More proverbs of Solomon, copied out by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah. The glory of God is to conceal a thing; a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver; heap coals of fire on your enemy's head by feeding him when he hungers.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
verse value 2537
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "which" (אֲשֶׁ֥ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "king·of·Judah" (מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָֽה, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "copied" (הֶ֝עְתִּ֗יקוּ), "Hezekiah" (חִזְקִיָּ֬ה), "king·of·Judah" (מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָֽה). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·men·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "king·of·Judah" (root מלך, 24x in Proverbs); "which" (root אשר, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Solomon', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: גַּם־אֵ֭לֶּה [also·these] (79) + מִשְׁלֵ֣י [the·proverbs·of] (380) + שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה [Solomon] (375) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [which] (501) + הֶ֝עְתִּ֗יקוּ [copied] (591) + אַנְשֵׁ֤י [the·men·of] (361) + חִזְקִיָּ֬ה [Hezekiah] (130) + מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָֽה [king·of·Judah] (120) = 2537.
Rashi
These too are Solomon’s proverbs, which...maintained When Hezekiah was appointed king, he returned to expound upon them [Solomon’s proverbs]. Now he placed disciples in every city, as it is stated in chapter “Chelek” (Sanh. 94b): “They searched from Dan to Beersheba and could not find an ignoramus.” maintained Heb. העתיקו they strengthened.
Ibn Ezra
"These also are proverbs of Solomon" — this verse, the scribe said it; and it is possible that he was Shevna, for he was the king's scribe, and he related in it the reason for the copying. "And the word 'also'" — [comes] to include the earlier ones. "They copied" — he commanded that these proverbs be copied from his [Solomon's] books, so that they would be a single collection; and the beginning of this section was "the glory of God" (Proverbs 25:2).
Ralbag
"These also are proverbs of Solomon, which... copied out" — the sages who lived in the generation of Hezekiah. And it appears that for this reason he separated them from the other proverbs, because these proverbs were gathered by those sages from among Solomon's proverbs, whereas the proverbs mentioned earlier were transmitted in the manner stated, directly from the words of Solomon.
Metzudat David
"These also" — it appears that from the beginning of the book until here, the text had been copied out by everyone, but from here to the end it had been copied only by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah, who copied these words from the books of Solomon that happened to come into their possession; therefore it says, "These also are proverbs of Solomon" — meaning, although they were not found in everyone's possession, nevertheless these too are his words, which the men of Hezekiah copied, and they are trustworthy regarding the matter, that they came from the mouth of Solomon.
Metzudat Zion
"Copied out" ("he'etiku") — One who writes words from one book into another is called a "ma'atik" (copier), because it appears as though he copies and removes the words from there in order to write them in another [book]; and even though they also remain in the first [book], it nevertheless appears as though he removes them from there.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
verse value 1669
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "the·glory·of" (כְּבֹ֣ד) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "the·glory·of" (כְּבֹ֣ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "God" (אֱ֭לֹהִים, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 206: thing, thing. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·conceal" (הַסְתֵּ֣ר), "and·the·glory·of" (וּכְבֹ֥ד). The root כבד appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "thing" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs); "kings" (root מלך, 24x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'thing', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: כְּבֹ֣ד [the·glory·of] (26) + אֱ֭לֹהִים [God] (86) + הַסְתֵּ֣ר [to·conceal] (665) + דָּבָ֑ר [thing] (206) + וּכְבֹ֥ד [and·the·glory·of] (32) + מְ֝לָכִ֗ים [kings] (140) + חֲקֹ֣ר [to·search·out] (308) + דָּבָֽר [thing] (206) = 1669.
Rashi
The honor of God is to conceal a matter For instance, the account of the Merkavah and the account of the Creation. whereas the honor of kings is to search out a matter When you expound on the honor of the Sages and on the safeguards that they enacted to the Torah, and on the decrees that they decreed upon them, you should search, seek, and ask the reason for the matter. When you expound on the account of the Merkavah or on the account of the Creation, or on the statutes written in the Torah—like the statutes and things that Satan denounces and refutes, such as eating pork, mingled species in a vineyard, and shaatnes—you should not search, but only conceal [the reason] and say, “It is the King’s decree.”
Ibn Ezra
"Glory," "heavens," "take away," "take away" — [verses 2-5] are four connected verses. And so the interpretation is: the glory of God — He speaks of His glory by recounting His created works, [the creation of] something from nothing; He conceals it, for who could declare His glory and reach its limit? And it should not be wondered at if we find [the words] 'recount His glory among the nations' (1 Chronicles 16:24) and 'tell of His glory among the peoples' (Isaiah 66:19), for this verse speaks of the destruction of the enemies and the deliverance of those who love [Him]. "And the glory of kings" — that which is glory for them is to search out the matter, but do not search out the work of God; for the heavens are above man, and man reaches down to the depth beneath him, and kings — who have the capacity to occupy themselves with wisdom alone — [that wisdom] has no limit. And the meaning is: they are not able to search out His glory and to know what is above and what is below — how much less could you yourself search it out! Just as the refiner removes and skims off the dross of the silver, and then there emerges for him, from what has been refined, the vessel as he desires — so too the king removes the wicked person who stands before him, and then his throne is established in righteousness; and this is their glory and their splendor: to search out judgment diligently, until they are careful in the laws of the kingdom.
Ralbag
"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing" — That is to say, regarding what people seek from Hashem, it is not Hashem's glory that He make their request known, for Hashem knows everything. Do you not see that the wife of Jeroboam disguised herself when she came to Ahijah the Shilonite, and before she had told him anything, Ahijah told her the substance of her request, since Hashem had revealed it to him? But the glory of kings is the opposite of this — namely, to investigate thoroughly the matter that comes before them, so that a true judgment may result, for they know of matters only what they are informed of — the opposite of what is found in this regard with Hashem.
Metzudat David
"The glory of God" — the glory of Hashem is to conceal the greatness of His exaltedness, for it is impossible to reach its ultimate limit, and it is better to say little than to say much, as it is stated, "To You silence is praise" (Psalms 65:2); but the glory of kings is to investigate the greatness of their exaltedness, since it is possible to reach the ultimate limit; therefore one who says little would be regarded as though he has already reached the ultimate limit, and it is better to say much than to say little.
Metzudat Zion
"To search out" ("chakor") — An expression of searching and inquiry.
Malbim
"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing" — In divine matters, the glory lies precisely in concealment and hiding, for the human intellect can only comprehend things that are subject to time and place and that are accessible to the senses, not things that transcend the bounds of human comprehension; and whatever is said about the latter is only by way of parable and garment, while their inner content remains hidden and concealed. This is why the Sages do not expound on the Account of Creation (ma'aseh bereishit) or the Account of the Chariot (ma'aseh merkavah), and the Sages clothe these matters and conceal them in riddles and hints, like the flash of lightning that gleams and vanishes. But "the glory of kings" pertains to matters of their governance: to investigate a matter and not conceal it, for since their governance is a matter of civil order and is grasped through examination and the senses, it is good to publicize the goodness of their governance, for concealment in this regard indicates that their governance is not upright, and so they conceal their way — whereas investigation (open scrutiny) is their glory.
The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.
verse value 1750
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 30 letters. Verse gematria: 1750 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "and·the·heart·of" (וְלֵ֥ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "kings" (מְ֝לָכִ֗ים, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·the·height" (לָ֭רוּם), "and·earth" (וָאָ֣רֶץ), "to·the·depth" (לָעֹ֑מֶק). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·the·heart·of" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "no" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs); "kings" (root מלך, 24x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·depth', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: שָׁמַ֣יִם [heaven] (390) + לָ֭רוּם [to·the·height] (276) + וָאָ֣רֶץ [and·earth] (297) + לָעֹ֑מֶק [to·the·depth] (240) + וְלֵ֥ב [and·the·heart·of] (38) + מְ֝לָכִ֗ים [kings] (140) + אֵ֣ין [no] (61) + חֵֽקֶר [search] (308) = 1750.
Rashi
are unsearchable The height of the heaven and the depth of the earth and the heart of kings are unsearchable, for many judgments come before them, as well as many wars, and they must apply their heart to all of them. And if all tongues would speak, and all hands would write, they would not be able to inscribe the intricacy of political government.
Ralbag
"The heaven for height" — Behold, height and depth, even though they are not bounded by the nature of the straight line itself — in which an extension can always be conceived on both of its sides — nevertheless, actual existence bounds them: the heavens are the height that is at the outermost extreme, and the center of the earth is the depth that is at the outermost extreme. But the heart of kings, and the attention they must give to the matters that come before them, is without end, for the subjects vary and the circumstances vary even within a single category of things, and from this many matters without end are generated within that same category regarding a given case, so that each person may receive the portion fitting for him.
Metzudat David
"Cannot be searched" — meaning, these three things are similar to one another, in that it is impossible to search out and know the height of the heavens, the depth of the earth, and the breadth of the heart of the king; for many judgments come before him, along with other affairs of men, and he must attend to all of them.
Metzudat Zion
"For height" ("larum") — An expression of elevation and height.
Malbim
"The heaven for height, and the earth for depth" — The heavens have no limit from the aspect of height, for they extend into the heights of the universe without end, and within the expanses of the heavens there are countless worlds, so that on account of their multitude and their height it is impossible to fathom them. And the earth, although it is like a small point in comparison to them, has no limit from the aspect of depth, for the depth is covered by a great abyss (tehom rabbah), and no one knows what lies in the depths of the abyss. So too "the heart of kings" is unsearchable, for the governance of a kingdom extends over countless nations, and there are many individuals and endless particulars; and likewise there are deep matters within governance — secrets of the kingdom and its mysteries — which it is impossible to investigate to their full nature.
Take away the dross from the silver, and there comes forth a vessel for the refiner;
verse value 904
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 23 letters. The shortest word is "remove" (הָג֣וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "dross" (סִיגִ֣ים, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·the·refiner" (לַצֹּרֵ֣ף), "vessel" (כֶּֽלִי). 6 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·silver', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הָג֣וֹ [remove] (14) + סִיגִ֣ים [dross] (123) + מִכָּ֑סֶף [from·silver] (200) + וַיֵּצֵ֖א [and·comes·forth] (107) + לַצֹּרֵ֣ף [to·the·refiner] (400) + כֶּֽלִי [vessel] (60) = 904.
Rashi
Remove dross from silver Heb. הגו, draw away, as in (II Sam. 20:13): “When he was removed (הגה) from the highway.” Just as the silver vessel does not emerge for the work of the refiner until the copper dross is removed from it, similarly, the community cannot be freed from punishment until they remove the wicked from their midst and execute judgment upon them.
Ralbag
"Take away the dross" — Behold, just as when the dross is removed from the silver, there emerges for the silversmith a vessel of pure silver, so too, when the wicked man — who was in the king's presence and was among his counselors — is removed from his company, then his throne will be established in righteousness. He said this because a king must be careful that there be no wicked person or wicked people among his servants and his counselors, lest they cause him to pervert righteous judgment without his even knowing it. Now, it is possible that in these verses he shed light on the matter of the human intellect, which is the "king" among the psychic faculties of man, according to how Hashem established it for man on the day he was created — and he stated here a very profound matter, one of the divine secrets. It is this: since the order of existing things and their arrangement, and the correctness of the intelligible in the mind of Hashem, we know in the respect in which it is one — as we explained in the fifth treatise of the Wars of Hashem (Milchamot Hashem), and in the first treatise of it — not in the respect in which it is many; that which would divide existence and matter is not divided in Hashem's conception. It is clear that the glory of Hashem, with regard to each and every intelligible thing that proceeds from Him, is to conceal the matter — for that intelligible cannot be seen or made clear, from among the rest [of the intelligibles], as to how Hashem grasps it together with the other intelligibles, in the respect in which they are one, proceeding in a manner of perfection and form. But the glory of kings, however, is to investigate each and every matter individually, with a complete investigation, in such a way that all opposing notions concerning it are removed. And it is clear that the power which the human intellect has for grasping intelligibles is so vast and wondrous that, owing to its greatness, it may be said to have no limit.
Metzudat David
"Take away" — just as when the dross is removed from the silver, there then emerges for the refiner a fine vessel, for he can then bend it and straighten it according to the need of the work.
Metzudat Zion
"Take away" ("hagu") — An expression of removal, as in "as he was removed from the highway" (II Samuel 2). "The dross" ("sigim") — This is the refuse of silver.
Malbim
(Verses 4-5) "Take away the dross from the silver" ... "Take away the wicked from before the king" — Behold, the king's throne is established to do justice, as it is written, "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness" (Isaiah 32:1). But since the throne requires ministers and counselors, through whom justice is brought forth into the open, if his servants are righteous, then the throne is like refined silver, clean of dross; but if there is found among them a wicked counselor, he will pervert justice, and justice will not come forth into the open. And just as, if a smith wishes to make a vessel of refined silver, he must remove and take away the dross, so too, if they want the throne to be established in righteousness, they must remove the wicked person who stands before the king, and then his throne will be established in righteousness.
Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
verse value 1219
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "remove" (הָג֣וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "before·the·king" (לִפְנֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·will·be·established" (וְיִכּ֖וֹן). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "before·the·king" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'before·the·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הָג֣וֹ [remove] (14) + רָ֭שָׁע [wicked] (570) + לִפְנֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ [before·the·king] (260) + וְיִכּ֖וֹן [and·will·be·established] (92) + בַּצֶּ֣דֶק [in·the·righteousness] (196) + כִּסְאֽוֹ [his·throne] (87) = 1219.
Ralbag
"Take away the wicked" — He says that just as a fit vessel emerges for the silversmith when the dross is removed from the silver, so too, when the wicked one who is before the king — namely, the faculty that is aroused [to desire] — is removed, in the manner that it submits to the service of the intellect so that it no longer desires bodily desires, then his throne will be established in righteousness, and this will be the cause of his attaining truth in his inquiries.
Metzudat David
"Take away the wicked" — So too, when the wicked man who stands before the king is removed, then his throne will be established in righteousness; but not so when the wicked man stands before him and misleads the king to pervert justice.
Glorify not yourself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men;
verse value 2126
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "great" (גְּ֝דֹלִ֗ים, 5 letters) and the longest is "do·not·glorify·yourself" (אַל־תִּתְהַדַּ֥ר, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "do·not·glorify·yourself" (אַל־תִּתְהַדַּ֥ר), "and·in·the·place·of" (וּבִמְק֥וֹם), "do·not·stand" (אַֽל־תַּעֲמֹֽד). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "before·the·king" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'before·the·king', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַל־תִּתְהַדַּ֥ר [do·not·glorify·yourself] (1040) + לִפְנֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ [before·the·king] (260) + וּבִמְק֥וֹם [and·in·the·place·of] (194) + גְּ֝דֹלִ֗ים [great] (87) + אַֽל־תַּעֲמֹֽד [do·not·stand] (545) = 2126.
Rashi
Do not glorify yourself before a king to show your honor and to be proud before one who is greater than you, because it is better that they say to you, “Come up here,” than that you should go without his permission, and they should tell you, “Go down, get out.”
Ibn Ezra
"Do not," "for" — [verses 6-7] are two connected verses. "Glorify yourself" — [meaning] you would be as splendid in garment and chariot as he [the king] is. "And in the place of great men" — where they stand, do not stand.
Ralbag
"Do not glorify yourself before a king" — [that is,] to give yourself rank and greatness; rather, stand before him in lowliness. And in the place of great men, do not give yourself a rank equal to theirs, to sit with them in their place — for it is better that they say to you, "Come up here," as a result of your great self-humbling, than that you be humbled before a noble and great man whom your own eyes have seen and with whom you were formerly familiar. Now he said this because one who was familiar with a person and afterward rose in rank permits himself to behave with him as before; but this is not proper for him — he ought to render honor according to what that person is now.
Metzudat David
"Glorify not yourself" — Do not make yourself splendid and fine so as to be haughty when you stand before the king, and do not press yourself to stand in the place where the great and important men stand.
Malbim
"Glorify not yourself in the presence of the king" — Do not display any self-glorification in the presence of the king, for your honor is nullified before the honor of the king, which has no measure; and when you display self-glorification, as though your honor too were reckoned as something, you thereby demean the honor of the king. As David said, "and I will make merry before Hashem" etc. (2 Samuel 6:21) — for he leaped and danced like a commoner before Hashem. And it is said in the Jerusalem Talmud, chapter 1 of Berakhot: "Awake, my glory" (Psalm 57:9) — my honor is awakened from before the honor of my Master; my honor is not accounted anything before the honor of my Master. Likewise, "stand not in the place of great men" — rather, stand in a place lowlier than your own rank, not in a place higher than it.
For better is it that it be said to you: ‘Come up here’, than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.
verse value 2092
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "than·your·being·low" (מֵ֭הַשְׁפִּ֣ילְךָ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·say·to·you" (אֲמׇר־לְךָ֗), "come·up·here" (עֲֽלֵ֫ה־הֵ֥נָּה), "than·your·being·low" (מֵ֭הַשְׁפִּ֣ילְךָ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs); "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs); "to·say·to·you" (root אמר, 45x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'prince', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + ט֥וֹב [good] (17) + אֲמׇר־לְךָ֗ [to·say·to·you] (291) + עֲֽלֵ֫ה־הֵ֥נָּה [come·up·here] (165) + מֵ֭הַשְׁפִּ֣ילְךָ [than·your·being·low] (485) + לִפְנֵ֣י [before] (170) + נָדִ֑יב [prince] (66) + אֲשֶׁ֖ר [whom] (501) + רָא֣וּ [have·seen] (207) + עֵינֶֽיךָ [your·eyes] (160) = 2092.
Rashi
as your eyes have seen that this thing is true.
Ibn Ezra
"For better" — that it be said to you, 'Come up here and stand with us,' than that you be humbled in the presence of a prince, by his saying to you, 'Move away from me.' "Have seen" — your humiliation. "Have seen" — in place of 'will see.'
Metzudat David
"For better" — It is better for you to sit in the place of the lowly, and have the speaker say to you, "come up here," to sit in the place of the great, than that you should raise yourself up to sit there and be told, "lower yourself, go down, before the noble," and not sit in his place. "whom your eyes have seen" — for indeed your eyes have seen this happen: that it is said to the one who went up, "come down."
Malbim
"For better is it that it be said to you: 'Come up here'" — If you stand in a lowly place, they will say to you, "Come up," and this is an honor; but if you stand in the place of great men, they will lower you before the noble whom your eyes have seen, and you had thought that you were on his level, and it will become a disgrace for you. And this itself is also meant: that by your lowering yourself before this noble, this will cause them to say to you, "Come up," for through this they will recognize that "your eyes have seen" — that the eyes of your intellect see and recognize proper conduct and etiquette. As it is said, "your lowering yourself is your elevation."
Go not forth hastily to strive, lest you know not what to do in the end of it, when your neighbor has put you to shame.
verse value 3393
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 38 letters. Verse gematria: 3393 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "lest" (פֶּ֣ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·its·end" (בְּאַחֲרִיתָ֑הּ, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "do·not·go·out" (אַל־תֵּצֵ֥א), "to·strive" (לָרִ֗ב), "hastily" (מַ֫הֵ֥ר). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·neighbor" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs); "what·will·you·do" (root עשה, 34x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·its·end', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַל־תֵּצֵ֥א [do·not·go·out] (522) + לָרִ֗ב [to·strive] (232) + מַ֫הֵ֥ר [hastily] (245) + פֶּ֣ן [lest] (130) + מַה־תַּ֭עֲשֶׂה [what·will·you·do] (820) + בְּאַחֲרִיתָ֑הּ [in·its·end] (626) + בְּהַכְלִ֖ים [when·shaming] (107) + אֹתְךָ֣ [you] (421) + רֵעֶֽךָ [your·neighbor] (290) = 3393.
Rashi
lest [you will not know] what you will do at its end Lest you come to a situation that you will not know what to do at its end.
Ibn Ezra
"Do not," "your dispute," "lest," "apples of gold," "a ring" — [verses 8-12] are five connected verses. "What will you do" — at the end of the dispute, to escape, when you have shamed your neighbor and he humiliates you [in return]? Rather, let your dispute be a dispute with your neighbor [alone].
Ralbag
"Do not go forth hastily to strive" — that is, to dispute; rather, it is fitting for you to distance yourself from this as much as possible. Consider what you will do at the end of the dispute, when your fellow shames you by speaking disgraceful words against you, or by striking you — is it not better for you to be careful not to come to this outcome and this state?
Metzudat David
"Go not forth" — Do not hastily provoke a quarrel until you have investigated whether there is any fault in this matter on the part of your opponent, for lest you not know what to do at the end of the quarrel, when your neighbor shames you by saying, "Is there not really no fault on my part?" — and behold, you acted foolishly to quarrel before you had investigated the truth.
Malbim
"Go not forth hastily to strive" — Every deed a person does must be aimed at the purpose that is to come from it, and not be a deed whose consequence will be the opposite of the intended purpose. So when someone shames you, do not go forth hastily to strive, thinking that thereby you will restore your shamed honor — for is it not so that through the strife, not only will you fail to achieve the purpose of restoring your honor, but on the contrary, [you must consider] "lest you know not what to do in the end of it" — that the outcome of the matter will be that you are shamed a second time through the strife, so that instead of restoring your honor to its place, you attain disgrace and shame.
Debate your cause with your neighbor, but reveal not the secret of another;
verse value 1884
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "strive" (רִ֣יב, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·your·neighbor" (אֶת־רֵעֶ֑ךָ, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "your·cause" (רִ֭יבְךָ), "with·your·neighbor" (אֶת־רֵעֶ֑ךָ), "and·the·secret" (וְס֖וֹד). The root ריב appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "with·your·neighbor" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·your·neighbor', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: רִ֭יבְךָ [your·cause] (232) + רִ֣יב [strive] (212) + אֶת־רֵעֶ֑ךָ [with·your·neighbor] (691) + וְס֖וֹד [and·the·secret] (76) + אַחֵ֣ר [another] (209) + אַל־תְּגָֽל [do·not·reveal] (464) = 1884.
Rashi
Have your quarrel with your friend But if, perforce, you must quarrel and debate with your friend, in any event, do not divulge another’s secret Do not mention to him the disgrace of his ancestors, which not everyone knows, and you are revealing it.
Ibn Ezra
"And the secret" — which another has told you about your neighbor, do not reveal it in your dispute.
Ralbag
"Debate your case with your neighbor" — When it happens that you have a dispute with your fellow, let your words with him be limited to the words of your dispute alone, and do not reveal another's secret in order to shame him, lest he reproach you — for perhaps this will become a disgrace for you in the eyes of whoever hears your words, because you revealed the secret; and the ill repute that you will acquire from this, it will not be possible for you to retract.
Metzudat David
"Debate your cause" — Even if, after investigation, you found fault in him, nevertheless debate your cause only with him alone, to shame him alone; but do not reveal the secret of another so as to cast a blemish on his ancestors in matters that are not known to all — for what is it to you to shame them?
Malbim
"Debate your cause with your neighbor" — And even if you are compelled to strive, strive only over your own cause, that which concerns you, and do not reveal another's secret.
Lest he who hears it revile you, and your infamy turn not away.
verse value 1813
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 21 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "lest·he·revile·you" (פֶּֽן־יְחַסֶּדְךָ֥, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "lest·he·revile·you" (פֶּֽן־יְחַסֶּדְךָ֥), "and·your·infamy" (וְ֝דִבָּתְךָ֗). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "he·who·hears" (root שמע, 30x in Proverbs); "will·return" (root שוב, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·who·hears', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: פֶּֽן־יְחַסֶּדְךָ֥ [lest·he·revile·you] (232) + שֹׁמֵ֑עַ [he·who·hears] (410) + וְ֝דִבָּתְךָ֗ [and·your·infamy] (432) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תָשֽׁוּב [will·return] (708) = 1813.
Rashi
lest one who hears embarrass you Heb. יחסדך (Josh. 5:9) “The reproach of the Egyptians” is rendered: חסודא דמצראי. Lest one who hears embarrass you, and they will call you a slanderer.
Ibn Ezra
"Lest he revile you" — the one who hears will reproach you and call you a talebearer, and the ill report of the secret you revealed will not be retracted — that is, you will not be able to take back what you said.
Metzudat David
"Lest he revile you" — lest everyone who hears will revile you, calling you a talebearer. "and your infamy" — the slander that you brought forth from your mouth, you will not be able to take back and will regret, and you will not be able to fix it.
Metzudat Zion
"Revile you" ("yechasdecha") — An expression of disgrace, as in "it is a disgraceful thing" (Leviticus 20). "And your infamy" ("vedibatecha") — It is mostly used of disparaging words, and is understood on its own.
Malbim
"Lest he who hears it revile you" — For through this, aside from the shame it brings upon your neighbor regarding the dispute, everyone who hears will revile you with additional disgrace, for they will say of you that you spread slander and go about as a talebearer, revealing secrets; and afterward, when you wish to retract your ill report, you will not be able to, and you will attain thereby unceasing disgrace and constant shame.
A word fitly spoken Is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
verse value 2115
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "gold" (זָ֭הָב, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·settings·of" (בְּמַשְׂכִּיּ֣וֹת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 206: word, spoken. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "apples·of" (תַּפּוּחֵ֣י), "in·settings·of" (בְּמַשְׂכִּיּ֣וֹת), "upon·its·right·time" (עַל־אׇפְנָֽיו). The root דבר appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "word" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'silver', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: תַּפּוּחֵ֣י [apples·of] (504) + זָ֭הָב [gold] (14) + בְּמַשְׂכִּיּ֣וֹת [in·settings·of] (778) + כָּ֑סֶף [silver] (160) + דָּ֝בָ֗ר [word] (206) + דָּבֻ֥ר [spoken] (206) + עַל־אׇפְנָֽיו [upon·its·right·time] (247) = 2115.
Rashi
golden apples Like knobs depicted on silverplated vessels. silverplated vessels Heb. משכיות כסף, vessels plated with silver, as in (Ex. 33:22): “and I will cover (ושכתי) you with My hand.” a word spoken with proper basis Heb. אפניו, on its basis. An example of it is (Ps. 88:16): “I bear your terrors, it is settled (אפונה) [in my heart],” based and settled within me. This is not from the root of (Isa. 28: 27f): אפן and גלגל, wheel, for, were it so, it would be vowelized with a “pattach” under the “fe” as in (Ezek. 1:16) “האופנים the wheels.” The vowelization of the short kamatz is inappropriate for it.
Ibn Ezra
"Apples of gold" — meaning, like the form of apples of gold [set] within silver filigree work, meaning that they are stored away together with what befits them; so too, a word that is spoken in its fitting manner, and does not reveal the secret of another. Another interpretation: '[spoken] fittingly,' and 'not to be revealed.' "Spoken" [davur] — the Targum renders it 'vayinhag' (and he guided/conducted), meaning, conducted in its proper way; and like a ring of gold and an ornament of fine gold, so does [a wise reprover] place rebuke upon a listening ear. "Its proper way" [ofanav] — the alef is added, like the alef in 'mi efasim ezroa,' or else it is a root from 'ofan' (wheel) of a cart. And the meaning is: concerning its turning, and hidden and concealed settings [ornaments]. And so the interpretation is: do not go out hastily to strive in the dispute of others, lest you be put to shame.
Ralbag
"Apples of gold" — Now, after he warned against disgraceful speech, he directed attention to praiseworthy speech, and said that just as, in the case of apples of gold in silver filigree that has fine perforations in it, the fine observer sees through them the golden apples, so too a word that is spoken fittingly — for there is benefit in it: in what is understood from it upon first consideration, and when a person of keen insight goes on to reflect deeply upon it, he will find within it the golden apples. And by this, many of the verses of this book will be explained, according to what we have explained of them.
Metzudat David
"Apples of gold" — Just as images of golden apples engraved upon a covering of silver are a magnificent thing, so is a word spoken fittingly (lit. "upon its wheels," ofanav) — that is, a word suited to its matter, and that returns to it — like the wheel (ofan) of a wagon that rolls and returns to its place.
Metzudat Zion
"In settings" ("bemaskiyot") — An expression of covering and concealment, as in "a figured stone" (Leviticus 26). "Fitly" ("ofanav") — An expression of the wheel of a wagon.
Malbim
"Apples of gold in settings of silver" — "a word fitly spoken" — Just as apples of gold, being precious, are overlaid with settings of silver, which are lesser than they but also of value, and through the settings one perceives and understands that beneath them is gold — for one would not overlay silver upon iron or copper — so too speech is the setting for the hidden conscience (the inner self), for the secrets of the heart and a person's thoughts are revealed through his words. And when the conscience is precious and the soul and its secrets are full of honor, the speech too is precious, elevated, and clean of all dross; but if he speaks slander and talebearing, it becomes known that beneath the speech is iron and clay, and that his soul is contemptible. And this is what is meant by "a word fitly spoken" (davar davur al ofnav) — that is, [spoken] in accordance with the manner from which it unfolds, matching the thought and inner meditation of the soul; so is the speech. And if the speech comes in accordance with its unfolding, without exceeding what is proper, then it is like "apples of gold," etc.
As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, So is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
verse value 1745
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "a·ring·of" (נֶ֣זֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·an·ornament·of·fine·gold" (וַחֲלִי־כָ֑תֶם, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·an·ornament·of·fine·gold" (וַחֲלִי־כָ֑תֶם), "upon·an·ear" (עַל־אֹ֥זֶן). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wise" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "listening" (root שמע, 30x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·an·ornament·of·fine·gold', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: נֶ֣זֶם [a·ring·of] (97) + זָ֭הָב [gold] (14) + וַחֲלִי־כָ֑תֶם [and·an·ornament·of·fine·gold] (514) + מוֹכִ֥יחַ [a·reprover] (84) + חָ֝כָ֗ם [wise] (68) + עַל־אֹ֥זֶן [upon·an·ear] (158) + שֹׁמָֽעַת [listening] (810) = 1745.
Rashi
Like a golden earring and jewelry of finest gold A collection of golden jewelry, as in (Hos. 2: 15): “and adorned herself with her earrings and her jewelry (וחליתה),” and like (Song 7:3): “jewels (חלאים).” finest gold Heb. כתם an expression of a golden ornament, and likewise (Song 5:11): “His head is as a jewel (כתם) of the finest gold.”
Ralbag
"An earring of gold" — Behold, just as an earring of gold is fitting to complete the adornment of one who has a gold ornament, such that the one is not fitting without the other, so too proper rebuke, when it rebukes a listening ear — for that rebuke completes the listener's adornment for discipline; but without a listening ear, the rebuke is not fitting and will not be of benefit, as it is said: "Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you."
Metzudat David
"An ear-ring of gold" — Just as a gold ear-ring together with an ornament of fine gold (ketem) — the ring is beautiful with the ornament of fine gold and not without it — so is the reproof of the wise beautiful upon a listening ear; for if there is no one to listen to it, its beauty is not recognized.
Metzudat Zion
"An ear-ring" ("nezem") — The name of an ornament placed on the nose. "And an ornament" ("vecheli") — An expression of adornment and jewelry, as in "and decked herself with her earrings and her jewelry" (Hosea 2:15). "Fine gold" ("ketem") — Precious and fine gold, as in "in gold of Ophir" (Psalms 45).
Malbim
"As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold" — The ear-ring and the ornament are both adornments for the ears. And just as they adorn the outer ear, so too "a wise reprover" — one who rebukes according to the words of wisdom — adorns the ear that hears the rebuke; for it is an adornment when the rebuke comes from the mouth of a man of wisdom, which is like gold and fine gold of Ophir.
As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, So is a faithful messenger to the one who sends him; For he refreshes the soul of his master.
verse value 3005
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "envoy" (צִ֣יר, 3 letters) and the longest is "like·the·cold·of·snow" (כְּצִנַּת־שֶׁ֨לֶג, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "like·the·cold·of·snow" (כְּצִנַּת־שֶׁ֨לֶג), "harvest" (קָצִ֗יר), "envoy" (צִ֣יר). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·the·soul·of" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs); "in·the·day·of" (root יום, 32x in Proverbs); "restores" (root שוב, 23x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root אדון ("his·master") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·his·sender', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: כְּצִנַּת־שֶׁ֨לֶג [like·the·cold·of·snow] (893) + בְּי֬וֹם [in·the·day·of] (58) + קָצִ֗יר [harvest] (400) + צִ֣יר [envoy] (300) + נֶ֭אֱמָן [faithful] (141) + לְשֹׁלְחָ֑יו [to·his·sender] (384) + וְנֶ֖פֶשׁ [and·the·soul·of] (436) + אֲדֹנָ֣יו [his·master] (71) + יָשִֽׁיב [restores] (322) = 3005.
Rashi
Like the cold of snow Like the cold of the days of snow (winter), for which a person longs at harvest, but not actual snow, because snow is not beneficial during harvest.
Ibn Ezra
"Like the cold of snow" — coolness. And it is possible that it is from [the same root as] 'a shield and a buckler' (tzinnah vesocherah, Psalm 91:4), since it shields a person at the time of harvest from the heat; so too a faithful messenger [refreshes]. "And the soul" — [a word] is elided. And its meaning is: '[like] the desire of the soul of his masters, he brings back to him a reply' [understood as though it read 'like the desire of']; and likewise: 'for he takes a life in pledge' (Deuteronomy 24:6) — '[living]' is elided [understood as 'a living soul']. Another interpretation: "and the soul of his masters" — as though the master's soul were bound to the messenger; in his going and in his returning he restores it into his inward self, through his faithfulness.
Ralbag
"Like the cold of snow" — Behold, just as the cold of snow on the day of harvest is very pleasant, and preserves the natural heat so that it does not disperse because of the heat of the air at that time, and returns it to the interior of the body, so too a faithful messenger, to those who send him, restores to his master his very soul and life, in that he fulfills his master's desire completely with regard to the errand on which he sent him.
Metzudat David
"As the cold" — Just as the coolness of snow is a comfort if one finds it at the time of harvest, to cool the body with it, so is a faithful messenger a comfort to the one who sends him, and he refreshes his master's soul.
Metzudat Zion
"As the cold" ("ketznat") — An expression of chill and cold; and so our Sages of blessed memory said, "cold meat" (Pesachim 76). "A messenger" ("tzir") — An emissary, as in "and a messenger has been sent among the nations" (Obadiah 1:1). "He refreshes" ("yashiv") — An expression of quieting and settling, as in "in returning and rest" (Isaiah 30).
Malbim
"As the cold of snow in the time of harvest" — Just as on the day of harvest, when the day is scorching like an oven and beats down upon the head of the reaper until his soul faints, if a coolness of snow comes it revives his soul, so too a faithful messenger to those who sent him: if the wrath of a king and officers has been kindled against his sender, and his sender's life is in danger, for he will be put to death through the kindling of that anger — then the sender dispatches a faithful messenger to argue in his favor; the messenger turns back the heat of that wrath and revives the soul of his master. And it is characteristic of a messenger (tsir) that he goes and returns (holekh va-shav) — he brings back a reply (teshuvah) and revives the fainting soul. And there is in this a rhetorical figure (melitzah): that every person is a messenger, sent into this world, and he must be a faithful messenger to the One who sent him, to do that for which he was sent here; and then he will revive the soul of his Master, so that his soul — which is a portion of God — will return to its dwelling place. And then he need not fear the scorching heat of the coming day, which burns like an oven, for it will snow upon him in Tzalmon, and Gehinnom will be cooled for him — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said concerning "in it, it snows in Tzalmon."
As vapors and wind without rain, So is he who boasts himself of a false gift.
verse value 3299
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "nothing" (אָ֑יִן, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·a·gift·of·falsehood" (בְּמַתַּת־שָֽׁקֶר, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "vapors" (נְשִׂיאִ֣ים), "and·rain" (וְגֶ֣שֶׁם), "boasting·himself" (מִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ל). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "nothing" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'nothing', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: נְשִׂיאִ֣ים [vapors] (411) + וְ֭רוּחַ [and·wind] (220) + וְגֶ֣שֶׁם [and·rain] (349) + אָ֑יִן [nothing] (61) + אִ֥ישׁ [man] (311) + מִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ל [boasting·himself] (505) + בְּמַתַּת־שָֽׁקֶר [in·a·gift·of·falsehood] (1442) = 3299.
Rashi
Clouds and wind, etc. When there is a false hope—when the heavens thicken with clouds and the wind blows—people hope that it will rain. Now if it does not rain, they are troubled and their eyes languish. So is a man who boasts, saying, “So much and so much charity I will give to the collector,” but he lies, and the eyes of the poor languish for his gift, but it does not come.
Ibn Ezra
"Nesi'im" [clouds] — they are called this because they are lifted up from the end of the earth, and the wind carries them. "And no rain" — in the clouds, to bring down rain. "So is a man" — who lies and deceives, [claiming] that he will give, yet has nothing — he is likened to the clouds; and it is not proper to act this way.
Ralbag
"Vapors and wind" — Behold, the man who boasts of a gift and does not give it — that is, he makes himself appear eager to give, yet does not give — is like clouds and wind that come, so that those who see them are confident that rain will fall, but afterward no rain comes from them. And here he condemned this type of speech, for it is very disgraceful.
Metzudat David
"Vapors" — Just as when clouds come and the wind blows, and then people hope for rain, but it does not come — then the sorrow of those who hoped is great — so is a man who praises himself for giving a gift to someone, but lies in his words; for by this he increases the sorrow of the one who hoped for it.
Metzudat Zion
"Vapors" (נשיאים) — clouds, so called because they lift (מנשאים) themselves upward. "Boasts" (מתהלל) — from the root meaning praise and glory (הלול ושבח). "With a gift" (במתת) — from the root meaning a gift (מתנה).
Malbim
"As vapors and wind without rain" — Just as when clouds (nesi'im) appear, which carry the gift of rain, but then a wind comes and scatters the clouds, and there is no rain — so too one who boasts and promises to give charity, but a wind passes over him and he does not give, and is false in his word. And our Sages, of blessed memory, said that on account of this he is repaid measure for measure: the rains are withheld from him.
By long forbearing is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaks the bone.
verse value 2861
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "tender" (רַ֝כָּ֗ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "breaks·bone" (תִּשְׁבׇּר־גָּֽרֶם, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "tender" (רַ֝כָּ֗ה), "breaks·bone" (תִּשְׁבׇּר־גָּֽרֶם). 7 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'chief', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּאֹ֣רֶךְ [in·length·of] (223) + אַ֭פַּיִם [nostrils] (131) + יְפֻתֶּ֣ה [is·persuaded] (495) + קָצִ֑ין [chief] (250) + וְלָשׁ֥וֹן [and·tongue] (392) + רַ֝כָּ֗ה [tender] (225) + תִּשְׁבׇּר־גָּֽרֶם [breaks·bone] (1145) = 2861.
Rashi
The Ruler is won over with slowness to anger As long as the Holy One, blessed be He, holds back His anger and does not requite, the sinners will apply their hearts to win Him over with repentance and prayer. and a gentle tongue with prayer and supplications. will break a bone Heb. גרם a bone, the severity of the decree.
Ibn Ezra
"By long forbearance" — because the ruler prolonged his patience toward those who angered him and did not take vengeance on them, then his enemies will persuade him and prevail over him; and their soft tongue will break a bone.
Ralbag
"By long forbearing" — By prolonging patience and restraining anger, the ruler is won over when he grows angry at the land — that is, if one does not react in anger to his words but bears them, this will be a cause to remove from him the harm that he had intended to bring upon him suddenly; however, it will not remove his ill intent completely. But "a soft tongue breaks the bone" — that is, it breaks things that are hard and forceful; meaning, it will break the hardness of the wrath and the anger and dissolve them completely. Or he may mean by this: that if the official were slow to anger, he would thereby be won over, so that no undeserved harm would come from him; and this indicates that if the anger were great, his great anger would confound his affairs, and no one could persuade him to refrain from doing what his anger demands — and the rest is to be understood in the manner stated before. Or he may mean by this: that the official is won over when he is angry at a person, through the prolonging of his patience — that is, that they should not ask him to escape that calamity right away, but rather prolong patience for some time; and in this way, perhaps he will escape when that time comes, for perhaps his wrath will subside. And this is the good strategy that Reuben sought from his brothers for the sake of saving Joseph. But a soft tongue breaks the hardness of anger at once.
Metzudat David
"By long forbearing" — If a ruler is angry at someone, and that person prolongs his patience to bear the anger and does not answer back with words, then because of this the ruler will be won over by him, and his wrath will subside. "and a soft tongue" — And if he continues to speak gently to him, then this will break and entirely nullify the harshness of the anger.
Metzudat Zion
"Ruler" (קצין) — a prince and governor, as in "you shall be a ruler for us" (Isaiah 3:6). "The bone" (גרם) — a bone, as in "dries up the bone" (above, 17:22); that is, [it refers to] hardness.
Malbim
"By long forbearing is a ruler persuaded, and a soft tongue breaks the bone" — If the ruler is angry at you, do not strive to have him remove your guilt entirely, for "if you grasp too much, you have grasped nothing"; rather, strive only that he prolong his anger and not punish you at once. And this is the meaning of "is persuaded" — that he prolongs his anger; and afterward, "a soft tongue breaks the bone" — even a hard bone. This is a parable taken from beasts that devour flesh, which break bones with their tongue; so too, afterward, through supplications the harsh attribute of judgment is broken. And there is in it a rhetorical figure (melitzah): that Hashem is persuaded through prayer to prolong His anger, and afterward the force of judgment is weakened through a soft tongue and supplications.
Have you found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for you, Lest you be filled with it, and vomit it.
verse value 2398
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "honey" (דְּבַ֣שׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "lest·you·be·sated·with·it" (פֶּן־תִּ֝שְׂבָּעֶ֗נּוּ, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "you·found" (מָ֭צָאתָ), "your·sufficiency" (דַּיֶּ֑ךָּ), "lest·you·be·sated·with·it" (פֶּן־תִּ֝שְׂבָּעֶ֗נּוּ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "you·found" (root מצא, 28x in Proverbs); "lest·you·be·sated·with·it" (root שבע, 28x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·sufficiency', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: דְּבַ֣שׁ [honey] (306) + מָ֭צָאתָ [you·found] (531) + אֱכֹ֣ל [eat] (51) + דַּיֶּ֑ךָּ [your·sufficiency] (34) + פֶּן־תִּ֝שְׂבָּעֶ֗נּוּ [lest·you·be·sated·with·it] (958) + וַהֲקֵאתֽוֹ [and·you·vomit·it] (518) = 2398.
Rashi
If you have found honey, etc....
Ibn Ezra
"Enough for you" — that which is sufficient for you to eat. "And vomit it" — for honey is hot [in nature], and the body cannot contain it; therefore you will vomit it.
Ralbag
"Have you found honey" — When you have found honey — which represents matters of wisdom, as mentioned before — eat from it only what is fitting for you, and do not probe into what you are unable to grasp, lest this cause you to vomit up what you have attained, on account of the confusion that will occur in that grasp. And he likened this matter to honey, for such is the way of honey, as the Master of the Guide mentioned: one who eats from it properly derives benefit from it, but one who takes more of it than is fitting, this will result in his vomiting it up, due to the resulting derangement of the stomach.
Metzudat David
"Honey" — Just as, if you found honey, it is fitting that you eat only a little of it, enough to satisfy your soul — for if you eat a great deal, to the point of being full, you might vomit it all up and lose even the little you ate at first.
Metzudat Zion
"And vomit it" (והקאתו) — the sense of the food's returning from the body, as in "and Moab shall wallow in his vomit" (Jeremiah 48:26).
Malbim
"Have you found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for you" — Even though it is honey and good to eat, and even though you found it by good fortune, nevertheless do not eat much of it, only as much as is sufficient for you, lest you become sated with it and vomit it up. And from this you should draw a lesson.
Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house; Lest he be sated with you, and hate you.
verse value 2209
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. Verse gematria: 2209 = 47². The shortest word is "make·rare" (הֹקַ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "lest·he·be·sated·with·you" (פֶּן־יִ֝שְׂבָּעֲךָ֗, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "make·rare" (הֹקַ֣ר), "lest·he·be·sated·with·you" (פֶּן־יִ֝שְׂבָּעֲךָ֗), "and·he·hate·you" (וּשְׂנֵאֶֽךָ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·neighbor" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs); "from·house·of" (root בית, 38x in Proverbs); "lest·he·be·sated·with·you" (root שבע, 28x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·neighbor', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: הֹקַ֣ר [make·rare] (305) + רַ֭גְלְךָ [your·foot] (253) + מִבֵּ֣ית [from·house·of] (452) + רֵעֶ֑ךָ [your·neighbor] (290) + פֶּן־יִ֝שְׂבָּעֲךָ֗ [lest·he·be·sated·with·you] (532) + וּשְׂנֵאֶֽךָ [and·he·hate·you] (377) = 2209.
Rashi
Visit your neighbor sparingly Just as, if you find honey, and it is sweet to your palate, you must not eat [too much] of it lest you become sated with it and vomit it, so should you visit your neighbor sparingly, although he is from your midst [of your kin], refrain from going there daily lest he become sated with you and hate you. [Bracketed words appear in Salonica edition only.] According to its homiletic interpretation, do not accustom yourself to sin inadvertently and to constantly bring sin- offerings and guilt-offerings to the house of the Lord, Who is called a friend to Israel, as it is written (Song 5:16): “This is my beloved and this is my friend.”
Ralbag
"Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house" — that you should not become accustomed to coming to his house more than is proper, for this will cause him to become sated with you, and his love will turn away from you. And this is evident, for something a person continually indulges in is not regarded as precious in his eyes unless it occurs only at distant intervals. Now this verse has been joined to the preceding one because of the relationship between them, and it seems that here there is also an allusion to the pursuit of wisdom — that a person should not burden his study with it more than is proper, for his faculties will grow weary, and this will become a cause of confusion in his comprehension.
Metzudat David
"Make rare" — So make your feet precious and valued, by not letting them come constantly into your neighbor's house; for lest he become sated with the sight of your face and hate you — for a friend who is seen only occasionally is loved more, and when he continually shows himself, he loses the original love.
Metzudat Zion
"Let it be seldom" (הוקר) — from the root meaning precious/rare (יקר).
Malbim
"Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house" — so that he not become sated with you more than is proper, even if you are as dear to him as honey; for lest he become sated with you and hate you. And our Sages, of blessed memory, stated concerning this a rhetorical figure (melitzah): that one should not continually bring sacrifices to the House of Hashem for one's sins, since sacrifices are referred to in terms of eating — take heed lest you "eat" too much.
As a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, So is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
verse value 2339
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "witness·of" (עֵ֣ד, 2 letters) and the longest is "against·his·neighbor" (בְ֝רֵעֵ֗הוּ, 5 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "scatterer" (מֵפִ֣יץ), "and·sword" (וְ֭חֶרֶב), "and·arrow" (וְחֵ֣ץ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "against·his·neighbor" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sharpened', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: מֵפִ֣יץ [scatterer] (220) + וְ֭חֶרֶב [and·sword] (216) + וְחֵ֣ץ [and·arrow] (104) + שָׁנ֑וּן [sharpened] (406) + אִ֥ישׁ [man] (311) + עֹנֶ֥ה [testifying] (125) + בְ֝רֵעֵ֗הוּ [against·his·neighbor] (283) + עֵ֣ד [witness·of] (74) + שָֽׁקֶר [lie] (600) = 2339.
Rashi
like a club, a sword Names of weapons.
Ibn Ezra
"Mefits" [a maul] — the nun is missing, similar to 'mapets attah li' ('Thou art my battle-axe,' Jeremiah 51:20), and it [mefits] is the name of a tool. Likewise the nun [is missing] in 'nashiti tovah' ('I have forgotten prosperity,' Lamentations 3:17), and 'tzur yeladcha teshi' ('Of the Rock that begot thee thou wast unmindful,' Deuteronomy 32:18). And it should properly be 'tinshi,' on the pattern of 'titei' (you shall plant). "A false witness" [ed sheker] — [refers to] testimony, and it [the word 'ed'] is an abstract noun. But it is also possible for it to be a descriptive noun, meaning, 'a man who is a false witness.'
Ralbag
"A maul, and a sword" — Behold, a man who testifies falsely against his neighbor is, in this act, like the wielder of a maul, a sword, and a sharp arrow, who kills people.
Metzudat David
"A maul, etc." — One who testifies falsely against his fellow kills him with his tongue as with a weapon of war.
Metzudat Zion
"A maul" (מפיץ) — the name of an implement that shatters, as in "you are my war-club" (Jeremiah 51:20). "Sharp" (שנון) — the sense of sharpened. "Bears witness" (עונה) — testifies, as in "you shall not bear [false] witness" (Exodus 20:13).
Malbim
"As a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow" — These are three kinds of destructive implements: the maul (mafitz) is a great hammer that shatters stones and bones; the sword cuts from close by; and the arrow kills from a distance. So too one who testifies falsely against his fellow: sometimes he is like a maul, scattering people and sending strife between brothers; sometimes like a sword, which kills from close by; and sometimes like an arrow, which kills through slander (lashon hara) done in secret, from a distance. And it also alludes to what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "the threefold tongue (lishna telita'i) kills three" — the speaker, the listener, and the one about whom it is spoken. To the speaker himself it is like a maul; to the listener, like a sword; and to the one spoken about, like an arrow.
Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.
verse value 1811
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "tooth" (שֵׁ֣ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "sliding" (מוּעָ֑דֶת, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "tooth" (שֵׁ֣ן), "and·foot" (וְרֶ֣גֶל), "sliding" (מוּעָ֑דֶת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·day·of" (root יום, 32x in Proverbs); "broken" (root רעה, 25x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sliding', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: שֵׁ֣ן [tooth] (350) + רֹ֭עָה [broken] (275) + וְרֶ֣גֶל [and·foot] (239) + מוּעָ֑דֶת [sliding] (520) + מִבְטָ֥ח [trust] (59) + בּ֝וֹגֵ֗ד [treacherous] (15) + בְּי֣וֹם [in·day·of] (58) + צָרָֽה [distress] (295) = 1811.
Rashi
a broken tooth Heb. רעה, broken. unsteady Heb. מועדת, as in (Ps. 18:37): “and my ankles have not slipped (מעדו).” trust in a traitor He disappoints him on the day of his trouble like a broken tooth and an unsteady [foot].
Ibn Ezra
"Tooth" [shen] — related in meaning to 'a sharp arrow' (chets shanun), and it is stated in the dual, 'teeth' (shinayim), because there are two rows there [in the mouth]. "Ro'ah" [broken] — a noun from [the same root as] 'teroem' ('You shall break them,' Psalm 2:9). "And out of joint" [u-mo'edet] — on the pattern of 'yoshevet' (dwelling), with the vowel shuruk (u) in place of holam (o); like a tooth that breaks at the time of eating, or like a foot that slips at the time of running — so is the confidence placed in a treacherous person who betrays, at the time of trouble, the one who trusts in him. Another interpretation: it is fitting for 'shen' (tooth) to mean like the tooth of a rocky crag, and 'tooth' and 'foot' would then be a separate metaphor. And the meaning would be: like a rocky crag that breaks, and the foot standing upon it slips — so is the confidence [placed] in a treacherous person.
Ralbag
"A bad tooth" — Behold, the confidence a person places in a friend who will betray him is like a tooth that breaks when a person chews food with it, or a foot that slips when a person walks on it, for a person trusts that he will be aided by his teeth when he takes food, and by his feet when he walks. Therefore a person has no benefit from a tooth and a foot that are in this condition, and likewise he has no benefit from a friend when he is not helped by him in time of trouble.
Metzudat David
"A broken tooth" — Just as a tooth breaks at the time when food is chewed with it, and just as a foot slips and gives way at the time when it runs on the road, so is trust in a treacherous man when the time of trouble comes — which is the time that requires reliance — and he betrays that trust then, like a tooth and a foot that betray at the time of need.
Metzudat Zion
"Broken" (רועה) — the sense of breaking, as in "you shall break them with a rod of iron" (Psalms 2:9). "Out of joint" (מועדת) — the sense of slipping and giving way, as in "and my feet/ankles did not slip" (ibid., Psalms 18:37).
Malbim
"A broken tooth, and a foot out of joint" — Like a tooth that has broken: one trusted that it would chew the food, but it betrays that trust; and a foot out of joint: one trusted that it would carry him to his desired destination, but it betrays that trust. So too is one who trusts [in another], who betrays him on the day of trouble — he trusted in a thing and does not find his security at the time of need. And it also alludes to what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "dok be-khakhai ve-tishkach be-nagrai" — for when the tooth fails, the foot too goes out of joint. Likewise, when one object of trust betrays a person, it draws the rest of his sources of trust after it, and they all betray him.
As one who takes off a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, So is he who sings songs to a heavy heart.
verse value 2839
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "upon" (עַ֣ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "removing·garment" (מַ֥עֲדֶה־בֶּ֨גֶד, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "removing·garment" (מַ֥עֲדֶה־בֶּ֨גֶד), "cold" (קָ֭רָה), "vinegar" (חֹ֣מֶץ). The root שיר appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "evil·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "in·day·of" (root יום, 32x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·natron', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: מַ֥עֲדֶה־בֶּ֨גֶד [removing·garment] (128) + בְּי֣וֹם [in·day·of] (58) + קָ֭רָה [cold] (305) + חֹ֣מֶץ [vinegar] (138) + עַל־נָ֑תֶר [upon·natron] (750) + וְשָׁ֥ר [and·singing] (506) + בַּ֝שִּׁרִ֗ים [with·the·songs] (552) + עַ֣ל [upon] (100) + לֶב־רָֽע [evil·heart] (302) = 2839.
Rashi
A worn-out garment on a cold day Heb. מעדה בגד, synonymous with (Isa. 64:5): “בגד עדים, a discarded garment,” a worn-out garment that is fit to be taken off since it is worn out, as we translate into Aramaic “ויסר” (Ex. 7:24) as ויעדי, and He shall remove. Now this is its interpretation: A worn-out garment on a cold day is like vinegar on chalk. chalk Heb. נתר, a kind of soft earth, like our earth that is called creide, which they would hew and make vessels therefrom, and if vinegar falls on it, [the earth] is dissolved and ruined. So... is one who sings songs to a broken heart [lit. on a bad heart. This one] resembles them both. Now what is one who sings songs? This is one who teaches the Torah to a wicked student, who has no intention in his heart to fulfill it.
Ibn Ezra
"One who takes off a garment" [ma'adeh beged] — the Targum renders it 'vayasar' (and he removed it); and it is not to be worn — 'shachal' on a cold day. "And vinegar upon nitre" — these are comparable [to the folly of the next clause], and so is one who sings joyful songs to a heavy heart. And 'neter' (nitre) is known to be used for laundering; and behold, if water makes it foam, how much more so vinegar — meaning, it strips away its covering; and the troubled person is likened to both of these. "And the word ra" [heavy] — [is] from [the same root as] 'teroem' (Psalm 2:9), meaning 'broken.' And this is a moral teaching, that one should not anger the troubled person, nor burden him with songs and words.
Ralbag
"One who takes off a garment" — Behold, the ornament of a garment and its adornment do not help to save one from cold on a cold day; and likewise vinegar after nitre does not help to remove a stain from garments. Or he may mean by this that vinegar, when applied upon nitre, has no benefit in removing the stain — even though each one removes a stain by itself, when they are mixed, one ruins the other — and this is a matter that ought to be confirmed by observation. So too the man who sings songs to a heavy heart: because of the abundance of its grief, it is not moved to open itself through the songs, for it derives no benefit from his songs. Or he may mean by this: like one who is cold on a cold day and puts on, over his garments, garments of ornament and adornment, which have two benefits — to complete the deliverance from the cold, and to adorn him — and like one who applies vinegar to a garment that has a stain, after nitre has already been applied to it, which has the benefit of completing the removal of the stain and of imparting to that garment the scent of the vinegar, which removes foul odors — so too one who sings many songs to a heavy heart, for the second song completes the removal of the grief from the heart and further acquires joy for the soul. And this second explanation that we have given is the correct one, according to what I think.
Metzudat David
"One who takes off [a garment]" — Just as one who puts on his body a decorated garment on a cold day — and it is pleasant to look at, but there is no benefit in it to protect from the cold — and just as one who pours vinegar on natron (niter), for because of the softness of the natron and the strength of the vinegar it will crack on the surface, but the strength of the vinegar will not be enough to break it into separated pieces — so is one who sings joyful songs to a broken heart full of sorrow: for even if he opens his mouth to fill it with laughter, the sorrow nonetheless remains stored in his heart and does not leave him.
Metzudat Zion
"Garment" (מעדה) — from the root meaning ornament and adornment (עדי). "Cold" (קרה) — from the root meaning coldness. "Nitre" (נתר) — a type of soft mineral, made for washing with, as in "though you wash yourself with nitre" (Jeremiah 2:22). "Heavy" (רע) — [i.e.,] broken, as with "a broken tooth" [see 25:19].
Malbim
"As one who takes off a garment in cold weather" — One who sings songs made to gladden the soul, to a heart that is troubled, is like one who, on a cold day, puts on garments of finery: for although they are for beauty on a mild day, on a cold day, besides not being for beauty, they do not warm the body, and he grows cold from the chill, for at that time he needs to wear warm garments instead. So too, these songs will not gladden the troubled heart nor brighten its face, but will only add sorrow. And likewise, it is like one who pours vinegar onto a vessel of natron (niter): for although vinegar, by its strength, would strengthen a vessel prepared to receive it, this is not so with the soft natron — it dissolves, the vessel is ruined, and the vinegar spills out. So too, the songs will not fortify the strength of his soul, for they will break his heart and will not enter into the midst of the man and his deep heart. And this is a parable for anything directed at something not prepared to receive it. And our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded it concerning one who teaches Torah to an unworthy student: that it will not beautify his outward self through good deeds, nor will the waters of wisdom be held within him, for they dissolve and disperse, going this way and that.
If your enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;
verse value 1513
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "bread" (לָ֑חֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "feed·him" (הַאֲכִלֵ֣הוּ, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "if·hungry" (אִם־רָעֵ֣ב), "he·who·hates·you" (שֹׂ֭נַאֲךָ), "feed·him" (הַאֲכִלֵ֣הוּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "he·who·hates·you" (root שנא, 28x in Proverbs); "bread" (root לחם, 21x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'bread', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: אִם־רָעֵ֣ב [if·hungry] (313) + שֹׂ֭נַאֲךָ [he·who·hates·you] (371) + הַאֲכִלֵ֣הוּ [feed·him] (67) + לָ֑חֶם [bread] (78) + וְאִם־צָ֝מֵ֗א [and·if·thirsty] (178) + הַשְׁקֵ֥הוּ [give·him·drink] (416) + מָֽיִם [water] (90) = 1513.
Rashi
If your enemy is hungry [to be explained] according to its apparent meaning. Our Rabbis, however, explained it as referring to the evil inclination. If he is hungry and tells you to sate him with sins, draw yourself into the study hall and feed him the bread of Torah, and likewise, give him the water of Torah to drink.
Ibn Ezra
"Hungry" and "thirsty" — these are [in] the past tense [i.e., stative perfect forms]. "Son'akha" [your enemy] — [the vowel] is opened [i.e., a patach], on account of the guttural letter.
Ralbag
"If your enemy is hungry" — Do not refrain from having pity on him, to feed him bread, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for this is a very praiseworthy trait — to do good to all people, both to a friend and to an enemy. And if your heart resists, [wondering] how you can do good to him in return for the evil he did you, know in truth that by repaying him in this way — which is fitting for your soul among the good traits — behold, you take your revenge against him, for "you will heap coals...": this matter is hard for him, as if you were heaping coals upon his head to burn him, out of the abundance of his shame at receiving good from you in place of the evil he did you; and Hashem will repay you with good in place of the good you did for him.
Metzudat David
"Feed him" — and do not bear hatred against him.
Malbim
"If your enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat" — He advises one who wishes to take great revenge upon his enemy: he should not take revenge in this way, by withholding bread and water from him; rather, the opposite — he should do him only good: if he is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. For thereby you gain two things.
For you will heap coals of fire upon his head, And Hashem will reward you.
verse value 2009
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·his·head" (עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "coals" (גֶחָלִ֗ים), "heaping" (חֹתֶ֣ה), "upon·his·head" (עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·his·head', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + גֶחָלִ֗ים [coals] (91) + אַ֭תָּה [you] (406) + חֹתֶ֣ה [heaping] (413) + עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ [upon·his·head] (607) + וַ֝יהֹוָ֗ה [and·Hashem] (32) + יְשַׁלֶּם־לָֽךְ [will·reward·you] (430) = 2009.
Rashi
for...coals they are to him, that you are scooping from the fire to heap upon his head. scooping Heb. חותה. Any scooping of coals from a fire is called חותה, as it is stated (Isa. 30:14): “to scoop (לחתות) fire from a hearth.” will reward you Heb. ישלם לך, will cause him to make peace with you, that he should not overpower you.
Ibn Ezra
"For coals" — when he remembers the food and drink that you gave him, it will burn him, as though you had brought coals upon his head to burn him; and he will refrain from doing evil to you. "Will reward you" — the recompense for your goodness.
Metzudat David
"For coals" — In that you feed him, it will distress him, as if you had drawn coals from a burning fire to place upon his head, for he will be very ashamed that you repay him good for evil; and although you might think of this as vengeance, nevertheless Hashem will pay you the reward of righteousness.
Metzudat Zion
"You will heap" (חותה) — its sense is scooping fire from the blaze, as in "to scoop fire from the hearth" (Isaiah 30:14).
Malbim
1) "For you will heap coals of fire upon his head" — In that you do him good, it will seem to him as though you are heaping coals of fire upon his head; for he will remember that he sinned against you and did evil to you, and he will be ashamed and humiliated that he is now forced to receive bread and water from you in return for his evil toward you. 2) "And Hashem will reward you" — that you will receive reward from Hashem for the charity that you performed; whereas if you take revenge by withholding from him, you will not receive reward.
The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.
verse value 2706
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "wind·of" (ר֣וּחַ, 3 letters) and the longest is "angry" (נִ֝זְעָמִ֗ים, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "north" (צָ֭פוֹן), "brings·forth" (תְּח֣וֹלֵֽל), "rain" (גָּ֑שֶׁם). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·face" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'rain', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: ר֣וּחַ [wind·of] (214) + צָ֭פוֹן [north] (226) + תְּח֣וֹלֵֽל [brings·forth] (474) + גָּ֑שֶׁם [rain] (343) + וּפָנִ֥ים [and·face] (186) + נִ֝זְעָמִ֗ים [angry] (217) + לְשׁ֣וֹן [tongue·of] (386) + סָֽתֶר [secrecy] (660) = 2706.
Rashi
As the north wind begets rain It begets and creates the rain. an angry countenance A backbiting tongue begets [an angry countenance]. Slander causes the countenance of the Holy One, blessed be He, to be angry, and this is the comparison [of the interpretation] of the verse. [The bracketed words do not appear in the Salonica edition, which seems more correct than our edition.] The north wind is accustomed to beget rain and a backbiting tongue is accustomed to [beget] an angry countenance.
Ibn Ezra
"Techolel" [brings forth] — it connects with the verse both forward and backward, and it is from [the root of] 'chalilah' (far be it), meaning, 'it withholds.' Another interpretation: from [the root of] 'cholel ayalot' ('that makes the hinds calve,' Psalm 29:9), similar to the matter of 'techa'avu va'avanim' ('and mar every good piece of land with stones,' 2 Kings 3:19), '[the earth] saw, and trembled' (ra'atah vatachel ha'aretz, Psalm 97:4), '[Hashem] shakes the wilderness of Kadesh' (yachil Hashem midbar kadesh, Psalm 29:8) — meaning, it seized with trembling. And so the interpretation is: the north wind brings sand against the rain and overpowers it until it is spent, and it does not fall upon the earth, for it scatters the clouds to [different] directions. Likewise, an indignant face makes a secretive tongue writhe — for one who speaks gossip in secret, the face gives it [cause for] trembling, by displaying anger upon it, until it restrains him from the gossip. And this is a moral teaching, that a person should not accept slanderous talk.
Ralbag
"The north wind" — Behold, just as the north wind produces rain in Jerusalem, because it brings there the vapors rising from the sea (for the sea lies to its north), so a hidden tongue — that is, when a person tells his companion words of gossip — produces angry faces and stirs them up afresh. And here he has warned against this disgraceful kind of speech, in this manner.
Metzudat David
"The north wind" — Just as the north wind brings forth rain, so slander spoken in secret brings forth an angry face — from the one spoken about, against the speaker.
Metzudat Zion
"Brings forth" (תחולל) — the sense of creating and giving birth, as in "behold, I was brought forth in iniquity" (Psalms 51:7). "Angry" (נזעמים) — from the root meaning wrath and anger (זעם וכעס).
Malbim
"The north wind brings forth rain" — The hidden wind within the vapor gives birth to the rain. For the vapors that rise from the earth are filled with a light, airy gas, and through this they are borne upward; and when this hidden wind departs from within the vapors, the water-droplets — now grown heavy once the wind has left them — fall downward and become rain. And although the wind itself is unseen, once the rain is seen we know its cause, that the wind gave birth to it. So too, a hidden tongue (secret slander) gives birth to and produces a furious countenance: for although the stormy wind born through slander (lashon hara) is hidden deep within the heart, it becomes recognizable through the fury of the face that appears on the countenance of the angry person.
It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, Than in a house in common with a contentious woman.
verse value 3028
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "good" (ט֗וֹב, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·corner·of·roof" (עַל־פִּנַּת־גָּ֑ג, 7 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs); "and·house·of" (root בית, 38x in Proverbs); "than·woman·of" (root אשה, 24x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·corner·of·roof', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words.
Rashi
It is better to sit on the corner of a roof This is stated concerning the withdrawal of the Shechinah. than a quarrelsome wife The nation of lsrael, who dealt wickedly and provoked the Holy One, blessed be He. and a house of companionship A house in which they associated idolatry with the Shechinah.
Ralbag
"It is good to dwell" — It is better for a man to dwell without company on the corner of a roof than to dwell with a contentious wife, who will constantly stir up strife and quarreling for him, even though he is in a house where there is the company of [other] people.
Metzudat David
"On the corner of the roof" — without shelter, and alone, without the company of people. "than [in a house] with a woman" — than to dwell in a house with a contentious woman, even where there is company of people.
Metzudat Zion
"Corner" (פנת) — corners/angles.
Malbim
"It is better to dwell in a corner of the roof than in a house in common with a contentious woman" — He already said this above [Proverbs 21:9], and it comes here a second time, based on what is stated further on: "A continual dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike" (27:15), "whoever would hide her hides the wind" (27:16) — likening the contentious woman to the persistent drip. Now the rain is born through the north wind (ruach tzafon) that goes out from its chamber; and if one wished to store away (litzpon) this very north wind that begets the rain, he would be 'hiding the wind' (tzafan ruach) — for even so, 'the oil of his right hand would be encountered' (shemen yemino yikra), meaning it slips away and cannot be grasped. Therefore, just as it is said that the north wind brings forth rain [25:23], so too he says that the hidden, northward wind of the contentious woman likewise begets strife — to the point that it is better to sit in the corner of a roof, where there is no shelter at all from the rain falling from above, than to sit, along with the persistent drip, in a house shared with all the members of the household, where there is no shelter from it.
As cold waters to a faint soul, So is good news from a far country.
verse value 2263
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "water" (מַ֣יִם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·report" (וּשְׁמוּעָ֥ה, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "cool" (קָ֭רִים), "upon·soul" (עַל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ), "faint" (עֲיֵפָ֑ה). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs); "good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'faint', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: מַ֣יִם [water] (90) + קָ֭רִים [cool] (350) + עַל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ [upon·soul] (530) + עֲיֵפָ֑ה [faint] (165) + וּשְׁמוּעָ֥ה [and·report] (427) + ט֝וֹבָ֗ה [good] (22) + מֵאֶ֥רֶץ [from·land·of] (331) + מֶרְחָֽק [distance] (348) = 2263.
Rashi
to a faint soul It [cold water] is accustomed to revive a faint soul. so is good news That too is equal to it, and so was it with Jacob (Gen. 45:27): “And the spirit of Jacob their father was revived.”
Ibn Ezra
"Cold waters" — are comparable to the benefit for the body; and it is fitting for every person to bring good news and to refrain from bringing bad news.
Ralbag
"Cold waters" — Behold, just as a weary soul derives pleasure and benefit from cold water, which restores to the inner parts of the body the natural heat that had been dispersed on account of exertion, so a person derives great pleasure and benefit from good news that reaches him from a distant land concerning his relatives and friends, for this restores his soul to him, just as cold water restores the soul of the weary.
Metzudat David
"Cold waters, etc." — These two are equal in their benefit: cold water poured upon a soul faint from great heat, and good news that comes to a person from a distant land.
Malbim
"Cold water to a faint soul" — Just as cold water is brought to a faint soul thirsting for water, in a place where there is no water, and it is brought from elsewhere, so too, one whose soul is faint to hear what his family or household members who are in a distant land are doing, and he has no knowledge of them — good news of their well-being comes to him from there, restoring his faint soul within him, so that he lives.
As a troubled fountain, and a corrupted spring, So is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
verse value 2893
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "tottering" (מָ֣ט, 2 letters) and the longest is "before·the·wicked" (לִפְנֵֽי־רָשָֽׁע, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "spring" (מַעְיָ֣ן), "troubled" (נִ֭רְפָּשׂ), "and·spring" (וּמָק֣וֹר). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "before·the·wicked" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'corrupted', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: מַעְיָ֣ן [spring] (170) + נִ֭רְפָּשׂ [troubled] (630) + וּמָק֣וֹר [and·spring] (352) + מׇשְׁחָ֑ת [corrupted] (748) + צַ֝דִּ֗יק [just] (204) + מָ֣ט [tottering] (49) + לִפְנֵֽי־רָשָֽׁע [before·the·wicked] (740) = 2893.
Rashi
a muddied spring Muddied by the feet. A righteous man slipping before a wicked man When a righteous man slips before a wicked man and is afraid to reprove him for his way to his face, the matter is hateful like a muddied spring and a ruined fountain.
Ibn Ezra
"Fountain," "eat" — [verses 26-27] are two connected verses. 'Ma'yan' (fountain) and 'makor' (spring) are a doubling of the same matter, meaning, like a fountain that a foot has trampled, and like a spring of water that has been ruined — so is a righteous person who gives way before the wicked; and he is likened to a fountain, because his mouth is a source of moral instruction, and it is not proper that the wicked should muddy it.
Ralbag
"A spring" — Behold, a spring whose waters flow, which has become fouled with mud until the source from which the waters of the spring flow has been ruined by the pollution of the mud, is comparable to a righteous man who stumbles before a wicked man and is subdued beneath him, for the wicked man destroys the splendor of the righteous man and defiles it in a way that keeps people away from walking in his path, just as the pollution of mud keeps people away from drinking the waters of the spring.
Metzudat David
"A troubled fountain" — Just as a spring that is trampled and trodden by foot becomes turbid, and one will no longer drink from it. "and a corrupted spring" — which is ruined by the trampling of the foot; and the matter is repeated in different words. "a righteous man" — So too, when a righteous man totters and falls before the wicked, it becomes a reason that people will no longer seek teaching from his mouth, saying: if he could not benefit himself, how will he benefit others?
Metzudat Zion
"Troubled" (נרפש) — the sense of trampling, as in "you have fouled [the water] with your feet" (Ezekiel 34:18). "Gives way" (מט) — from the root meaning inclining/turning aside.
Malbim
"A troubled fountain and a corrupted spring is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked" — The spring [source] is in the depths of the earth, from where the waters well up into the fountain. When a righteous man gives way, even though the fountain — meaning his abundance, wealth, and livelihood — becomes ruined, the spring, which is his trust in Hashem, from which the abundance flows to the fountain, is not corrupted. But if he gives way before the wicked, then, besides the fountain being made troubled, the spring too is corrupted — namely, the trust in Hashem — for then doubts are cast upon divine providence, such as, "Why do You hold Your peace when the wicked one swallows up the one more righteous than he" (Habakkuk 1:13), and the like.
It is not good to eat much honey; So for men to search out their own glory is not glory.
verse value 1430
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. Verse gematria: 1430 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·eat" (אָ֘כֹ֤ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·increase" (הַרְבּ֣וֹת, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·increase" (הַרְבּ֣וֹת), "and·search·of" (וְחֵ֖קֶר), "their·glory" (כְּבֹדָ֣ם). The root כבוד appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not·good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'not·good', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: אָ֘כֹ֤ל [to·eat] (51) + דְּבַ֣שׁ [honey] (306) + הַרְבּ֣וֹת [to·increase] (613) + לֹא־ט֑וֹב [not·good] (48) + וְחֵ֖קֶר [and·search·of] (314) + כְּבֹדָ֣ם [their·glory] (66) + כָּבֽוֹד [glory] (32) = 1430.
Rashi
Eating honey To eat honey to excess. The topic symbolizes one who expounds on the account of the Merkavah and the account of the Creation to the public; the ignoramuses will ridicule the words and ask what is above and what is below. but fathoming their honor is honor But when is fathoming appropriate? In the words of the Sages, whose honor is honor: We may ask why they decreed such and such a decree, and why they enacted a safeguard in each decree.
Ibn Ezra
"Eat" [akhol] — an imperative, meaning, 'eat honey,' but to eat much of it is not good, for eating honey in a fitting amount is good. "And the search into their glory" — of the righteous, is a glory to investigate; that is to say, one should investigate their wisdom, which is their glory and splendor. And behold, this is comparable to eating honey in a fitting amount; and similarly: 'Eat, my son, honey, for it is good' (Proverbs 24:13), and after it is written, 'so know' (Proverbs 24:14).
Ralbag
"Eating honey" — Eating honey more than is proper is not good; and so too is exerting oneself in the knowledge of the holy ones, for it should be enough for a person to learn from wisdom that they exist, not to go to excess in inquiring what they are and what their nature is, for excessive inquiry into their glory is not glory, since the human intellect cannot attain the truth of this in a complete way.
Metzudat David
"To eat honey" — To eat much honey is not good, for a little of it is pleasant but a great deal of it is harmful; but a great amount of inquiry into the honor of the righteous is accounted as honor — that is to say, it is fitting to increase the investigation of their wisdom, which is their honor and glory.
Malbim
"It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to search out their own glory is not glory" — He responds to this, that just as it is not good to eat honey in excess, so too, excessive searching into their [the righteous's] glory is 'not glory' — one who searches excessively into the glory of the righteous will not attain that glory. For this thing that happens — that the righteous man gives way before the wicked — is among the secrets of divine providence, since "it is the glory of God to conceal a matter" (Proverbs 25:2), just as one should not eat honey in excess, for it does harm. For even though you see the glory of the righteous profaned at the hand of the wicked, this glory that is in this world is not the true glory; rather, the essence of glory is in the eternal world, where the true glory is, as it is written, "You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory" (Psalms 73:24), as explained there. And since this eternal, spiritual glory is among the hidden things of God — for the intellect, while still confined within matter, cannot grasp the glory of a spiritual soul that is abstracted from matter — one should not search excessively into this; rather, the righteous shall live by his faith [Habakkuk 2:4], and should not doubt his faith.
Like a city broken down and without a wall, So is he whose spirit is without restraint.
verse value 2304
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 33 letters. Verse gematria: 2304 = 48². The shortest word is "city" (עִ֣יר, 3 letters) and the longest is "broken-down" (פְּ֭רוּצָה, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: without, without. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "broken-down" (פְּ֭רוּצָה), "wall" (חוֹמָ֑ה), "restraint" (מַעְצָ֣ר). The root אין appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "without" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs); "who" (root אשר, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wall', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: עִ֣יר [city] (280) + פְּ֭רוּצָה [broken-down] (381) + אֵ֣ין [without] (61) + חוֹמָ֑ה [wall] (59) + אִ֝֗ישׁ [man] (311) + אֲשֶׁ֤ר [who] (501) + אֵ֖ין [without] (61) + מַעְצָ֣ר [restraint] (400) + לְרוּחֽוֹ [for·his·spirit] (250) = 2304.
Ibn Ezra
"Broken down" — [meaning] that a breach was made in its walls. "Without a wall" — [meaning] that no wall was rebuilt at the site of the breach, so that people could pass through it, and whoever wished could go out. So too, a man whose spirit has no restraint — [meaning] his soul has no restraint over his own words; and silence would be good for such people.
Ralbag
"A city broken down" — Behold, a man who cannot rule over himself as he wishes is like a city broken down, which has no wall to guard the city so that destroyers do not enter it. For not ruling over one's own will leaves one prone to many evils, because of one's surrender into the hand of one's desire and will; and mastery over one's desire is like a wall that guards against the breacher climbing in there because of his disgraceful desires.
Metzudat David
"A city broken down" — Just as a city whose wall is breached, and no wall is rebuilt at the site of the breach, so the guarding of the city is thereby ruined, for whoever wishes may enter it — so is a man who cannot restrain the breath of the words of his mouth, for by this he ruins the guarding of his soul. As it is written, "He who guards his mouth and his tongue guards his soul from troubles" (above, Proverbs 21:23) — so one who does not guard the breath of the words of his mouth ruins the guarding of his soul.
Metzudat Zion
"Broken down" (פרוצה) — the sense of breaking. "Restraint" (מעצר) — the sense of holding back, as in "and the plague was held back" (Numbers 17:13). "His spirit" (לרוחו) — the sense of speech, as in "and with the breath of his lips" (Isaiah 11:4), because [speech] comes forth by the breath of the mouth.
Malbim
"Like a city broken down and without a wall is a man who has no restraint over his spirit" — He has already compared man to a small city that a great king surrounds in order to conquer it [Ecclesiastes 9:14] — this being the evil inclination, the imagination, and the faculty of desire, which seek to conquer the powers of the soul and bring them under their own rule. The good inclination fights on behalf of the city and does not allow the adversaries of the soul to conquer the city. The lofty wall by which it holds back the besieger is the restraint it places upon the spirit, for the spirit is that which raises images up to the heart, and most of man's impulses are evil — images of pride, envy, revenge, and the like. And when the spirit rises up and raises these evil images to the heart, then the enemy comes against the city, and battle is joined within the city, for then it is easy for one to be drawn after these images to act according to the raging of the surging waters. But man has within him the power of a ruler, which places a restraint upon the spirit to quiet its raging, as it is said, "A fool releases all his spirit, but a wise man calms it in the end" (Proverbs 29:11), as explained there — and this is the wall that holds the enemy back from entering the city. But one who has no restraint over his spirit, and raises evil images upon his heart — the inclination overpowers him, and the adversaries of the soul conquer the city, for there is no wall to hold them back.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion