Boast not yourself of tomorrow, for you know not what a day may bring forth. Iron sharpens iron as a man sharpens the countenance of his friend; faithful are the wounds of a friend; and know well the state of your flocks.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Boast not yourself of tomorrow; For you know not what a day may bring forth.
verse value 1882
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·boast" (אַֽל־תִּ֭תְהַלֵּל, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "do·not·boast" (אַֽל־תִּ֭תְהַלֵּל), "tomorrow" (מָחָ֑ר), "not·know" (לֹֽא־תֵ֝דַ֗ע). The root יום appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs); "not·know" (root ידע, 35x in Proverbs); "in·day" (root יום, 32x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'tomorrow', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַֽל־תִּ֭תְהַלֵּל [do·not·boast] (896) + בְּי֣וֹם [in·day] (58) + מָחָ֑ר [tomorrow] (248) + כִּ֤י [for] (30) + לֹֽא־תֵ֝דַ֗ע [not·know] (505) + מַה־יֵּ֥לֶד [what·may·bring·forth] (89) + יֽוֹם [day] (56) = 1882.
Rashi
Do not boast Do not boast now concerning a thing that is destined to be tomorrow. for you do not know what the day will bear Perhaps the day will bear some evil that will nullify it.
Ibn Ezra
"Do not... boast yourself" [אל, יהללך] — two words joined together as one construction. The meaning: do not boast about an act of charity on account of tomorrow, saying, "Tomorrow I will do it." "Bring forth" [ילד] — like "the generations of Jacob" (Genesis 37:2), a matter of events/happenings; likewise here it is as though the happening were "born." That is: you do not know what will befall you from the day's events, and you will not be able to do it on the morrow — like the matter, "if not now, when?" (Avot 1:14).
Ralbag
"Boast not yourself" — of what you are confident you will do tomorrow, for you do not know what a day will bring; for perhaps events will arise for you that prevent your plan from being brought into action.
Metzudat David
"Boast not yourself" — Do not praise yourself for what you promise to do tomorrow, for you do not know what may occur; for perhaps something will occur that you will not be able to do.
Metzudat Zion
"Boast" (תתהלל) — from the root meaning praise and glory. "Bring forth" (ילד) — its sense is an event/occurrence, as in "these are the generations (תולדות) of Jacob" (Genesis 37:2); and since time gives birth to occurrences, it says "a day may bring forth."
Malbim
"Boast not yourself of tomorrow" — since the mishaps of time renew themselves every moment, you cannot boast of what you will do tomorrow, seeing that even what this very day brings forth is unknown to you, and tomorrow is not yours at all.
Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.
verse value 1576
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "a·stranger" (זָ֣ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·your·lips" (וְאַל־שְׂפָתֶֽיךָ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "let·him·praise·you" (יְהַלֶּלְךָ֣), "and·not·your·mouth" (וְלֹא־פִ֑יךָ), "and·not·your·lips" (וְאַל־שְׂפָתֶֽיךָ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not·your·lips" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs); "and·not·your·mouth" (root פה, 34x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·not·your·mouth', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: יְהַלֶּלְךָ֣ [let·him·praise·you] (95) + זָ֣ר [a·stranger] (207) + וְלֹא־פִ֑יךָ [and·not·your·mouth] (147) + נׇ֝כְרִ֗י [a·foreigner] (280) + וְאַל־שְׂפָתֶֽיךָ [and·not·your·lips] (847) = 1576.
Ibn Ezra
"Let a stranger praise you" [יהללך זר] — after the deed. "And not your own mouth" [ולא פיך] — before the deed. "A foreigner" [נכרי] — a repetition of the matter, for emphasis.
Ralbag
"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth" — Even regarding what you have done, it is not fitting that you praise yourself, for this is a base character trait; it is better that another praise you, and not your own mouth — a stranger, and not your own lips.
Metzudat David
"Let another praise you" — meaning: even in a matter that you have already done, let a stranger praise you, etc. "A stranger, etc." — This is a repetition of the same idea in different words.
Malbim
"Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips" — when a person praises himself, that is not [true] praise; rather, it is good that you perform deeds worthy of praise, until a "zar" (stranger) praises you. There is a difference between a "zar" and a "nochri" (foreigner): the nochri is one from another land. He is saying that once a zar praises you, then the nochri too — one who does not know you personally — will praise you, because he will hear it from the zar and spread your praise abroad. And also then, the "not" of "your lips" — that is, the fact that you yourself do not praise yourself with your own lips — will itself praise you, for this shows humility and true worth. Now the "lip" is the outer part, as against the "mouth" [which is inner]; that is to say, what is meant is that no self-praise is heard from you by way of your lips. (And even if something is heard as "not" from your lips — meaning that you belittle yourself and say that you do not deserve this praise, as the Sages said: "In three matters the Sages may deviate [from the strict truth]... etc." — this too will be counted to you as praise.)
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; But a fool’s vexation is heavier than they both.
verse value 897
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "heavy" (כָּבֵ֥ד) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 897 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "heavy" (כָּבֵ֥ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "heaviness·of·stone" (כֹּֽבֶד־אֶ֭בֶן, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "heaviness·of·stone" (כֹּֽבֶד־אֶ֭בֶן), "and·the·load·of" (וְנֵ֣טֶל), "the·sand" (הַח֑וֹל). The root כבד appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·sand', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: כֹּֽבֶד־אֶ֭בֶן [heaviness·of·stone] (79) + וְנֵ֣טֶל [and·the·load·of] (95) + הַח֑וֹל [the·sand] (49) + וְכַ֥עַס [and·vexation·of] (156) + אֱ֝וִ֗יל [a·fool] (47) + כָּבֵ֥ד [heavy] (26) + מִשְּׁנֵיהֶֽם [than·both·of·them] (445) = 897.
Rashi
and the burden Heb. ונטל, a burden. the anger of a fool that a fool angers the Holy One, blessed be He, causes [Him] to bring anger to the world.
Ibn Ezra
"Heaviness" [כובד] — is in construct form. "And weight" [ונטל] — Targum renders "[and he] lifted" with this root; the meaning is the heaviness of a stone, and the sand is likened to it, compared in heaviness. "But a fool's vexation" [וכעס אויל] — is heavier still.
Ralbag
"A stone is heavy" — Behold, a stone is very heavy to carry, and likewise the matter with a load of sand; but the vexation caused by a fool is heavier than both of them.
Metzudat David
"Heavy" — Behold, the stone has great weight, and the sand's burden is also great; yet a fool's vexation is heavier to bear and endure than both of these, for out of lack of understanding he multiplies his vexation.
Metzudat Zion
"Weighty" (ונטל) — the sense of a burden, as in "laden with silver" (Zephaniah 1:11).
Malbim
"A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty" — a stone is heavy in and of itself, even a single stone, whereas sand is not heavy unless a great deal of it is carried on one's shoulders; it becomes heavy through being gathered into a load and a burden. "But a fool's vexation is heavier than they both" — for every single instance of anger has its own weight by itself, like a stone that is a burden, and also, in the combination of all the anger that continually [proceeds] from him, there is the weight of the sand. As it is said in the Midrash, [on the verse] "Come to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart" — that is the meaning of "a stone is heavy," etc. For Pharaoh, in saying "Who is Hashem, that I should heed His voice? ... I do not know Hashem," his sin was heavy like a stone; and in that he continued to harden his own heart time after time, there was in this the heaviness of the sand. Thus his weight turns out to be a combination of both — that is, of stone and of sand.
Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; But who is able to stand before jealousy?
verse value 1679
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "anger" (אָ֑ף, 2 letters) and the longest is "cruelty·of" (אַכְזְרִיּ֣וּת, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "cruelty·of" (אַכְזְרִיּ֣וּת), "and·flood·of" (וְשֶׁ֣טֶף), "and·who" (וּמִ֥י). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "before" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'anger', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַכְזְרִיּ֣וּת [cruelty·of] (644) + חֵ֭מָה [wrath] (53) + וְשֶׁ֣טֶף [and·flood·of] (395) + אָ֑ף [anger] (81) + וּמִ֥י [and·who] (56) + יַ֝עֲמֹ֗ד [can·stand] (124) + לִפְנֵ֥י [before] (170) + קִנְאָֽה [jealousy] (156) = 1679.
Rashi
but who can stand up before jealousy Who can stand up before the jealousy of He Who is jealous and vengeful?
Ibn Ezra
"Cruelty" [אכזריות] — this word is connected to "wrath" [חמה], for it proceeds from it. "And overwhelming" [ושטף] — alludes to the action of one acting in his anger, which is like overflowing waters. That is: "cruelty" from "wrath," and "overwhelming" from "anger," are regarded as harsh — but who can stand before a man of jealousy? For it is harsher and fiercer than both of them, since it is what gives birth to them. And the proof is: "for jealousy is the rage of a man" (Proverbs 6:34) — the meaning being that jealousy is the source from which his rage is born.
Ralbag
"Cruel" — Behold, wrath brings about cruelty, for the one possessed by wrath has no mercy on the one at whom he is angry, and anger is like a flood of water that destroys everything. But jealousy is far more severe, for the jealous person is pained when he sees good come to another, and he chooses evil for himself and for the other over good for himself and for the other — as is told of the envious man and the covetous man, to whom the king said, having recognized their characters, that he was prepared to do good for them by the king's bounty: let one of them ask, and it will be given to him, and to the second, double will be given. Now the covetous man did not want to ask, so that he would receive double of whatever the envious man asked for; and the envious man did not want to ask for any good for himself, out of his distress over the good that would come to his fellow, and hastened to ask the king to gouge out his one eye, so that his fellow would be left blind in both eyes.
Metzudat David
"Cruel" — Fury brings about cruelty, and anger incites one to overflow and destroy; but before a jealous man, who can stand and endure? For it is harsher still than fury and anger, since the jealous man will choose evil — provided it comes upon the other person too — over choosing good for himself and for the other.
Malbim
"Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; But who is able to stand before jealousy?" — "chemah" (wrath) is the inner anger that harbors hatred in one's heart, while "af" (anger) is the outer anger. There can be "af" without inner "chemah": it has an "overwhelming" quality, for in his anger he rushes on and punishes, but it has no cruelty. And there can be "chemah" without "af": his wrath burns in his heart, and it has cruelty from hatred and heat, but no overwhelming quality, for he does not punish now. But jealousy — when a person is jealous for his profaned honor — has both cruelty and an overwhelming quality, for the jealous person avenges himself at once with an overwhelming anger ("af"), and behaves cruelly with a wrathful cruelty ("chemah").
Verse structure: 5 words, 23 letters. The shortest word is "better" (ט֭וֹבָה, 4 letters) and the longest is "rebuke" (תּוֹכַ֣חַת, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "open" (מְגֻלָּ֑ה), "than·love" (מֵאַהֲבָ֥ה), "hidden" (מְסֻתָּֽרֶת). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "better" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'open', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: ט֭וֹבָה [better] (22) + תּוֹכַ֣חַת [rebuke] (834) + מְגֻלָּ֑ה [open] (78) + מֵאַהֲבָ֥ה [than·love] (53) + מְסֻתָּֽרֶת [hidden] (1100) = 2087.
Ibn Ezra
"Better is open rebuke" [טובה תוכחת מגולה] — the word "rebuke" stands in place of two occurrences; that is: open rebuke — in which they rebuke him publicly — is better than the hidden rebuke of love. That is to say: though his loved ones may rebuke him in secret, the open rebuke is better than it, for when it is done openly he will be ashamed and thereby corrected.
Ralbag
"Better" — The rebuke and the quarrel that a person directs at his fellow openly, to rebuke him for his wrongdoing, is better than love that is concealed and shows no visible trace, for there is no benefit in such love.
Metzudat David
"Open rebuke" — Even one who rebukes publicly and shames the one rebuked — it is nonetheless good, if it comes from a love hidden in the heart of the one rebuking, and his intent is to straighten the ways of the one rebuked, and not to taunt.
Malbim
"Better is open rebuke than love that is hidden" — if a person rebukes his fellow for his evil way, and the cause of the rebuke comes from a hidden love — like a father who rebukes his son, which stems from his abundant love — as it is said, "For whom Hashem loves, He rebukes" — such a rebuke, even though it is delivered openly, is very good.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are importunate.
verse value 2810
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "wounds·of" (פִּצְעֵ֣י, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·are·importunate" (וְ֝נַעְתָּר֗וֹת, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "faithful" (נֶ֭אֱמָנִים), "wounds·of" (פִּצְעֵ֣י), "a·friend" (אוֹהֵ֑ב). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "a·friend" (root אהב, 31x in Proverbs); "an·enemy" (root שנא, 28x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'a·friend', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: נֶ֭אֱמָנִים [faithful] (191) + פִּצְעֵ֣י [wounds·of] (250) + אוֹהֵ֑ב [a·friend] (14) + וְ֝נַעְתָּר֗וֹת [and·are·importunate] (1132) + נְשִׁיק֥וֹת [kisses·of] (866) + שׂוֹנֵֽא [an·enemy] (357) = 2810.
Rashi
are burdensome Heb. נעתרות, an expression of largeness, as in (Ezek. 35: 13): “You have multiplied (נעתרות) against Me.”
Ibn Ezra
"Faithful" [נאמנים] — meaning firm: the wounds of a friend are firm — he wounds and bruises openly, as is fitting in order to rebuke, until the other is corrected — whereas the enemy kisses him with strong and profuse kisses, and does not rebuke him, so that he may be trapped in his transgression. And the meaning of "importunate" [נעתרות] is "profuse." Another interpretation: "importunate" [נעתרות] means "strong," corresponding to "faithful" [נאמנים], like "you have multiplied words against me" (Ezekiel 35:13).
Ralbag
"Faithful" — Behold, the wounds of a friend are faithful and upright, for they serve a good purpose, whether to rebuke him or to save him from harm — as happens when a person sees that his brother or relative has gone too far in doing evil to others, or in speaking harsh insults against them, and they intend to take their revenge on him; then, to save him from their hand, he hurries to strike him in their presence for what he did or said against them, and by this they are appeased and he is saved from their hand. But the kisses of an enemy are the opposite, for he shows him love in order to trip him up, to make him fall into the net of his will.
Metzudat David
"Faithful" — A friend who wounds his beloved so that he may walk uprightly — behold, the wounds are faithful, for they accomplish their purpose and benefit him, since because of them he will improve his way. But from an enemy, even abundant kisses are but a burden, since there is no benefit in them.
Metzudat Zion
"Wounds" (פצעי) — these are blows that draw blood. "Importunate" (ונעתרות) — the sense of abundance, as in "and the thick cloud of incense went up" (Ezekiel 8:11).
Malbim
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend" — even if the friend strikes him in order to chasten him and bring him back to the good way, nevertheless the love is faithful, since all of this comes from abundant love, as it is said, "As a man chastens his son, Hashem your God chastens you." "But the kisses of an enemy are importunate" — the enemy multiplies kisses; he does not chasten and does not rebuke, because in his hatred, when he sees him doing evil deeds, he kisses him so that he will continue to do them.
The full soul loathes a honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
verse value 3354
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 30 letters. Verse gematria: 3354 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "soul" (נֶ֣פֶשׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "sated" (שְׂ֭בֵעָה, 4 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "loathes" (תָּב֣וּס), "hungry" (רְ֝עֵבָ֗ה), "every·bitter·thing" (כׇּל־מַ֥ר). The root נפש appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs); "sated" (root שבע, 28x in Proverbs); "every·bitter·thing" (root כל, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'honeycomb', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: נֶ֣פֶשׁ [soul] (430) + שְׂ֭בֵעָה [sated] (377) + תָּב֣וּס [loathes] (468) + נֹ֑פֶת [honeycomb] (530) + וְנֶ֥פֶשׁ [and·soul] (436) + רְ֝עֵבָ֗ה [hungry] (277) + כׇּל־מַ֥ר [every·bitter·thing] (290) + מָתֽוֹק [sweet] (546) = 3354.
Rashi
tramples honeycomb Heb. תבוס, tramples by foot, as in (Ps. 44:6): “we will trample (נבוס) those who rise up against us.” all bitter is sweet Every sweet thing is bitter to it. This can be interpreted in regard to the study of the Torah. If one shows himself to be sated, that he has no desire for words of the Torah as a desire of his soul, he tramples honeycomb. [That is,] even the reasons that are acceptable to the heart are not important to him, but he who yearns for it, even the things that come to him with bitterness and toil are sweet to him.
Ibn Ezra
"Loathes" [תבוס] — covering verses 7–8 — means, tramples. "But the soul" [ונפש] — that is hungry, every bitter thing is sweet to it. Therefore, just as a bird that wanders from its nest wanders for its sustenance, so a man who wanders from his place seeks his sustenance and becomes satisfied.
Ralbag
"The full soul" — One who has a full [sated] soul, that is, the man who is content and rejoices in his portion, tramples even sweet things underfoot — meaning, he is not agitated for wealth and does not turn to acquire it even by pleasant, sweet, and upright means through which it might be attained. But one who has a hungry soul is agitated for wealth so intensely that even what is attained through bitterness, difficulty, and transgression is sweet to him, because of the intensity of his desire for these acquisitions. Now this statement, according to its plain sense, is a manifest truth, and it is as though it hints that a person should not strive to take food in great quantity, for this will bring him to loathe even pleasant things, and that he should not starve himself excessively, for this will bring him to desire even bitter things — rather, he should conduct himself in moderate ways. And it seems that this verse is connected to the preceding verse to indicate that the kisses of an enemy are comparable to taking honeycomb with a full soul, which becomes a cause for vomiting up the food in one's stomach; while the wounds of a friend are comparable to taking bitter food with a hungry soul, for on account of the hunger its bitterness is not felt, and benefit is derived from it, since one is thereby nourished and lives by it — the opposite of the case of taking honeycomb with a full soul.
Metzudat David
"Loathes" — Because it is sated, it tramples even a flowing honeycomb. "Every bitter thing" — every bitter thing is reckoned by them as sweet.
Metzudat Zion
"Loathes" (תבוס) — the sense of trampling, as in "he shall tread down our adversaries" (Psalms 60:14). "Honeycomb" (נופת) — the sense of dripping and melting, as in "and the honeycomb['s drippings]" (ibid., Psalms 19:11); the word "drippers" (צופים) is omitted here [in our verse], but is understood on its own.
Malbim
"The full soul loathes a honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet" — pleasantness and unpleasantness [in food] do not depend on the nature of the foods themselves, but rather on the disposition of the person: one who has delicacies comes to be disgusted by them from being accustomed to them, while one who lacks them finds pleasantness in anything. And in this there is a rebuke to those who seek delicacies and cling after them, for the more they attain them in abundance, the more the pleasure ceases from them; and conversely, they would delight in anything if it were withheld from them. The poor man finds more pleasure than the rich man. From this it is clear that these [delicacies] are not the true sought-after goal, for they are attained [in pleasure] specifically when they are not attained [in availability], and they are not attained [in pleasure] when they are attained [in availability].
As a bird that wanders from her nest, So is a man who wanders from his place.
verse value 1782
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. Verse gematria: 1782 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "who·wanders" (נוֹדֵ֥ד, 4 letters) and the longest is "from·his·place" (מִמְּקוֹמֽוֹ, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "that·wanders" (נוֹדֶ֣דֶת), "from·her·nest" (מִן־קִנָּ֑הּ), "who·wanders" (נוֹדֵ֥ד). The root נדד appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "so·a·man" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·her·nest', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כְּ֭צִפּוֹר [like·a·bird] (396) + נוֹדֶ֣דֶת [that·wanders] (464) + מִן־קִנָּ֑הּ [from·her·nest] (245) + כֵּֽן־אִ֝֗ישׁ [so·a·man] (381) + נוֹדֵ֥ד [who·wanders] (64) + מִמְּקוֹמֽוֹ [from·his·place] (232) = 1782.
Rashi
wandering from its nest that goes and wanders, so is a man who wanders from his place, i.e., a Torah scholar who wanders away from his studies, from reviewing what he learned.
Ralbag
"As a bird that wanders from her nest" — for a compelling reason, in that she cannot live in that land because of the intensity of the heat or the intensity of the cold — so too a man who wanders from his place; meaning, it is not fitting for a man to wander from his place unless for a reason comparable to this, as we find with Abraham and Isaac, who were roused to relocate from their place for a compelling reason, namely the famine that was there. Or he means by this that just as a bird that wanders from her nest finds herself without a nest and must build one, so a man who wanders from his place lacks everything.
Metzudat David
"As a bird" — Just as it is hard for a bird to wander from its nest, so it is hard for a man to wander from his place.
Metzudat Zion
"From her nest" (מן קנה) — from her dwelling place.
Malbim
"As a bird that wanders from her nest, So is a man who wanders from his place" — man shares his nature with the other living creatures, and it is embedded in the nature of living creatures that they do not change their place. And even the bird, whose way is to wander, as it is said, "like a bird to wander" — nevertheless, when it wanders from its nest, it seeks to return to it. So too is it the nature of a man to return to his place. And the deeper meaning is that the soul of man also yearns to return to its place, to God who gave it; and while it is in this world it is like a bird wandering from its nest, longing to return to its place, to be bound up in the bundle of life.
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart; So does the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.
verse value 3352
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "oil" (שֶׁ֣מֶן, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·counsel·of·soul" (מֵעֲצַת־נָֽפֶשׁ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 390: oil, rejoices·the·heart. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "oil" (שֶׁ֣מֶן), "and·incense" (וּ֭קְטֹרֶת), "from·counsel·of·soul" (מֵעֲצַת־נָֽפֶשׁ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·friend" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs); "rejoices·the·heart" (root שמח, 21x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'rejoices·the·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: שֶׁ֣מֶן [oil] (390) + וּ֭קְטֹרֶת [and·incense] (715) + יְשַׂמַּֽח־לֵ֑ב [rejoices·the·heart] (390) + וּמֶ֥תֶק [and·the·sweetness·of] (546) + רֵ֝עֵ֗הוּ [his·friend] (281) + מֵעֲצַת־נָֽפֶשׁ [from·counsel·of·soul] (1030) = 3352.
Rashi
Oil and incense The scent of balsamum oil and the scent of incense cause the heart to rejoice. and the sweet words of his friend more than one’s own counsel He whose friend draws him near with words is better than what his [own] soul advises him. Another explanation: and the sweetness of his friend who improves his deeds, that they should be sweet to the Holy One, blessed be He, is better for him than gratifying the desires of his heart.
Ibn Ezra
"Oil" [שמן] — for anointing; and "incense" [וקטרת] — for smelling — give joy to the heart. Likewise, "[the sweetness of a friend] gladdens the heart" — this comes from the counsel of the soul that advises him: the sweetness of confidential counsel. Just as when one takes counsel with his own soul, the sweetness gladdens him — as in, "that together we would take sweet, confidential counsel" (Psalms 55:15) — meaning, we would take counsel in sweet confidence.
Ralbag
"Ointment and perfume" — Behold, the fragrance produced by oil and by abundant sweet-smelling incense gladdens the soul, and these are things that come from outside oneself; so too, the sweetness of a person's fellowship with his friend, in the taking of counsel, is better than the counsel a person takes from within himself, without any other help.
Metzudat David
"Rejoices" — each of these (ointment and perfume) gladdens the heart. "And the sweetness" — so too, sweet words gladden a person when they come from his friend out of counsel of soul, and not in order to flatter and deceive.
Metzudat Zion
"And perfume" (וקטורת) — the smoke of spices.
Malbim
"Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart" — the heart, which is the dwelling-place of the vital soul, rejoices through good oil, which gives off a pleasant scent, and through incense. Even though Hashem has already arranged that [a person] draw in pure air, and the lung waft over the heart a current of vital air, [nonetheless] the spirituality of the soul is aroused by the scent coming from outside, and this adds vigor to its inner power. "So does the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel" — so too, even though the power of counsel is planted [inherently] in the soul, this power is nevertheless strengthened through "the sweetness of his friend" — through the sweetening of counsel together with one's friend — for when the counsel of one's friend, coming from outside, joins the counsel of the soul, then the counsel becomes complete.
Your own friend, and your father’s friend, forsake not; Neither go into your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far off.
verse value 3438
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 59 letters. Verse gematria: 3438 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "your·friend" (רֵ֥עֲךָ֨, 3 letters) and the longest is "do·not·forsake" (אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹ֗ב, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "do·not·forsake" (אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹ֗ב), "your·brother" (אָחִ֗יךָ), "do·not·enter" (אַל־תָּ֭בוֹא). The root רע appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·friend" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs); "better" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs); "and·the·house·of" (root בית, 38x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·calamity', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 5 words.
Rashi
your friend and your father’s friend The Holy One, blessed be He, Who is called a friend to Israel, and your father’s friend, for He endeared your forefathers. Do not forsake And, if you do forsake Him, retribution will befall you. and...your brother’s house Do not rely on the children of Esau and Ishmael that they should befriend you. We find that when Israel was exiled to Babylon, they would say to those who led them in neck irons, “We beg of you, lead us on the way of our brethren, the sons of Esau and Ishmael,” and the sons of Esau went out toward them and welcomed them with various kinds of salty foods and blown up flasks. than a distant brother It is better that the One Who is near to those who call Him dwell among you than that you should come to your brother who distanced himself by saying (Gen. 27:41): “When the days of mourning for my father are at hand, etc.”
Ibn Ezra
"Do not come [into your brother's house] in the day of your calamity" — for he will hate you, similar to "all the brothers of the poor hate him" (Proverbs 19:7). "Better is a neighbor who is near" — for he will be near to help you, better than a brother far from your calamity. Therefore, do not forsake your friends.
Ralbag
"Your own friend, and your father's friend" — Whoever was your friend and your father's friend, do not forsake him, for his love is very good for you; and do not rely on going to your brother's house in the day of your calamity, trusting in this to the point of abandoning the love of your friend, for a neighbor who is near is better for you than a brother who is far from you in distance — for distance of place is among the things that diminish the essence of love, whereas a neighbor who is near will always be ready to help you and benefit you in all your affairs.
Metzudat David
"Your friend" — one who loves you and who also loved your father, so that it is apparent that this love is deeply rooted; therefore do not forsake his love, and do not rely, saying, "Behold, when a day of calamity comes upon me I will go to my brother's house to ask help from him" — for better is a neighbor who is near you at all times, as a beloved friend, than a brother far from you who does not associate with you.
Metzudat Zion
"Your calamity" (אידך) — from the root meaning misfortune, a bad occurrence.
Malbim
"Your own friend, and your father's friend, forsake not" — if you have a friend who has proven himself to you in his love from earlier times, to the point that he was always your friend and your father's friend, do not forsake him. "Neither go into your brother's house in the day of your calamity" — for a brother, even though nature has planted love between brothers, nevertheless his love is present only at a time when things go well for you and at a time when you do not need him; but on the day of your calamity, his love then ceases — whether because "all the brothers of the poor hate him," or because he simply does not wish to help you. "Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far off" — it is then better to have a nearby neighbor — one who is close to you by dwelling beside you always — than one who is distant, even though he is a brother.
My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer the one who taunts me.
verse value 1354
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "be·wise" (חֲכַ֣ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·let·me·answer" (וְאָשִׁ֖יבָה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·let·me·answer" (וְאָשִׁ֖יבָה), "the·one·who·taunts·me" (חֹרְפִ֣י). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "be·wise" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "my·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "my·son" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: חֲכַ֣ם [be·wise] (68) + בְּ֭נִי [my·son] (62) + וְשַׂמַּ֣ח [and·gladden] (354) + לִבִּ֑י [my·heart] (42) + וְאָשִׁ֖יבָה [and·let·me·answer] (324) + חֹרְפִ֣י [the·one·who·taunts·me] (298) + דָבָֽר [a·word] (206) = 1354.
Rashi
Be wise, my son Heb. חכם, become wise, my son. and cause my heart to rejoice and let my heart be happy with you.
Ibn Ezra
"Be wise" [חכם] — meaning, to learn wisdom. "The one who taunts me" [חרפי] — because he had no discerning son.
Ralbag
"My son, be wise" — You, my son, become wise, and by this you will gladden my heart, and it will please me, in that we will be able to respond to the one who taunts me, for the taunts with which he taunts me. But if you are able, arrange it so that I need not respond to my taunter with a word at all, on account of his fear of recounting your faults.
Metzudat David
"Be wise, my son" — So said Solomon to his son: become wise, my son, and gladden my heart, so that I may be able to answer with a word the one who taunts me; for were you to be a fool, I would be forced against my will to put my hand to my mouth (be silent), for I would fear that your defect would be exposed.
Malbim
"My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer the one who taunts me" — meaning, even if until now you have not accepted the statutes of wisdom, be wise now, from this point on, and make my heart glad; for until now people have been taunting me because of you, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, "Cursed is the one who bore this one, cursed is the one who raised this one." Now I will answer the one who taunts me.
A prudent man sees the evil, and hides himself; But the thoughtless pass on, and are punished.
verse value 2792
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "sees" (רָאָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·thoughtless" (פְּ֝תָאיִ֗ם, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "hides·himself" (נִסְתָּ֑ר), "are·punished" (נֶעֱנָֽשׁוּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "evil" (root רעה, 25x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hides·himself', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: עָר֤וּם [prudent] (316) + רָאָ֣ה [sees] (206) + רָעָ֣ה [evil] (275) + נִסְתָּ֑ר [hides·himself] (710) + פְּ֝תָאיִ֗ם [the·thoughtless] (531) + עָבְר֥וּ [pass·on] (278) + נֶעֱנָֽשׁוּ [are·punished] (476) = 2792.
Rashi
A cunning man saw harm He sees the retribution coming upon the earth and hides from it by withdrawing from sin, but the fools did not hide and passed on the way of harm. and were punished They suffered loss.
Ibn Ezra
"Prudent," "the thoughtless pass on" [ערום, פתאים עברו] — here "they pass on" alludes to transgressing a statute or commandment; therefore the thoughtless are punished, and die before their time.
Ralbag
"Prudent" — One who is prudent and wise perceives the knowledge of the body and its vanities, and hides himself from that evil by ruling over his desires. But the thoughtless, who are enticed by their desires, pass through those [dangers], and evil overtakes them — because all such people mix their intellect into the desiring soul, and take from the intellect its garment and its ornament, namely whatever power the [desiring soul] has over it through the apprehension of the intelligibles.
Metzudat David
"A prudent man" — When the prudent man saw the evil that was destined to come, he hid himself from it — meaning, he guarded himself from the evil before it arrived. But the simple ones passed along the way of the evil and did not guard themselves, and the evil overtook them, and punishment and loss came upon them.
Metzudat Zion
"Are punished" (נענשו) — even monetary loss is called "punishment," as in "and they shall fine him a hundred pieces of silver" (Deuteronomy 22:19).
Malbim
"A prudent man sees the evil, and hides himself" — this was already explained (22:3), and there he spoke of the evil of the time [worldly misfortune], while here he speaks of the parallel case regarding the evil of the soul: the prudent man will see the punishment destined for one who forsakes wisdom. And this connects to what he said, "Be wise, my son" — see the end of the matter from its beginning, and do not be like the simple.
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge that is surety for an alien woman.
verse value 1050
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. Verse gematria: 1050 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "a·stranger" (זָ֑ר, 2 letters) and the longest is "take·his·garment" (קַח־בִּ֭גְדוֹ, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "take·his·garment" (קַח־בִּ֭גְדוֹ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "take·his·garment" (root לקח, 24x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'a·stranger', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: קַח־בִּ֭גְדוֹ [take·his·garment] (123) + כִּי־עָ֣רַב [that·is·surety] (302) + זָ֑ר [a·stranger] (207) + וּבְעַ֖ד [and·for] (82) + נׇכְרִיָּ֣ה [an·alien·woman] (285) + חַבְלֵֽהוּ [pledge·him] (51) = 1050.
Rashi
because he stood surety for a stranger A man who stood surety brings about that the judge should say to the creditor, “Take his garment.”
Ibn Ezra
"Take," "he who blesses" [קח, מברך] — covering verses 13–14 — two verses joined together: "he who blesses his friend" — this is the one (i.e., the guarantor) who stood surety for a stranger; and "blesses his friend" also refers to the lender, in a loud voice, so that others will hear the blessing, in order to find favor in his eyes, so that he will not take his garment. But rising early in the morning, when he (the guarantor) rises early for his work, he (the lender) blesses him then — the guarantor will regard his blessing friend as though he had cursed him, yet the lender will not refrain from taking his garment.
Metzudat David
"Take his garment" — Take the garment of the guarantor as a pledge, and you will not be at fault for this, for he made himself a guarantor for the stranger of his own accord, and he brought this upon himself. "And for an alien woman" — This repeats the same idea in different words, to say: whether one is a guarantor on behalf of a man or on behalf of a poor, storm-tossed woman.
Metzudat Zion
"Hold him in pledge" (חבלהו) — the sense of a pledge, as in "if you take [your neighbor's garment] at all as a pledge" (Exodus 22:25).
Malbim
"Take his garment that is surety for a stranger" — this was already explained above (20:16), and there it came according to the parable, while here it is repeated according to the referent [the actual matter being illustrated] that was explained there.
He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It shall be counted a curse to him.
verse value 2314
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "to·him" (לֽוֹ) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 2314 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·him" (לֽוֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "rising·early" (הַשְׁכֵּ֑ים, 5 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "he·who·blesses" (מְבָ֘רֵ֤ךְ), "loud" (גָּ֭דוֹל), "in·the·morning" (בַּבֹּ֣קֶר). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·friend" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'rising·early', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: מְבָ֘רֵ֤ךְ [he·who·blesses] (262) + רֵעֵ֨הוּ [his·friend] (281) + בְּק֣וֹל [in·voice] (138) + גָּ֭דוֹל [loud] (43) + בַּבֹּ֣קֶר [in·the·morning] (304) + הַשְׁכֵּ֑ים [rising·early] (375) + קְ֝לָלָ֗ה [curse] (165) + תֵּחָ֥שֶׁב [shall·be·counted] (710) + לֽוֹ [to·him] (36) = 2314.
Rashi
He who blesses his friend Someone blesses his friend daily, and the blessing is converted into a curse, for people say about him that he is generous with his money and wealthy, and everyone comes and borrows from him, and the government provokes him to collect his money. In this manner, it is interpreted in tractate Arachin (16a). Besides this, it appears in the midrash of Rabbi Tanhuma (Balak 15) as regards Balaam, who blessed Israel with a loud voice, as it is stated (Num. 23:7): “And he took up his discourse, etc.,” an expression of raising the voice, and he later counseled to cause them to sin.
Ralbag
"He who blesses his friend" — One who blesses his friend with a loud voice, and does so habitually, rising early every single morning to bless him — this matter will be counted for him as a curse from Hashem, because he thereby makes of a man something like a god, giving him the thanks and blessing that resemble what is fitting to give to Hashem. Or he may mean: one who blesses his friend with a loud voice for a favor he did him and the grace he showed him, in a manner that people hear his words — it will not be long before this is counted to him as a curse, because it will cause improper people to come and seek from his friend that very thing for which he blessed him. The illustration: if Reuven blessed Shimon with a loud voice for having sent him a jar of good wine, then wicked men will hear his words and go to Shimon [demanding] that he give them of that wine, causing him loss instead of the benefit [the blessing] did him. In a similar matter, a person must be careful not to give his fellow anything by which harm could come to him. The illustration: it may happen that a great officer asked Shimon to send him some of his wine, and he said he had no good wine — and at that very moment Reuven came and blessed Shimon for the good wine he had given him; this would cause that great officer to become angry at Shimon. Indeed, the kinds [of cases] in which harm can come from such a blessing are very numerous. And it is also possible that he means by this: one who proclaims in a loud voice a thought that first came to him while investigating some matter through inquiry — this will cause him to cut short further investigation of it, [neglecting] the other thoughts that occur to him regarding it. This too will be counted to him as a curse, for it is among the things that close before him the gates of inquiry.
Metzudat David
"He who blesses" — one who praises his friend with a loud voice, with great publicity, every morning, rising early — meaning constantly and eagerly — behold, it shall be counted to him as a curse; for when they praise him for his generosity of heart, many will entreat his favor, and so diminish his wealth.
Metzudat Zion
"Blesses" (מברך) — the sense of glorying, as in "he who blesses himself in the land" (Isaiah 65:16).
Malbim
"He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him" — the blessing must be given privately, not with a loud voice, so that the evil eye not take hold of it; and it must be at a time of favor, after the prayer, not early in the morning — for one may not extend greeting before he has prayed, and if he does, it is counted as a curse. And it may be said that this follows on from the verse above, "Take his garment that is surety for a stranger": for one may not take a pledge from the borrower himself, but one does take a pledge from the guarantor; and there is an obligation to return the night-garment taken as a pledge, as it is written, "that he may sleep in his garment and bless you." And it is stated in the Sifrei that it is a commandment for him to bless him; and even though he does not bless him, "it shall be a righteousness for you" — still, one is not obligated to return the pledge of the guarantor. So when he comes in the morning to bless him with a loud voice, as though he had returned the pledge to him, it is counted to him as a curse — for one is not obligated to return it to the guarantor, and no blessing is due to him.
A continual dropping in a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike;
verse value 2636
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "a·dropping" (דֶּ֣לֶף, 3 letters) and the longest is "contentions" (מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "a·dropping" (דֶּ֣לֶף), "continual" (ט֭וֹרֵד), "heavy·rain" (סַגְרִ֑יר). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·day·of" (root יום, 32x in Proverbs); "and·woman·of" (root אשה, 24x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'heavy·rain', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words.
Rashi
A constant dripping Rain that drips from the roof into the house and drives out the inhabitants of the house. on a rainstormy day Heb. סגריר, a rainy day, when all are shut in their houses. and a quarrelsome woman, are alike They are both the same...
Ibn Ezra
"A continual dropping" [דלף] — it is the drip of rain, like "the house drips" (Ecclesiastes 10:18). "A driving" [טורד] — means, expelling; Targum renders "and they drove them out" as "vetardinun." "Rainy day" [סגריר] — the third root-letter is doubled ("kaful ha-lamed"), on the pattern of "zarzif" (drizzle); that is, it refers to a day when people shut themselves indoors because of the driving, expelling drip of rain; or, the rain itself is called "sagrir." "And a contentious woman" — she is compared to the "dripping," in that she is driven away by her neighbors. And one who wishes to contain her, insofar as he does not want to let her strife loose, finds that he contains only wind and vanity. Even if the woman anoints his right hand with oil of myrrh to entice him, it is nothing but wind to him, for he cannot restrain her, and the caprices of the wind are many, and no person has the power to grasp it. Therefore he compared the woman to the wind. And because the right hand is the one readied for every task, he said, "and his right hand," similar to "behold, your right hand."
Ralbag
"A continual dropping" — Just as it is difficult on a day when a person must remain shut up in his house because of the heaviness of the rain, when [the roof] is dripping inside his house so that he cannot protect himself from the rain, so is the matter with a contentious woman: for a man trusts that when he comes to his house he will find rest there, yet she troubles him and pains his heart in such a way that he has no device by which to avoid distress from her.
Metzudat David
"A continual dropping" — Behold, the dripping of rain does not disturb the members of the household except on a day when rain comes, when it is people's way to be shut up inside the house — for then the rain drips into the house and disturbs the household from place to place; but when there is no rain, there is no dripping and no disturbance. But a contentious woman is the same at all times in disturbing her husband.
Metzudat Zion
"Dropping" (דלף) — the sense of dripping, as in "my eye pours down [in tears]" (Job 16:20). "Contentious" (טורד) — the sense of driving away, as in "and you shall be driven [from among men]" (Daniel 4:22). "Very rainy" (סגריר) — from the root meaning shutting in (סגירה). "Are alike" (נשתוה) — from the root meaning equating and comparison.
Malbim
"A continual dropping in a very rainy day" — the dripping is incessant only on a very rainy day, and that is a day when the clouds seal shut, because the wind goes forth from the vapors, as it is written, "He brings forth the wind from His storehouses." But a contentious woman is the same at all times — she is incessant always, even on a clear day.
He who would hide her hides the wind, And the ointment of his right hand betrays itself.
verse value 1492
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "and·the·oil·of" (וְשֶׁ֖מֶן, 4 letters) and the longest is "hides·wind" (צָפַן־ר֑וּחַ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "he·who·hides·her" (צֹפְנֶ֥יהָ), "hides·wind" (צָפַן־ר֑וּחַ), "his·right·hand" (יְמִינ֣וֹ). The root צפן appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hides·wind', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: צֹפְנֶ֥יהָ [he·who·hides·her] (235) + צָפַן־ר֑וּחַ [hides·wind] (434) + וְשֶׁ֖מֶן [and·the·oil·of] (396) + יְמִינ֣וֹ [his·right·hand] (116) + יִקְרָֽא [betrays·itself] (311) = 1492.
Rashi
He who guards her guards the wind He who thinks to watch her from her lewdness guards the wind; just as it is impossible to guard the wind, so will she not be guarded. and he calls “the oil of his right hand” He calls “tzaraath” to come upon him until he drives her out like a “metzora,” who is purified with oil on the thumb of his right hand [as in Lev. 14:17].
Ralbag
"He who would hide her" — One who imagines that he can hide her, so as to cover her disgrace, will not be able to do so, for she will reveal her own vileness — just as a person cannot conceal the wind so that its whereabouts not be known, since by its blowing it makes known its presence and its place; and just as he cannot conceal oil with which his hand has been anointed, for his right hand proclaims to people that he has oil, because of the mark of the oil that is upon it.
Metzudat David
"He who would hide her" — One who thinks to conceal the matter from people is like one who tries to confine the wind, for then it thunders wondrously with its voice; so too a contentious woman — the more one wishes to conceal the matter, the more she goes on increasing. "And the ointment" — like one who anoints himself with oil: if he wishes to conceal it he cannot, for his right hand, with which he anoints, will announce the anointing, since it gives off scent to all who draw near; so too it is impossible to conceal the quarreling of this woman.
Malbim
"He who would hide her hides the wind, and the ointment of his right hand betrays itself" — he has already explained that the north wind brings forth rain: for the north wind, [contained] within the vapors, when it goes forth, brings forth the rain; but while it is hidden within the vapors, there is no rain. So too, if one wishes to hide the "wind" of this woman, in order to contain the rain, he "hides wind" — for the wind rages and storms to go forth. And the oil found on his right hand — because he was struck by her with blows, and the custom is to soften [wounds] with oil (as it is written, "nor bound up, nor softened with oil") — it cries out, publicizes, and exposes the hidden matter.
Iron sharpens iron; So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
verse value 1262
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "sharpens" (יָ֑חַד, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·face·of·his·friend" (פְּנֵֽי־רֵעֵֽהוּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 22: sharpens, sharpens. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "iron" (בַּרְזֶ֣ל), "in·iron" (בְּבַרְזֶ֣ל), "the·face·of·his·friend" (פְּנֵֽי־רֵעֵֽהוּ). The root ברזל appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·man" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "the·face·of·his·friend" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sharpens', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בַּרְזֶ֣ל [iron] (239) + בְּבַרְזֶ֣ל [in·iron] (241) + יָ֑חַד [sharpens] (22) + וְ֝אִ֗ישׁ [and·man] (317) + יַ֣חַד [sharpens] (22) + פְּנֵֽי־רֵעֵֽהוּ [the·face·of·his·friend] (421) = 1262.
Rashi
sharpens the countenance of his friend Heb. יחד, sharpens. Torah scholars sharpen each other in halachah.
Ibn Ezra
"Iron [sharpens] iron" [ברזל בברזל] — the bet of "be-varzel" stands in place of two occurrences; the meaning is "in the presence of his friend," and the sense of the bet is "for the sake of, because of." "Sharpens" [יחד] — from two roots: "ḥadad" (to sharpen) and "yaḥad" (to unite). And wrath is called "face" [פנים], because it is seen in the face, as we find Scripture using "the face of Hashem scattered them" (Lamentations 4:16), and "her face was no longer hers" (1 Samuel 1:18) — its meaning being wrath and anger. And likewise the meaning of "iron" — because iron itself is sharp. So too a man is "sharpened" on account of the face of his friend; that is, he is sharpened to contend with him because of the wrath of his friend.
Ralbag
"Iron sharpens iron" — Just as iron is sharpened by iron, so companions sharpen one another in matters of inquiry.
Metzudat David
"Iron" — Just as one who sharpens an iron knife against another becomes sharp and keen, so do men sharpen one another's countenance — meaning, Torah scholars who sit together and engage in Torah study sharpen one another.
Metzudat Zion
"Sharpens" (יחד) — from the term for sharpness and keenness.
Malbim
"Iron sharpens iron" — the form of the sword and the knife is [determined by] its sharpness; and when one wants to restore its form, one sharpens the iron with another iron and removes the rust. So does a man sharpen the face of his fellow and his form — for through their engaging together with wisdom, and one understanding [what he conveys] to his fellow (as it is said, "I have learned much from my teachers, and even more from my colleagues," etc.), their faces — which are their form — become sharpened; for the form of a man is his intellect, his wisdom, and the powers of his soul.
Whoever keeps the fig-tree shall eat its fruit; And he who waits on his master shall be honored.
verse value 1805
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. Notable word values: "shall·be·honored" (יְכֻבָּֽד) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "he·who·guards" (נֹצֵ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "his·master" (אֲדֹנָ֣יו, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "fig·tree" (תְּ֭אֵנָה). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·he·who·keeps" (root שמר, 31x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'its·fruit', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: נֹצֵ֣ר [he·who·guards] (340) + תְּ֭אֵנָה [fig·tree] (456) + יֹאכַ֣ל [shall·eat] (61) + פִּרְיָ֑הּ [its·fruit] (295) + וְשֹׁמֵ֖ר [and·he·who·keeps] (546) + אֲדֹנָ֣יו [his·master] (71) + יְכֻבָּֽד [shall·be·honored] (36) = 1805.
Rashi
shall eat its fruit and so will one who guards his master be honored and eat the fruit of his deeds.
Ibn Ezra
"Whoever keeps the fig-tree" [נוצר תאנה] — it is possible that this connects with what precedes, meaning that it is not fitting to sharpen oneself (i.e., quarrel) with one's master as with one's friend; and whoever guards him (his master) from every evil thing, that master will honor him.
Ralbag
"Whoever keeps the fig tree" — Just as whoever keeps the fig tree eats its fruit, and were it not for his guarding it, others would eat its fruit, so whoever attends his master will obtain from him the fitting reward. And I think that by "his master" he alludes to the ruling part in man, which is the intellect; for when a person guards it so that the other powers of the soul do not rule over it, honor and wisdom result.
Metzudat David
"Whoever keeps" — Just as one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit in addition to his wage, so one who attends to his master will eat the fruit of the reward for his deeds, for he will also be honored by the master in addition to payment.
Malbim
"Whoever keeps the fig-tree shall eat its fruit; and he who waits on his master shall be honored" — one who wants to eat the fruit of the fig tree must guard it with netzirah (for netzirah is a more intensive form of guarding than mere shemirah), because the fruit of the fig tree ripens one by one, and one must gather it every morning before the sun rises, for otherwise the fruits that have ripened will become worm-infested, as is said in the Midrash and in the Yerushalmi. Therefore one who waits on his master must be present with him every morning, and gather the fruits — namely, the fruit of his wisdom — as is written concerning Joshua, "he did not depart from within the tent." And through this he is honored — he merited the honor that [Moses] laid his hands upon him, as our Sages said.
As in water face answers to face, So the heart of man to man.
verse value 732
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "so" (כֵּ֤ן, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·heart·of·the·man" (לֵֽב־הָ֝אָדָ֗ם, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "like·the·water" (כַּ֭מַּיִם), "the·face" (הַפָּנִ֣ים), "to·the·face" (לַפָּנִ֑ים). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·heart·of·the·man" (root אדם, 44x in Proverbs); "the·face" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·face', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כַּ֭מַּיִם [like·the·water] (110) + הַפָּנִ֣ים [the·face] (185) + לַפָּנִ֑ים [to·the·face] (210) + כֵּ֤ן [so] (70) + לֵֽב־הָ֝אָדָ֗ם [the·heart·of·the·man] (82) + לָאָדָֽם [to·the·man] (75) = 732.
Rashi
As in water the face that you show it, it shows you. is the heart of a man to a man his friend. According to how much a man knows that his friend loves him, so he will show him his face.
Ibn Ezra
"As in water," "Sheol" [כמים, שאול] — covering verses 19–20 — the meaning of "as in water" is that they intensify because other waters mix into them; so too the faces, because of the other face. And the sense is: as water heats up, so the heart of man is full of hostility toward the man who hates him — and this is the correct interpretation. And he mentioned "Sheol" and "Abaddon," because those who hate their fellow men in their hearts for no reason, in effect, descend into them, and they (Sheol and Abaddon) are never satisfied; and the eyes of man likewise are never satisfied with seeing, for when they behold the wicked going down to destruction, they do not say, "we have had enough of seeing it," and so take warning.
Ralbag
"As in water, the face" — Just as an image is formed in water because of the one looking into it, and that image is attributed to his sight, in such a way that through it the form of his face is seen, so is the matter of the heart of one man toward another man: for a man apprehends the essence of his own form through what is conveyed to him from it [the other's heart], and by that conveyance the heart of man comes to see itself. This is explained in our words in the Book of the Soul, and in the first treatise of the Wars of Hashem; and there it is explained how a man brings to actuality this faculty he possesses for the apprehension of the intelligibles, [a faculty that is in itself] abstract and devoid of [any] intelligibles.
Metzudat David
"As in water" — Just as it is the way of water to show a face resembling the face that looks into it — if it is smiling, it appears smiling, and if sad, it appears sad — so is the heart of one man to another: if his heart is good toward his fellow, his fellow's heart will also be good toward him; and if it is evil, his fellow's will be evil as well.
Malbim
"As in water face answers to face, so the heart of man to man" — the heart sends the flow of blood to all the limbs and gives life to all of them, and all the limbs return the choicest of the blood to the heart; thus the heart gives back to the person, in return, what it received from him. And this is like water, in which one who looks sees his own face — for the face that the water gives back to the eye of the one looking is itself the very face it received from the form of the person standing before it. So too, what the heart receives, it returns and gives back. Now, the heart tells a person his own state, for all of a person's faculties show their form in the heart, and therefore it is the heart that perceives all his faculties and foretells for him good or evil — just as the form of a person's face is seen in water. And this has a parallel to the collective heart of the collective body: like the king, who is the heart of the state; [or] the Torah scholar, who is the heart of the community — that what is given to the king, such as taxes and the like, returns and comes back [to the people], just as the limbs receive from the heart that which it supplied to them; and likewise, what is given for the support of a Torah scholar, [the givers] receive back that same bounty through his merit. And Hashem is the heart of Creation, and according to how people ready their deeds, they give You over to the Power above, to pour down upon them a flow of blessing. And Zion was the heart of the Land of Israel, and the bounty that was brought to Zion and the Temple returned to the people, as it is written, "for there Hashem commanded the blessing," and the like.
The nether-world and Destruction are never satiated; So the eyes of man are never satiated.
verse value 2267
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. Notable word values: "and·destruction" (וַ֭אֲבַדֹּה) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "are·sated" (תִשְׂבַּ֑עְנָה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 827: are·sated, are·sated. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·destruction" (וַ֭אֲבַדֹּה), "the·man" (הָ֝אָדָ֗ם). The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "the·man" (root אדם, 44x in Proverbs); "and·the·eyes·of" (root עין, 43x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'are·sated', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: שְׁא֣וֹל [netherworld] (337) + וַ֭אֲבַדֹּה [and·destruction] (18) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תִשְׂבַּ֑עְנָה [are·sated] (827) + וְעֵינֵ֥י [and·the·eyes·of] (146) + הָ֝אָדָ֗ם [the·man] (50) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תִשְׂבַּֽעְנָה [are·sated] (827) = 2267.
Rashi
The grave and Gehinnom will not be sated from receiving the wicked therein, just as the eyes of a wicked man will not be sated from wandering after temptation and gratifying his lust.
Ralbag
"The netherworld and Destruction" — That is, matter, which is the cause of corruption, is never satisfied by clothing itself in forms, for it continually seeks other forms, because the passive powers [within it] are never satisfied by the active powers. So too the heart of man is never satisfied with the intelligibles. In this he explained a deep secret concerning the intellect and prime matter (hyle): for just as prime matter is, in itself, devoid of forms, yet has the capacity to receive all of them, so the relation of prime matter to the forms is [like] the relation of the material intellect to the intelligibles.
Metzudat David
"The netherworld" — The grave and Gehinnom are never satisfied with receiving people; so too the eyes of man are never satisfied with wealth, and he desires still more.
Metzudat Zion
"The nether-world" (שאול) — the pit of the grave. "And Destruction" (ואבדו) — Gehinnom.
Malbim
"The nether-world and Destruction are never satiated; so the eyes of man are never satiated" — the eyes of man and his desires are never satisfied, for whatever he attains of the delights of the time, he will seek more. For the matter out of which man was created is primal matter [heyuli] that continually sheds form and dons form, without cease; and "the nether-world and Destruction are never satiated," for that matter does not remain a moment without loss and constant destruction. Therefore man's nature too is such that he seeks new things at every moment, and whatever delight comes into his hand departs from him at once, and he seeks another in its place. So too his eyes are never satisfied with wealth, for this is [inherent] in the nature of his primal matter, since the nether-world and Destruction trail at his heel.
The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, And a man is tried by his praise.
verse value 1424
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "to·the·mouth·of" (לְפִ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "his·praise" (מַהֲלָלֽוֹ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·the·mouth·of" (לְפִ֣י), "his·praise" (מַהֲלָלֽוֹ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·man" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "to·the·mouth·of" (root פה, 34x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·the·gold', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: מַצְרֵ֣ף [refining·pot] (410) + לַ֭כֶּסֶף [for·the·silver] (190) + וְכ֣וּר [and·furnace] (232) + לַזָּהָ֑ב [for·the·gold] (44) + וְ֝אִ֗ישׁ [and·man] (317) + לְפִ֣י [to·the·mouth·of] (120) + מַהֲלָלֽוֹ [his·praise] (111) = 1424.
Rashi
The refining pot A vessel made to refine silver. The furnace is made to refine gold. A man is refined and considered according to his praise; according to how people praise him for his good deeds, he is tested by the public, whether good or bad.
Ibn Ezra
"The refining pot" [מצרף] — connects to the next verse, "though" [אם, i.e., "though you pound a fool..."]; "crushed grain" [ריפות] means pounded wheat groats. And so the meaning is: there is a refining pot for silver, to refine it. "And the furnace [is] for gold" — to purify it. "And a man" — that is, every person is refined and purified according to his praise; that is, according to the intent behind praising him. But if you pound the fool in the mortar by force, his folly will not depart from him, as the husk would depart from the crushed grain. "And a man" [ואיש] — like "none shall fail" (Isaiah 40:26) — where "ish" means "each one," and it is not equivalent to "ben adam" (a human being).
Ralbag
"The refining pot is for silver" — Silver has a refining pot to refine from it its dross, and this is known to refiners; and for gold there is likewise a special furnace to clarify from it its dross. So it is with other things as well — each of them is purified by the method appropriate and praised for it, which has been shown by experience to clarify its dross. But as for the fool, there is no device by which his dross — that is, his folly — could be clarified, because he considers himself to be wise.
Metzudat David
"The refining pot" — Silver and gold, when people wish to know whether they are good, and how much dross is in them, they take from them a known weight and place them in a furnace, and the dross is burned away, and it remains pure; and by this everything is tested. So too a man is tested according to his praise — as people praise him, so he is.
Metzudat Zion
"The refining pot" (מצרף) — and "furnace" (כור) are names for the vessels of refiners.
Malbim
"The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, and a man is tried by his praise" — silver is refined in a refining pot, while gold, which is more precious and better than silver, requires a furnace to refine it, for the furnace's fire is greater than that of the refining pot, since gold does not melt and its dross is not removed from it as easily as silver's; and also, because of its greater preciousness, one is more particular that it be refined of every trace of dross. So too a man is refined according to his praise: the more he is praised, the more one is particular with him about even the slightest trace of dross — and for a Torah scholar, unwitting sins are accounted to him as deliberate ones. And so the Torah scholar is refined with a fire and afflictions greater than those of ordinary people.
Though you should bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle among groats, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.
verse value 4919
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "in·the·midst·of" (בְּת֣וֹךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "though·you·pound·the·fool" (אִ֥ם־תִּכְתּֽוֹשׁ־אֶת־הָאֱוִ֨יל, 14 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "though·you·pound·the·fool" (אִ֥ם־תִּכְתּֽוֹשׁ־אֶת־הָאֱוִ֨יל), "in·the·mortar" (בַּ֥מַּכְתֵּ֡שׁ), "the·groats" (הָ֭רִיפוֹת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·foolishness" (root אולת, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·pestle', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: אִ֥ם־תִּכְתּֽוֹשׁ־אֶת־הָאֱוִ֨יל [though·you·pound·the·fool] (1620) + בַּ֥מַּכְתֵּ֡שׁ [in·the·mortar] (762) + בְּת֣וֹךְ [in·the·midst·of] (428) + הָ֭רִיפוֹת [the·groats] (701) + בַּעֱלִ֑י [in·the·pestle] (112) + לֹא־תָס֥וּר [will·not·turn·aside] (697) + מֵ֝עָלָ֗יו [from·upon·him] (156) + אִוַּלְתּֽוֹ [his·foolishness] (443) = 4919.
Rashi
grain Heb. הריפות, wheat crushed in a mortar. in a mortar Heb. במכתש, a mortar, in French mortier; Morser in German. with a pestle Heb. בעלי, a pestle, pilon in French, Stossel in German. Since they lift it up (מעלין) and beat with it, it is called עלי.
Ralbag
"Though you should bray" — From this it is clear that even though you were to bray him in a mortar together with the wheat that its owners bray in it to remove its husk and chaff, you would not be able to remove his folly from him. He mentions this here because folly is a strong cause preventing the attainment of perfection, for the fool is satisfied with whatever appears to him about matters at the very first stage of thought.
Metzudat David
"Though you should bray" — Even if you were to place the fool in a mortar among the wheat kernels being crushed, and crush him together with them with the pestle, still his foolishness would not depart from him, for he will not abandon it.
Metzudat Zion
"Bray" (תכתוש) — the sense of pounding and grinding. "In a mortar" (במכתש) — the name of the vessel one pounds in. "Groats" (הריפות) — from the root meaning loosening (רפיון); that is, the wheat grains that are loosened, [i.e.,] peeled from their husks, as in "and she spread groats over it" (II Samuel 17:19). "Pestle" (בעלי) — this is the "hand" of the mortar with which one pounds, as in "and vessels for burnt offerings, and spoons" (II Chronicles 24:14).
Malbim
"Though you bray the fool in a mortar with a pestle among the groats, yet his folly will not depart from him" — the fool cannot be refined, and the dross cannot be removed from him even by the greatest of afflictions. Now, the fool ("evil") is one who doubts the laws of wisdom and does not believe in them, and therefore afflictions do not help him — unlike the dullard ("kesil"), who does not doubt the laws of wisdom, but rather it is his desire that blinds his eyes; and likewise the simpleton ("peti"), who does not doubt on his own account but is only enticed by the counsel of others, as it is written, "the simple inherit folly" (Proverbs 14:18) — these can be corrected through affliction. Not so the fool, who attributes everything to chance. We have already explained (Isaiah 28) that there are seeds whose chaff clings to them by a mere neighboring attachment and is removed easily; but the husk of wheat and barley, when one wishes to make groats from it, must be pounded in a mortar until the husk, which clings by an attachment that is part of its essence, is removed. But the fool — even if you pound him in the mortar, the husk will not be removed from him, because the husk has become intermingled with his inner substance, for the root of his folly is in his intellect, unlike the dullard, whose root is in the strength of his desire. So too, even if they pound the fool, he will doubt both the pounding and its purpose. And even though they pound him amid the groats, so that he sees that all the groats have had their husks removed, and he observes that this is the purpose of the pounding, and he recognizes the pounding instrument — the pestle — that it is made for this purpose — nevertheless he will doubt, and remain in his folly. That is to say: even though he sees that comprehensive afflictions have come, and that many wicked people have repented through them, he himself will remain in his doubts and in his folly.
Be you diligent to know the state of your flocks, And look well to your herds;
verse value 1975
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "surely" (יָדֹ֣עַ, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·flocks" (לַעֲדָרִֽים, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "your·flock" (צֹאנֶ֑ךָ), "to·flocks" (לַעֲדָרִֽים). The root ידע appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "the·face·of" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs); "surely" (root ידע, 35x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·flock', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: יָדֹ֣עַ [surely] (84) + תֵּ֭דַע [know] (474) + פְּנֵ֣י [the·face·of] (140) + צֹאנֶ֑ךָ [your·flock] (161) + שִׁ֥ית [set] (710) + לִ֝בְּךָ֗ [your·heart] (52) + לַעֲדָרִֽים [to·flocks] (354) = 1975.
Rashi
the condition of your flocks lit. the face of your flocks. Do not think lightly of always paying attention to them to determine what they require.
Ibn Ezra
"Know" (yadoa, v.23), "wealth" (choson, v.24), "is revealed" (galah, v.25), "lambs" (kevasim, v.26), and "enough" (vedai, v.27) — [23–27]: these five [verses] are connected. "Set your heart" — [meaning] that you should not forget them, and you should not set your heart on great rank, for treasure and kingship do not last forever. It appears that the grasses and herbs will be gathered along with you and will be food for your flocks; the lambs will be for your clothing; the male goats [will be given] in exchange for a field; and the milk will serve as your food, the food of your household, and the sustenance by which your maidservants shall live.
Ralbag
"Be you diligent to know" — When you wish to derive the intelligibles from sense-perception, know the state of your flock — that is, the sensible things toward which you are drawn. "And look well to your herds" — That is, to the consistent/harmonious sense-perceptions through which the needed repetition [of observation] is completed, for it is from these that you will arrive at the true intelligibles. But if you were to content yourself with whatever you attain from sense-perception without the repetition appropriate to it, much error would result from this in the acquisition of the intelligibles, as has been explained in its proper places. And it is for this reason that he drew this comparison here, just as he said in the Song of Songs, "like a flock of ewes," according to what we explained there.
Metzudat David
"To know" — Set your heart to know for yourself the condition of your flocks, what they need. "Look well to the herds" — to give them what suffices for their needs; this repeats the same idea in different words.
Metzudat Zion
"Set" (שית) — the sense of placing.
Malbim
"Know well the state of your flocks" — this teaches you not to leave your affairs in the hands of others, but rather to oversee them yourself, until you know your flock face to face; and strive so that they be fruitful and multiply, until they become flocks upon flocks.
For riches are not for ever; And does the crown endure to all generations?
verse value 1325
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·if·crown" (וְאִם־נֵ֝֗זֶר, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·if·crown" (וְאִם־נֵ֝֗זֶר), "to·generation" (לְד֣וֹר), "and·generation" (וָדֽוֹר). The root דור appears 3 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root דור ("to·generation") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'riches', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words.
Rashi
For riches are not forever For, if you are rich with silver and gold, perhaps it will not last forever. Therefore, do not despise your small things.
Ibn Ezra
"Riches" [choson] — treasure.
Ralbag
"For riches are not forever" — It is fitting that one hurry to acquire sense-perceptible things in this manner, for strength, vigor, and power to strive after these attainments and to acquire them do not remain with a person forever; for when a person dies, this power — which belongs to him on the side of matter — departs from him. Yet the crown and kingship possessed by the intellect, through what it has acquired of the intelligibles, endure for it generation after generation, for the acquired intellect is eternal. And [Solomon] knew that sense-perceptible things first reach the senses, and afterward reach, by means of them, the common sense, their rank in it being close to the rank they had in each particular sense — except that the common sense is not affected by them in the way that the senses are affected by their sense-objects. After this they draw near to the apprehension of spiritual things, and many of the husks are stripped away from them as they reach the faculty of memory, retention, and imagination, as has been explained in the Book of the Senses and the Sensed.
Metzudat David
"For, etc." — Even though your hand has attained abundance, nevertheless do not withdraw your hand even from this (from tending the flocks), for the strength of riches will not endure forever, and then you will be sustained by your flocks of sheep. "And does the crown" — and is the crown of riches a thing that endures for all generations? This repeats the same idea in different words.
Metzudat Zion
"Riches" (חוסן) — the sense of strength, and it is said of wealth, as in "they have taken treasure and precious things" (Ezekiel 22:25). "Crown" (נזר) — a diadem.
Malbim
"For riches are not forever" — even if you have riches and abundant wealth, do not rely on it, for it does not last forever, and it could be that you will become impoverished. And even if you have a crown that endures all the days of your life, it does not last for generation after generation, and it could be that your children will not inherit the crown.
When the hay is mown, and the tender grass shows itself, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in;
verse value 2149
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "is·gone" (גָּלָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·appears·grass" (וְנִרְאָה־דֶ֑שֶׁא, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "is·gone" (גָּלָ֣ה), "hay" (חָ֭צִיר), "and·appears·grass" (וְנִרְאָה־דֶ֑שֶׁא). 6 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·appears·grass', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: גָּלָ֣ה [is·gone] (38) + חָ֭צִיר [hay] (308) + וְנִרְאָה־דֶ֑שֶׁא [and·appears·grass] (567) + וְ֝נֶאֶסְפ֗וּ [and·are·gathered] (203) + עִשְּׂב֥וֹת [herbs·of] (778) + הָרִֽים [mountains] (255) = 2149.
Rashi
When the hay is carried away When the hay is carried away in the days of Nissan, the grass becomes visible, and the grasses are gathered to grow (?), then it will be beneficial to you, for you will have the fleece of the lambs for your clothing.
Ralbag
"When the hay is mown" — Therefore he said that when the hay — that is, the grass which a sense produces from its sense-objects — is mown and removed, then it produces tender grass in the common sense.
Metzudat David
"Shows itself" — sometimes the hay is uncovered and the tender grass appears, and sometimes the herbs of the mountains are gathered in and consumed; therefore pay attention to prepare for the time when they will not be found.
Metzudat Zion
"Are gathered in" (ונאספו) — the sense of consumption/ending, as in "I will utterly consume them" (Jeremiah 8:13).
Malbim
"The hay is uncovered" — when the time of summer arrives, the time when the hay — which is food for cattle in the barn, as it is written, "Who makes grass grow for the cattle" (Psalm 104:14) — is uncovered, and the tender grass appears, the earth's being clothed in grass, which is for grazing in the field; and the herbage of the mountains, to which the flock cannot ascend, is gathered into the house to be ready for the time of need. And then.
The lambs will be for your clothing, And the goats the price for a field.
verse value 1863
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "field" (שָׂ֝דֶ֗ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·your·clothing" (לִלְבוּשֶׁ֑ךָ, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "lambs" (כְּבָשִׂ֥ים), "for·your·clothing" (לִלְבוּשֶׁ֑ךָ), "and·price·of" (וּמְחִ֥יר). 5 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root לבוש ("for·your·clothing") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·your·clothing', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: כְּבָשִׂ֥ים [lambs] (372) + לִלְבוּשֶׁ֑ךָ [for·your·clothing] (388) + וּמְחִ֥יר [and·price·of] (264) + שָׂ֝דֶ֗ה [field] (309) + עַתּוּדִֽים [goats] (530) = 1863.
Rashi
and... the worth of the field The he-goats will be worth as much as a field because you will eat the flesh and sell the hides.
Ibn Ezra
"The price [mechir] of silver" — [meaning] exchange, as in this instance of "silver [as] a price." And in my opinion, from the same [root] is "the price of a dog" [mechir kelev] (Deuteronomy 23:19) — exchange and substitution. And it appears [to derive] from the sense of "the day that has passed." And likewise the interpretation of "the face of your flock" [pnei tzonecha, v.23] — [means] that they have set their faces to go there. "Set your heart" — [meaning] that you should not forget them, and you should not set your heart on great rank, for treasure and kingship do not last forever. It appears that the grasses and herbs will be gathered along with you and will be food for your flocks; the lambs will be for your clothing; the male goats [will be given] in exchange for a field; and the milk will serve as your food, the food of your household, and the sustenance by which your maidservants shall live.
Ralbag
"The lambs will be for your clothing" — And when these grasses are cut down, the faculty of memory and retention receives them, so that from them there come to be "lambs" for the intellect to clothe itself in a garment of adornment; and instead of "the produce of the field," there come to you "goats," which are immeasurably more honored than the produce of the field.
Metzudat David
"The lambs" — The fleece of the lambs will serve for your clothing, and the he-goats will be worth to you the value of a field; for just as the produce of a field is harvested year after year while the land endures forever, so the fleece of the he-goats will continue — the he-goats endure, impregnating their females, who bear many young, and these too endure as assets for their owners.
Metzudat Zion
"The price" (ומחיר) — the sense of the value and worth of a thing, as in "they acquired at a price" (II Chronicles 1:16). "He-goats" (עתודים) — male goats.
Malbim
"The lambs will be for your clothing" — the lambs ("kevasim"), whose wool is good for clothing, as it is said, "Why are they called kevasim...?", etc. — will be for clothing; and the he-goats you shall sell, and with their price you shall buy a field.
And there will be goats’ milk enough for your food, for the food of your household; And maintenance for your maidens.
verse value 1715
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "and·enough·of" (וְדֵ֤י, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·your·maidens" (לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·enough·of" (וְדֵ֤י), "goats" (עִזִּ֗ים), "for·your·bread" (לְֽ֭לַחְמְךָ). The root לחם appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·house" (root בית, 38x in Proverbs); "and·life" (root חי, 32x in Proverbs); "for·your·bread" (root לחם, 21x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·house', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְדֵ֤י [and·enough·of] (20) + חֲלֵ֬ב [milk·of] (40) + עִזִּ֗ים [goats] (127) + לְֽ֭לַחְמְךָ [for·your·bread] (128) + לְלֶ֣חֶם [for·the·bread·of] (108) + בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ [your·house] (432) + וְ֝חַיִּ֗ים [and·life] (74) + לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ [for·your·maidens] (786) = 1715.
Rashi
and enough for your sustenance. For your food and the food of your household; you will have sufficient goat milk. This is the figure. The allegory is: the condition of your flocks The teacher who is appointed over the congregation is required to carry them in his bosom and to lead them slowly. For riches are not forever and thereby, he eats the fruit, and the principal remains. When the hay is carried away When his laws are disseminated and the Torah is magnified through him, then these lambs will be his clothing, and the disciples shall be to him for a name and for raiment of glory and beauty.
Ralbag
"And goats' milk enough" — There will come to you from them goat's milk sufficient for your bread — that is, what he acquires from them of the intelligibles will suffice for the bread of your household, which is built through wisdom, and in it there is life for your maidens, these being the faculties that serve the intellect. And this is for two reasons: the first, that through wisdom a person is guided to obtain the bread of his portion with ease, as it is said, "Length of days is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor" (Proverbs 3:16); and the second, that through it a person is watched over by Hashem, and because of this he finds the bread of his portion and is protected from the evils destined to come upon him.
Metzudat David
"And goats' milk enough" — May you have enough goats' milk to cover your need, for your own food and for the food of the members of your household, and by this your maidens will find sustenance and not die of hunger. And this is a parable, to say: even if you have gained wisdom in profound, theoretical matters, also learn simple matters that require little study, so that you will be able to occupy yourself with them at a time when your intellectual powers weaken, and so as to teach someone whose understanding is too limited to grasp theoretical matters — and thus give him life through simple things.
Metzudat Zion
"Enough" (ודי) — the sense of sufficiency for one's needs. "For your food" (ללחמך) — for your sustenance. "For the food of your household" (ללחם ביתך) — as though written "וללחם ביתך," with a vav [i.e., "and for the food of your household"].
Malbim
"And there will be goats' milk enough for your bread" — the goats, whose milk is good for health, will be for your bread and for the bread of the members of your household; and even the young women and the maidservants, although they will not eat the milk regularly as a set food, will obtain from it life and health.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim