sekhel (a maskil) can speak in the ears of the eviyl, for if he can make him understand, he will turn back from his folly — but not so with the kesil, as it says, "Go from the presence of a foolish man (kesil), for you will not perceive in him the lips of knowledge" (Proverbs 14:7), as I explained there. Therefore it says, "speak not in the ears of a kesil," for he will despise even the sekhel of your words, since he has no desire for wisdom and understanding.
Remove not the ancient landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless;
verse value 1943
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "boundary·of" (גְּב֣וּל, 4 letters) and the longest is "orphans" (יְ֝תוֹמִ֗ים, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·in·fields·of" (וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י), "orphans" (יְ֝תוֹמִ֗ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "do·not·enter" (root בוא, 35x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root שדה ("and·in·fields·of") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'antiquity', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַל־תַּ֭סֵּג [do·not·remove] (494) + גְּב֣וּל [boundary·of] (41) + עוֹלָ֑ם [antiquity] (146) + וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י [and·in·fields·of] (322) + יְ֝תוֹמִ֗ים [orphans] (506) + אַל־תָּבֹֽא [do·not·enter] (434) = 1943.
Rashi
and...the fields of the orphans The gleanings, the forgotten sheaves, and the corner that is due them.
Ibn Ezra
"Remove not" — a second time, coupled with "and enter not into the fields of the fatherless." And the explanation: do not enter his field to reap his produce, or do not enter it by force; for Hashem, who is their redeemer and will redeem the field from your hand, is strong, so that you will not be able to stand before Him.
Ralbag
"Remove not the ancient landmark" — of lands, relying on your own strength, for those from whom you would seize the land are weak, for they are orphans.
Metzudat David
"Remove not" — do not move backward the boundary-marker that was made long ago, in order to take something from your fellow's boundary. "And enter not" — to reap their produce for yourself, thinking that they have no power to stand up against you.
Malbim
"Remove not the ancient landmark" — He already said this above (22:28), "Remove not the ancient landmark," and we explained it there. Here, we learn from the context that he is speaking of the boundary of the poor, and so they explained in the Sifra, Parashat Kedoshim, that it speaks of one who steals the gleanings, the forgotten sheaf, and the corner of the field. And we explained there that the concept of "boundary" contradicts the concept of "the world/eternal," for a boundary is something that belongs to each individual, and is not a boundary special to the whole world; rather, there is [in fact] a boundary special to the whole world, namely, the boundary designated for the poor throughout the world, for gathering their [entitled] gifts. And he commanded that this boundary not be pushed back. Likewise, [he commanded] that one not enter the field of orphans. And lest you say, "Is not their strength too weak to come to judgment with you?" — therefore he stated this.
For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause with you.
verse value 1527
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "strong" (חָזָ֑ק, 3 letters) and the longest is "He·will·contend" (הֽוּא־יָרִ֖יב, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "for·their·Redeemer" (כִּֽי־גֹאֲלָ֥ם), "strong" (חָזָ֑ק), "He·will·contend" (הֽוּא־יָרִ֖יב). The root ריב appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'strong', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־גֹאֲלָ֥ם [for·their·Redeemer] (104) + חָזָ֑ק [strong] (115) + הֽוּא־יָרִ֖יב [He·will·contend] (234) + אֶת־רִיבָ֣ם [their·cause] (653) + אִתָּֽךְ [with·you] (421) = 1527.
Ralbag
"For their Redeemer is strong" — for they have a redeemer mightier than you, who will plead their cause with you, as it is said: "If he cries out to Me at all, I will surely hear, for I am gracious."
Metzudat David
"For their redeemer is strong" — even if they are feeble in strength, behold, Hashem, who redeems them, is strong, and He will plead their cause against you.
Malbim
"For their Redeemer is strong" — for their fields have a redeemer to be found, since the definition of "redeemer" is the relative to whom the law of redemption belongs. And this redeemer is strong, and he will also plead their case against you, and you will surely be punished.
Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to the words of knowledge.
verse value 1250
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 26 letters. Verse gematria: 1250 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "your·heart" (לִבֶּ֑ךָ, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·words·of·knowledge" (לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "bring" (הָבִ֣יאָה), "to·the·instruction" (לַמּוּסָ֣ר), "and·your·ear" (וְ֝אׇזְנֶ֗ךָ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "bring" (root בוא, 35x in Proverbs); "to·the·instruction" (root מוסר, 30x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: הָבִ֣יאָה [bring] (23) + לַמּוּסָ֣ר [to·the·instruction] (336) + לִבֶּ֑ךָ [your·heart] (52) + וְ֝אׇזְנֶ֗ךָ [and·your·ear] (84) + לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת [to·words·of·knowledge] (755) = 1250.
Ibn Ezra
"Apply," "do not," "you" — [verses 12-14] three connected [verses].
Ralbag
"Apply your heart to instruction" — Let your heart bring you to acquire discipline — that is, political philosophy — and after that, direct your ear to hear the words of knowledge of the wise and understanding.
Metzudat David
"Apply" — subdue your heart to hear the instruction, "and your ears, etc."
Malbim
"Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge" — Even if a person has received the laws of wisdom into his ears from his teachers, this still does not guarantee that he will follow them, because the images of desire contradict and wage war against the laws of wisdom. And the heart, which is the ruling faculty within the body, has an inner war: sometimes the images of wisdom rule over it, sometimes the images of desire rule over it — especially since the reasons for the laws of wisdom are not known. So the sage gave advice for this: that one should bring his ears to the words of knowledge, meaning that he should also accept words of knowledge — [knowledge] that knowers have acquired through first principles (self-evident truths) and through the senses, namely, that they have seen Hashem's providence in His world, and how He ordered the world with wisdom, and that He repays the evildoer according to his wickedness, and that the body ultimately dies, and so forth. And through this he will bring his heart to instruction, so that he will fear the dread of punishment and the fear of Hashem and His exaltedness — for this is what helps the heart to rule according to the laws of wisdom and to subdue desire, as he wrote in many places.
Withhold not correction from the child; For though you beat him with the rod, he will not die.
verse value 2563
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·withhold" (אַל־תִּמְנַ֣ע, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "though·you·strike·him" (כִּֽי־תַכֶּ֥נּוּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "correction" (root מוסר, 30x in Proverbs); "he·will·die" (root מות, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'correction', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַל־תִּמְנַ֣ע [do·not·withhold] (591) + מִנַּ֣עַר [from·a·boy] (360) + מוּסָ֑ר [correction] (306) + כִּֽי־תַכֶּ֥נּוּ [though·you·strike·him] (506) + בַ֝שֵּׁ֗בֶט [with·the·rod] (313) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + יָמֽוּת [he·will·die] (456) = 2563.
Ibn Ezra
"Lamusar" [to correction] — that you should bring it to the place of the discipline of wisdom, and that you should not withhold correction from a child.
Ralbag
"Withhold not correction from the child" — on account of the youthfulness of his days; for by striking him with the rod you will preserve him, so that he not die a bodily death before his time, and so that the part within him by which it is possible to attain eternal life not die.
Metzudat David
"Correction" — the striking of the rod of correction. "For though you beat him" — if you beat him with the rod, behold, he will not die from this; it is only mere pain.
Malbim
"Withhold not correction from the child" — Now, the child, even though he is unable to receive words of knowledge, and it is impossible for him to bring his heart to instruction through words of knowledge so that he would fear the punishment of Hashem and His exaltedness — nevertheless, do not withhold from him the correction appropriate for a child, which is correction by the rod. "For though you beat him with the rod, he will not die" — and there is no danger in striking him. Thus the matter is far from loss and close to benefit, for—
You beat him with the rod, And will deliver his soul from the nether-world.
verse value 2544
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "you" (אַ֭תָּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·his·soul" (וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "you·strike·him" (תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ), "and·his·soul" (וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·his·soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·strike·him', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַ֭תָּה [you] (406) + בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט [with·the·rod] (313) + תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ [you·strike·him] (476) + וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ [and·his·soul] (442) + מִשְּׁא֥וֹל [from·nether-world] (377) + תַּצִּֽיל [you·will·deliver] (530) = 2544.
Ibn Ezra
"You shall deliver" — so that the soul will not die with the death of the body; or, "you shall deliver" him so that he will not die before his time.
Ralbag
"You beat him with the rod" — and thereby deliver his soul from ruin, destruction, and loss.
Metzudat David
"You" — behold, you will pain him by striking with the rod, and thereby you will save him from the netherworld, for through this he will make his deeds proper; better for him the pain of the rod than the pain of the netherworld.
Metzudat Zion
"From the nether-world" ("mishe'ol") — From Gehinnom.
Malbim
"You beat him with the rod, and will deliver his soul from the netherworld" — for through this you will save his soul from the netherworld, whereas otherwise he would die the death of the soul.
My son, if your heart be wise, My heart will be glad, even mine;
verse value 727
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 23 letters. The shortest word is "my·son" (בְּ֭נִי, 3 letters) and the longest is "if·is·wise" (אִם־חָכַ֣ם, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "if·is·wise" (אִם־חָכַ֣ם). The root לב appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "if·is·wise" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "your·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "my·son" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּ֭נִי [my·son] (62) + אִם־חָכַ֣ם [if·is·wise] (109) + לִבֶּ֑ךָ [your·heart] (52) + יִשְׂמַ֖ח [will·rejoice] (358) + לִבִּ֣י [my·heart] (42) + גַם־אָֽנִי [also·I] (104) = 727.
Ralbag
"My son, if your heart be wise, My heart will be glad, even mine" — [namely, the heart] that guides you toward perfection.
Metzudat David
"If wise" — when your heart becomes wise because you hear these sayings of mine, then my heart too will rejoice like the rejoicing of your heart, since the wisdom came to you by my hand.
Malbim
"My son" — He relates the instruction that the father says to his son: "if your heart be wise" — it has already been explained that a person "wise of heart" is one in whom the laws of wisdom are fixed in his heart, which is his ruling faculty, and they rule over all his other faculties, so that the images of desire and the [evil] inclination no longer rise up to assert themselves, and the war in his spirit has quieted. If you have reached this level, that you are wise of heart, then "my heart will be glad, even mine" — for he has already said [elsewhere] that a wise son gladdens [his] father. But even so, this is still not gladness of heart, which is a complete inner joy, because he can still stumble from the laws of wisdom. But if his own heart is wise, so that his own heart rejoices in his labor because he no longer has any inner war — then his father's heart will rejoice as well.
Indeed, my reins will rejoice, When your lips speak right things.
verse value 2662
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "when·speaking·of" (בְּדַבֵּ֥ר, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·will·rejoice" (וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·will·rejoice" (וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה), "my·kidneys" (כִלְיוֹתָ֑י). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·lips" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs); "when·speaking·of" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·kidneys', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה [and·will·rejoice] (568) + כִלְיוֹתָ֑י [my·kidneys] (476) + בְּדַבֵּ֥ר [when·speaking·of] (208) + שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יךָ [your·lips] (810) + מֵישָׁרִֽים [equity] (600) = 2662.
Rashi
when your lips speak right things since your heart has grown wise.
Ibn Ezra
"Kilyotai" [my kidneys/reins] — from [the same root as] "it pines for Your salvation" (cf. Psalm 119:81), for the trait of longing is known through them; therefore they shall exult.
Ralbag
"Indeed, my reins will rejoice" — [meaning] my thoughts, when I hear that your lips speak upright things concerning wisdom.
Metzudat David
"When... speak" — at the time your lips speak upright things, to straighten others further still.
Metzudat Zion
"Will rejoice" ("vetalozenah") — An expression of joy, as in "let the pious exult" (Psalms 149). "My reins" ("kilyotai") — The sensation of joy resides in the kidneys.
Malbim
"Indeed, my reins will rejoice, when your lips speak right things" — However, if you reach an even greater level, that of "right things," meaning that you know the laws of uprightness, which pertain to understanding, to the point that you will need no war of the heart at all, because uprightness will be a [fixed inner] possession in your heart. This is in accordance with what we explained [as] the definition of the term "upright": one whose nature inclines toward uprightness and grasps with his understanding the laws of uprightness, to the point that he knows it with clear knowledge, so that he is able to speak it with his lips to others — for it has been explained by us that the lips signify knowledge, so that since he knows uprightness with clear knowledge, he will speak and teach it to others. Then "my reins will rejoice" — which is a greater level than gladness of heart: whether because "rejoicing" [aliza] is the dancing that comes from an abundance of joy, which is the manifestation of the joy in actual deed — just as the laws of uprightness have been revealed in your heart in actual deed, so as to teach others — or because the reins are closer to action than the heart, as it is written, "the heart thinks and the reins advise," and counsel comes after thought.
Let not your heart envy sinners, But be in the fear of Hashem all the day;
verse value 1135
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "but" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·the·fear·of·Hashem" (אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה, 11 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "let·not·envy" (אַל־יְקַנֵּ֣א), "in·the·sinners" (בַּחַטָּאִ֑ים), "in·the·fear·of·Hashem" (אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "but" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs); "all·the·day" (root יום, 32x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·sinners', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַל־יְקַנֵּ֣א [let·not·envy] (192) + לִ֭בְּךָ [your·heart] (52) + בַּחַטָּאִ֑ים [in·the·sinners] (70) + כִּ֥י [but] (30) + אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה [in·the·fear·of·Hashem] (680) + כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם [all·the·day] (111) = 1135.
Rashi
Let your heart not envy the sinners their success, to be wicked like them.
Ibn Ezra
"Ba-chata'im" [among sinners] — [referring to] known/specific sinners; therefore the bet is vocalized with a patach. "Ki im" [but rather] — [supplying the elided verb]: your heart should envy a man who fears Hashem.
Ralbag
"Let not your heart envy sinners" — Do not resolve to act as they act; rather, be always in the fear of Hashem. In your deeds and in your thoughts, occupy yourself only with that which has a lasting end and benefit — namely, praiseworthy deeds and theoretical attainments — and your hope in these good things will not be cut off, but will be strengthened and endure forever.
Metzudat David
"Sinners" — the prosperity of sinners. "But" — meaning: rather, be occupied all day with the fear of Hashem, and do not turn your attention to their prosperity, for what is yours is better than what is theirs.
Malbim
"Let not your heart envy sinners" — "envy" followed by the letter bet [i.e., "envy in/of"] refers to one who envies his fellow's advantage and desires to be like him. He says to his son that even though he may see sinners prospering in this world, his heart should not envy them; rather, he should envy the fear of Hashem if he sees [someone with] fear of Hashem, and should desire the deeds of men who fear Hashem, and this envy should nest in his heart all day. And he explains that the trait of envy is bad in one respect — if one envies sinners — and good in another respect — if one envies the fear of Hashem. And the one who is wise of heart will exercise the trait of envy only in its good aspect.
For surely there is a future; And your hope shall not be cut off.
verse value 2983
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 23 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֭י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·your·hope" (וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "surely·there·is" (אִם־יֵ֣שׁ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'future', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּ֭י [for] (30) + אִם־יֵ֣שׁ [surely·there·is] (351) + אַחֲרִ֑ית [future] (619) + וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ [and·your·hope] (932) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תִכָּרֵֽת [will·be·cut·off] (1020) = 2983.
Rashi
for because of this, there is a future Heb. כי אם. This [word] אם is used as an expression of “that”; i.e., for because of this there is a future and hope for you.
Ibn Ezra
"Im" [if/surely] — to affirm the matter. "Acharit" [a future] — that you will live; and "acharit" alludes to old age, or to his children who remain after him. "And your hope" — that you should hope in God to do good for you.
Metzudat David
"For surely, etc." — meaning: for what is yours is a thing that has a future, for your merit will stand by you in the end of days, and the hope of reward will not be cut off, but will surely come.
Metzudat Zion
"For surely there is" ("ki im yesh") — [Equivalent to] "ki asher yesh" (for that which is).
Malbim
"For surely there is a future" — He explains the reason why one should not envy the success of sinners: because they have no future, as it is written, "the future of the wicked is cut off." For "future" [acharit] is the final purpose and eternal happiness, and this comes only through the fear of Hashem, by which one inherits eternal life — not so the sinners. "And your hope shall not be cut off" — meaning, also, that your hope, which you hope for regarding matters of this world, will not be cut off. (For this is the difference between "tikvah" [hope] and "tochelet" [expectation]: "tikvah" applies to something not clear or assured, since the successes of this world carry no guarantee of this.)
Hear you, my son, and be wise, And guide your heart in the way.
verse value 1737
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "my·son" (בְנִ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "hear·you" (שְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "hear·you" (שְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה), "and·guide" (וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·be·wise" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "in·the·way" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "your·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·be·wise', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: שְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה [hear·you] (816) + בְנִ֣י [my·son] (62) + וַחֲכָ֑ם [and·be·wise] (74) + וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר [and·guide] (507) + בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ [in·the·way] (226) + לִבֶּֽךָ [your·heart] (52) = 1737.
Rashi
Hear you, my son, and grow wise, and walk in the way of your heart Since you will grow wise, you will be able to walk in the ways of your heart, for the heart of a wise man will not entice you to sin.
Ibn Ezra
"And guide [your heart] in the way" — discipline your heart.
Ralbag
"Hear you, my son, and be wise, And guide your heart in the way" — [that is,] in the praiseworthy way, in beliefs and in character traits.
Metzudat David
"And be wise" — learn wisdom. "And guide" — then you will be able to walk in the way of your own heart, for a wise heart will not lead you astray into transgression.
Metzudat Zion
"And guide" ("ve'asher") — An expression of steps and strides, as in "and walk in the way of understanding" (Proverbs 9, above).
Malbim
"Hear you, my son" — In contrast to what he said [above], "if your heart be wise, my heart will be glad," he now says: but you, my son, whose heart is not yet wise, and whose heart is still far from wisdom — and even once wisdom comes into your heart, you will still find war with desire and the [evil] inclination, which is the opposite of being wise of heart — you need to hear and accept the words of wisdom; "and be wise" [enough] to acquire wisdom; and you need to guide ("asher") your heart in the way. Since there are two ways before you, the way of wisdom and the way of folly, direct your ruling faculty onto the way of happiness ("osher"). This is the difference between one who "directs toward happiness" ("me'asher") and one who merely "guides" ("madrich"): the "me'asher" is the one who walks in the way of eternal happiness.
Be not among winebibbers; Among gluttonous eaters of flesh;
verse value 1248
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. Verse gematria: 1248 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "flesh" (בָשָׂ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "among·drinkers·of·wine" (בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "among·drinkers·of·wine" (בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן), "among·gluttons·of" (בְּזֹלְלֵ֖י), "flesh" (בָשָׂ֣ר). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "do·not·be" (root היה, 27x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root זלל ("among·gluttons·of") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'among·drinkers·of·wine', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַל־תְּהִ֥י [do·not·be] (446) + בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן [among·drinkers·of·wine] (145) + בְּזֹלְלֵ֖י [among·gluttons·of] (79) + בָשָׂ֣ר [flesh] (502) + לָֽמוֹ [to·them] (76) = 1248.
Ralbag
"Be not" — [be not] in the company of gluttons and drunkards, for whoever conducts himself in this manner will lose his wealth and remain poor. He also warned against the trait of laziness, which by its nature induces slumber and sleep, for it clothes a person in tattered garments and worn-out rags, on account of the poverty and destitution that come about because of it.
Metzudat David
"Among winebibbers" — in the company of those who guzzle wine, drinking to excess. "For themselves" — meaning: for their own pleasure, not to delight in Sabbaths and festivals; and this also refers back to the wine.
Metzudat Zion
"Winebibbers" ("besove'ei") — An expression of excessive drinking. "Gluttonous" ("bezolelei") — An expression of excessive eating, as in "a stubborn and rebellious son... a glutton and a drunkard" (Deuteronomy 21).
Malbim
"Be not" [among winebibbers] — even if you have not yet reached the level of wisdom, nevertheless beware of desire, of gluttonous eating of meat and swilling of wine. (As for the word "lamo" ["for themselves"] — one may also interpret it figuratively, that they devour their own flesh, as it is written, "and you will groan at your end, when your flesh and body are consumed.")
