A father hands on the teaching he received in his own youth: get wisdom, get understanding, though it cost all you have. Two paths diverge — the way of the righteous like the light of dawn, the way of the wicked like darkness — so guard your heart above all that you guard.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Hear, you children, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding.
verse value 1827
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "father" (אָ֑ב, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·attend" (וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ, 7 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs); "understanding" (root בין, 46x in Proverbs); "to·know" (root ידע, 35x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'father', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: שִׁמְע֣וּ [hear] (416) + בָ֭נִים [sons] (102) + מ֣וּסַר [the·instruction·of] (306) + אָ֑ב [father] (3) + וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ [and·attend] (429) + לָדַ֥עַת [to·know] (504) + בִּינָֽה [understanding] (67) = 1827.
Rashi
Children, hearken to the discipline of the Father The Holy One, blessed be He.
Ibn Ezra
"Hear, O children" — after he had admonished his own son, he now exhorts other children, that they should heed the discipline of their own father; even though they are young, their father is to be reckoned by them as equivalent to me.
Ralbag
"Hear, O children, the instruction" — of Hashem, who is your father. Now this "instruction" is His Torah, which He gave to Israel. Attend and listen to it so that you may know understanding, for it will guide you to understanding, as we have mentioned — meaning, that the Torah, in many of its words, guides toward the knowledge of understanding, as we explained in our commentary on the words of the Torah.
Metzudat David
"Hear, you children" — you, children of the living God, hear the instruction of the Father who is in heaven, who chastises concerning understanding, and attend to know it.
Metzudat Zion
"And attend" — an expression of hearing and listening.
Malbim
"Hear, you children, the instruction of a father" — meaning, I will tell and relate to you the instruction of a father, that is, the instruction I received from my father, as he will explain in verse 3. "And attend to know understanding" — and besides what I will relate of the instruction my father told me, you shall also attend to that which I have contemplated on this matter out of my own understanding, so that through this you will know the matters with clear knowledge — which is why it says "to know understanding."
For I give you a good taking; Forsake you not my teaching.
verse value 2667
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·forsake" (אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "I·give" (נָתַ֣תִּי), "do·not·forsake" (אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs); "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs); "I·give" (root נתן, 34x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + לֶ֣קַח [teaching] (138) + ט֭וֹב [good] (17) + נָתַ֣תִּי [I·give] (860) + לָכֶ֑ם [to·you] (90) + תּ֝וֹרָתִ֗י [my·teaching] (1016) + אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ [do·not·forsake] (516) = 2667.
Rashi
For I gave you The prophet prophesies and speaks as an agent of the Holy One, blessed be He, and he is like His mouth.
Ralbag
"For I give you good doctrine" — for I have already given you a good acquisition; do not forsake the Torah that I gave you. Now these are the words of Hashem — meaning, that he (Solomon) said them in a manner as though Hashem Himself were speaking.
Metzudat David
"For I give you a good taking" — thus he says in his instruction: Behold, I have given you a good and wise teaching; do not forsake that teaching.
Malbim
"For" — corresponding to the tradition by which he received the instruction from his father, he says, "I give you a good taking" — the thing that I received by tradition is something good in itself, and I have given and transmitted it to you. And corresponding to what he contemplated out of his own understanding, which is attributed to him personally, he says, "forsake you not my teaching."
For I was a son to my father, Tender and an only one in front of my mother.
verse value 1039
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "tender" (רַ֥ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "I·was" (הָיִ֣יתִי, 5 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "for·son" (כִּֽי־בֵ֭ן), "to·my·father" (לְאָבִ֑י), "tender" (רַ֥ךְ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·son" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs); "in·front·of" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs); "I·was" (root היה, 27x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root רך ("tender") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root פנים ("in·front·of") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·my·father', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־בֵ֭ן [for·son] (82) + הָיִ֣יתִי [I·was] (435) + לְאָבִ֑י [to·my·father] (43) + רַ֥ךְ [tender] (220) + וְ֝יָחִ֗יד [and·only·one] (38) + לִפְנֵ֥י [in·front·of] (170) + אִמִּֽי [my·mother] (51) = 1039.
Rashi
For I was a son to my father Lest you say that Solomon hated people because he admonished them concerning robbery and immorality, something a person desires, he therefore states: I was a son, etc., a tender one and an only one, etc., that he loved me very much.
Ralbag
And afterward Solomon said, "For I was a son to my father" — behold, I was a son to my father; and by this he alludes to the people of Israel, that it is a son to Hashem, being young and tender when Hashem spoke these words to it. "And I was then an only one before my mother" — for no other nation received the Torah besides me [Israel], and this was at the time of my youth, when I went out from Egypt, for in a short time Hashem transferred me to His faith. And for this reason the prophet also said, in keeping with the allegorical sense (ha-nimshal), "I remember for you the kindness of your youth" (Jeremiah 2:2). And he said "before my mother" in keeping with the parable itself (ha-mashal); and it also, in keeping with the allegorical sense, alludes to the Active Intellect, through whose agency Hashem bestowed the Torah upon Israel, and through whose agency prophecy was attained.
Metzudat David
"For I was a son" — Solomon said: Do not think that I hate mankind, and that this is why I warn you against the things that a person's soul desires. Do not say so, for behold, I was a beloved son to my father, and pampered and an only child to my mother.
Metzudat Zion
"Tender" — delicately reared/pampered.
Malbim
"For [I was] a son" — he explains that the instruction he received from his father is an especially chosen and precious instruction, for a father bequeaths good instruction to all his children as well, and how much more so to the son chosen by him above all his other children, to whom he transmits special and exalted matters. And I was chosen by him above all his other children for two reasons: 1) "For I was a son to my father" — for even though I was not an only son to my father, nevertheless I was, in his eyes, the principal son, the one who would build his father's house and sit upon his throne in his place. 2) And besides this, "tender and an only one in front of my mother" — for at the time when my father stood before my mother, I was an only son to her; and on her account, because of his love for her, I was also regarded in his eyes as an only son.
And he taught me, and said to me: ‘Let your heart hold fast my words, Keep my commandments, and live;
verse value 2426
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֗י, 2 letters) and the longest is "hold·fast·my·words" (יִֽתְמׇךְ־דְּבָרַ֥י, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·taught·me" (וַיֹּרֵ֗נִי), "and·said" (וַיֹּ֥אמֶר), "hold·fast·my·words" (יִֽתְמׇךְ־דְּבָרַ֥י). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "and·said" (root אמר, 45x in Proverbs); "keep" (root שמר, 31x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root ירה ("and·taught·me") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root חיה ("and·live") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּרֵ֗נִי [and·taught·me] (276) + וַיֹּ֥אמֶר [and·said] (257) + לִ֗י [to·me] (40) + יִֽתְמׇךְ־דְּבָרַ֥י [hold·fast·my·words] (686) + לִבֶּ֑ךָ [your·heart] (52) + שְׁמֹ֖ר [keep] (540) + מִצְוֺתַ֣י [my·commandments] (546) + וֶחְיֵֽה [and·live] (29) = 2426.
Rashi
And he instructed me concerning that and he chastised me and said to me, “May your heart draw near to my words And since he chastened me with these words, therefore I admonish you concerning this (Rabbi Joseph Kara). Another explanation: For I was a son to my Father The prophet says, “I was a son to the Holy One, blessed be He, Who caused His spirit to rest upon me.” Now we find that the Holy One, blessed be He, called Solomon a son, for it is stated (II Sam. 7:14): “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to Me a son.” a tender one and an only one before my mother Heb. לפני אמי, before my nation (אמתי) I am chosen and beloved like a tender and only son. Therefore, my father instructed me.
Ralbag
"And he taught me" — then, Hashem, and He said to me: "let your heart hold fast my words," and support them by investigating properly the intent of the commandments of the Torah, for by this will be revealed what perfection and wondrous wisdom there is in the words of the Torah. "Keep in your heart the words of my commandments," and by this you will attain the true life, with which there is no death.
Metzudat David
"And he taught me" — and despite all his love for me, he taught me these things and said to me: Let the words of my reproof sustain your heart, so that you remain standing in the fear of Hashem. "Keep my commandments" — the commandment that I speak to you in the name of Hashem. "And live" — by keeping them you will attain life.
Metzudat Zion
"And he taught me" — an expression of teaching, as in "whom shall he teach knowledge" (Isaiah 28:9).
Malbim
"And he taught me, and said to me" — the "teaching" means that he shows him the way through deed; thus he showed me the ways of wisdom through my seeing his deeds and his conduct in practice, as it is said, "Greater is the practice of Torah than the study of it." "And said to me" is what he told me with his mouth. "Let your heart hold fast my words" — for the heart, which is the ruling faculty within the soul, moves and wanders and does not stand still for a moment in one state, because desire and the heart's inclination entice it at every moment to turn away from the laws of wisdom. Therefore "my words" will hold fast your heart, so that it remains fixed in the state of wisdom and does not wander from its place. And besides this, "keep my commandments, and live" — that you should keep them because they are Hashem's command, even though there be no reason for it, and thereby you shall live.
Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
verse value 2036
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "get" (קְנֵ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·the·words·of·my·mouth" (מֵאִמְרֵי־פִֽי, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 155: get, get. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·do·not·decline" (וְאַל־תֵּ֝֗ט). The root קנה appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wisdom" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "understanding" (root בין, 46x in Proverbs); "from·the·words·of·my·mouth" (root אמר, 45x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'understanding', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: קְנֵ֣ה [get] (155) + חׇ֭כְמָה [wisdom] (73) + קְנֵ֣ה [get] (155) + בִינָ֑ה [understanding] (67) + אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח [do·not·forget] (759) + וְאַל־תֵּ֝֗ט [and·do·not·decline] (446) + מֵאִמְרֵי־פִֽי [from·the·words·of·my·mouth] (381) = 2036.
Ralbag
"Get wisdom" — through them [these words] you shall acquire wisdom, and you shall acquire understanding. "Forget not" — any of my words, and do not turn at all from the sayings of my mouth; for in this manner, with much diligence and investigation, many of the intentions of the Torah will be revealed to you.
Metzudat David
"Get wisdom" — see to it that wisdom and understanding are acquired by you and are ready at hand with you, and do not forget them. "The words of my mouth" — the words of my admonitions.
Malbim
"Get wisdom, get understanding" — he warned him that wisdom, and likewise understanding, should be with him as an acquisition bound fast to his soul. I have already informed you of the difference between wisdom and understanding, and he tells him that in his words one will find both: wisdom, which teaches the ways of conduct in matters to which the name "good" and "bad" apply, and understanding, which discerns between truth and falsehood in matters of belief and opinion. "Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth" — that you should not turn away from my words, whether through forgetting or through a deviation to which the inclination of desire diverts you from the correct path.
Forsake her not, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.
verse value 2210
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 22 letters. Notable word values: "love·her" (אֱהָבֶ֥הָ) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). Verse gematria: 2210 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "love·her" (אֱהָבֶ֥הָ, 4 letters) and the longest is "do·not·forsake·her" (אַל־תַּעַזְבֶ֥הָ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "do·not·forsake·her" (אַל־תַּעַזְבֶ֥הָ), "and·she·will·preserve·you" (וְתִשְׁמְרֶ֑ךָּ), "and·she·will·keep·you" (וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·she·will·preserve·you" (root שמר, 31x in Proverbs); "love·her" (root אהב, 31x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·she·will·preserve·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 2 words. Full calculation: אַל־תַּעַזְבֶ֥הָ [do·not·forsake·her] (515) + וְתִשְׁמְרֶ֑ךָּ [and·she·will·preserve·you] (966) + אֱהָבֶ֥הָ [love·her] (13) + וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ [and·she·will·keep·you] (716) = 2210.
Rashi
Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her Heb. אהבה, love her.
Ibn Ezra
"Forsake her not" — [referring to] wisdom, for she will guard you from trouble.
Ralbag
"Forsake her not" — do not forsake the Torah, and if you are careful about this, she will guard you from all evil, by virtue of what will come to you, through their [the commandments'] agency, from divine providence. Love the Torah, and she will keep you — for your loving her will cause you to seek out fitting reasons for each of her words, and in this manner you will grasp some of her intentions.
Metzudat David
"Forsake her not" — do not forsake the Torah, and she in turn will preserve you from every stumbling block.
Malbim
"Forsake her not, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you" — "love" is a greater level than "forsake her not," for sometimes a person will not forsake even something he does not love, if he derives benefit from it. Therefore he added that you should love her and that your soul should cling to her, this being on account of the good that is in her, which is greater than [mere] pleasantness and usefulness. And thereby, "she will keep you" — for "keeping" [netzirah] is greater than "preserving" [shemirah]; the more you increase in love, the more she will keep you with an exceptional keeping.
The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom; Indeed, with all your getting get understanding.
verse value 1722
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "get" (קְנֵ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·with·all·your·getting" (וּבְכׇל־קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 155: get, get. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·with·all·your·getting" (וּבְכׇל־קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗). The root חכם appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wisdom" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "understanding" (root בין, 46x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wisdom', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: רֵאשִׁ֣ית [the·beginning·of] (911) + חׇ֭כְמָה [wisdom] (73) + קְנֵ֣ה [get] (155) + חׇכְמָ֑ה [wisdom] (73) + וּבְכׇל־קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗ [and·with·all·your·getting] (288) + קְנֵ֣ה [get] (155) + בִינָֽה [understanding] (67) = 1722.
Rashi
The beginning of wisdom [is to] acquire wisdom At the beginning of your wisdom, learn from others and acquire for yourself the tradition from the mouth of the teacher, and afterwards with all your possession acquire understanding. Concentrate on it by yourself to understand the reasons, thereby deriving one thing from another.
Ibn Ezra
"The beginning of wisdom: acquire wisdom" — with part of your wealth; and if you are not able to attain it [with part], give all of your wealth.
Ralbag
"The beginning" — at the very beginning of the wisdom you shall acquire from the Torah, you shall [already] acquire wisdom, and this will come to you from it without much toil; but in the acquisition of understanding you will need to be assisted by it in every acquisition you acquire from it, and all of them will guide you toward attaining it. Now he said this because the acquisition of wisdom comes from things intrinsic to it, and they are the beginning of wisdom; but the matter of understanding is not so, as we have mentioned.
Metzudat David
"The beginning of wisdom" — at the start of studying wisdom, see to it that it becomes acquired by you; that is, from the time you begin to learn it, study it in a fixed, regular manner so that it becomes ingrained in you. "With all your getting" — let the acquisition of understanding be singled out among all the things that are acquired by you and ingrained within you.
Malbim
"The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom" — it has already been explained that wisdom has no starting points or foundations upon which it is founded, and it is unlike understanding, which has a beginning and a starting point; for regarding matters of wisdom or knowledge that one has already acquired, one reflects and derives one thing from another and infers one thing from another. Thus the beginning and starting point of understanding lies outside of understanding itself. But wisdom has no beginning of its own, for the beginning of wisdom and its starting point is wisdom itself — that is, the laws of wisdom that one received from God were themselves the foundation of wisdom, and nothing else. This is the meaning of "the beginning of wisdom" being itself "get wisdom." But the beginning of understanding is not understanding itself, but rather other acquisitions that one has gained in his soul from knowledge of wisdom or of any kind of learning; for through these acquisitions present in his soul he comprehends them and derives one thing from another, and through them he acquires understanding. This is the meaning of "and with all your getting, get understanding" — for example, one who has [acquired] the foundational principles of geometry or natural science comprehends through them and derives a piece of understanding; so too, with every acquisition of whatever science he has gathered in his soul, he will comprehend and acquire understanding.
Extol her, and she will exalt you; She will bring you to honor, when you do embrace her.
verse value 1938
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "when" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·she·will·exalt·you" (וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶ֑ךָּ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "extol·her" (סַלְסְלֶ֥הָ), "and·she·will·exalt·you" (וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶ֑ךָּ), "she·will·honor·you" (תְּ֝כַבֵּ֗דְךָ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "when" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root חבק ("you·embrace·her") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·she·will·exalt·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: סַלְסְלֶ֥הָ [extol·her] (185) + וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶ֑ךָּ [and·she·will·exalt·you] (712) + תְּ֝כַבֵּ֗דְךָ [she·will·honor·you] (446) + כִּ֣י [when] (30) + תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה [you·embrace·her] (565) = 1938.
Rashi
Search for her Heb. סלסלה search for her. Review it to examine it minutely, as in (Jer. 6:9): “as a vintager over the searchings (סלסלות)” who goes repeatedly through the vineyard and brings back his hand to search for the single grapes. In the expression of the Sages (Rosh Hashanah 26b), curls (מסלסל) his hair.
Ibn Ezra
"Extol her" (סלסלה) — lift her up and exalt her; [related] to "extol Him who rides" (Psalm 68:5). "She will bring you to honor" (תכבדך) — she will place you at the rank of honor. "When you embrace her" — to study her constantly.
Ralbag
"Extol her" (salsela) — tread and pave a path continually along the highway of the Torah, and she will give you honor, for you will cleave to her; and she will place upon your head a crown to which favor will be attached for you, and she will give you a crown of glory. Now he said this because, through diligence in the Torah and in her intentions, loftiness and honor come to a person; yet this is not her true intended purpose — rather, the good that is intended by her is eternal life. And he already mentioned this earlier, when he said "keep my commandments, and live," speaking as though Hashem Himself were speaking.
Metzudat David
"Extol her" — handle her constantly, and she will exalt you. "When you embrace her" — when you embrace her so that she becomes attached to you.
Metzudat Zion
"Extol" — an expression of handling/fondling, as in "like a grape-gatherer over the baskets" (Jeremiah 6:9); and in the words of our Sages of blessed memory: "one who curls his hair" (Nazir 3a).
Malbim
"Extol her, and she will exalt you" — first he shall picture in his heart the importance of wisdom and her loftiness, and correspondingly wisdom too will exalt him. And afterward, "she will bring you to honor, when you embrace her" — if you attach yourself to her in love, to cling to her and embrace her, so that she becomes for you the wife of your bosom and you are continually absorbed in love of her, she will go on to bequeath to you the honor of the spiritual soul.
She will give to your head a chaplet of grace; A crown of glory will she bestow on you.’
verse value 4178
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "she·will·give" (תִּתֵּ֣ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "a·chaplet·of·grace" (לִוְיַת־חֵ֑ן, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "a·chaplet·of·grace" (לִוְיַת־חֵ֑ן), "she·will·bestow·on·you" (תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "she·will·give" (root נתן, 34x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root עטרת ("a·crown·of") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root תפארת ("glory") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'a·chaplet·of·grace', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: תִּתֵּ֣ן [she·will·give] (850) + לְ֭רֹאשְׁךָ [to·your·head] (551) + לִוְיַת־חֵ֑ן [a·chaplet·of·grace] (504) + עֲטֶ֖רֶת [a·crown·of] (679) + תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת [glory] (1081) + תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ [she·will·bestow·on·you] (513) = 4178.
Rashi
She will give your head a wreath of grace Heb. לוית חן, a wreath of grace, as in (1:9): “They are a wreath of grace (לוית חן) for your head.”
Ibn Ezra
"She will bestow on you" (תמגנך) — from the word [used in] "who has delivered your adversaries" (Genesis 14:20).
Metzudat David
"A chaplet of grace" — she will attach to your head ornaments of grace. "Will she bestow on you" — she will hand over to you a crown of glory.
Metzudat Zion
"Will she bestow" — an expression of handing over, as in "who delivered your enemies" (Genesis 14:20).
Malbim
"She will give" — afterward she will increase for you love and kindness, until "she will give to your head a chaplet of grace" — that you shall find favor in the eyes of God and man; and "the head" signifies the faculties of the intellect, meaning that you shall find favor and good understanding. And afterward, "a crown of glory will she bestow on you" — for the crown is worn by one of stature, as a sign of his stature; and you shall wear a crown of glory, so that you shall be for glory unto all generations, which is greater than [mere] honor and favor.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of your life shall be many.
verse value 1935
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "to·you" (לְ֝ךָ֗, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·shall·be·many" (וְיִרְבּ֥וּ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·take" (וְקַ֣ח), "and·shall·be·many" (וְיִרְבּ֥וּ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·son" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs); "my·sayings" (root אמר, 45x in Proverbs); "life" (root חי, 32x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root רבה ("and·shall·be·many") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·sayings', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: שְׁמַ֣ע [hear] (410) + בְּ֭נִי [my·son] (62) + וְקַ֣ח [and·take] (114) + אֲמָרָ֑י [my·sayings] (251) + וְיִרְבּ֥וּ [and·shall·be·many] (224) + לְ֝ךָ֗ [to·you] (50) + שְׁנ֣וֹת [years·of] (756) + חַיִּֽים [life] (68) = 1935.
Ralbag
"Hear, my son, and receive my sayings" — these are the narratives of the Torah. "And the years of your life shall be many" — for they [the narratives] greatly guide one toward the perfection of the character traits and the perfection of the intelligibles, as we explained there. Or, Solomon speaks here [in his own voice] and commands [his listener] to take his sayings, which he enjoins upon him.
Metzudat David
"Hear, O my son" — this is an expression of affection, meaning: you are dear to me, for you are my son, and I desire your betterment. "The years of your life" — that is, good and peaceful years.
Malbim
"Hear, O my son" — and also take and accept my sayings, and then "the years of your life shall be many," as is written above (3:2).
I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in paths of uprightness.
verse value 2268
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 30 letters. Verse gematria: 2268 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "in·the·way·of" (בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·paths·of·uprightness" (בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "I·have·taught·you" (הֹרֵיתִ֑יךָ), "I·have·led·you" (הִ֝דְרַכְתִּ֗יךָ), "in·paths·of·uprightness" (בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר). The root דרך appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wisdom" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "in·the·way·of" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·have·taught·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ [in·the·way·of] (226) + חׇ֭כְמָה [wisdom] (73) + הֹרֵיתִ֑יךָ [I·have·taught·you] (645) + הִ֝דְרַכְתִּ֗יךָ [I·have·led·you] (659) + בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר [in·paths·of·uprightness] (665) = 2268.
Ibn Ezra
"In the way of wisdom" — for the sake of the way of wisdom, which you shall learn.
Ralbag
"I have taught you in the way of wisdom" — to walk in the way of wisdom and in the paths of uprightness; and this is what I warned you of — to walk in the ways of the Torah and to investigate it with proper investigation. And if you do so, you will be aided by Hashem, in such a way that your thoughts will be rightly directed and your wishes fulfilled in whatever you wish to do.
Metzudat David
"I have taught you" — I instruct you to walk in the way of wisdom. "I have led you" — I guide you in the straight path.
Metzudat Zion
"I have taught you" — an expression of instruction.
Malbim
"I have taught you in the way of wisdom" — "the way" is the straight path, and "the circuit" is the roundabout path. A person must walk on the middle path, which is the fixed, straight path — and this is the way of wisdom, like the way of mercy, the way of modesty, the way of humility, and the like. And so it says, "I have taught you in the way of wisdom." However, sometimes one must deviate from the straight path and go by the circuit, which is the roundabout path, if one cannot reach the desired destination by the straight path (such as when there is an obstacle — the straight path [blocked] by a mountain or ridges, and the like). For example, one whose nature inclines toward stinginess cannot [go directly] to the middle path, which is the way of generosity; rather, he must first veer to the other extreme, which is the trait of extravagance — this is the "circuit" — by means of which he trains himself to arrive at the straight, middle path, which is the trait of generosity. And in this one must know how to arrive, by means of the circuit, and circle around by it to the straight path. And so it says, "I have led you in paths of uprightness" — meaning that he should know the "uprightness" of the circuit, so as not to veer to the other side, like those of whom it is written, "and crooked in their circuits" (above, 2:15). And in this, teaching alone does not suffice — merely showing him the way, as it says, "I have taught you in the way of wisdom" — for guidance is also needed, to guide and lead him by the hand through the circuit so that he does not go astray; and so it says, "I have led you."
When you go, your step shall not be straitened; And if you run, you shall not stumble.
verse value 2511
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·if·you·run" (וְאִם־תָּ֝ר֗וּץ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "when·you·walk" (בְּֽ֭לֶכְתְּךָ), "shall·not·be·straitened" (לֹא־יֵצַ֣ר), "your·step" (צַעֲדֶ֑ךָ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "when·you·walk" (root הלך, 35x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root צרר ("shall·not·be·straitened") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root צעד ("your·step") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·step', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּֽ֭לֶכְתְּךָ [when·you·walk] (472) + לֹא־יֵצַ֣ר [shall·not·be·straitened] (331) + צַעֲדֶ֑ךָ [your·step] (184) + וְאִם־תָּ֝ר֗וּץ [and·if·you·run] (743) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תִכָּשֵֽׁל [you·shall·stumble] (750) = 2511.
Rashi
When you walk, your step will not be straightened One who does not spread out his legs is likely to fall.
Ibn Ezra
"When you go" — when you walk in the way of wisdom.
Ralbag
"When you go, your step shall not be straitened" — behold, when you go to do some matter, your step will not be constrained from advancing and completing the way; and even if you run in your way, you will not stumble on a stumbling-stone or a rock of obstacle.
Metzudat David
"Shall not be straitened" — the place for your steps will not be narrow, so that even if you run on it, you will not stumble in your deeds.
Metzudat Zion
"Your step" — your paces/strides. "You run" — an expression of swiftness of walking.
Malbim
"When you go, your step shall not be straitened" — sometimes a person walks in the way of the Torah with a simple gait, fulfilling the commandments according to the strict law and obligation, and this is "when you go"; then his steps must not be constricted, meaning that he should not be lazy in performing the commandments, but do them as they are commanded and walk in the ordinary way. And sometimes a person walks in the way of the Torah at a run, that is, he acts with the trait of piety and runs with great enthusiasm to add extra safeguards, fences, sanctity, and asceticism; and then he must beware of stumbling, like the four who entered the orchard [pardes], of whom Acher ["the Other," i.e., Elisha ben Abuyah] cut down the plantings. And so it says, "and if you run, you shall not stumble."
Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go; Keep her, for she is your life.
verse value 1578
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "hold·fast" (הַחֲזֵ֣ק, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·the·instruction" (בַּמּוּסָ֣ר, 5 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "hold·fast" (הַחֲזֵ֣ק), "in·the·instruction" (בַּמּוּסָ֣ר), "do·not·let·go" (אַל־תֶּ֑רֶף). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·life" (root חי, 32x in Proverbs); "in·the·instruction" (root מוסר, 30x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root רפה ("do·not·let·go") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'do·not·let·go', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַחֲזֵ֣ק [hold·fast] (120) + בַּמּוּסָ֣ר [in·the·instruction] (308) + אַל־תֶּ֑רֶף [do·not·let·go] (711) + נִ֝צְּרֶ֗הָ [keep·her] (345) + כִּי־הִ֥יא [for·she] (46) + חַיֶּֽיךָ [your·life] (48) = 1578.
Rashi
Take fast hold of discipline, do not let it loose Grasp the Torah, as in (Gen. 21:18) “and grasp (והחזיקי) your hand onto him”; (Ex. 4:4) “and he stretched out his hand and grasped it (ויחזק).”
Ibn Ezra
"Keep her" (נצרה) — it ought properly to be [vocalized] with a patach, and the ה ("her") is a pronoun referring to wisdom, mentioned above in "the way of wisdom." And the meaning is: hold fast to the discipline that I have instructed you, so as to walk in it (wisdom).
Ralbag
"Take fast hold of instruction" — [that is,] the Torah; do not let go of it. Guard the Torah in your heart, for she herself is your eternal life, by virtue of what is included in her intentions of wisdom and understanding. "Enter not into the path of the wicked" — do not enter, and do not walk in the way of wicked people.
Metzudat David
"Let her not go" — do not let your hand slacken from it.
Malbim
"Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go" — Since the desires of the heart oppose the laws of wisdom, for the imaginings of a person's heart incline toward evil and are the opposite of the way of wisdom, he needs instruction (musar), by which he restrains the powers of his soul so that they do not stray from the ways of wisdom. I have already explained at the beginning of the book that this musar is the fear of Hashem, as it is written, "the fear of Hashem is the instruction of wisdom" — for through the fear of Hashem one will be afraid to transgress the laws of wisdom that were given by Him. However, this instruction and fear of Hashem does not arise on its own in a person's soul, and one must hold onto it with all his strength, so that the fear of Hashem does not depart from his memory for even a moment. Therefore he said, "take fast hold of instruction" — meaning, one who holds the matter forcibly — "and let her not go," for if you let her go for a moment, she will depart from your memory. And through this, "guard her, you shall guard" — meaning, through holding fast to instruction, the laws of wisdom will be kept in his heart — "for she is your life," for wisdom is the life of the soul (as above, 3:22: "and they shall be life for your soul"), since wisdom is the life of the soul, and without it one does not live the life of the soul but only an animal life that is not truly "your life" — meaning, the life of a human being.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil men.
verse value 2749
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "in·the·path·of" (בְּאֹ֣רַח, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·do·not·walk·straight" (וְאַל־תְּ֝אַשֵּׁ֗ר, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·the·path·of" (בְּאֹ֣רַח), "and·do·not·walk·straight" (וְאַל־תְּ֝אַשֵּׁ֗ר). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "in·the·way·of" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "evil" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'do·not·enter', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּאֹ֣רַח [in·the·path·of] (211) + רְ֭שָׁעִים [wicked] (620) + אַל־תָּבֹ֑א [do·not·enter] (434) + וְאַל־תְּ֝אַשֵּׁ֗ר [and·do·not·walk·straight] (938) + בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ [in·the·way·of] (226) + רָעִֽים [evil] (320) = 2749.
Rashi
You shall not come in the way of the wicked, and do not walk [as translated,] do not walk, as in (Job 23:11), “My foot has held to His path,” and as in (Proverbs 14:15), “but a cunning man understands his steps.”
Metzudat Zion
"Walk" — an expression of walking and stepping, as in "and walk in the way of understanding" (below, 9:6).
Malbim
"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men" — There is a difference between "way" (derech) and "path" (orach): the "way" is the great road that goes from city to city, while the "path" is the small road that branches off from the great road to the side, toward small towns and villages. And there is a difference between "the wicked" (resha'im) and "evil men" (ra'im): the wicked are so called because of action — they perform a wicked deed — while "evil" includes one whose very essence is evil even though he does not act wickedly in deed, such as the heretic (min) and the unbeliever (apikoros), whose evil consists in heretical thought and denial of faith. Now every wicked person has his own particular path in which he walks in his wickedness: this one walks in the path of murder, that one in the path of adultery or theft, and so on — and so it says, "into the path of the wicked, enter not." But the "evil men" have a "way," which is the general way of denying [divine] providence and reward and punishment — and so it says, "and walk not in the way of evil men." And the verb "ta'ashur" (walk/approve) always refers to the way of the soul's happiness (osher) — meaning: do not think that through their philosophizing you will find the way of happiness, or that through their syllogisms and inquiries you will arrive at the way of faith. And you may want to learn the method of their inquiry — which in general is to use their premises for the study of Torah and faith, so as to arrive by their means at the happiness of the soul — but do not hope for this: that you will find in it any happiness.
Avoid it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on.
verse value 1820
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. Verse gematria: 1820 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "turn·aside" (שְׂטֵ֖ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "do·not·pass·by·it" (אַל־תַּעֲבׇר־בּ֑וֹ, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "avoid·it" (פְּרָעֵ֥הוּ), "do·not·pass·by·it" (אַל־תַּעֲבׇר־בּ֑וֹ), "turn·aside" (שְׂטֵ֖ה). The root עבר appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root עבר ("do·not·pass·by·it") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'do·not·pass·by·it', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: פְּרָעֵ֥הוּ [avoid·it] (361) + אַל־תַּעֲבׇר־בּ֑וֹ [do·not·pass·by·it] (711) + שְׂטֵ֖ה [turn·aside] (314) + מֵעָלָ֣יו [from·it] (156) + וַעֲבֹֽר [and·pass·on] (278) = 1820.
Rashi
Avoid it Heb. פרע, put it to naught. turn away from it Heb. שטה, turn away.
Ibn Ezra
"Avoid it" (פרעהו) — from the same [root] as "you have spurned all my counsel" (Proverbs 1:25), related to the term "retroactively" (למפרע). "Pass not by it" (שטה) — [meaning] turn away (סור).
Ralbag
"Avoid it, pass not by it" — if you are able, nullify and put an end to that way — meaning, that you should uproot the way of the wicked, in a manner such that they will not complete their evil. Do not pass by to agree with them; and if you are not able to nullify it, turn away from it and pass on, and let the evil go out from the wicked, and let your hand not be with them. For the wicked desire to do evil to such an extent that, once they have walked in a certain way and practice, they will not walk in it a second time unless there was evil and corruption in that way.
Metzudat David
"Avoid it" — nullify that path and do not pass through it; turn away from it of your own accord and pass on from it.
Metzudat Zion
"Avoid it" — an expression of nullifying and ceasing, as in "and you have set at nought all my counsel" (above, 1:25). "Turn" — an expression of turning aside and removal, as in "let not your heart turn aside to her ways" (below, 7:25).
Malbim
"Avoid it (pera'ehu)" — you need to disrupt this way, and know how to answer the heretic (apikoros); and if you cannot disrupt it, at least do not pass through it. And if you have already encountered this way (meaning: if you have studied their inquiries and opinions), "turn from it, and pass on" — turn aside from it, and pass over into the way of Torah and faith.
For they sleep not, except they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
verse value 2496
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. Verse gematria: 2496 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·is·taken·away" (וְֽנִגְזְלָ֥ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 72: if·not, if·not. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "sleep" (יִֽ֭שְׁנוּ), "and·is·taken·away" (וְֽנִגְזְלָ֥ה), "their·sleep" (שְׁ֝נָתָ֗ם). The root אם appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root רעע ("do·evil") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root גזל ("and·is·taken·away") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'do·evil', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words.
Rashi
For they will not sleep They are unable to sleep.
Ralbag
"For they sleep not, except they have done evil" — they also cannot sleep at night unless they have done evil to make people stumble.
Metzudat David
"For they sleep not" — those who walk on that path are unable to sleep unless they do evil. "Unless they cause some to fall" — [unless they cause] others [to stumble]; and the matter is repeated in different wording [as a parallelism].
Malbim
"For they sleep not, except they have done evil" — for if they have not done evil themselves, they do not sleep at all; "and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall" — and if they have not caused others to stumble, then even though they do sleep after having done evil themselves, it seems to them that their sleep has been stolen from them, for they think it was not fitting for them to sleep until they had also caused others to stumble. With this he has described the matter of the "evil men" (ra'im), who are the heretics (minim) and unbelievers (apikorsim). Now he will explain the matter of "the wicked" (resha'im), of whom he said, "into the path of the wicked, enter not."
For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.
verse value 1712
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "violence" (חֲמָסִ֣ים, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "violence" (חֲמָסִ֣ים), "drink" (יִשְׁתּֽוּ). The root לחם appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wickedness" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs); "eat" (root לחם, 21x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root לחם ("eat") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root יין ("and·wine·of") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wickedness', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּ֣י [for] (30) + לָ֭חֲמוּ [eat] (84) + לֶ֣חֶם [bread·of] (78) + רֶ֑שַׁע [wickedness] (570) + וְיֵ֖ין [and·wine·of] (76) + חֲמָסִ֣ים [violence] (158) + יִשְׁתּֽוּ [drink] (716) = 1712.
Ralbag
"For they eat the bread of wickedness" — Their food and their drink will all be wickedness and violence, for wickedness lulls their eyes to sleep because of their great joy in it; nor do they need any other food, because of their great pleasure in it.
Metzudat David
"The bread of wickedness" — that is, [bread] that comes from robbery. "Of violence" — [wine] that comes from violence.
Malbim
"For they eat the bread of wickedness" — the bread that they eat, they acquired through wickedness; "and drink the wine of violence" — the wine that they drink, they acquired through violence.
But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, That shines more and more to the perfect day.
verse value 1289
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "brightness" (נֹ֑גַהּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "righteous" (צַ֭דִּיקִים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: walking, the·day. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "like·light·of" (כְּא֣וֹר), "brightness" (נֹ֑גַהּ), "and·shining" (וָ֝א֗וֹר). The root אור appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "righteous" (root צדיק, 66x in Proverbs); "walking" (root הלך, 35x in Proverbs); "the·day" (root יום, 32x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root אור ("like·light·of") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'brightness', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְאֹ֣רַח [and·way·of] (215) + צַ֭דִּיקִים [righteous] (254) + כְּא֣וֹר [like·light·of] (227) + נֹ֑גַהּ [brightness] (58) + הוֹלֵ֥ךְ [walking] (61) + וָ֝א֗וֹר [and·shining] (213) + עַד־נְכ֥וֹן [until·established·of] (200) + הַיּֽוֹם [the·day] (61) = 1289.
Rashi
But the way of the righteous is like the light of dawn which shines and illuminates from the first ray of dawn. until the day is perfect Until midday, which is the brightest time of day.
Ibn Ezra
"And the path of the righteous" — [the word "light"] is elided. And the correct [understanding] is: "the light of the path of the righteous."
Ralbag
"But the path of the righteous" — This is the way of the righteous: it is like the shining light of dawn, whose light goes forth and grows stronger until the day is fully established, that is, until midday, for then the light and the day are at their fullness and their strength.
Metzudat David
"But the path of the righteous" — the path in which the righteous walk is like the light of day, which shines and grows, illuminating more and more each time, until the day is established in its fullness — that is, midday; meaning, at every stage they gain more understanding to grasp the knowledge of the Torah.
Metzudat Zion
"As the light" — an expression of illumination, as in "at the brightness before him" (Psalms 18:13). "Shines more and more" — meaning it increases each time, similarly "or the moon walking in splendor" (Job 31:26).
Malbim
"But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn" — There is a difference between "way" (derech) and "path" (orach): the "way" is the great road, and the "path" is smaller than the way — it is what branches off from the great road toward the villages and to the side. And he says that even though it may seem to you that the righteous do not walk on a broad way — for their way at its beginning is full of thorns and hard to walk on — nevertheless, even though its beginning is thorns, its end is a level plain. And this narrow path on which they walk seems at first like "the light of dawn" (or nogah) — which is the light that begins to break forth as the dawn rises, which is not light of itself from the sun but reflected light, through the scattering of the sun's rays through the vapors; but afterward it "goes and shines" — for after this it becomes light of itself, and also "goes," meaning that the light increases continually, "until the day is established" at noon. So too the light of the soul: even though at its beginning it is covered by the clouds and mists of the body, and the light of the sun is covered and hidden, it will break forth from among the mists of the body and the darkness of matter and become a bright light in the clarity of the soul, but—
The way of the wicked is as darkness; They know not at what they stumble.
verse value 1514
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "wicked" (רְ֭שָׁעִים, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "like·the·darkness" (כָּאֲפֵלָ֑ה), "know" (יָ֝דְע֗וּ), "in·what" (בַּמֶּ֥ה). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "way·of" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root מה ("in·what") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'like·the·darkness', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: דֶּ֣רֶךְ [way·of] (224) + רְ֭שָׁעִים [wicked] (620) + כָּאֲפֵלָ֑ה [like·the·darkness] (136) + לֹ֥א [not] (31) + יָ֝דְע֗וּ [know] (90) + בַּמֶּ֥ה [in·what] (47) + יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ [stumble] (366) = 1514.
Rashi
The way of the wicked is like pitch darkness; they do not know on what they stumble Suddenly, an obstacle will come to them, and they will not know how to beware of it.
Ralbag
"The way of the wicked is as darkness" — But the way of the wicked is like darkness, in which they cannot see and cannot make their way straight toward the goal they intend; therefore they stumble in their course, and they do not know at what they stumble, because they see no light at all. And indeed he said this because the way of the righteous, when they go to do some deed, has light within it to save them from the obstacles and hindrances and to guide them straight toward the goal they intend, for in all this they are helped by Hashem, blessed be He. But the way of the wicked, in which they intend to do wickedness, is the opposite of this, for Hashem, blessed be He, annuls their plans many times, so that they do not carry out the evil that they schemed to do, as we mentioned in the Book of Job.
Metzudat David
"As darkness" — like those who walk on a dark path and do not know by what they might stumble so as to guard against it; that is, they err in their understanding and stray from the way of truth, and do not know what to beware of.
Malbim
"The way of the wicked" — even though it may seem to you that the wicked walk on a broad way whose beginning is a level plain, nevertheless it is like "gloom" (afeilah), which is darker than mere darkness (choshech), to the point that "they know not at what they stumble." He also tells us something novel: that the righteous — even their "path," which is their individual deeds — are full of light and radiance; whereas the wicked — even their broad "way," meaning their general conduct — is full of gloom, and how much more so the particulars of their deeds.
My son, attend to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.
verse value 1103
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "my·son" (בְּ֭נִי, 3 letters) and the longest is "attend" (הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·my·words" (לִדְבָרַ֣י), "to·my·sayings" (לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗י). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·son" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs); "to·my·words" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root אמרי ("to·my·sayings") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'attend', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: בְּ֭נִי [my·son] (62) + לִדְבָרַ֣י [to·my·words] (246) + הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה [attend] (422) + לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗י [to·my·sayings] (281) + הַט־אׇזְנֶֽךָ [incline·your·ear] (92) = 1103.
Ibn Ezra
"My son" — [connects to] "to my words" [i.e., "my son, attend to my words"].
Ralbag
"My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings" — "let them not depart from your eyes" — let them not depart from your eyes; keep them always in the midst of your heart.
Malbim
"My son, attend to my words (devarim)" — the "words" (devarim) are speech at length, in the manner of one who expounds, elaborates, and explains the reasoning behind the matters; and the "sayings" (amarim) are the language in which he clothes his words. He means that you should attend to the reasoning of the matters at length, and also incline your ear to the precise quality of the "sayings," to preserve them in their exact wording. For example: the language in which the Written Torah is stated — these are the "sayings" (amarim); and the laws (halachot) that were transmitted orally at length — these are the "words" (devarim). And you must pay attention to both.
Let them not depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart.
verse value 1356
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "keep·them" (שׇׁ֝מְרֵ֗ם, 4 letters) and the longest is "let·them·not·depart" (אַל־יַלִּ֥יזוּ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "let·them·not·depart" (אַל־יַלִּ֥יזוּ), "keep·them" (שׇׁ֝מְרֵ֗ם), "your·heart" (לְבָבֶֽךָ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·your·eyes" (root עין, 43x in Proverbs); "keep·them" (root שמר, 31x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·your·eyes', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַל־יַלִּ֥יזוּ [let·them·not·depart] (94) + מֵעֵינֶ֑יךָ [from·your·eyes] (200) + שׇׁ֝מְרֵ֗ם [keep·them] (580) + בְּת֣וֹךְ [in·the·midst·of] (428) + לְבָבֶֽךָ [your·heart] (54) = 1356.
Metzudat Zion
"Let them not depart" — let them not turn away.
Malbim
"Let them not depart from your eyes" — that in all the deeds you do, the words of the Torah should be before your eyes, so that you act according to its commandments; "keep them in the midst of your heart" — to think always according to the ways of wisdom in the meditation of your heart. And this is the same as what he said (3:21): "Let them not depart from your eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion."
For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
verse value 1274
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. Verse gematria: 1274 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "they" (הֵ֭ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·to·all·his·flesh" (וּֽלְכׇל־בְּשָׂר֥וֹ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "for·life" (כִּֽי־חַיִּ֣ים), "to·those·who·find·them" (לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑ם), "and·to·all·his·flesh" (וּֽלְכׇל־בְּשָׂר֥וֹ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·those·who·find·them" (root מצא, 28x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root בשר ("and·to·all·his·flesh") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root מרפא ("health") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·those·who·find·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־חַיִּ֣ים [for·life] (98) + הֵ֭ם [they] (45) + לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑ם [to·those·who·find·them] (216) + וּֽלְכׇל־בְּשָׂר֥וֹ [and·to·all·his·flesh] (594) + מַרְפֵּֽא [health] (321) = 1274.
Rashi
for those who find them Heb. למצאיהם, an expression of finding.
Ralbag
"For they are life to those who find them" — For these things that I am telling you are themselves life to whoever finds them and grasps their true intent; and along with this they are healing to all his flesh, to remove from him the sickness of base character traits. And he said this because this book, in its entirety, guides one toward the perfection of the intelligibles [the objects grasped by the intellect] and toward the perfection of character traits.
Metzudat David
"To those who find them" — to one who finds the wisdoms of the Torah, they are life and healing to all his flesh.
Malbim
"For they are life to those who find them" — to the one who finds them, meaning the person for whom the words of the Torah and wisdom have become his own possession — they are life, that is, the life of the soul; "and health to all their flesh" — that is, the body — meaning that they are the life of both soul and body. And even for one whose bodily systems have become disordered and he falls ill, they are a remedy — not like the remedy of medicinal drugs, where each organ requires its own particular drug, for the remedy of the Torah benefits every organ and every kind of illness.
Above all that you guard keep your heart; For out of it are the issues of life.
verse value 2199
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "guard" (נְצֹ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "above·all·guarding" (מִֽכׇּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "above·all·guarding" (מִֽכׇּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר), "for·from·it" (כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ), "issues·of" (תּוֹצְא֥וֹת). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "for·from·it" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs); "life" (root חי, 32x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: מִֽכׇּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר [above·all·guarding] (670) + נְצֹ֣ר [guard] (340) + לִבֶּ֑ךָ [your·heart] (52) + כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ [for·from·it] (166) + תּוֹצְא֥וֹת [issues·of] (903) + חַיִּֽים [life] (68) = 2199.
Rashi
From every interdict From whatever the Torah commanded to beware of, guard your heart (from transgressing), regardless whether it is a minor sin or a grave sin. for the issues of life [come] out of it For from even a minor one you shall have life and a great reward if you fulfill it—so did Rabbi Tanhuma expound.
Ibn Ezra
"More than all that is guarded" (מכל משמר) — these are the negative commandments (prohibitions), from which a person ought to guard himself. Another interpretation: more than any [other] guarding, guard your heart from contemplating evil. "For out of it are the issues of life" — for it (the heart) is like a king within the body.
Ralbag
"Above all that you guard, keep your heart" — that is, the intellect; meaning, guard it so that it not be imprisoned in the imprisonment of the desiring soul, in a way that would prevent it from performing its own particular function; and also guard it so that it not be imprisoned in the imprisonment of the other apprehending faculties, in whatever would prevent its function. "For out of it" — out of the intellect come the issues of life; and if the other faculties do not confound its function, you will attain paths of life from it. And so that your intellect not be imprisoned in any imprisonment that would bar it from attentive contemplation, remove from yourself the false things among the opinions that would imprison your intellect in their imprisonment. The illustration of this is that false opinions, when a person accepts them at the point of exchange [substituting a false premise for a true one], render his intellect imprisoned with regard to whatever follows from that exchange, so that he cannot investigate it with a proper investigation, for the error that lies at the root and the starting point imprisons it and narrows its steps from finding the truth. "Let your eyes look right on" — let your eyes look toward uprightness and truth, and let no oppressor cause you to swerve.
Metzudat David
"Above all that you guard" — more than all the things that you guard, guard your heart against thinking of sin, for the essential source of the issues of life comes from the heart — so how could you think within it a thing that destroys life?
Malbim
"Above all that you guard, keep your heart" — This is based on what is said elsewhere (Psalms 125:4-5): "Do good, Hashem, to the good, and to those who are upright in their hearts. But as for those who turn to their crooked ways, Hashem will lead them away with the workers of iniquity." I explained there that the intent is that the main thing is that a person be upright in his heart and in his conscience, even though at times what is revealed through his actions is not upright. And this is the definition of "crookedness" (ikkul): a thing that is straight on the inside but appears crooked on the outside. As long as people are upright and good in their hearts, Hashem deals well with them — until the point when the external crookedness tips them over into the side of guilt, at which Hashem punishes them for this, for "the Merciful One desires the heart." And so it says that "above all that you guard" — that is, above everything else that one must guard and be careful about, the main thing is that you keep your heart, that the heart be guarded from evil, "for out of it are the issues of life" — for the essential source of life and its outcomes is from the heart, and therefore it is the main thing, while the body is secondary to it. And an external deed is not evil if it is upright in conscience, as it is said, "Great is a transgression for its own sake." But nonetheless, I warn you.
Put away from you a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from you.
verse value 3018
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "mouth" (פֶּ֑ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "crookedness·of" (עִקְּשׁ֣וּת, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 100: from·you, from·you. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·crookedness·of" (וּלְז֥וּת). The root מן appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "lips" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs); "mouth" (root פה, 34x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root שפה ("lips") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root רחק ("put·far") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'mouth', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: הָסֵ֣ר [put·away] (265) + מִ֭מְּךָ [from·you] (100) + עִקְּשׁ֣וּת [crookedness·of] (876) + פֶּ֑ה [mouth] (85) + וּלְז֥וּת [and·crookedness·of] (449) + שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם [lips] (830) + הַרְחֵ֥ק [put·far] (313) + מִמֶּֽךָּ [from·you] (100) = 3018.
Rashi
Take crooked speech away from yourself Don’t do anything for which people will slander you and make their mouths crooked [when talking] about you. crooked speech Heb. עקשות. This is an expression of עקום, crooked, as in (Job 9:20): “Though I was innocent, He would prove me perverse (ויעקשני),” and in the Mishnah (Hullin 3:3) “its teeth are crooked and twisted (עקושות).” devious lips Crooked lips, that the people should not open their mouth wide [when talking] about you.
Metzudat David
"Put away from you" — that is, do not do anything that gives people occasion to gossip about you; and the gossip is hinted at by the twisting of the mouth and the bending of the lips, in the manner of those who gossip by insinuation.
Metzudat Zion
"And perverse" — an expression of turning aside and distorting.
Malbim
"Put away from you a crooked mouth" — [meaning] that you should see to it that your external deeds, too, be such that people not slander you, causing a desecration of Hashem's name, even though your own intention is pure and worthy. Now, the lips are external in relation to the mouth, and the speech of the mouth is a more essential speech than the speech of the lips. And he warns that you should not do a deed on account of which great suspicion will fall upon you, to the point that "the mouth" renders your deeds crooked, saying that you walked in a crooked way and transgressed uprightness. He adds that "perverse lips," too, put far from you — even though such a deed will not amount to a "crooked mouth" that renders your deeds crooked, it can nevertheless bring about through it some slight taint (lezut) in the external lips, so that there will be upon you a taint reaching from the lip outward. And "taint" (lezut) is a lighter matter than "crookedness" (ikeshut), for the root of lezut (loz) is only a slight deviation — of this too you must beware. And not only should "perverse lips" be removed from you, but they should also be put "far" from you, so that there be a great distance between "perverse lips" and yourself — so that you correct your external deeds in such a way that people cannot say of you even a light word, even from a distant remove.
Let your eyes look right on, And let your eyelids look straight before you.
verse value 1244
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "to·straightness" (לְנֹ֣כַח, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·your·eyelids" (וְ֝עַפְעַפֶּ֗יךָ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·straightness" (לְנֹ֣כַח), "look" (יַבִּ֑יטוּ), "and·your·eyelids" (וְ֝עַפְעַפֶּ֗יךָ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·eyes" (root עין, 43x in Proverbs); "look·straight" (root ישר, 35x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root נכח ("to·straightness") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root עפעף ("and·your·eyelids") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'look', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עֵ֭ינֶיךָ [your·eyes] (160) + לְנֹ֣כַח [to·straightness] (108) + יַבִּ֑יטוּ [look] (37) + וְ֝עַפְעַפֶּ֗יךָ [and·your·eyelids] (336) + יַיְשִׁ֥רוּ [look·straight] (526) + נֶגְדֶּֽךָ [before·you] (77) = 1244.
Rashi
Let your eyes look forward Let them look to truth and uprightness. and let your eyelids look straight ahead of you Let them look at what is upright, to straighten your way before you.
Ibn Ezra
"Look right on" (יישירו) — they shall choose the straight path.
Ralbag
"And let your eyelids look straight before you" — that is, to fix your attention on the very matter that is the object of the inquiry being examined.
Metzudat David
"Look right on" — consider with extra care the outcome of the deed you are about to do, and then your eyelids will lead you along the straight path.
Metzudat Zion
"And your eyelids" — the pupil of the eye.
Malbim
"Let your eyes look right on" — "The eyes" designate the eyes when open, while "the eyelids" designate the closing of the eyes by the eyelids that cover them. A person must open his eyes in matters of the soul, to look toward God and His work, to see His deeds and His mighty acts, and to walk in His ways. And so it says, "Let your eyes look right on (nokhach)" — for "nokhach" designates a directedness in uprightness toward some point, and it comes several times to designate a directedness toward God, from which comes the term "nekhochah," as in, "and uprightness (nekhochah) cannot come" (Isaiah 59:14-15). And you must have your eyes look toward the ways of Hashem, as it is said, "My eyes are ever toward Hashem," as I explained there. "And let your eyelids look straight before you" — however, in matters of the body and its desires one must close his eyes and not go about seeking after what his eyes see, so that through your eyelids "looking straight before you," it comes about that your walking is on the straight path in what pertains to you in matters of the body and its desires. He also means to say that by this they proceed against you — against the desire of the heart and its lusts and the wants of the body and of matter.
Make plain the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.
verse value 962
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 23 letters. Notable word values: "be·established" (יִכֹּֽנוּ) = 86, equal to Elohim. Verse gematria: 962 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "make·plain" (פַּ֭לֵּס, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·all·your·ways" (וְֽכׇל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "path·of" (מַעְגַּ֣ל), "and·all·your·ways" (וְֽכׇל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·all·your·ways" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root פלס ("make·plain") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·foot', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: פַּ֭לֵּס [make·plain] (170) + מַעְגַּ֣ל [path·of] (143) + רַגְלֶ֑ךָ [your·foot] (253) + וְֽכׇל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ [and·all·your·ways] (310) + יִכֹּֽנוּ [be·established] (86) = 962.
Rashi
Weigh the path of your feet Weigh your way: the loss of a commandment against its reward and the reward of a sin against its loss, and then all your ways will be established.
Ibn Ezra
"Make plain" (פלס) — [weigh it] in the scales of thought, and see which way is good. "And let all your ways be established" — when you weigh them [in this way].
Ralbag
"Make plain the path of your feet" — make straight the path of your feet, to adopt the orders and the ways that lead to the matter you are investigating, and this will be the cause that all your ways will be established in your inquiry.
Metzudat David
"Make plain" (palles) — see to it that you straighten the path of your feet and do not walk according to chance and happenstance, and then all your ways will be established.
Metzudat Zion
"Make plain" — an expression of straightness; and for this reason the beam of the scales is called "peles" [a plumb-line/balance], as in "a just balance and scales..." (below, 16:11), because by it the weight is made even.
Malbim
"Make level the path (ma'agal) of your feet" — There is a difference between "derekh" (a way) and "ma'agal" (a circuitous path), in that the ma'agal is a roundabout way. One who must turn aside from the direct way and travel by a roundabout way until it brings him back to the way leading to his desired destination — the measure by which one gauges the roundabout way so that it reaches the straight way is called "peles" (a level, or plumb-measure). Now, a person must always walk on the middle path, which is the best path among all the character traits. And if at times he must turn aside from the middle path and travel by a roundabout way — such as one who has departed from the middle path to one of the extremes, who must then take hold of the opposite extreme so that through it he returns to the straight line — as, for example, one who has held to the trait of pride to excess and must take hold of the opposite extreme, namely excessive lowliness, and accustom himself to this until he returns to the middle, which is the trait of humility — this measure is called "peles." And so it says, "Make level the path of your feet," and through this, "all your ways shall be established," and you shall return to the straight way, which is the middle line. And in all this I command you, saying [as follows].
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; Remove your foot from evil.
verse value 1761
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "remove" (הָסֵ֖ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "do·not·turn·right" (אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִ֥ין, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "do·not·turn·right" (אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִ֥ין), "and·left" (וּשְׂמֹ֑אול). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·evil" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·left', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִ֥ין [do·not·turn·right] (550) + וּשְׂמֹ֑אול [and·left] (383) + הָסֵ֖ר [remove] (265) + רַגְלְךָ֣ [your·foot] (253) + מֵרָֽע [from·evil] (310) = 1761.
Rashi
Turn neither right nor left of the good weight.
Ibn Ezra
"Turn not" — from the path that you have chosen. "Remove your foot from evil" — from an evil way, that you should not choose it.
Ralbag
"Turn not to the right hand or the left" — do not turn in your ways from the truth at all, to either side; remove your foot from a corrupt opinion that arises from an error of the imaginative faculty, or from some other cause among the causes.
Metzudat David
"Turn not" — in every matter, do not turn yourself right or left from the way of the commandments; but from evil, remove your foot entirely.
Malbim
"Turn not to the right hand nor to the left" — [meaning] that one must be careful from the outset not to depart from the middle line, neither to the right nor to the left, neither toward the side of excess nor toward the side of deficiency, and by this, "remove your foot from evil."
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim