He who hardens his neck against reproof shall suddenly be broken beyond remedy. When the righteous are increased the people rejoice; where there is no vision the people cast off restraint; and a man's pride shall bring him low.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
He who being often reproved hardens his neck Shall suddenly be broken, and that without remedy.
verse value 3396
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "man·of" (אִ֣ישׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "hardening·neck" (מַקְשֶׁה־עֹ֑רֶף, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "hardening·neck" (מַקְשֶׁה־עֹ֑רֶף). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "and·there·is·no" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hardening·neck', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: אִ֣ישׁ [man·of] (311) + תּ֭וֹכָחוֹת [reproofs] (840) + מַקְשֶׁה־עֹ֑רֶף [hardening·neck] (795) + פֶּ֥תַע [suddenness] (550) + יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר [will·be·broken] (512) + וְאֵ֣ין [and·there·is·no] (67) + מַרְפֵּֽא [healing] (321) = 3396.
Rashi
but stiffens his nape not to listen. will suddenly be broken He will quickly be broken.
Ibn Ezra
"A man" — who needs reproofs, and they rebuke him constantly; and he who hardens his neck shall suddenly be broken, and there will be no healing for him.
Ralbag
"He who being often reproved" — When a man is one to whom evils come from Hashem by way of reproof — that is, he is reproved with afflictions in order to remove him from the evil in which he is caught, whether in character traits or in beliefs — and he, despite this, hardens his neck and does not want to abandon his way, he will be broken by evil suddenly, in a manner that there will be no remedy for him. And this is measure for measure: he did not want to be healed, and the more he was struck, the more he added rebellion; therefore evil will come upon him that cannot be cured.
Metzudat David
"He who is often reproved" — one who is in need of reproof, and hardens his neck and is unwilling to listen, shall be broken suddenly, with no one to heal him.
Malbim
"A man of reproofs" — a person turns back from sin either through reproof or through suffering. That is: either it is shown to him, through rational argument, that his way is not good, and he repents as a result of the prompting of the intellect; or, if he is "a man of reproofs" — meaning he argues and refutes the proofs brought to him rationally, standing against them in dispute — then sufferings will benefit him, and he will repent out of fear of punishment. But if he is also stiff-necked, so that even though sufferings have come upon him he does not turn back from his wickedness, then he "will suddenly be broken, and there will be no remedy." That is: precisely because he is "a man of reproofs," he will suddenly be broken. However, if he does not stiffen his neck, he will then have healing of the soul — for just as the body is healed by bitter medicines, so the soul is healed through suffering — but if he is stiff-necked, there is no remedy.
When the righteous are increased, the people rejoice; but when the wicked bears rule, the people sigh.
verse value 2464
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "people" (עָֽם, 2 letters) and the longest is "just" (צַ֭דִּיקִים, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "the·people" (הָעָ֑ם), "and·when·ruling·of" (וּבִמְשֹׁ֥ל), "sighs" (יֵאָ֥נַֽח). The root עם appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "rejoices" (root שמח, 21x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: בִּרְב֣וֹת [when·increasing·of] (610) + צַ֭דִּיקִים [just] (254) + יִשְׂמַ֣ח [rejoices] (358) + הָעָ֑ם [the·people] (115) + וּבִמְשֹׁ֥ל [and·when·ruling·of] (378) + רָ֝שָׁ֗ע [wicked] (570) + יֵאָ֥נַֽח [sighs] (69) + עָֽם [people] (110) = 2464.
Ibn Ezra
"When the righteous are increased" — like the matter of "great is the glory" [rabbah tif'eret] (28:12).
Ralbag
"When the righteous are increased" — Under the dominion of the righteous, the people rejoice, because they [the righteous] love those they govern and strive for their betterment as much as possible, while, for their part, they [the righteous] are also watched over by Hashem. And all of this is the opposite when the wicked rules — and the matter is self-evident.
Metzudat David
"When the righteous are increased" — at the time when the righteous grow great and rule over the people, then the people rejoice, for on their account they will be watched over by Hashem.
Metzudat Zion
"Are increased" (be-rvot) — an expression of greatness, as in "and the king's chief officers (rabei ha-melekh)" (Jeremiah 41:1). "Sigh" (ye'anach) — from the language of sighing (anachah).
Malbim
"When the righteous increase, the people rejoice" — because: * they conduct themselves with righteousness and justice, * their yoke is made light, * there is tranquility in their palaces, * and the blessing of Hashem is upon them. "And when a wicked man rules, the people groan" — because: * their yoke is made heavy, * there is no justice or righteousness in the land, * and the curse of Hashem is upon their house. And it says "when the righteous increase" but "when a [single] wicked man rules," because the righteous person: * does not rule [alone], for absolute rule is by a strong hand, * and likewise does not lead alone, but takes counsel, and all of them together guide the people to tranquil waters; and the righteous then increase, whether in number, or in growth and greatness. But the wicked man: * rules with a strong hand, * and he alone, for he need show favor to no man.
Whoever loves wisdom rejoices his father; but he who keeps company with harlots wastes his substance.
verse value 1597
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "wisdom" (חׇ֭כְמָה, 4 letters) and the longest is "destroys·wealth" (יְאַבֶּד־הֽוֹן, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "man·loving" (אִישׁ־אֹהֵ֣ב), "harlots" (ז֝וֹנ֗וֹת), "destroys·wealth" (יְאַבֶּד־הֽוֹן). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wisdom" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "man·loving" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "and·keeping·company·with" (root רעה, 25x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·father', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: אִישׁ־אֹהֵ֣ב [man·loving] (319) + חׇ֭כְמָה [wisdom] (73) + יְשַׂמַּ֣ח [rejoices] (358) + אָבִ֑יו [his·father] (19) + וְרֹעֶ֥ה [and·keeping·company·with] (281) + ז֝וֹנ֗וֹת [harlots] (469) + יְאַבֶּד־הֽוֹן [destroys·wealth] (78) = 1597.
Rashi
but one who keeps company with harlots Heb. ורעה. He joins harlots to himself, as its apparent meaning. Our Sages, however, said: “He who says, ‘This tradition is acceptable, I will learn it, but this one is not acceptable, I will not learn it.’” The support [for this view] from the verse is that זונות throughout the Scriptures is not spelled fully [with two “vavim”] except this once only.
Ibn Ezra
"A man," "rejoices" — [meaning] a son of joy to his father. "And [he who] keeps company with" [ve-ro'eh] — from [the root] "your companion" [re'akha], or in the sense of "according to their pasture, and they were satisfied" [ke-mir'itam va-yisbe'u] (Hosea 13:6); that is, one who sustains/supports harlots; and the proof is [the phrase]: "wastes his substance" [ye'abed hon].
Ralbag
"Whoever loves wisdom rejoices his father" — because of the goodness of his discipline and conduct; and whoever is drawn after desires and keeps company with harlots wastes his father's wealth, and loses thereby the acquisition of all wealth and all human perfection.
Metzudat David
"But he who keeps company [with harlots]" — one who attaches himself to harlots loses his father's wealth by giving them a harlot's hire, and further causes his father grief.
Metzudat Zion
"Keeps company" (ve-ro'eh) — from the language of friendship (re'ut) and joining.
Malbim
"A man who loves wisdom rejoices his father" — the trait of love that is planted in the soul, if one uses it properly, becomes love of wisdom, goodness, and righteousness; and a man who uses the trait of love to love wisdom rejoices his father, as it is written, "a wise son rejoices his father," for afterward wisdom will enter his heart and he will become a wise son. But one who uses the trait of love to love harlots wastes his father's wealth. And it also speaks on the level of the allegorical meaning: if he loves external [forms of] wisdom — which are called "the strange woman," "the foreign woman," and "the harlot" spoken of in this book — he wastes the wealth of the soul that it had gathered from the laws of wisdom. And the Sages expounded on [the phrase] "he who consorts with harlots": "[he says,] this teaching is fitting, and that one is not fitting" — "he wastes the wealth of Torah." For this refers to one who loves foreign women, [that is,] external wisdoms, and does not accept the laws of wisdom in faith, but instead examines them with his own reasoning and decides for himself what seems good in his own eyes and what does not — such a person "wastes wealth."
The king by justice establishes the land; but he who exacts gifts overthrows it.
verse value 2645
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "king" (מֶ֗לֶךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "gifts" (תְּרוּמ֣וֹת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "establishes" (יַעֲמִ֣יד), "gifts" (תְּרוּמ֣וֹת), "tears·it·down" (יֶהֶרְסֶֽנָּה). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·man·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "king" (root מלך, 24x in Proverbs); "in·justice" (root משפט, 20x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'land', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: מֶ֗לֶךְ [king] (90) + בְּ֭מִשְׁפָּט [in·justice] (431) + יַעֲמִ֣יד [establishes] (134) + אָ֑רֶץ [land] (291) + וְאִ֖ישׁ [and·man·of] (317) + תְּרוּמ֣וֹת [gifts] (1052) + יֶהֶרְסֶֽנָּה [tears·it·down] (330) = 2645.
Rashi
establishes the country If he is an honest judge, he establishes the country. but a haughty man Heb. תרומות, a haughty man, who does not care to take time in judgment. Our Rabbis (Keth. 105b) stated: “If the judge is like a king, who does not have to acquire friends and accept bribes, he establishes the country. But if he is like a priest, who asks for terumoth in the threshing floors, he tears it down.”
Ibn Ezra
"But a man of tributes" [terumot] — we know that the tribute of the prince (nasi), which he takes from the people of the land, is a sixth of an ephah (cf. Ezekiel 45:13); that is, a king who acts with justice establishes the land, but a man who takes tributes greater than the known measure destroys it.
Ralbag
"The king" — The king establishes the land through justice, for this will be the cause for the perfecting of the good order of the state, so that they will not oppress one another. But if the ruler perverts justice for the sake of a "gift" that he sets aside for himself from the wrongdoing that is done — for example, if Reuben owes Simeon a hundred maneh, and Reuben is released from liability if he sets aside and lifts up for [the ruler] some sum from the hundred maneh — such a person will destroy the land and ruin it, because this will cause the order of the state to become confused, since each person will oppress his fellow and trust that through the bribe he gives to the ruler he will be released. And such a person is not [truly] called a king, for one such as he is not fit to be a king.
Metzudat David
"By justice" — on account of the justice that he administers among the people, the state is established, for they will cease from the oppression of their hands, since he brings everything to judgment; but "a man who loves gifts" — meaning, when they set aside for him a portion of the extortion and he abandons justice — he destroys the people of the state, for the oppressors will multiply.
Metzudat Zion
"Gifts" (terumot) — an expression of setting aside, as in "that they take for Me an offering (terumah)" (Exodus 25:2).
Malbim
"The king by justice establishes the land, but a man of exactions overthrows it" — the king and the High Priest [Kohen Gadol] would establish the foundations of justice and righteousness. That is: the king was appointed to establish justice in the land between one man and another, while the High Priest was in charge of the keeping of the House of God — the service of Hashem — and of instruction in Torah and the commandments, so as to establish righteousness, which consists of the commandments between man and the Omnipresent. And when the two of them walked in the way of Hashem, they would establish the land. And it says that sometimes the king establishes the land through justice, while "the man of exactions" overthrows it — [meaning] if the High Priest and the priests under him do not occupy themselves with setting the people straight, but only with taking [priestly] gifts and enriching themselves, they tear down what the king builds; for in the absence of the service of Hashem, faith, and righteousness, justice too will not be established. And it says, "Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness."
A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his steps.
verse value 2566
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "man" (גֶּ֭בֶר, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·his·steps" (עַל־פְּעָמָֽיו, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "flatters" (מַחֲלִ֣יק), "upon·his·neighbor" (עַל־רֵעֵ֑הוּ), "net" (רֶ֝֗שֶׁת). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·his·neighbor" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·his·neighbor', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: גֶּ֭בֶר [man] (205) + מַחֲלִ֣יק [flatters] (188) + עַל־רֵעֵ֑הוּ [upon·his·neighbor] (381) + רֶ֝֗שֶׁת [net] (900) + פּוֹרֵ֥שׂ [spreads] (586) + עַל־פְּעָמָֽיו [for·his·steps] (306) = 2566.
Rashi
flatters Heb. מחליק, talks smoothly.
Ibn Ezra
"A man," "in the transgression" — [5–6] "flatters" [machalik] — speaks smoothly to his neighbor, so that perhaps he may deceive him. "His steps" [pe'amav] — connects with "a man who flatters" [gever machalik], in the sense of "and his net that he hid shall catch him" (Psalms 35:8), and the following verse serves as proof; that is, on account of transgression an evil man is snared, or [it is] one evil snare.
Ralbag
"A man who flatters" — A man who makes the road slippery for his neighbor's sake, so that he will fall upon those slippery spots, spreads a net for his own steps instead, in place of what he intended to make his neighbor fall into.
Metzudat David
"A man who flatters" — whoever smooths the road so that his neighbor's feet will slip on it and he will fall to the ground — behold, by this he spreads a net for his own steps; meaning, he himself will stumble through the very harm that he devised against another.
Metzudat Zion
"His steps" (pe'amav) — his feet, as in "he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked" (Psalms 58:11).
Malbim
"A man who flatters [machalik al] his neighbor" — "al" here carries the sense of "iniquity" [avel/ol]. If he smooths over his neighbor's wrongdoing with his smooth tongue, telling him that it is not wrongdoing, he "spreads a net for his steps" — [meaning] he wants him to go on doing wrong until he is caught in the net. And it is comparable to one who smooths the path along which an animal will walk, in order to trap it in his net: so too he smooths the crooked, evil paths of his [neighbor's] soul, so that he will be caught in the net of sin and be cut off.
In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare; but the righteous does sing and rejoice.
verse value 2309
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "evil" (רָ֣ע, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·just" (וְ֝צַדִּ֗יק, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "sings" (יָר֥וּן). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "evil" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs); "and·just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'snare', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּפֶ֤שַֽׁע [in·transgression·of] (452) + אִ֣ישׁ [man] (311) + רָ֣ע [evil] (270) + מוֹקֵ֑שׁ [snare] (446) + וְ֝צַדִּ֗יק [and·just] (210) + יָר֥וּן [sings] (266) + וְשָׂמֵֽחַ [and·joyful] (354) = 2309.
Rashi
When a wicked man sins a snare will come. and a righteous man who did not go in his ways, sings and rejoices.
Ibn Ezra
"But the righteous sings" — within himself, over his [the wicked man's] snare.
Ralbag
"In the transgression of an evil man" — Because of the transgression of a land, an evil man arises anew, and many stumble along with him — woe to the wicked man and woe to his neighbor! But the righteous man escapes that evil, and he sings for joy over his own escape and over the downfall of the wicked man, as it is said, "and when the wicked perish, there is joyous song" (Proverbs 11:10). Or the intent may be that because of the transgression of an evil man, a snare arises for him into which he falls, whereas the righteous man is the opposite of this, for good things come to him from it, so much so that he already sings and rejoices continually because of the abundance of his success, owing to the attachment of divine providence to him.
Metzudat David
"In the transgression [of an evil man]" — on account of the transgression of an evil man, a snare will come upon him; but the righteous man, who did not walk in his ways, will sing and rejoice, for the snare will not fall upon him.
Malbim
"In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare" — the transgression itself is the snare in which the evil man will be caught; "and then the righteous will sing and rejoice," for then Hashem's judgments will be seen, as it is written (Psalms 9:16): "The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made... Hashem has made Himself known, He has executed judgment; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." "Higgaion" — [that is: then comes] reflection, for then people will learn a lesson not to do evil.
The righteous takes knowledge of the cause of the poor; the wicked understands not knowledge.
verse value 1583
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "knows" (יֹדֵ֣עַ, 3 letters) and the longest is "does·not·understand" (לֹא־יָבִ֥ין, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 84: knows, poor. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "does·not·understand" (לֹא־יָבִ֥ין). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "does·not·understand" (root בין, 46x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'poor', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: יֹדֵ֣עַ [knows] (84) + צַ֭דִּיק [just] (204) + דִּ֣ין [cause·of] (64) + דַּלִּ֑ים [poor] (84) + רָ֝שָׁ֗ע [wicked] (570) + לֹא־יָבִ֥ין [does·not·understand] (103) + דָּֽעַת [knowledge] (474) = 1583.
Rashi
the judgment of the poor The torments of the poor and what they require, and puts his mind to them.
Ibn Ezra
"The righteous knows the cause of the poor" — because he occupies himself with pleading their case. "But the wicked" — does not understand knowledge and judgment.
Ralbag
"The righteous knows" — Behold, the righteous person knows the justice and law due to the poor, and strives to give them their due — whether with respect to the faculties of his soul that serve the intellect, as it says, "A man of kindness benefits his own soul" (Proverbs 11:17), or with respect to the matters in which they lack bread and clothing. But the wicked person does not give his intellect its due of the ideas [it deserves]. And this is the reverse of the case with the righteous: for the righteous person is attentive toward others, to give them their due even in the lesser matters, whereas the wicked person does not give its due even to the more honorable part of himself.
Metzudat David
"The cause of the poor" — the sufferings of the poor and the distress of the needy. "Understands not" — he does not pay heed to understand and know their want.
Metzudat Zion
"The cause" (din) — its meaning is the matter of [their] suffering (mishpat yisurim), i.e., the plight of the afflicted.
Malbim
"The righteous knows the cause of the poor" — the righteous person is one who performs an act of righteousness; he knows the "din" [legal claim] of the poor. There is a difference between "din" and "mishpat": "mishpat" refers to a matter whose ruling is [already] clear, while "din" refers to the arguments/claims in a matter whose ruling is not [yet] clear. And nevertheless, the righteous knows its "din" with clear knowledge, for through his engagement in the act of righteousness he recognizes with whom the right lies. But the wicked person not only does not know the "din" — he also does not understand "da'at" [knowledge], even regarding a matter that is [already] clarified, which is called "da'at," that is, the clarified "mishpat" — he does not understand it, since in his wickedness his way is the opposite of righteousness and justice, and therefore he does not understand even the known "mishpat" either.
Scornful men set a city in a blaze; But wise men turn away wrath.
verse value 1499
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "wrath" (אָֽף, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·wise" (וַ֝חֲכָמִ֗ים, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "kindle" (יָפִ֣יחוּ), "and·wise" (וַ֝חֲכָמִ֗ים), "turn·away" (יָשִׁ֥יבוּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·wise" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "men·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "turn·away" (root שוב, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'city', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַנְשֵׁ֣י [men·of] (361) + לָ֭צוֹן [scorning] (176) + יָפִ֣יחוּ [kindle] (114) + קִרְיָ֑ה [city] (315) + וַ֝חֲכָמִ֗ים [and·wise] (124) + יָשִׁ֥יבוּ [turn·away] (328) + אָֽף [wrath] (81) = 1499.
Rashi
inflame Heb. יפיחו, lit. they blow. They inflame it like a flame of fire that is fanned by the wind.
Ibn Ezra
"Set [a city] ablaze" [yafichu] — [related to] "surround," "snares" [pachim]; that is, Hashem places snares to trap them, on account of scornful men. "But wise men" — through their wisdom they turn back [wrath]; indeed, Hashem [turns it back], and they [the wise] are saved from the snares.
Ralbag
"Scornful men" — Scoffers cause strife and quarreling to arise, and this is evident from their conduct. The wise, however, are the opposite of this, for they are the cause of peace arising, and with their wisdom they turn back the anger and wrath that some people have toward others.
Metzudat David
"Set [a city] in a blaze" — they inflame the city with the flame of the fire of strife, like the wind that fans a fire to raise the flame, for their way is to stir up quarrels among people. "Turn away wrath" — their way is to mediate peace and to turn back a man's wrath from his brother.
Metzudat Zion
"Set [a city] ablaze" (yafichu) — an expression of blowing, as in "who blows (nofeach) the fire" (Isaiah 54:16). "A city" (kiryah) — a city (ir).
Malbim
"Scornful men set a city ablaze" — scornful men, through their scorn, stir up a wind of heat and storm; they breathe out lies and slander, and dismay in the city. But the wise, who conduct themselves according to the laws of wisdom, know how to turn away wrath. And it also means that through the scornful men, there will be a snare and a trap upon the city, along with the harsh Attribute of Judgment; but through the wise, the wrath of Hashem will turn away from them, for then they will rouse the people to repentance and pray to turn away the wrath and anger of Hashem.
If a wise man contends with a foolish man, Whether he be angry or laugh, there will be no rest.
verse value 2732
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "rest" (נָֽחַת, 3 letters) and the longest is "man·wise" (אִֽישׁ־חָכָ֗ם, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "man·wise" (אִֽישׁ־חָכָ֗ם), "contends" (נִ֭שְׁפָּט), "with·man" (אֶת־אִ֣ישׁ). The root איש appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man·wise" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "and·there·is·no" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'foolish', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: אִֽישׁ־חָכָ֗ם [man·wise] (379) + נִ֭שְׁפָּט [contends] (439) + אֶת־אִ֣ישׁ [with·man] (712) + אֱוִ֑יל [foolish] (47) + וְרָגַ֥ז [and·rages] (216) + וְ֝שָׂחַ֗ק [and·laughs] (414) + וְאֵ֣ין [and·there·is·no] (67) + נָֽחַת [rest] (458) = 2732.
Rashi
a wise man contends Heb. נשפט, debates with the fool. he will have no contentment Whether he shows him an angry countenance or he shows him a laughing countenance, there is no contentment either in this or in that. He finds no satisfaction. We find in the case of Amaziah that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him a laughing countenance and delivered Edom into his hands, and when he returned from defeating them, (11 Chron 25:14) “he brought their (sic) gods, etc. and prostrated himself before them.” To Ahaz, the Holy One, blessed be He, showed an angry countenance and delivered him into the hands of the kings of Aram (ibid. 28:23): “And he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, etc. for he said, ‘The gods of Aram are helping them.’”
Ibn Ezra
"A man," "with" — [the word] "with" (et) is used like "with" (im); that is to say, a wise man who goes out to dispute with a foolish man. "Whether he be angry" — [the fool] will tremble, or he will laugh; either way, there is no rest for the wise man with him.
Ralbag
"A wise man" — Behold, when a wise man disputes with a foolish man, and they go back and forth with words, the fool will not allow the wise man to speak his words and complete them. Rather, sometimes he grows angry at what he hears from the wise man's words and does not let him finish, and sometimes he laughs and mocks at what he has heard from his words, and does not give him the ease to complete his words so that he could accomplish the purpose he intended to explain through them. And it is as if, through this statement, [Solomon] warned the wise man not to argue with a fool.
Metzudat David
"A wise man" — when a wise man enters into dispute with a foolish man, it is very hard for the wise man, for whether he is angry at him or laughs with him, he finds no rest; for at the time of anger the fool too seizes upon anger, and at the time of laughter his heart becomes haughty because of it — and it is as though this cautions us to keep far from the fool.
Malbim
"A wise man contends with a foolish man" — The fool is the one who casts doubt upon the laws of wisdom and does not believe in them. Now, the wise man who argues with the dullard ("kesil") — whose defining trait is that he knows the laws of wisdom but strays from them because of his desire — will be angry with him, since he sins against the laws of wisdom deliberately. But if he argues with the simpleton ("peti"), who deviates from the laws of wisdom because he does not understand them, he will laugh and show him a cheerful face until he makes him understand the laws of wisdom. But if he argues with the fool, on the one hand he will be angry, because even though he makes him understand the laws of wisdom he will not accept them, for he will go back and cast doubts upon them; and on the other hand he will laugh, because he does not act deliberately, but only because he is in doubt, and it is impossible to resolve his doubts, since there are no rational proofs for the laws of wisdom. Either way there is no rest — he will not find it possible to comfortably settle him on the path of wisdom. And likewise, as regards the allegorical sense: when Hashem wishes to bring the fool back in repentance — whether by punishing him or by adding good to him — none of this will help him, for he will remain in his doubts and utterly disbelieving in reward and punishment.
The men of blood hate the one who is sincere; And as for the upright, they seek his life.
verse value 2682
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. Verse gematria: 2682 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "men·of" (אַנְשֵׁ֣י, 4 letters) and the longest is "hate·sincere" (יִשְׂנְאוּ־תָ֑ם, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "blood" (דָ֭מִים), "hate·sincere" (יִשְׂנְאוּ־תָ֑ם), "seek" (יְבַקְשׁ֥וּ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "men·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "his·soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs); "and·upright" (root ישר, 35x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hate·sincere', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַנְשֵׁ֣י [men·of] (361) + דָ֭מִים [blood] (94) + יִשְׂנְאוּ־תָ֑ם [hate·sincere] (807) + וִ֝ישָׁרִ֗ים [and·upright] (566) + יְבַקְשׁ֥וּ [seek] (418) + נַפְשֽׁוֹ [his·soul] (436) = 2682.
Rashi
seek his soul [This is] an expression of love, and it appears that it is so, as David said to Abiathar (I Sam. 22:23): “for he who seeks my soul seeks your soul.” He who will deal kindly with me will deal kindly with you. The exegetes, however, do not agree with me.
Ibn Ezra
"Men of blood" — those who shed blood; they hate the innocent man and kill him. "They seek his life" — the life of the innocent man, and they demand his blood. Another interpretation: "his life" attaches to one of "the men of blood" — thus it reads: "and the upright seek his life," [meaning] the upright seek to kill him, a man of blood, on account of the innocent man; or the word "his life" attaches to one of "the upright," in which case the matter would be redundant [saying the same thing twice].
Ralbag
"Men of blood" — They hate the sincere and upright person, for his way is the opposite of theirs; but the upright seek his favor with all their strength. It appears that "the sincere one" (tam) here refers to the faculty that is aroused on the part of the intellect, since its desires are only for integrity and perfection. Now, the men of blood follow the one who is at odds with it — namely, the faculty that is aroused toward the appetites — and therefore they hate it [the intellectual faculty]. But the upright seek its favor with all their strength, for their desires are always directed toward the good and toward integrity.
Metzudat David
"The men of blood" — shedders of blood. "They seek his life" — they seek out the soul of the innocent man, to do good for it.
Malbim
"Men of blood hate the sincere man; and the upright seek his life" — The expression "seek his life (nefesh)" means, throughout the entire Tanakh, that one seeks to kill him; it is not found anywhere in the sense of love, except here. Therefore it is better to explain: "the men of blood hate the sincere man and the upright," and it is they [the men of blood] who "seek his life," to kill him. Or else it means: "and the upright" — [hate those who] "seek his life" — that is, that they [the upright] hate the men of blood who seek to take his [the sincere man's] life. Thus it says that the men of blood hate the sincere man and seek pretexts against him in order to kill him, while the upright hate those who seek his life, and take up the sincere man's cause.
A fool spends all his spirit; But a wise man stills it within him.
verse value 1173
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "fool" (כְסִ֑יל, 4 letters) and the longest is "all·his·spirit" (כׇּל־ר֭וּחוֹ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "all·his·spirit" (כׇּל־ר֭וּחוֹ), "in·back" (בְּאָח֥וֹר), "stills·it" (יְשַׁבְּחֶֽנָּה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·wise" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "fool" (root כסיל, 49x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'fool', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כׇּל־ר֭וּחוֹ [all·his·spirit] (270) + יוֹצִ֣יא [vents] (117) + כְסִ֑יל [fool] (120) + וְ֝חָכָ֗ם [and·wise] (74) + בְּאָח֥וֹר [in·back] (217) + יְשַׁבְּחֶֽנָּה [stills·it] (375) = 1173.
Rashi
will quiet it When the fool has let out all his wind, the wise man comes and humbles it with the reply of his mouth. Similar to this is (Ps. 65:8): “Who stills (משביח) the noise of the seas”; (ibid. 89: 10): “when its waves rise up, You still (תשבחם) them.”
Ibn Ezra
"All," "in the back" — [used] like "they journeyed backward"; and it is a noun, or an adjective, or a name — and this is correct for the one who understands. "And [in] the back" — this alludes to the heart, which is behind the place from which the lips emerge; likewise, "he hides it under his tongue" alludes to the heart, which is beneath the tongue. "Stills it" — from the same [root] as "who stills the roaring [of the sea]," meaning: he quiets it. That is to say, a fool releases all the spirit of his knowledge and makes it known to others, in the sense of "and among fools it becomes known"; whereas a wise man, whose heart is behind that which comes forth [i.e., behind his speech], stills the spirit of his knowledge and quiets it, and does not make it known to a fool, in the sense of "in the heart of the discerning, wisdom rests."
Ralbag
"All his spirit" — Behold, the fool brings all his will and desires into action the moment he is aroused toward them, without pausing to consider whether it is fitting to pursue them or not, and therefore great evils befall him because of this. The wise man, however, calms the disgraceful desire when it arises in his heart by holding it back — that is, by delaying its enactment until he has considered whether it is fitting or not — and by this delay he calms that disgraceful desire. Or, alternatively, it may mean that the wise man calms it through delay in the sense that he turns his back, not his face, toward that disposition, and accustoms himself to its opposite, for such is the remedy for these afflictions. Or, alternatively, it may mean that the fool releases through his mouth all his spirit and will without restraint in his quarrel with another, and therefore speaks many bad and disgraceful words; but the wise man, when he sees this happening from the fool in his quarrel with him, calms the fool's spirit by turning his back, not his face, toward him, and withdrawing from before him.
Metzudat David
"All his spirit" — the way of a fool is that when he grows angry, he pours out all his anger from his lips outward, and with a loud noise; but the wise man comes afterward and quiets his anger, calming it with a wise answer of the tongue and with the sweetness of knowing lips.
Metzudat Zion
"His spirit" (rucho) — its meaning is anger; as in "they have set My spirit at rest" [i.e., calmed My anger] (Zechariah 6:8). "Stills it" (yeshabchenah) — an expression of quieting and calming, as in "who stills the roaring of the seas" (Psalms 65:8).
Malbim
"A fool releases all his spirit" — The "spirit" (ruach) is the faculty that raises mental images (tziyurim) up onto the heart, and most of a person's images are evil, such as the images of pride, envy, vengeance, and the like. And when the spirit expands and raises these images from the depths of the soul, stirring upon the surface of the heart, then the faculty that is aroused to act is stirred to act according to these images. The dullard ("kesil") is the one who strays from wisdom because of his desire, and he releases all his spirit outward — he places no restraint upon his spirit, but rather lets his images rise up onto the heart and the surface of the soul, and he conducts himself according to them, with desire and pride and all evil traits. But the wise man, who conducts himself according to the laws of wisdom, rules over his spirit and does not allow it to rise up from the depths of the soul and ascend to the surface of the heart; rather, he "stills it" — that is, he lowers the spirit to the back of the soul. For the spirit, which stirs to rise up onto the surface of the soul and the eye of the heart, he suppresses, so that it remains at the back of the soul, below, and does not show itself before it — for by means of the laws of wisdom, he learns to suppress evil images so that they do not rise up onto the heart, but remain hidden in the depths of the soul, below.
If a ruler hearkens to falsehood, All his servants are wicked.
verse value 3354
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 29 letters. Verse gematria: 3354 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "ruler" (מֹ֭שֵׁל, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·word·of·falsehood" (עַל־דְּבַר־שָׁ֑קֶר, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·word·of·falsehood" (עַל־דְּבַר־שָׁ֑קֶר), "all·his·servants" (כׇּֽל־מְשָׁרְתָ֥יו). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "to·word·of·falsehood" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·word·of·falsehood', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: מֹ֭שֵׁל [ruler] (370) + מַקְשִׁ֣יב [hearkens] (452) + עַל־דְּבַר־שָׁ֑קֶר [to·word·of·falsehood] (906) + כׇּֽל־מְשָׁרְתָ֥יו [all·his·servants] (1006) + רְשָׁעִֽים [wicked] (620) = 3354.
Ibn Ezra
"A ruler" — when they speak falsehood to him and he listens to them, then the wicked will serve him.
Ralbag
"A ruler who listens" — Behold, when the ruler listens to falsehood, all his servants turn into wicked men, for the servants strive to do the will of their master, and when they see that his will inclines toward wickedness, they conduct themselves according to the character of wickedness. And it is possible that by "a ruler who listens to falsehood" he alluded to the faculty that is aroused toward bodily appetites; for when it rules over a person — the opposite of what is intended for him — and the intellect becomes its servant along with the other faculties of the soul, then the intellect too becomes wicked within him, for it serves that faculty by devising the strategems through which the attainment of what it desires is accomplished.
Metzudat David
"A ruler" — when a ruler listens to falsehood and accepts words of falsehood, then all his servants turn wicked, for in order to find favor in his eyes they tell him lies and sin against their own souls.
Malbim
"If a ruler hearkens to falsehood, all his servants are wicked" — This statement has both a parable (mashal) and an allegorical sense (nimshal). According to the parable: if the ruler hearkens to words of falsehood, then his servants will strive to speak before him falsehoods and slander, and to destroy many, and all of them are wicked. According to the allegorical sense: the heart that rules a person according to the laws of wisdom — its servants, too, are righteous, and the images of the soul that rise up to the heart that rules within a person will accord with the way of wisdom, and the impulses of wickedness will not stand before it, for it pushes them to the back. But if the heart that rules hearkens to falsehood, then the wicked servants — which are the evil images — rise up and stand to serve it, bringing before it images of desire, hatred, and an evil spirit. And this connects back to what was said: "A fool releases all his spirit."
The poor man and the oppressor meet together; Hashem gives light to the eyes of them both.
verse value 2568
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 33 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "poor" (רָ֤שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "gives·light·to·eyes·of" (מֵ֤אִיר־עֵינֵ֖י, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "oppressions" (תְּכָכִ֣ים), "gives·light·to·eyes·of" (מֵ֤אִיר־עֵינֵ֖י). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "and·man·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'meet', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: רָ֤שׁ [poor] (500) + וְאִ֣ישׁ [and·man·of] (317) + תְּכָכִ֣ים [oppressions] (490) + נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ [meet] (439) + מֵ֤אִיר־עֵינֵ֖י [gives·light·to·eyes·of] (391) + שְׁנֵיהֶ֣ם [both·of·them] (405) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2568.
Rashi
and a man of deep thoughts A man of thoughts, a Torah scholar. And our Sages explained it concerning a disciple who said to a teacher, “Teach me.”
Ibn Ezra
"The oppressor" (tekhakhim) — one whom poverty breaks, similar to "through fraud and violence"; and from this same matter [comes the phrase] "tokho at your feet, they are broken" — and the forms are "takh" and "takha." "They meet together" — for the poor man and poverty [itself], when Hashem decrees them and they descend from heaven like rain that falls upon the earth, meet with them; hence [the verse says], "they meet together." "Gives light" — for they walk in the darkness of poverty, and Hashem lights up their eyes to fill their lack; and all is according to their deeds. Another interpretation: "the oppressor" (tekhakhim) — one from whom his wealth was stolen through fraud and deceit.
Ralbag
"The poor man and the oppressor" — Behold, "the poor man" (rash) is one poor in inquiry, who has no thought by which to enter into that inquiry, and because of this he is confounded in the inquiry. And "the man of fraud/oppressions" (ish tekhakhim) is one who has many thoughts running parallel to one another regarding the matter he investigates; these two meet in the state of confusion and poverty in inquiry. And even though the man of fraud thinks that he will attain knowledge in the inquiry, this is because, on account of the parallel arrangement of his thoughts, it happens to him as though he were caught in a snare, and by the intensity of the confusion he does not know which way to turn. Now, Hashem is the one who gives light to the eyes of both of them: through what flows from Him upon the human intellect to direct it to the place from which it will be guided to the attainment of that inquiry, and through what flows from Him to direct it to emerge from the confusion amid those many parallel thoughts — for this is among the wondrous difficulties found in some of the great inquiries, for which one requires divine help. And the Torah is among the things that greatly assist in removing this confusion in many of the great inquiries in which it is difficult for a person to distinguish the true thoughts from the false ones, in the manner mentioned in the Book of Sophistical Refutations and in the Metaphysics.
Metzudat David
"The poor man, etc." — meaning: whether the poor man who has been poor from his youth, or one who was born into wealth and afterward struck and broken by the affliction of poverty — it did not come about by chance, for the matter went forth from Hashem, by a decree descending from heaven that met them, and they were met by the decree. And likewise "gives light, etc." — meaning: likewise, when the poor man grows rich, or one born into wealth who was struck by the affliction of poverty returns to his former state — it does not come about by chance, for Hashem is the One who gives light to the eyes of both of them out of the darkness of poverty; for both evil and good all come by decree, and not by chance.
Metzudat Zion
"Oppressor" (tekhakhim) — from the language of striking and breaking. "Meet together" (nifgashu) — an expression of encountering (pegiah).
Malbim
"The poor man and the oppressor meet together; Hashem gives light to the eyes of both of them" — This has both a parable (mashal) and an allegorical figure (melitzah), as stated in the Midrash Shochar Tov, section 7: that Poverty came to enter the Ark, and Noah would not admit it, because it had no mate. On the way, it met Falsehood, which was going to the Ark, and they married each other, so that each would have a mate; and they stipulated between themselves: "whatever Falsehood begets, Poverty takes" — meaning, whatever Falsehood profits, Poverty takes. And regarding this figure it says: the poor man (rash), who is Poverty, and the oppressor and deceiver (ish tekhakhim), who is Falsehood, meet and marry each other. And the point of the figure is that each on its own is not fit to endure, but the two of them together will endure — that the deceit will succeed, so that whatever is gained through deceit, Poverty and destitution will take. And through this, people will see and take a lesson, that the deed of falsehood and deceit does not succeed. And so it says: "therefore the poor man and the oppressor meet" — for through this "Hashem gives light to the eyes of both of them" — through this their eyes are opened, and they will not continue to practice deceit, and destitution and poverty will cease. And this is the purpose of their meeting, their union, and their pairing.
The king who faithfully judges the poor, His throne shall be established for ever.
verse value 1289
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 26 letters. Notable word values: "will·be·established" (יִכּֽוֹן) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "king" (מֶ֤לֶךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "judges" (שׁוֹפֵ֣ט, 4 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "judges" (שׁוֹפֵ֣ט), "in·faithfulness" (בֶּאֱמֶ֣ת). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 24x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'poor', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: מֶ֤לֶךְ [king] (90) + שׁוֹפֵ֣ט [judges] (395) + בֶּאֱמֶ֣ת [in·faithfulness] (443) + דַּלִּ֑ים [poor] (84) + כִּ֝סְא֗וֹ [his·throne] (87) + לָעַ֥ד [for·ever] (104) + יִכּֽוֹן [will·be·established] (86) = 1289.
Ibn Ezra
"A king" — in truth, [meaning] one who renders their judgment in true justice and does not show favor to the great. "His throne shall be established forever" — for him and for his descendants.
Ralbag
"A king who judges" — Behold, the king who truly judges the poor, bringing their judgment to light through extensive inquiry with his adversary and with others regarding this dispute — his throne will be established forever. This is because the people will regard him favorably for this and rejoice in him, and divine help will also accompany him to sustain his kingdom. And [Solomon] alluded also, by this, to what preceded, calling "poor" the divided sides of a contradiction, in which the truth is not more apparent in one than in the other. And "the king" is the human intellect, as mentioned before, for it is the ruler within a person; and when it judges truthfully in these inquiries, its throne will be established forever, but otherwise it will be the reverse — for the questions in which this occurs are among those that leave a strong impression on the attainment of human success, or its absence.
Metzudat David
"Faithfully" — and does not show favor to his litigant, even though he is wealthy.
Malbim
"A king who faithfully judges the poor" — The king's throne is established upon justice, as it is said, "so a king shall reign in righteousness." And sometimes there is a judgment that has been tampered with (din merumeh), so the king must investigate the truth; and then "his throne shall be established forever," just as truth is among the things that are eternal.
The rod and reproof give wisdom; But a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.
verse value 2787
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "rod" (שֵׁ֣בֶט, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·reproof" (וְ֭תוֹכַחַת, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·a·boy" (וְנַ֥עַר), "sent·away" (מְ֝שֻׁלָּ֗ח). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wisdom" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "give" (root נתן, 34x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wisdom', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: שֵׁ֣בֶט [rod] (311) + וְ֭תוֹכַחַת [and·reproof] (840) + יִתֵּ֣ן [give] (460) + חׇכְמָ֑ה [wisdom] (73) + וְנַ֥עַר [and·a·boy] (326) + מְ֝שֻׁלָּ֗ח [sent·away] (378) + מֵבִ֥ישׁ [shames] (352) + אִמּֽוֹ [his·mother] (47) = 2787.
Rashi
but a child left free Whom his father set free to follow the dictates of his heart, ultimately... brings shame to his mother This is Ishmael; since he was wicked, he brought about that Sarah should say to Abraham (Gen. 21:10): “Expel this bondwoman and her son.”
Ibn Ezra
"The rod" — for striking; and reproof, together with the rod — each gives wisdom to the simple. "Left to himself" — one who goes according to his own will, whom his father does not discipline — he will bring shame to his mother.
Ralbag
"The rod and reproof" — The rod and reproof give the child wisdom, for through this he acquires the perfection of character traits; and without it he has no way to attain wisdom. But the child who is left to his own will is devoid of discipline and wisdom, and through this he shames his mother because of his bad conduct — since much of his bad character is attributed to her, for people will say that she caused this, in that she did not discipline him in his childhood.
Metzudat David
"The rod and reproof" — the rod of discipline and the reproof, each one of them gives wisdom in the heart of the simple; but a youth who is let loose to walk in the ways of his own heart, and from whom the rod and reproof are withheld, remains a fool, and because of this everyone shames his mother, saying that she withheld discipline from him, for such is the way of women, to dote upon their children — thus he causes his mother to be shamed, since no wisdom is found in him.
Metzudat Zion
"Left to himself" (meshulach) — abandoned to his own will, as in "a scattered nest" (Isaiah 16:2).
Malbim
"The rod and reproof give wisdom" — If one strikes the child with the rod, and reproves him with reproof of the intellect, this will teach him to accept the laws of wisdom; for reproof alone will not work upon the heart of a child whose images are evil, as [explained] above. But the child who is let loose and not disciplined will disrupt the laws of wisdom, and in the end shame his mother, for she did not raise him properly.
When the wicked are increased, transgression increases; But the righteous shall gaze upon their fall.
verse value 2966
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "will·see" (יִרְאֽוּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "increases·transgression" (יִרְבֶּה־פָּ֑שַׁע, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "increases·transgression" (יִרְבֶּה־פָּ֑שַׁע), "in·their·downfall" (בְּֽמַפַּלְתָּ֥ם). The root רבה appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "and·just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'increases·transgression', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בִּרְב֣וֹת [when·increasing] (610) + רְ֭שָׁעִים [wicked] (620) + יִרְבֶּה־פָּ֑שַׁע [increases·transgression] (667) + וְ֝צַדִּיקִ֗ים [and·just] (260) + בְּֽמַפַּלְתָּ֥ם [in·their·downfall] (592) + יִרְאֽוּ [will·see] (217) = 2966.
Ibn Ezra
"When [the wicked] are increased," "at their downfall" — these are in the sense of their transgression. "Shall gaze" — the righteous, and they will rejoice.
Ralbag
"When the wicked increase" — When the wicked increase, transgression increases in the world beyond what would have been fitting for them to commit had each of them been separate from the other, for they help one another and together commit transgression in the world that would not be accomplished were it not for their being joined together. And behold, even though they hate the righteous, as mentioned before, and as it says further on, "and the upright in his way is an abomination to the wicked" (Proverbs 29:27) — nevertheless they will not be able to harm them; rather, the righteous will escape from their hand, and will gaze upon their downfall, for the end and outcome of the wicked is for evil.
Metzudat David
"When [the wicked] are increased" — at the time when the wicked grow great among the people, transgression increases, for their desire is set upon transgression; and the righteous, who did not take hold of transgression, will see their downfall and rejoice that they were not drawn after them.
Metzudat Zion
"Are increased" (be-rvot) — an expression of increase/greatness.
Malbim
"When the wicked increase, transgression increases" — When the wicked multiply, whether in number or in quality (that is, in greatness and success), so transgression increases; for according to their increase, so they increase in transgressing. However, there is a limit to wickedness and an end to darkness, and if they increase transgression until the measure (se'ah) is filled, then they will perish; and "the righteous shall gaze upon their downfall" — for already at the time when transgression increases, they will see with the eye of their intellect the downfall soon to come, and afterward they will see it with the eye of the senses.
Correct your son, and he will give you rest; Indeed, he will give delight to your soul.
verse value 1606
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "correct" (יַסֵּ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·will·give·you·rest" (וִינִיחֶ֑ךָ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·will·give·you·rest" (וִינִיחֶ֑ךָ), "and·will·give" (וְיִתֵּ֖ן), "dainties" (מַעֲדַנִּ֣ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·your·soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs); "your·son" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs); "and·will·give" (root נתן, 34x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·will·give·you·rest', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: יַסֵּ֣ר [correct] (270) + בִּ֭נְךָ [your·son] (72) + וִינִיחֶ֑ךָ [and·will·give·you·rest] (104) + וְיִתֵּ֖ן [and·will·give] (466) + מַעֲדַנִּ֣ים [dainties] (214) + לְנַפְשֶֽׁךָ [to·your·soul] (480) = 1606.
Ibn Ezra
"And he will give you rest" — he will grant you repose. "Delight" — when he accepts discipline.
Ralbag
"Correct your son" — while he is still young, in a way that you instill discipline in him, and he will give you relief and peace of mind on account of his good discipline, and he will give delights to your soul out of the abundance of your joy in him — together with this guiding him toward the acquisition of wisdom, whereby he will also give delights to your soul in that you will hear words of wisdom from his mouth.
Metzudat David
"And he will give you rest" — he will give you rest, and you will not be troubled on his account; and he will further give delights to your soul, meaning, you will yet rejoice in his deeds.
Metzudat Zion
"Delight" (ma'adanim) — desirable, delightful things, as in "royal dainties (ma'adanei melekh)" (Genesis 49:20).
Malbim
"Discipline your son, and he will give you rest" — The father who does not discipline his son: in the end, [the son] will hate his father, and he will have no rest from him. And "a bad upbringing in a person's house is harsh," etc. — and how much more so will [the son] not sustain [his father] in his old age. But by disciplining him, not only will he give him rest, but he will also "give delights to your soul," for through this he will walk in the laws of wisdom, and afterward he will add love and honor to his parents.
Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; But he who keeps the law, happy is he.
verse value 2273
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "people" (עָ֑ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "happy·is·he" (אַשְׁרֵֽהוּ, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "vision" (חָ֭זוֹן), "casts·off·restraint" (יִפָּ֣רַֽע), "happy·is·he" (אַשְׁרֵֽהוּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "where·there·is·no" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs); "and·he·who·keeps" (root שמר, 31x in Proverbs); "happy·is·he" (root אשר, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'people', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּאֵ֣ין [where·there·is·no] (63) + חָ֭זוֹן [vision] (71) + יִפָּ֣רַֽע [casts·off·restraint] (360) + עָ֑ם [people] (110) + וְשֹׁמֵ֖ר [and·he·who·keeps] (546) + תּוֹרָ֣ה [law] (611) + אַשְׁרֵֽהוּ [happy·is·he] (512) = 2273.
Rashi
Without vision the people become unrestrained When Israel causes prophecy to withdraw from them by mocking the prophets, they will become unrestrained and will degenerate.
Ibn Ezra
"Where there is no" — man of vision; [meaning] the people have no visionary to reprove them; then the people cast off restraint and go into exile. "Happy is he" — others will call him happy, as his good fortune increases.
Ralbag
"Where there is no" [vision] — [meaning] prophecy — the people cast off restraint, and thereby the acquisition of discipline is negated from them. He means by this the prophecy of the Torah, for it was attained through prophecy, and it guides toward the instilling of discipline and proper conduct, both in the gathering of the household and in the gathering of the state. And there is no way other than it to instill discipline in political gatherings, for since people's temperaments differ, their characters differ greatly, and because of this the matter of their gathering would become confused, were it not for the Torah, which guides them together in one conduct and one law. And whoever keeps the Torah, happy is he, for through it he acquires discipline in a complete manner; and it is also a way to the attainment of wisdom and understanding, in that he is disciplined regarding the starting principles of these matters. And it is possible that he intends by this: that in the absence of foreseeing what is likely to occur regarding a given matter — in a way that one would know whether it is proper to strive to attain it, and if it is proper, how it might be attained — [the people] are cast loose, and what they intended to attain is negated from them; or discipline is cast off from them through their striving to attain what it is not proper for them to strive to attain. But the one who keeps the Torah, happy is he, for the Torah restrains him from striving after what is not proper, and his keeping of the Torah guides him to find what he desires.
Metzudat David
"Where there is no vision" — where there is no prophecy, the people will cease from the acquisition of moral discipline; but one who keeps engagement with the Torah — happy is he, for the light within it turns him back to what is good.
Metzudat Zion
"Cast off restraint" (yipara) — an expression of abandonment and nullification, as in "and set at nought all my counsel" (above, 1:25).
Malbim
"Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint" — When the seal of the prophets concluded his prophecy, he said, "Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet, etc.... Remember the Torah of Moses My servant." For as long as prophecy existed in Israel, the prophets would come as emissaries of Hashem to set the people straight; but once vision had been sealed off, they needed to remember the Torah. This is the meaning of "for where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint" — and then, "but he who keeps the law, happy is he," attains happiness through observance of the Torah, which stands in place of vision and prophecy.
A servant will not be corrected by words; For though he understand, there will be no response.
verse value 975
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. Verse gematria: 975 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "servant" (עָ֑בֶד, 3 letters) and the longest is "by·words" (בִּ֭דְבָרִים, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "by·words" (בִּ֭דְבָרִים), "will·not·be·corrected" (לֹא־יִוָּ֣סֶר), "though·he·understands" (כִּי־יָ֝בִ֗ין). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "though·he·understands" (root בין, 46x in Proverbs); "by·words" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs); "and·there·is·no" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'servant', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בִּ֭דְבָרִים [by·words] (258) + לֹא־יִוָּ֣סֶר [will·not·be·corrected] (307) + עָ֑בֶד [servant] (76) + כִּי־יָ֝בִ֗ין [though·he·understands] (102) + וְאֵ֣ין [and·there·is·no] (67) + מַעֲנֶֽה [response] (165) = 975.
Rashi
because he will understand, but without response As soon as he sees him (sic) that the one who was reproving him is silent, he reverts to his sins; therefore, one must chastise him with blows and punishments. He does not speak of an actual slave, but about all who disobey the words of the judges.
Ibn Ezra
"By words" — alone, a servant will not be corrected; with the rod and reproofs it is fitting to discipline him. "For though he understand" — even though he understands the discipline, he will not respond to the one disciplining him by saying, "So I will do."
Ralbag
"By words" — behold, one who is a slave to his desire will not acquire discipline through words; rather, it will be necessary to strike him with a rod and the like. But when a person is one who understands, he will not need, in order to acquire discipline, even a response or speech, for a slight hint or a weak rebuke will suffice him, as it is said, "A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding" (Proverbs 17:10).
Metzudat David
"By words" — meaning, by words alone he will not accept discipline, for even though he understands the words of discipline, there is no response in his mouth to say, "I will abandon my ways."
Metzudat Zion
"Response" (ma'aneh) — from the language of answering (aniyah) and replying.
Malbim
"A servant will not be corrected by words; for though he understand, there will be no response" — the servant does not accept discipline through words, because a free man's nature is human, and he is disciplined through verbal reproof, which informs him of the fear of Hashem and of its punishment. But the servant's nature is animalistic — a whip for the horse and a bridle for the donkey — not words. And even though he is superior to an animal in that he understands the matter, nonetheless "there will be no response" — speech does not subdue him, only the whip and the rod. And the metaphor is: one who is like a servant that serves only out of fear of punishment will not submit until he receives punishment.
Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
verse value 1848
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "hasty" (אָ֣ץ, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·his·words" (בִּדְבָרָ֑יו, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "hasty" (אָ֣ץ), "in·his·words" (בִּדְבָרָ֑יו). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "for·a·fool" (root כסיל, 49x in Proverbs); "in·his·words" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·his·words', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: חָזִ֗יתָ [you·have·seen] (425) + אִ֭ישׁ [man] (311) + אָ֣ץ [hasty] (91) + בִּדְבָרָ֑יו [in·his·words] (224) + תִּקְוָ֖ה [hope] (511) + לִכְסִ֣יל [for·a·fool] (150) + מִמֶּֽנּוּ [from·him] (136) = 1848.
Rashi
hasty with his words Who hurries and rushes to reply. there is more hope for a fool than for him A fool has more hope than he.
Ibn Ezra
"Hasty in his words" — quick to speak, or quick in his affairs. "There is more hope for a fool" — this is explained by the two clauses in the [similar] verse: "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."
Ralbag
"Do you see a man" — when you see a man who is hasty in his words, to act without deliberation and taking counsel — behold, there is more hope for one who has folly, which is a deficiency, than for him, because he gauges the extent of his own folly, and therefore he seeks counsel in his affairs. But the one who is hasty in his words is wise in his own eyes and does not ask for counsel.
Metzudat David
"Do you see" — if you see a man who is hasty in his affairs, know that the fool has more hope of succeeding in his affairs than he does, if the fool acts with a settled mind.
Metzudat Zion
"Hasty" (atz) — an expression of speed, as in "and it did not hasten to come [down]" (Joshua 10:13).
Malbim
"Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him" — the fool knows the laws of wisdom; it is only desire that leads him astray to depart from the laws of wisdom, and nevertheless there is hope for him — if his desire subsides, he will then reconsider and see what he has perverted, for his words are essentially well-ordered and he knows the truth. But one who is hasty in his words and determines to speak error concerning Hashem and His providence, and to disparage wisdom — for him there is no hope at all.
He who delicately brings up his servant from a child Shall have him become master at the last.
verse value 1519
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "he·who·pampers" (מְפַנֵּ֣ק, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·his·end" (וְ֝אַחֲרִית֗וֹ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "he·who·pampers" (מְפַנֵּ֣ק), "his·servant" (עַבְדּ֑וֹ), "and·his·end" (וְ֝אַחֲרִית֗וֹ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "will·be" (root היה, 27x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·servant', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: מְפַנֵּ֣ק [he·who·pampers] (270) + מִנֹּ֣עַר [from·youth] (360) + עַבְדּ֑וֹ [his·servant] (82) + וְ֝אַחֲרִית֗וֹ [and·his·end] (631) + יִהְיֶ֥ה [will·be] (30) + מָנֽוֹן [master] (146) = 1519.
Rashi
If one pampers his slave from childhood [This refers to] the evil inclination. a ruler Heb. מנון, a ruler, and so is (Ps.72:17): “May His name be magnified (ינון) as long as the sun exists.” Similarly, every instance of נין in the Bible, since the son rises in his father’s stead to rule over his property.
Ibn Ezra
"Delicately brings up" — in place of [i.e., synonymous with] "delights." "And his end" — that he, being pampered, will desire to become like a son; and this [word] is from [the same root as] "nin" (offspring); and a verb is stated from this noun, namely, "yinnon shemo" [may his name endure/propagate] — that is to say, it speaks of "nin," offspring, in the sense of, "He said to me, You are my son."
Ralbag
"He who pampers his servant from childhood" — one who gives his servant indulgence in his youth should not expect that the servant will serve him; rather, the servant will become his master. And this is a hint that a person should not give his indulgences, in the time of youth, to the faculty that is aroused toward bodily desires — which ought to be a slave to the human intellect — for if one acts this way, he will, in the end, hand kingship and dominion back over to it, and the intellect will become its slave, even though it is the intellect that is fit to rule over it.
Metzudat David
"He who delicately brings up [his servant]" — one who pampers his servant from his youth, while he has not yet bent his shoulder to bear the yoke of servitude — behold, in his latter days he will become an officer and ruler over the master, for his heart will grow haughty and he will cease from work, and it will fall upon the master to supply his need in full.
Metzudat Zion
"Delicately brings up" (mefanek) — an expression of pleasure and delight, as in "royal dainties (ma'adnei melekh)" (Genesis 49:20); Targum Onkelos renders that phrase "tefunkei malkin." "Master" (manon) — a ruler and governor, as in "his name shall be continued (yinon) as long as the sun" (Psalms 72:17).
Malbim
"He who delicately brings up his servant from a child" — one who indulges his servant so that he does no work from childhood, since he is still a youth and has no strength, then "in the end he will become manon" — he will suffer harm on his account, for the servant will remain idle from work always. On the contrary, one must accustom him to work and labor from his youth, so that he will then be worth the money paid for him. And the parable is: one who indulges the body, which is the servant of the soul, so that it does not labor and toil in Torah and mitzvot from its youth — so too will its hands grow slack when it advances in years, for one must accustom oneself to toil from youth.
An angry man stirs up strife, And a wrathful man abounds in transgression.
verse value 1523
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "wrath" (חֵמָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "man·of·anger" (אִֽישׁ־אַ֭ף, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "man·of·anger" (אִֽישׁ־אַ֭ף), "and·owner·of" (וּבַ֖עַל), "great·of·transgression" (רַב־פָּֽשַׁע). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man·of·anger" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'strife', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אִֽישׁ־אַ֭ף [man·of·anger] (392) + יְגָרֶ֣ה [stirs·up] (218) + מָד֑וֹן [strife] (100) + וּבַ֖עַל [and·owner·of] (108) + חֵמָ֣ה [wrath] (53) + רַב־פָּֽשַׁע [great·of·transgression] (652) = 1523.
Rashi
stirs up strife According to its apparent meaning, מדון is the Divine standard of justice.
Ibn Ezra
"A man of anger" — his anger is seen in his nose [nostrils]; therefore it is called "af" (anger/nose). "Stirs up" — [means] mixes. "Wrath" — is harsher than "anger"; and the proof is, "and his wrath burned within him," whereas "anger" [shows] only in the face.
Ralbag
"An angry man" — stirs up strife against himself through the abundance of anger arising from the wickedness of his words and his deeds on account of his anger, and this will be a cause to make him fall into great evils. And just as anger is a cause of destroying his body, so is it a cause of destroying his soul, for because of the abundance of his anger, the Torah will not be able to restrain him from doing whatever his anger drives him to, and this will bring him to commit great transgressions.
Metzudat David
"An angry man" — the wrathful person's way is to stir up strife with people. "Abounds in transgression" — for at the time of anger he does not take care to rectify his deeds; and as our Rabbis of blessed memory said, "one who is angry — even the Divine Presence is of no importance in his eyes."
Metzudat Zion
"Stirs up" (yegareh) — its meaning is the instigation of strife.
Malbim
"An angry man (ish af) stirs up strife" — there is a difference between af and chemah: chemah is the internal heat, while af is the external [expression]. One who is an "ish af" — and has no internal chemah — but wishes to harm his fellow, "stirs up strife," meaning he seeks out legal grounds and pretexts against his fellow, so that he will have a justification against him to harm him. But one who possesses internal chemah seeks no pretext at all to justify himself; rather, he is "abundant in transgression," and he does evil without any judgment or law whatsoever.
A man’s pride shall bring him low; but he who is of a lowly spirit shall attain to honor.
verse value 2463
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "man" (אָ֭דָם, 3 letters) and the longest is "will·bring·him·low" (תַּשְׁפִּילֶ֑נּוּ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "pride·of" (גַּאֲוַ֣ת), "will·bring·him·low" (תַּשְׁפִּילֶ֑נּוּ), "and·low·of·spirit" (וּשְׁפַל־ר֝֗וּחַ). The root שפל appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "man" (root אדם, 44x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'will·bring·him·low', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: גַּאֲוַ֣ת [pride·of] (410) + אָ֭דָם [man] (45) + תַּשְׁפִּילֶ֑נּוּ [will·bring·him·low] (876) + וּשְׁפַל־ר֝֗וּחַ [and·low·of·spirit] (630) + יִתְמֹ֥ךְ [will·attain] (470) + כָּבֽוֹד [honor] (32) = 2463.
Rashi
will grasp honor Heb. יתמך, will come near the honor and constantly grasp it.
Ibn Ezra
"Shall attain honor" — even in his lowliness, [honor] will support him so that his glory does not fall away from him; or, the honor of Hashem will support him.
Ralbag
"A man's pride" — behold, a man's pride will bring him down to lowliness, for he will take for himself a rank that is not fitting for him, and this will be a cause for the great ones who hold that rank to bring him down from there and lower him more than is proper for him; and this is very evident from experience. And one who is lowly — through his lowliness and humility he supports and strengthens honor for himself, for people will honor him greatly and benefit him, seeing him humble himself so greatly before them.
Metzudat David
"Shall bring him low" — the pride itself will be the cause that brings him low. "Shall attain [to honor]" — he props up honor, so that it will not fall away from him.
Malbim
"A man's pride shall bring him low" — one who is haughty shows that he does not understand his own worth, that he is a fading flower and accounted as nothing, and this itself will bring him low. And one of a lowly spirit, who is at the opposite extreme from pride, will uphold honor. And this too comes about by way of reward and punishment, as it is said, "Before destruction, pride," etc.
Whoever is partner with a thief hates his own soul: He hears the adjuration and utters nothing.
verse value 1622
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "oath" (אָלָ֥ה) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "oath" (אָלָ֥ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·a·thief" (עִם־גַּ֭נָּב, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "he·who·shares" (חוֹלֵ֣ק), "with·a·thief" (עִם־גַּ֭נָּב), "oath" (אָלָ֥ה). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "his·soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs); "hears" (root שמע, 30x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: חוֹלֵ֣ק [he·who·shares] (144) + עִם־גַּ֭נָּב [with·a·thief] (165) + שׂוֹנֵ֣א [hates] (357) + נַפְשׁ֑וֹ [his·soul] (436) + אָלָ֥ה [oath] (36) + יִ֝שְׁמַ֗ע [hears] (420) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + יַגִּֽיד [will·tell] (27) = 1622.
Rashi
he hears an oath that they adjure him, “Did you see so and so who stole so much and so much from me?” And since he shares with him, he does not testify.
Ibn Ezra
"Hates his own soul" — for the curse of the oath will bring death upon him when he hears it and does not tell of the theft, in the sense of, "and it shall consume it, and its timber."
Ralbag
"Whoever shares [with a thief]" — one who shares with a thief hates his own soul. And even though he has some excuse for this — that he himself does not steal, and merely receives a gift from the thief in this — nevertheless this will bring him to a grave sin: for he will hear the imprecation that pronounces a curse [on one who withholds testimony], and whoever knows of the matter — if he does not tell, though he knows — then, because of the great shame that would befall him from this were he to reveal the matter of the theft, he refrains from telling, and thereby a sin and a grave punishment befall him.
Metzudat David
"He hears the adjuration" — meaning, therefore he hates his own soul, for behold, he hears that they administer an oath that those who know [of the theft] should come and testify about it; and because he shared with him [the thief], he will not tell, and so he will bear his own iniquity and destroy his own soul.
Metzudat Zion
"The adjuration" (alah) — an oath, as in "and hears the voice of adjuration" (Leviticus 5:1).
Malbim
"Whoever is partner with a thief hates his own soul: he hears the adjuration and utters nothing" — even though he did not steal himself, but only shares with him, since he knows of the theft and does not tell, he too hates his own soul. For when he hears the oath by which they adjure and place under a ban anyone who knows of the theft, then the obligation to tell falls upon him, and since he does not tell, the curse [of the oath] takes effect upon him.
The fear of man brings a snare; but whoever puts his trust in Hashem shall be set up on high.
verse value 1937
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. Verse gematria: 1937 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "man" (אָ֭דָם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·who·trusts" (וּבוֹטֵ֖חַ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "the·fear·of" (חֶרְדַּ֣ת), "will·be·set·on·high" (יְשֻׂגָּֽב). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "man" (root אדם, 44x in Proverbs); "brings" (root נתן, 34x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'snare', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: חֶרְדַּ֣ת [the·fear·of] (612) + אָ֭דָם [man] (45) + יִתֵּ֣ן [brings] (460) + מוֹקֵ֑שׁ [snare] (446) + וּבוֹטֵ֖חַ [and·he·who·trusts] (31) + בַּיהֹוָ֣ה [in·Hashem] (28) + יְשֻׂגָּֽב [will·be·set·on·high] (315) = 1937.
Rashi
A snare brings terror to a person It is transposed. A snare of sin brings terror to a person. Another explanation: According to its apparent meaning, if a person is stingy and fears that if he gives charity he will require help from people, this fear will be a snare for him. I prefer the former [interpretation], however.
Ibn Ezra
"The dread of" — this is a verbal noun that pertains to dread, whether the dread itself functions as the subject, similar to [the construction in] "and it destroys the heart, the bribe" — meaning: "the dread of a man" [refers to] one who terrifies another; after [causing] this terror, it brings a snare upon his own soul. "Shall be set on high" — Hashem will raise him up, away from the one who terrifies [him]. Another interpretation: that Hashem will terrify him, and give him the very snare that he set to trap the poor. Another interpretation: a man who is fearful and does not place his trust in Hashem — what he fears will come upon him.
Ralbag
"The fear of man" — his fear and dread of what it is not fitting to fear will cause a snare and harm. And the illustration is that when a wicked man encounters someone on his way and perceives that this person is afraid and dreads him, he will be aroused, for this very reason, to harm him and plunder him, recognizing that he can already overcome him. And there are many further examples of this from other angles besides this one. But the man who trusts in Hashem and fears nothing, because of the strength of his trust in Hashem — even regarding something that it would in some manner be fitting to fear — behold, he will be set on high and will be strengthened to escape that evil, just as you find with David, who strengthened himself in his God to pursue the raiding band that had burned Ziklag, and just as you find with Hezekiah regarding the matter of Sennacherib.
Metzudat David
"The fear of man" — the dread that a person feels when an evil mishap comes upon him adds yet another snare for him, because his heart is not steady with him, he is liable to stumble over a small matter; but one who trusts in Hashem and does not become overly fearful — behold, he will grow strong even from the very misfortune that had clung to him beforehand.
Malbim
"The fear (charadah) of man brings a snare" — although it was said above (Proverbs 28:14), "Happy is the man who fears always," nevertheless charadah, which indicates sudden alarm, this "brings a snare," and this indicates that he does not trust in Hashem. But one who trusts in Hashem will be set up on high and will not fear, as Hillel said (Berachot 60a), "I am confident that it is not from among the members of my household," as it is said (Psalms 112:7), "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in Hashem."
Many seek the ruler’s favor; but a man’s judgment comes from Hashem.
verse value 2072
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "many" (רַ֭בִּים, 4 letters) and the longest is "face·of·the·ruler" (פְּנֵֽי־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "seek" (מְבַקְשִׁ֣ים), "face·of·the·ruler" (פְּנֵֽי־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל), "judgment·of·man" (מִשְׁפַּט־אִֽישׁ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·from·Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "face·of·the·ruler" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs); "many" (root רב, 26x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'face·of·the·ruler', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: רַ֭בִּים [many] (252) + מְבַקְשִׁ֣ים [seek] (492) + פְּנֵֽי־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל [face·of·the·ruler] (516) + וּ֝מֵיְהֹוָ֗ה [and·from·Hashem] (72) + מִשְׁפַּט־אִֽישׁ [judgment·of·man] (740) = 2072.
Rashi
the countenance of a ruler to litigate before him. but the judgment of a person Any [judgment], whether he will be adjudged innocent or guilty. Scripture [here] speaks of the gentile kings.
Ibn Ezra
"Many" — great men, [seek the ruler's favor] because of his gifts, or because of his help; but from Hashem comes the judgment of a man's rank, for in His hand is [the power of] elevation and abasement.
Ralbag
"Many seek the ruler's favor" — to entreat him that he should consider the judgment properly; but they do not understand that a person's judgment comes from Hashem, not from the ruler. And therefore it is proper to seek this from Hashem, for judgment belongs to God, and the ruler's heart will incline toward whatever Hashem, may He be exalted, inclines it, as it is said, "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of Hashem; He turns it wherever He desires" (Proverbs 21:1). And it is possible that he is hinting by this at the inquiries — that the intellect cannot attain them except through what the Torah has guided it to — and he says that people seek the ruler's favor in a human being in vain in order to attain them, for judgment regarding them will not be granted to a person except from Hashem.
Metzudat David
"Many seek [the ruler's favor]" — they ask and seek from him to grant them some position of authority, since the matter is in his hands; but in truth, all of a man's judgments are from Hashem, as our Rabbis of blessed memory said: "Even the overseer of a water channel is appointed from Heaven."
Metzudat Zion
"Judgment" (mishpat) — its meaning is that which is proper/customary, as in "standing by the pillar, as was the custom (ka-mishpat)" (II Kings 11:14).
Malbim
"Many seek the ruler's favor; but a man's judgment comes from Hashem" — when people have a judgment of death pending before the ruler, they seek his favor, that he show them mercy; but it would be better for them to seek the favor of Hashem, for a man's judgment comes from Hashem, and everything is under His providence, and He inclines the heart of the ruler as He wishes.
An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous; and he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.
verse value 3737
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "man·of" (אִ֣ישׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "just" (צַ֭דִּיקִים, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "injustice" (עָ֑וֶל), "straight·of·way" (יְשַׁר־דָּֽרֶךְ). The root תועבה appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "man·of" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "just" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'injustice', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת [abomination·of] (878) + צַ֭דִּיקִים [just] (254) + אִ֣ישׁ [man·of] (311) + עָ֑וֶל [injustice] (106) + וְתוֹעֲבַ֖ת [and·abomination·of] (884) + רָשָׁ֣ע [wicked] (570) + יְשַׁר־דָּֽרֶךְ [straight·of·way] (734) = 3737.
Rashi
whose way is straight A man who is straight in his ways.
Ralbag
"An abomination to the righteous" — behold, just as an unjust man is hated and abominable to the righteous, so is one who is upright in his way abominable to the wicked; and this is quite evident from experience. And here we complete what we had set as the bounds of our explanation in this place, and the benefits derived from it are made clear with a little reflection.
Metzudat David
"An abomination" — just as an unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, so an upright man is an abomination to the wicked.
Malbim
"An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous" — the good hates the evil, and the evil hates the good, to the point that to each one the other's way is an abomination.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Malbim