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; And drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
verse value 1957
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "will·come·to·poverty" (יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·rags" (וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "for·a·drunkard" (כִּֽי־סֹבֵ֣א), "and·a·glutton" (וְ֭זוֹלֵל), "will·come·to·poverty" (יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ). 6 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·come·to·poverty', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־סֹבֵ֣א [for·a·drunkard] (93) + וְ֭זוֹלֵל [and·a·glutton] (79) + יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ [will·come·to·poverty] (516) + וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים [and·rags] (426) + תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ [will·clothe] (742) + נוּמָֽה [drowsiness] (101) = 1957.
Rashi
for the guzzler and the glutton will become impoverished Heb. יורש, will become impoverished. and slumber will clothe [you] with tatters Laziness and slumber will clothe you with tattered clothing.
Ibn Ezra
"Shall clothe" — the explanation: drowsiness will clothe a man in torn garments for sleeping.
Metzudat David
"Shall come to poverty" — he will become destitute and poor. "And rags" — this drowsiness clothes its owner in torn garments, for whoever persists in drowsiness likewise becomes impoverished and cannot find the means to wear whole garments.
Metzudat Zion
"Drowsiness" ("numah") — An expression of slumber and sleep.
Malbim
"For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty" — This works, at any rate, from the perspective of the beneficial and the harmful: for the drunkard and the glutton lose their possessions, and the one who dozes off and does no work — the slumber will clothe him in torn garments. And also in the figurative sense, [it means] that he will lose the wealth of wisdom, and will be left naked of the garments of praiseworthy character traits and the garments of the intellect.
Hearken to your father who begot you, And despise not your mother when she is old.
verse value 1254
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "who" (זֶ֣ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·do·not·despise" (וְאַל־תָּ֝ב֗וּז, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·your·father" (לְ֭אָבִיךָ), "begot·you" (יְלָדֶ֑ךָ), "and·do·not·despise" (וְאַל־תָּ֝ב֗וּז). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "hear" (root שמע, 30x in Proverbs); "to·your·father" (root אב, 21x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'begot·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: שְׁמַ֣ע [hear] (410) + לְ֭אָבִיךָ [to·your·father] (63) + זֶ֣ה [who] (12) + יְלָדֶ֑ךָ [begot·you] (64) + וְאַל־תָּ֝ב֗וּז [and·do·not·despise] (452) + כִּֽי־זָקְנָ֥ה [when·she·is·old] (192) + אִמֶּֽךָ [your·mother] (61) = 1254.
Ibn Ezra
"When she is old" — even though your mother has grown old, do not despise her.
Ralbag
"Listen to your father — this is he who begot you" — he directs you to acquire wisdom. And even though your mother has grown old — she being the sentient soul, from which the sense-perceptions are derived, from which the acquisition of the intelligibles comes — do not on this account despise wisdom and think that it perishes with the perishing of that which brings it about and conveys it, as many of the philosophers thought — namely, that the acquired intellect perishes for this reason. We have already established the falsity of this view in the first [treatise] of the Book of the Wars of Hashem, and there it was demonstrated, beyond any doubt, that the acquired intellect is eternal and does not perish.
Metzudat David
"This one who begot you" — meaning: is this not the one who begot you, and he surely desires your betterment? "When she is old" — even if your mother has grown old, do not despise her words by saying, "There is no sense in old age," even though it is the way of women to multiply words without sense.
Malbim
"Hearken to your father who begot you" — He commands him to listen to and accept the laws of wisdom from his father, and not to doubt, in accepting them, that he is bequeathing him something false — since "he begot you," and no father bequeaths falsehood to his children. And likewise, in accepting the ways of the customs from your mother, do not scorn them on the grounds that your mother has grown old, thinking that these customs were good for the first generation but not for the new generation, and that they are good for the elderly but not for the young, in whom the boiling of desire burns.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
verse value 1751
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "truth" (אֱמֶ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·do·not·sell" (וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 73: wisdom, and·understanding. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·do·not·sell" (וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר), "and·understanding" (וּבִינָֽה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wisdom" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "and·instruction" (root מוסר, 30x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root מכר ("and·do·not·sell") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·do·not·sell', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֱמֶ֣ת [truth] (441) + קְ֭נֵה [buy] (155) + וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר [and·do·not·sell] (697) + חׇכְמָ֖ה [wisdom] (73) + וּמוּסָ֣ר [and·instruction] (312) + וּבִינָֽה [and·understanding] (73) = 1751.
Rashi
Buy truth If you do not find to learn for nothing, learn for pay [pay to learn], but do not say, “Just as I learned for pay, so will I teach it for pay.”
Ibn Ezra
"Truth" — the word "books of" is elided: "books of truth — buy, and do not sell."
Ralbag
"Truth" — the attainment of truth is called an "acquisition," and even though this is so, in this respect it does not perish, unlike what the philosopher thought about everything that comes-to-be — that it perishes. Indeed, you cannot give away or divest yourself of a possession that you have acquired in any wisdom — whether in political philosophy or in divine wisdom, which is called "understanding" (binah) — for the acquired intellect is eternal, as we have mentioned. And we have already explained that it is impossible for a person to forget intellectual apprehension, in the first treatise of the Wars of Hashem, and in our commentaries to the Book of the Soul.
Metzudat David
"Buy the truth" — learn Torah for payment if you cannot find a teacher to learn from for free; but even so, do not sell it by teaching it to others for payment — rather, teach it for free. "Wisdom, etc." — these [wisdom, instruction, and understanding] you shall not teach for payment, for they are the Oral Torah, and it is forbidden to take payment for them; but for teaching Scripture one may accept payment — so our Rabbis, of blessed memory, taught.
Malbim
"Buy the truth" — Even though you must give a great price for the truth — namely, your desires, the pleasures of youth, and the longing of your soul — give all of this as the price of truth. "And sell it not" means that you should not acquire it the way a merchant does, who buys in order to resell at a different price — that is, that you should study [Torah] in order to attain wealth or honor, which is [like] buying and selling, receiving a different price in exchange for his acquisition. That is why it says "buy truth" — for the definition of truth is that one does it for its own sake. And it goes on to explain: what should one buy? And what is "the truth"? Wisdom, instruction, and understanding. We have already explained that wisdom includes the laws of character traits and customs that one must follow according to the Torah, and all its matters are received [by tradition] and not derived from human understanding, and they are the opposite of man's nature, since desire contends against the laws of wisdom. And it is impossible for the soul to accept the laws of wisdom except through instruction, whose root is the fear of Hashem — that he fear Hashem, who watches over him and punishes him, who commanded concerning the laws of wisdom — and he disciplines his soul with the bonds of fear so that he does not transgress His word. And then he will also acquire understanding, for understanding means [discerning] between truth and falsehood in matters that depend on the speculative intellect. However, if he accepts the laws of wisdom together with instruction until it becomes truly established in his heart — through believing in Hashem, that He engraved its laws and knows their reasons — then he will be able to understand one thing from another, and derive conclusions from it. And this comes about through his acquiring "truth" — meaning that he believes the laws of wisdom are true.
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; and he who begets a wise child will have joy of him.
verse value 1256
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 40 letters. Notable word values: "the·father·of" (אֲבִ֣י) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "greatly" (גִּ֣יל, 3 letters) and the longest is "will·rejoice·in·him" (יִשְׂמַח־בּֽוֹ, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "greatly" (גִּ֣יל), "will·rejoice" (יָ֭גִיל), "and·he·who·begets" (וְיוֹלֵ֥ד). The root גיל appears 3 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wise" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "the·father·of" (root אב, 21x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'just', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words.
Ibn Ezra
"He who begets a wise child" — whoever begets a wise son shall therefore rejoice in him.
Ralbag
"Will greatly rejoice" — now see what this acquisition is, which does not depart from its possessor, and moreover, further benefit continues to flow from it: the father of a person who is righteous in his opinions and character traits will rejoice, and whoever begets a wise son will be glad in him for the uprightness of his deeds and affairs — along with the fact that, because of this, the providence of Hashem attaches to him; and his father and mother rejoice in this, and she who bore him will exult, for that very same reason that would bring sorrow and pain to the father and mother if the son were a fool.
Metzudat David
"And he who begets" a wise child — meaning: the teacher, who begets wisdom in the heart of the pupil.
Metzudat Zion
"Joy" ("gil") — An expression of gladness.
Malbim
"The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will have joy of him" — There is a difference between "the righteous man" and "the wise man": the wise man has accepted the laws of wisdom and walks by them, whereas the righteous man is not necessarily wise, but has only accustomed himself to act righteously, even though he has not accepted the laws of wisdom by way of study. And there is a difference between "exultation" (gilah) and "gladness" (simchah): gladness is continual, while exultation pertains to something newly arising, like finding a lost object, good news, and the like. And there is a difference between "father" and "begetter": "father" includes also the one who raises and teaches him, but "begetter" refers specifically to his father who fathered him. Now, doing what is righteous does not depend on birth but depends on man's own choice, as it is said that the angel brings the drop [of seed] before the Holy One, blessed be He, and says, "What will become of it — wise or foolish?" and so on, but it does not say "righteous or wicked." Therefore the begetter does not exult over a righteous son, since this does not depend on birth; rather, "the father of the righteous will exult" — namely, [the father] who trained him, taught him, and educated him toward righteous deeds. And likewise he will not have continual gladness, since it is possible that [the son] will collapse from his righteousness, seeing that he did not accept the laws of wisdom through study; rather, he will exult anew each time, whenever he sees that [his son] still holds fast to his righteousness. But "he who begets a wise child will have joy of him" — the making of a wise person depends on birth, for he was prepared by his nature toward wisdom, and therefore the begetter has gladness. And it also says "will have joy" (yismach), not "will exult" (yagil), for he rejoices over the son's disposition and the goodness of his intellect, which is a continual joy, not something renewed each time.
Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice.
verse value 1367
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "and·your·mother" (וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ, 4 letters) and the longest is "let·your·father·rejoice" (יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "let·your·father·rejoice" (יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ), "and·your·mother" (וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ), "and·let·rejoice" (וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "let·your·father·rejoice" (root שמח, 21x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·your·mother', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ [let·your·father·rejoice] (391) + וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ [and·your·mother] (67) + וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל [and·let·rejoice] (439) + יוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ [she·who·bore·you] (470) = 1367.
Ibn Ezra
"Let your father and your mother be glad" — and "she who bore you" is a repetition of the same matter.
Metzudat David
"Let...be glad, etc." — this refers back to what was said above, "buy the truth," meaning: will he not surely rejoice? Therefore buy the truth, and your father will be glad, etc. "Her who bore you" — i.e., your teacher, who begets wisdom in your heart.
Malbim
"Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice" — But he counsels him to conduct himself in such a way that even those who raised him will be glad, and those who bore him will exult. And this comes about if he rules over his spirit by the power of wisdom and instruction until he becomes wise of heart — that is, that wisdom will rule in his heart and become for him a second nature, such that neither the images of desires that turn him away from wisdom, nor the doubts and folly that question and cast doubt on the laws of wisdom, rule over him. And this happens through his listening to instruction and persisting in conducting himself according to wisdom — for then the father and mother who raised him, who accustomed him to this through their upbringing, will be glad. And also she who bore him will exult with a new exultation, beyond the first gladness over the preparation of his disposition — they will exult over the constancy of his choice and the ruling power within him, for that is the definition of exultation (gilah).
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.
verse value 2499
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֑י, 2 letters) and the longest is "give·my·son" (תְּנָה־בְנִ֣י, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "give·my·son" (תְּנָה־בְנִ֣י), "and·your·eyes" (וְ֝עֵינֶ֗יךָ), "let·them·observe" (תִּצֹּֽרְנָה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·ways" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "your·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "and·your·eyes" (root עין, 43x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words.
Ibn Ezra
"Give," "for," "even" — and through these he cautions to guard against harlots. "Give, my son" — this is the intention of the heart, to accept through speech. "Titzornah" ["let them observe"] — it is written "tirtzenah" ["they shall run"]; and the explanation: your eyes shall run eagerly in the ways of the commandments.
Ralbag
"My son, give me your heart" — [meaning] that your intent and will should be directed only toward the acquisition of perfection, and your eyes should observe my ways, to which I have alerted you in this book: to keep away from bodily desires and to aim at the perfection of the intellect. And since the desires to which a person is drawn most strongly are illicit relations and the drinking of wine, he warned more emphatically about these, to keep away from them, and he said, [further,] to keep away from the harlot, "for a harlot is a deep ditch," etc.
Metzudat David
"Give" — prepare your heart to understand my words, and then your eyes will observe my ways, for you will understand that it is the straight path.
Malbim
"My son, give me your heart" — He explains how this will come about: it is through your giving me your heart, for "the heart" signifies that the laws of wisdom should rule in his heart, and that the doubts of heresy and denial should not rule over him, in such a way that the laws of wisdom will be engraved and written upon his heart continually, and no other matter will be found in it. "And let your eyes observe my ways" — the eyes signify the desires and evil imaginings whose foundation is in the senses, as it is said, "and that you go not about after your own heart" — this is heresy — "and after your own eyes" — this is harlotry — meaning that the eyes should observe the ways of Hashem, and not be swayed by the desires of this world and the covetousness of the [evil] inclination.
For a harlot is a deep ditch; and an alien woman is a narrow pit.
verse value 1421
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "narrow" (צָ֝רָ֗ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·pit" (כִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "for·pit" (כִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה), "and·well" (וּבְאֵ֥ר). 6 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'harlot', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה [for·pit] (349) + עֲמֻקָּ֣ה [deep] (215) + זוֹנָ֑ה [harlot] (68) + וּבְאֵ֥ר [and·well] (209) + צָ֝רָ֗ה [narrow] (295) + נׇכְרִיָּֽה [foreign] (285) = 1421.
Rashi
a narrow well (etroitte in French, in German, eng, schmal.)
Ibn Ezra
"Pit" — the kaf ["like"] is elided. "Narrow" — the opposite of "wide"; and the meaning is that a man will not be able to turn from side to side within it.
Metzudat David
"For a...deep ditch" — meaning: through my words you will understand that a harlot is like a deep pit from which it is very hard to climb out, for it is likewise hard to separate from a harlot once one has stumbled into her; and this is stated as a parable for religious deviance [heresy]. "An alien woman" — a harlot who is a foreigner, not of the daughters of Israel, is like a narrow, cramped well in which it is impossible to turn from side to side to find a clever way to climb out of it.
Malbim
"For a harlot is a deep ditch" — Corresponding to what was said, "and let your eyes observe my ways," he says that the harlot, who is the desiring inclination, is like a deep pit, from which one who is caught there finds it hard to escape. And corresponding to what was said, "give me your heart, my son," he says that "the alien woman," who is heresy, is like a narrow well, [such that] one who falls into it drowns immediately in the raging waters and dies. So too, one who is drowned in heresy dies the death of the soul, and will not return to see the light of life.
She also lies in wait as a robber, and increases the faithless among men.
verse value 1872
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. Verse gematria: 1872 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "like·a·robber" (כְּחֶ֣תֶף, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·traitors" (וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "also·she" (אַף־הִ֭יא), "like·a·robber" (כְּחֶ֣תֶף), "among·men" (בְּאָדָ֥ם). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "among·men" (root אדם, 44x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'lies·in·wait', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַף־הִ֭יא [also·she] (97) + כְּחֶ֣תֶף [like·a·robber] (508) + תֶּאֱרֹ֑ב [lies·in·wait] (603) + וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים [and·traitors] (71) + בְּאָדָ֥ם [among·men] (47) + תּוֹסִֽף [increases] (546) = 1872.
Rashi
suddenly Heb. כחתף, suddenly. and she will increase the faithless among men She increases in Israel those who are faithless to God. He is referring to apostasy.
Ibn Ezra
"Ke-chatef" [like a robber] — for she is able to snatch, or she lies in wait. "She increases" — [she adds] to the faithless, others like them.
Ralbag
"She also" [lies in wait] — she lies in wait for a man to kill him like a robber, and she does this by deceit, calling to him to engage in illicit relations with her so that he will not be on guard against her, and [so] she kills him; and in her company she increases the faithless — men who join with her to kill the people whom she causes to fall into the net of seduction to come to her. And this is well known about her ways today, that she joins with murderers and, by her enticement, brings men to come to a place where they will fall into the hands of murderers. To whom is harm and loss? And to whom is strife and quarreling and lamentation and wailing? And to whom is pain and wounds for which there is no cause, but which come for nothing? And to whom is redness found in the eyes, and their ruin?
Metzudat David
"She also" — although she is not of the daughters of Israel and is not so accustomed to being with Jews, nevertheless, whenever she is able to snatch one of them, she lies in wait for him; and through her enticement she goes on adding faithless men among mankind. And this refers back to what was said above, meaning: once you understand all this through my words, I know that your eyes will observe my ways and you will not stumble into this.
Metzudat Zion
"As a robber" ("kechatef") — Like "kachataf," with a tet, meaning the swiftness of seizing, as in "and seize for yourselves" (Judges 21).
Malbim
"She also lies in wait as a robber" — meaning, the harlot lies in wait to snatch suddenly whoever the spirit of desire rises up in his heart, and she traps him in her net; for had he set his mind on guard, he would have been wary of her, but she snatches him suddenly. And "the alien woman," who is heresy, "increases the faithless among men" — for she proposes arguments of heresy and denial in order to trap many into being faithless toward Hashem.
Who cries: ‘Woe’? who: ‘Alas’? Who has contentions? who has raving? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
verse value 2200
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 59 letters. Verse gematria: 2200 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "to·whom" (לְמִ֨י, 3 letters) and the longest is "contentions" (מִדְיָנִ֨ים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 80: to·whom, to·whom, to·whom, to·whom, to·whom, to·whom. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "woe" (א֥וֹי), "alas" (אֲב֡וֹי), "raving" (שִׂ֗יחַ). The root מי appears 6 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "eyes" (root עין, 43x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'without·cause', dividing the verse into phrases of 12 and 3 words.
Rashi
Who cries, “Woe!” Who, “Alas!” An expression of crying and yelling. He who has quarrels. He who talks too much To him who has quarrels with the people and talks too much, woe and alas, for transgression does not stop with much speech. Who has bloodshot eyes? From drinking much wine, the eyes become red, and that is embarrassing.
Ibn Ezra
"Who has woe" — as though he is warning [one] to beware of wine, or [meaning] that he cries out "woe" over the mishaps that befall him. "Avoy" [alas] — a noun derived from "evyon" [a needy person]. "Who has raving" — [refers to] afflictions. "Who has wounds without cause" — that they come upon him without cause. "Chakhlilut" [redness] — the redness of the eyes, from excessive wine-drinking.
Metzudat David
"Who has 'Woe'" — to whom is the cry of "woe" and "alas" reserved — these being cries of wailing? "Contentions" — dispute and strife with other people. "Raving" — meaning: a multitude of words without sense and without order. "Wounds without cause" — it is the way of a drunkard to quarrel and wound his fellow, and when his fellow then wounds him back, it appears as though he was wounded for no reason, for the one who wounded first did not do so knowingly, since he was confused by his wine. "Redness of eyes" — the redness of the eyes from excessive drinking of wine, and this is a disgraceful thing.
Metzudat Zion
"Raving" ("siach") — An expression of speech, as in "let my meditation be sweet to Him" (Psalms 104). "Wounds" ("petza'im") — Blows that draw blood, as in "wound for wound" (Exodus 21). "Redness" ("chakhlilut") — Ruddiness, as in "his eyes shall be red with wine" (Genesis 49).
Malbim
"Who cries: Woe? who: Alas?" — If you ask, "Who has 'Woe'?" I will answer you: whoever has 'Alas,' which is the craving and longing of one who desires — whoever has 'Alas' and craving, to him belongs 'Woe.' And if you ask, "Who has contentions?" — which are disputes and claims — I will answer you: whoever has 'raving' (siach); the definition of raving is speech devoid of reason, following only the venting of one's imaginings — one who multiplies raving multiplies contentions and strife. And if you ask, "Who has wounds without cause?" I will answer you: whoever has redness of eyes. And if you ask, "Who is the man who has redness of eyes?" I will answer you:
Those who tarry long at the wine; Those who go to try mixed wine.
verse value 1085
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "to·try" (לַחְקֹ֥ר, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·those·who·tarry" (לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·those·who·tarry" (לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים), "over·the·wine" (עַל־הַיָּ֑יִן), "to·those·who·go" (לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·those·who·go" (root בוא, 35x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'over·the·wine', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים [to·those·who·tarry] (329) + עַל־הַיָּ֑יִן [over·the·wine] (175) + לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים [to·those·who·go] (83) + לַחְקֹ֥ר [to·try] (338) + מִמְסָֽךְ [mixed·wine] (160) = 1085.
Rashi
for mixed wine [as translated,] for mixed wine; this word is a noun, like ממכר, merchandise. to search for mixed wine Who search and hunt where good wine is sold.
Ibn Ezra
"La-me'acharim" [those who tarry] — this is elliptical; it is as though it read: "those who tarry, sitting over the wine." "Mimsakh" [mixed wine] — a descriptive noun (shem to'ar), on the pattern of "mimshach" [anointed] (Ezekiel 28:14); and its meaning is wine that has been mixed, from [the phrase] "mascha yeinah" [she has mixed her wine] (Proverbs 9:2).
Ralbag
"To those who tarry" [long at the wine] — is this not [said] of men who are diligent about drinking wine and who come to investigate which wine is more highly regarded to drink, being continually drawn after this desire? And this will be a cause [of harm], for on account of the wine they become drunk, and great evils befall them, some of the drunkards upon others.
Metzudat David
"Those who tarry" — all these things are reserved for those who tarry long sitting over wine, and for those who come to investigate which wine has a good blend.
Metzudat Zion
"Those who tarry" ("lame'acharim") — An expression of "achor" (delay) and tarrying. "Mixed wine" ("mimsach") — An expression of blending, namely the mixture of water into wine, as in "she has mixed her wine" (Proverbs 9, above).
Malbim
"Those who tarry long at the wine" — and after they have tarried all night drinking wine, they then come anew "to search out mixed wine" — that is, to seek out the mixer who knows how to blend the wine well — and they return to drink anew.
Look not you upon the wine when it is red, when it gives its color in the cup, When it glides down smoothly;
verse value 3060
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 44 letters. Verse gematria: 3060 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "when" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·evenness" (בְּמֵֽישָׁרִֽים, 7 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "do·not·look" (אַל־תֵּ֥רֶא), "wine" (יַּיִן֮), "is·red" (יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "when" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs); "is·red" (root אדם, 44x in Proverbs); "its·eye" (root עין, 43x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'its·eye', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words.
Rashi
Do not look at wine when it is red Do not put your eye on it. when he puts his eye on the cup, it goes smoothly Whoever is habitually drunk—all transgressions appear to him to be straight; all ways appear straight. on the cup Heb. בכוס. The masoretic text reads: בכיס, on the pocket; i.e., the drinker puts his eye on the cup, and the storekeeper puts his eye on this one’s pocket.
Ibn Ezra
"Look not" — do not desire to look, even though he puts the wine in a beautiful cup. "Its eye" — that is, its appearance. "It walks" — in the cup. "Smoothly" — he will think that it is smooth, and that it will not harm him.
Ralbag
"Look not you upon the wine when it is red" — for [when] its appearance is in the cup it moves smoothly, in the manner of good wine, whose fine part appears first at the top in the cup; but wine whose dregs have turned over and mixed in, you will find, does not move smoothly, for that which is uppermost in the cup will be found inclining toward blackness. And so he warned him not to be enticed by the wine's fine appearance and the smoothness of its manner.
Metzudat David
"Look not upon the wine" — do not set your eye on wine that reddens in its appearance and is pleasant and praised. "When it gives" — for whoever sets the gaze of his eye and his desire upon the cup of wine — he goes about as if on a straight path, meaning: no path seems crooked to him; he thinks all of them are straight, for from then on he no longer discerns.
Metzudat Zion
"Is red" ("yitadam") — From the term "odem" (redness).
Malbim
"Look not you upon the wine when it is red, when it gives its color in the cup, when it glides down smoothly" — Do not desire the wine because you see that its color is red, for this indicates that it is good wine and beneficial to the blood, which is the vital soul (nefesh ha-chiyuni). For first "it gives its eye," its color, in the cup into which it was poured, and then "it glides down smoothly," as though there were nothing bad in it. And the figure is that the one who drinks it — that is, the cup into which the wine is poured — becomes red like the color of the wine, and at first the drinking is smooth and pleasant, but —
At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a basilisk.
verse value 2249
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. Verse gematria: 2249 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "bites" (יִשָּׁ֑ךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·like·a·viper" (וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "its·end" (אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ), "like·a·serpent" (כְּנָחָ֣שׁ), "bites" (יִשָּׁ֑ךְ). 5 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'bites', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ [its·end] (625) + כְּנָחָ֣שׁ [like·a·serpent] (378) + יִשָּׁ֑ךְ [bites] (330) + וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י [and·like·a·viper] (326) + יַפְרִֽשׁ [spreads] (590) = 2249.
Rashi
and sting Heb. יפרש, an expression of stinging (pointe in French, in German stechend). (Jud. 3: 31): “With an ox-goad” is translated into Aramaic as בפרש תורי, and in the Gemara (Baba Mezia 80a): “The one who holds the colter (פרשא),” aiguillon in Old French, in German stachel, Gewohneisen, and so in Jud. 3:31, II Sam. 8:1, and Jer. 31:18. Others interpret the word to mean that it separates him from life.
Ibn Ezra
"Its end" — after it has been drunk, and after your drinking of it, it bites you like a serpent and "spreads" (yafrish) itself into you, in the same sense as "yishokh" [it bites]; and from this same notion, a horseman is called "parash," because of the spreading (perishin) of the legs that are on him [when mounted].
Ralbag
"At the last" — for at its end it is evil for the one who is drawn after this pleasure, for it will bite the person like the bite of a serpent and sting like a viper (tzifoni). And this is evident from the wondrous evils that follow from drunkenness, on account of the deficiency of judgment that results from it.
Metzudat David
"At the last" — meaning: even if at the time of drinking it is sweet to the palate, is its end not bitter? It is like a serpent that bites a man's heel and he does not feel it, but afterward the harm grows very great, for it swells and puffs up all the way to the top of the head. "And stings" [יפריש, lit. "separates"] — it separates a man's life from him through its venom; and the matter is stated twice in what is said [i.e., repeated for emphasis].
Metzudat Zion
"And like a basilisk" ("vekhitzefoni") — This is a type of snake.
Malbim
"At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a basilisk (tzif'oni)" — the tzefa is a type of serpent whose excrement and waste are also venomous and harmful. And he states that first it injects venom into him like a serpent, and afterward "yafrish" — that is, he connects the word to peresh (excrement), meaning that it produces its excretion like the excretion of a tzif'oni, so that its excrement turns into burning venom.
Your eyes shall behold strange things, and your heart shall utter confused things.
verse value 2175
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "will·see" (יִרְא֣וּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "perversity" (תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת, 6 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·your·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "will·speak" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs); "your·eyes" (root עין, 43x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'strange', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עֵ֭ינֶיךָ [your·eyes] (160) + יִרְא֣וּ [will·see] (217) + זָר֑וֹת [strange] (613) + וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ [and·your·heart] (58) + יְדַבֵּ֥ר [will·speak] (216) + תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת [perversity] (911) = 2175.
Rashi
Your eyes will see strange women When you will become drunk, they will burn in you and entice you to ogle harlots.
Ibn Ezra
"Strange things" — this is elliptical, meaning: [your eyes] shall see strange women. And the sense is: they will desire to look at them.
Ralbag
"Your eyes shall behold strange things" — and to call attention to this he said: drunkenness will show your eyes strange things, that is, things that are not so, on account of the abundance of vapors rising to the brain; and your heart will speak perverse things and false words, or words of madness, for that same reason.
Metzudat David
"Shall behold strange things" — things that are not real, for out of excessive drunkenness he imagines that he sees something, when there is nothing at all. "Confused things" — the reversal of sense and truth.
Metzudat Zion
"Strange things" ("zarot") — An expression of "zar" (strange) and "nekhar" (foreign).
Malbim
"Your eyes shall behold strange things" — corresponding to what he said, "Give me your heart, my son, and let your eyes observe my ways," he says that through the wine the opposite will happen: whether with his eyes, which will roam after licentiousness and see strange women to fornicate with them; or with his heart, which will pursue heresy "and speak confused things" — words of heresy, which are the opposite of the words of wisdom.
Indeed, you shall be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies upon the top of a mast.
verse value 1748
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "a·mast" (חִבֵּֽל, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·you·shall·be" (וְ֭הָיִיתָ, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·you·shall·be" (וְ֭הָיִיתָ), "like·he·who·lies·down" (כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב), "and·like·he·who·lies·down" (וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב). The root שכב appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·heart·of·the·sea" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "and·you·shall·be" (root היה, 27x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·heart·of·the·sea', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְ֭הָיִיתָ [and·you·shall·be] (431) + כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב [like·he·who·lies·down] (342) + בְּלֶב־יָ֑ם [in·the·heart·of·the·sea] (84) + וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב [and·like·he·who·lies·down] (348) + בְּרֹ֣אשׁ [in·the·head·of] (503) + חִבֵּֽל [a·mast] (40) = 1748.
Rashi
And you shall be mad like one lying in the midst of the sea. and like one lying at the top of a mast The mast of a ship sways to fall from it.
Ibn Ezra
"Like one who lies in the heart of the sea" — for he will think that he is stationary, when he is [really] moving. "Chevel" [rope/mast] — a noun, referring to the rope that is tied to the ship's iron [anchor]; and the sense is that you will not feel the moment of your stopping or your moving, so that you will say, once the wine has bitten you: "They struck me with blows, and I did not know when I became ill from the blows."
Ralbag
"And you shall be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea" — [that is,] in a ship, where the strength of the ship's motion confuses his mind and makes him see things that are not so; and like one who lies at the top of the mast, who becomes even more confused, because he sees the sea and perceives the swiftness of the motion.
Metzudat David
"In the midst of the sea" — the men of a ship traveling in the midst of the sea, when the wind is strong, customarily lie down because of the strength of the ship's motion. "Upon the top of a mast" — this is the mast of the ship, upon which all the ropes are suspended; and one who lies there has his mind confused by the sight of the sea and the speed of the motion.
Malbim
"And you shall be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea" — At first he will be like one lying in the midst of the sea, floating upon the waters of the sea and struggling with the waves of the sea, and afterward he will seem like one lying at the top of the rope, which is the mast of the ship, from where he will fall into the depths — "from a high roof to a deep pit" (me'igra rama le-vira amikta) — and drown there. So too does he fall from his standing into the depths of a pit and drown in the abyss of ruin.
’They have struck me, and I felt it not, they have beaten me, and I knew it not; when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.’
verse value 2595
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "when" (מָתַ֥י, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·I·was·weak" (בַל־חָלִיתִי֮, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "they·have·struck·me" (הִכּ֥וּנִי), "not·I·was·weak" (בַל־חָלִיתִי֮), "they·have·beaten·me" (הֲלָמ֗וּנִי). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not·I·knew" (root ידע, 35x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·awake', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: הִכּ֥וּנִי [they·have·struck·me] (91) + בַל־חָלִיתִי֮ [not·I·was·weak] (490) + הֲלָמ֗וּנִי [they·have·beaten·me] (141) + בַּל־יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי [not·I·knew] (526) + מָתַ֥י [when] (450) + אָקִ֑יץ [I·will·awake] (201) + א֝וֹסִ֗יף [I·will·add] (157) + אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ [I·will·seek·it] (459) + עֽוֹד [again] (80) = 2595.
Rashi
“They struck me but I did not become ill, etc.” When he sobers himself up from his wine, he does not feel any of the evils that passed over him, and he drinks again.
Ibn Ezra
"They struck me" — they were striking [me], and I did not feel the one striking. "When shall I awake" — from my wine. "I will add" — to seek it forever.
Ralbag
"They have struck me" — and then you will say, "They have struck me, blows."
Metzudat David
"They have struck me" — while you are still drowsy, your lips will murmur upon your bed, saying: "What does it matter that they struck me while I was drunk — did I not feel no pain? And what does it matter that they beat me with blows — did I not feel it? So when shall I awake from this slumber, that I may again go seek out the wine?" Therefore be very careful of it, for it is hard to part from it.
Metzudat Zion
"I felt it" ("chaliti") — An expression of illness. "They have beaten me" ("halamuni") — It means blows that crush, as in "let the righteous strike me" (Psalms 141). "I will awake" ("akitz") — I will rouse myself from sleep.
Malbim
"They have struck me, and I felt it not" — At first he says that they struck him, and although he felt it, he was not made ill by it. And he adds "they have beaten me" (halamuni), which is more severe than striking, and nevertheless not only was he not made ill, but he did not even know it. And he adds that he is in constant sleep, and nevertheless he desires to awaken — not in order to abstain from the wine, but only so that he may seek it again.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Malbim