A warning against the strange woman, whose lips drip honey but whose end is bitter as wormwood, her steps taking hold of the nether-world. Against her stands fidelity: rejoice with the wife of your youth.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
My son, attend to my wisdom; Incline your ear to my understanding;
verse value 1982
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "my·son" (בְּ֭נִי, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·my·understanding" (לִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗י, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·my·wisdom" (לְחׇכְמָתִ֣י), "to·my·understanding" (לִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗י). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·son" (root בן, 51x 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) + לְחׇכְמָתִ֣י [to·my·wisdom] (508) + הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה [attend] (422) + לִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗י [to·my·understanding] (898) + הַט־אׇזְנֶֽךָ [incline·your·ear] (92) = 1982.
Ibn Ezra
"My son, to my wisdom" — ["To keep discretion" — that you should keep the discretion in your heart; they are preserved through engagement in study:]
Ralbag
"My son, attend to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding" — my son, attend to my wisdom and incline your ear to my understanding.
Metzudat David
"My son, attend to my wisdom" — this is still part of David's words, which he said to Solomon: My son, listen to the wisdom that I have taught you.
Malbim
"My son, attend to my wisdom" — that is, the statutes of wisdom, for it has already been explained that there is no [rational] proof for the statutes of wisdom; rather, they are received by tradition, and you must attend to them and accept them. "Incline your ear to my understanding" — "understanding" (tevunah) is that which a person grasps by his own knowledge, deriving one thing from another by means of his intellect (binah); incline your ear to weigh them on the scale of your own understanding.
That you may preserve discretion, And that your lips may keep knowledge.
verse value 2709
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 23 letters. The shortest word is "to·keep" (לִשְׁמֹ֥ר, 4 letters) and the longest is "purpose" (מְזִמּ֑וֹת, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "guard" (יִנְצֹֽרוּ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·lips" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs); "to·keep" (root שמר, 31x in Proverbs); "and·knowledge" (root דעת, 29x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'purpose', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: לִשְׁמֹ֥ר [to·keep] (570) + מְזִמּ֑וֹת [purpose] (493) + וְ֝דַ֗עַת [and·knowledge] (480) + שְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ [your·lips] (810) + יִנְצֹֽרוּ [guard] (356) = 2709.
Ibn Ezra
["My son, to my wisdom"] — "To keep discretion" — that you should keep the discretion in your heart; they are preserved through engagement in study.
Ralbag
"That you may preserve discretion" — that you may preserve the thoughts that guide you to find understanding; "and that your lips may keep knowledge" — the knowledge that guided you to find wisdom, your lips shall keep, so that the truth in these matters — in their causes and their ways — may always remain with you. And indeed I commanded you concerning this because "the lips of the strange woman drop honey" — she being the imaginative faculty.
Metzudat David
"That you may preserve" — take care to guard your thoughts, and let your lips keep watch to speak knowledge.
Malbim
"That you may preserve discretion (mezimot)" — corresponding to "attend to my wisdom," he explains that you should preserve mezimot, which are the deep counsels of wisdom. And corresponding to "incline your ear to my understanding," he says, "and that your lips may keep knowledge (da'at)" — for it has been explained by me that "da'at" applies to things that one grasps with clear knowledge, whether by way of the senses or by way of the proofs of the intellect (tevunah). It has also been explained by me that "da'at" is attributed to the lips. And he says that through tevunah one contemplates a matter with binah, until one arrives at da'at — clear knowledge — so that your lips, which utter words of da'at, preserve that da'at.
For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil;
verse value 2713
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "drop" (תִּ֭טֹּפְנָה, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "drop" (תִּ֭טֹּפְנָה), "and·smooth" (וְחָלָ֖ק), "from·oil" (מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs); "lips·of" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root נפת ("honey") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root שמן ("from·oil") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'strange', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + נֹ֣פֶת [honey] (530) + תִּ֭טֹּפְנָה [drop] (544) + שִׂפְתֵ֣י [lips·of] (790) + זָרָ֑ה [strange] (212) + וְחָלָ֖ק [and·smooth] (144) + מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן [from·oil] (430) + חִכָּֽהּ [her·palate] (33) = 2713.
Rashi
drip honey Heb. נפת, an expression of sweetness. the lips of a strange woman Apostasy. her palate Heb. חכה, an expression of חךּ, a palate.
Ralbag
"Drop [honey]" — something that seems to be sweet as honey; and the palate, with which one tastes things, finds it seem very pleasant and smoother than oil.
Metzudat David
"For [the lips] drop honey" — that is, one must be very careful not to be seduced, for the words of the harlot are pleasant and sweet like honey from the comb, and they are smoother than oil; and this too is meant as a parable.
Metzudat Zion
"Drip honey" — an expression of flowing and dissolving, as in "and the drippings of the honeycomb" (Psalms 19:11); and here the word "honeycombs" is omitted, being understood on its own, meaning like the dripping of honeycombs. "Drop" — shall descend in drops. "Her palate" — meaning her speech that comes about through the touching of the tongue against the palate.
Malbim
"For the lips of a strange woman drop honey" — This contains both a parable (mashal) and an allegorical sense (melitzah). The parable speaks of a strange woman and the desire of lust: the seductions of her lips are like honey, for she sweetens for him his desire; "and her mouth (chekh) is smoother than oil" — for the taste of the transgression is smooth as oil, and he feels no blemish in it. And in the allegorical sense, it speaks of the inclination toward idolatry (yitzra de'avodah zarah), whose heart strays after foreign notions — and the lips always allude to da'at (opinion/knowledge). The notions upon which he builds his proofs seem to him sweet as honey; and likewise the taste of "her wisdom" (for the palate, chekh, everywhere alludes to wisdom) seems to him smooth as oil, in which there is no blemish.
But her end is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.
verse value 1793
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "bitter" (מָרָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·her·end" (וְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "as·the·wormwood" (כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה), "sharp" (חַ֝דָּ֗ה), "as·sword·of" (כְּחֶ֣רֶב). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "edges" (root פה, 34x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root אחרית ("and·her·end") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root מר ("bitter") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·the·wormwood', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ [and·her·end] (630) + מָרָ֣ה [bitter] (245) + כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה [as·the·wormwood] (175) + חַ֝דָּ֗ה [sharp] (17) + כְּחֶ֣רֶב [as·sword·of] (230) + פִּיּֽוֹת [edges] (496) = 1793.
Ralbag
"But her end is bitter as wormwood" — and her end you will find bitter like wormwood, and sharp and cutting like a two-edged sword that cuts and destroys on every side.
Metzudat David
"But her end" — but the end of the seduction is bitter as wormwood, and it kills those who are seduced like a sword that has two edges, on this side and that.
Metzudat Zion
"As wormwood" — the name of a bitter herb.
Malbim
"But her end is bitter as wormwood" — this is the opposite of "her lips drop honey." "Sharp as a two-edged sword" — this is the opposite of "her mouth is smoother than oil." For the soul tastes a bitter taste even in the very foundations that they laid down, and through the conclusions that they draw from them so as to deny the cornerstones of faith, it will be cut down by "a two-edged sword," which is the sword of punishment.
Her feet go down to death; Her steps take hold on the nether-world;
verse value 2306
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "death" (מָ֑וֶת, 3 letters) and the longest is "her·feet" (רַ֭גְלֶיהָ, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "her·steps" (צְעָדֶ֥יהָ), "grasp" (יִתְמֹֽכוּ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "death" (root מות, 23x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'death', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: רַ֭גְלֶיהָ [her·feet] (248) + יֹרְד֣וֹת [go·down] (620) + מָ֑וֶת [death] (446) + שְׁ֝א֗וֹל [nether-world] (337) + צְעָדֶ֥יהָ [her·steps] (179) + יִתְמֹֽכוּ [grasp] (476) = 2306.
Rashi
come near Heb. יתמכו, an expression of nearness.
Ibn Ezra
"Her feet" — go down to death; and to Sheol her steps go down, which take hold of it (Sheol).
Ralbag
"Her feet" — go down to death and destruction, and her steps support and uphold death; that is to say, they help bring about death in a wondrous way, and in this they are, as it were, holding up the hands of death and strengthening its hold over life.
Metzudat David
"Her feet" — that is, the path of the feet of seduction leads to death. "Take hold" — they support and grip the netherworld, so that the one who is seduced falls into it.
Metzudat Zion
"Her steps" — an expression of paces and walking.
Malbim
"Her feet go down to death" — one who follows her and listens to her (as in "which are at your feet" (Exodus 11)) — she will lead him to death. "Her steps take hold of Sheol" — Sheol is the deep pit into which one sometimes falls while still alive. That is to say, her steps too — even one who merely goes toward her, though he has not yet lain with her — take hold of Sheol, the pit into which he will fall, and he will no longer be able to get out from there. And as for the allegorical sense: this teaches that one who has already been caught up in heresy dies the death of the soul; and likewise one who walks in her way, using deceptive syllogisms and the philosophical premises found within it, will no longer be able to get out from there.
Lest she should walk the even path of life, Her ways wander, but she knows it not.
verse value 2166
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "her·paths" (מַ֝עְגְּלֹתֶ֗יהָ, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "lest·she·ponder" (פֶּן־תְּפַלֵּ֑ס), "wander" (נָע֥וּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "knows" (root ידע, 35x in Proverbs); "life" (root חי, 32x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'lest·she·ponder', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: אֹ֣רַח [way·of] (209) + חַ֭יִּים [life] (68) + פֶּן־תְּפַלֵּ֑ס [lest·she·ponder] (700) + נָע֥וּ [wander] (126) + מַ֝עְגְּלֹתֶ֗יהָ [her·paths] (558) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + תֵדָֽע [knows] (474) = 2166.
Rashi
Lest you weigh the path of life So did the Sages (Tanhuma Ekev 2) expound it: The Holy One, blessed be He, moved away (טלטל) the reward for the commandments and did not explain it [the reward], so that a person should not see a commandment for which the reward is great and cling to it and leave over the other commandments. This is the interpretation: Lest you weigh the ways of the Torah, which one to take and which one to leave, therefore its paths wandered off—God caused them to wander off and He did not make them known. This is the Midrash Aggadah, but according to the sequence of the verses, since after it is written: “And now, children, hearken to me and do not turn away from the sayings of my mouth. Distance your way from her,” it appears that he has not yet ended the section dealing with the harlot, and it should be interpreted as follows: Lest you weigh the path of life Do not weigh the path of life in conjunction with that strange one, saying what to do, whether this one or this one [i.e., whether to follow the path of life or the path of the strange woman], for the paths of the harlot have wandered off to the grave, and you will not know how to beware until you wander off and fall.
Ibn Ezra
The taf of "תפלס" (you shall weigh) and the taf of "תדע" (you shall know) are [second-person forms] addressed to the one being warned, namely, "my son, incline your ear to my wisdom" (5:1). "Her paths wander" (נעו מעגלותיה) — [a word is] elided; the sense is: "his feet wander from her paths." Or: the paths themselves wander, in a figurative sense, as though they move and cause the forbidden woman to wander; and the first explanation is correct. Likewise, the explanation of "the path" is: that [path] in which you would place life — perhaps you would weigh it and choose it, [yet] "her paths wander." And the meaning is: I have brought her down to Sheol suddenly, and you do not perceive it until her descent, lest you turn aside when you would [otherwise] be weighing the path of life. Another interpretation: in the very place where you would weigh the path of life, her paths wander, and she herself does not know it.
Ralbag
"Lest she should walk the even path of life" — Would you think there is any hope that you could weigh out the path of life and go straight toward it? In truth there is no hope in this, for her paths wander and turn away from the way of life, and you cannot know them. And he said this because the imaginative faculty, even though it does provide some help to the intellect, as has been explained in its place, nevertheless in its imagery errs greatly regarding the depths of wisdom and understanding; and the error that results from it, in the great root-principles and starting points, becomes a cause to remove a person very far from his perfection, and to give him license to abandon wisdom and take pleasure in his desires. For this reason its words seem very sweet to a person, as he mentioned; and this is clear with a little study to whoever examines this book, for our words in it are meant for one who is accomplished in philosophy — see our words in Sefer M"Y. And it is possible that by "the strange woman" he alludes to the desiring soul, and connects the matter to what he wrote, "to preserve discretion and knowledge," etc., namely, that he is warning him to cling always to wisdom and understanding, in such a way that it will be so pleasant to him that he will not be seduced by the lips of a stranger who entices him to be drawn after the desires from which the evil he mentioned results. And this second explanation is the more correct one.
Metzudat David
"The path of life" — that is, the wisdom of the Torah. "Lest she should walk the even path" — lest she make herself even and straight so as to resemble it [the path of life]. "[Her ways] wander" — know that her paths wander from the path of life and are far from it, and you cannot find between them any resemblance or comparison, for the one does not draw near to the other.
Metzudat Zion
"Should walk the even path" — she makes straight/level. "Wander" — related to the phrase "wandering and roaming." "Her ways" — her paths.
Malbim
"Lest you weigh the path of life" — we have already explained that there is a difference between an orach (path) and a ma'agal (circuit): the ma'agal is the circuitous road, and the measure by which one gauges and estimates the circuitous road in order to reach straightness by means of it is called a peles (a leveling scale). That is to say: lest you wish to walk the circuitous road, by way of the harlot's house, in order to go from there to the path of life, and you weigh and measure by which road you will return from this circuit to the straight path — as in the matter of which they said, "Let us go by the gate of the harlots, subdue our desire, and receive a reward." Hence it says, "her circuits wander" — her circuits move and swerve away from the straight path, and you will no longer know how to return to the path of life. And according to the allegorical sense, this means: do not say that through inquiry and philosophy you will return to faith by clarifying everything through logical proof, for afterward your soul will wander among circuits of doubt, and you will no longer find the way of truth, to be illuminated by the light of faith.
Now therefore, O you children, hearken to me, And depart not from the words of my mouth.
verse value 2129
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "and·now" (וְעַתָּ֣ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·do·not·turn·aside" (וְאַל־תָּ֝ס֗וּרוּ, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·do·not·turn·aside" (וְאַל־תָּ֝ס֗וּרוּ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "sons" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs); "from·the·words·of·my·mouth" (root אמר, 45x in Proverbs); "hearken·to·me" (root שמע, 30x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root עתה ("and·now") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hearken·to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּ֣ה [and·now] (481) + בָ֭נִים [sons] (102) + שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י [hearken·to·me] (456) + וְאַל־תָּ֝ס֗וּרוּ [and·do·not·turn·aside] (709) + מֵאִמְרֵי־פִֽי [from·the·words·of·my·mouth] (381) = 2129.
Ibn Ezra
"And now, O children."
Metzudat David
"Now therefore" — this refers back to what was said above, meaning: since you have heard that David my father warned me about these things, even though I was dear to him — for this reason, you, children of the living God, listen to me, etc., for it is not out of hatred for mankind that I warn concerning all these things.
Malbim
"Now therefore, sons, listen to me" — listen to the statutes of wisdom that are received from Hashem. "And do not depart from the words of my mouth" — for the mouth alludes to wisdom; do not depart from it toward inquiry and the knowledge of heretics.
Remove your way far from her, And come not nigh the door of her house;
verse value 2387
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "remove" (הַרְחֵ֣ק, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·do·not·approach" (וְאַל־תִּ֝קְרַ֗ב, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "from·upon·her" (מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ), "and·do·not·approach" (וְאַל־תִּ֝קְרַ֗ב), "to·the·opening·of" (אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "your·way" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "her·house" (root בית, 38x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root קרב ("and·do·not·approach") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·way', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הַרְחֵ֣ק [remove] (313) + מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ [from·upon·her] (155) + דַרְכֶּ֑ךָ [your·way] (244) + וְאַל־תִּ֝קְרַ֗ב [and·do·not·approach] (739) + אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח [to·the·opening·of] (519) + בֵּיתָֽהּ [her·house] (417) = 2387.
Ralbag
"Remove your way far from her" — remove your way far from the strange woman mentioned earlier, "and come not nigh the door of her house" — that is, do not be drawn after the desires.
Metzudat David
"Far from her" — from the strange woman mentioned above.
Malbim
"Remove your way far from her" — that you should not pass by way over her; "and do not even come near the door of her house" — even when the harlot is not there. And according to the allegorical sense, this means: distance yourself from the ways of idolatry and heresy, and do not even come near the propositions and syllogisms through which one enters the gates of heresy, and do not say that you will use these syllogisms to build with them a faithful house for Torah and testimony.
Lest you give your vigor to others, And your years to the cruel;
verse value 2358
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. Verse gematria: 2358 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "your·splendour" (הוֹדֶ֑ךָ, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·others" (לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "lest·you·give" (פֶּן־תִּתֵּ֣ן), "to·others" (לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים), "your·splendour" (הוֹדֶ֑ךָ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "lest·you·give" (root נתן, 34x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root אחר ("to·others") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root אכזרי ("to·the·cruel") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·splendour', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: פֶּן־תִּתֵּ֣ן [lest·you·give] (980) + לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים [to·others] (289) + הוֹדֶ֑ךָ [your·splendour] (35) + וּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָ [and·your·years] (786) + לְאַכְזָרִֽי [to·the·cruel] (268) = 2358.
Rashi
lest you give others your glory Lest you turn your heart to other gods to give them the glory of your beauty and your praise. and your years to a cruel one To the prince of Gehinnom.
Ralbag
"Lest you give your vigor to others" — lest you give the vigor granted to you for acquiring perfection to others, so that you derive no benefit from it, but rather it is used to devise stratagems for attaining desires. "And your years" — the years in which you ought to have labored to acquire the possession of perfection, which is your life — you give them to this cruel faculty, which destroys you cruelly; and the faculties that are foreign to man as man will be sated by your strength, so that your labor and your toil will be "in the house of a stranger"; that is to say, the intellectual faculty given to you to labor in acquiring human perfection — these strangers will be sated from its strength and its labor, for all its strength and labor will be spent in serving them and in devising the stratagems by which they attain what they seek.
Metzudat David
"Your vigor" — the glory given to you from heaven, you will give away through your deeds to others; for it will be taken from you and given to others, and you will die in the midst of your years, and the years that remain you will hand over to the cruel one — who is the prince of Gehinnom; that is, you will be delivered into his hand to do with as he pleases.
Malbim
"Lest you give your splendor to others" — the hod (splendor) is the inner, spiritual beauty; this you will give to others, for through licentiousness the light of the intellect and the splendor of the soul grow dim. "And your years to the cruel one" — meaning that a cruel disease, which rules over adulterers, will rule over your body. And according to the allegorical sense: through heresy you hand over your splendor — that is, your soul and intellectual powers — to others, meaning to matters that will not benefit the happiness of the soul and that will lead it to destruction; "and your years you will give to the cruel one," for the years of the wicked will be cut short.
Lest strangers be filled with your strength, And your labors be in the house of an alien;
verse value 1715
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "your·strength" (כֹּחֶ֑ךָ, 3 letters) and the longest is "lest·they·be·filled" (פֶּֽן־יִשְׂבְּע֣וּ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "lest·they·be·filled" (פֶּֽן־יִשְׂבְּע֣וּ), "strangers" (זָרִ֣ים), "your·strength" (כֹּחֶ֑ךָ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·house·of" (root בית, 38x in Proverbs); "lest·they·be·filled" (root שבע, 28x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root כח ("your·strength") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root עצב ("and·your·labors") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·strength', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: פֶּֽן־יִשְׂבְּע֣וּ [lest·they·be·filled] (518) + זָרִ֣ים [strangers] (257) + כֹּחֶ֑ךָ [your·strength] (48) + וַ֝עֲצָבֶ֗יךָ [and·your·labors] (198) + בְּבֵ֣ית [in·the·house·of] (414) + נׇכְרִֽי [foreign] (280) = 1715.
Rashi
lest strangers be sated with your strength The prophets of Baal, who collect money with their lies and their hastiness. and your labors And your toil, with which you were saddened and fatigued. in the house of an alien In the pagan temple of the pagans.
Metzudat David
"Lest strangers be filled" — strangers to you, who are not fit to be your heirs, will be filled with your strength — that is, the wealth that comes through strength and exertion; similarly, "according to their means they gave to the treasury" (Ezra 2:69). "and your labors" — the wealth that comes through toil and hardship; the matter is repeated in different words.
Malbim
"Lest strangers be filled with your strength" — the strength of the body is the seed; strangers will be filled with it, meaning a strange woman. "And your toils" — your wealth and possessions that you acquired through toil, as it says, "in toil shall you eat of it" — "will be in the house of a foreigner," for the sons of a foreign woman, who are not related to you, will inherit you, for the offspring of a non-Jewish woman follows her status.
And you moan, when your end comes, When your flesh and your body are consumed,
verse value 2649
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "your·flesh" (בְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·your·end" (בְאַחֲרִיתֶ֑ךָ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·you·moan" (וְנָהַמְתָּ֥), "when·consumed" (בִּכְל֥וֹת), "your·flesh" (בְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗). 5 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root נהם ("and·you·moan") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root כלה ("when·consumed") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·your·end', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְנָהַמְתָּ֥ [and·you·moan] (501) + בְאַחֲרִיתֶ֑ךָ [in·your·end] (641) + בִּכְל֥וֹת [when·consumed] (458) + בְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗ [your·flesh] (522) + וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ [and·your·body] (527) = 2649.
Rashi
And you shall moan when your end comes The end will be that you will moan when your end comes.
Ralbag
"And you moan" — and behold, in the end, when your flesh is consumed in old age, then you will cry out and lament.
Metzudat David
"when your end comes" — at the end of your days, on the day of death, at the time when your flesh is consumed; then you will moan from heartache.
Metzudat Zion
"And your body" (she'erekh) — This too is said of flesh, as in "or can He provide flesh (she'er) for His people?" (Psalms 78:20); and he doubles his statement with synonymous terms, as in "dust of the earth" (Daniel 12:2).
Malbim
"And you shall moan at your end, when your flesh and body are consumed" — that in the end, when your flesh is consumed through the wearing away of desire that consumes the flesh, you will moan and regret the past. And according to the allegorical sense: when one draws near to his end, as his flesh and its desires are consumed (desires for whose sake he turned away from the principles of faith in order to fulfill the desire of his flesh), then he will moan and regret, for then he will think about the eternal world that he lost because of the strange woman, who is heresy — for one whose loins are girded with faith does not worry about the consuming of the flesh, for he hopes for the life of the soul.
And say: ‘How have I hated instruction, And my heart despised reproof;
verse value 2768
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "how" (אֵ֭יךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·rebuke" (וְ֝תוֹכַ֗חַת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·you·say" (וְֽאָמַרְתָּ֗), "how" (אֵ֭יךְ), "spurned" (נָאַ֥ץ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "and·you·say" (root אמר, 45x in Proverbs); "instruction" (root מוסר, 30x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'instruction', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְֽאָמַרְתָּ֗ [and·you·say] (647) + אֵ֭יךְ [how] (31) + שָׂנֵ֣אתִי [I·have·hated] (761) + מוּסָ֑ר [instruction] (306) + וְ֝תוֹכַ֗חַת [and·rebuke] (840) + נָאַ֥ץ [spurned] (141) + לִבִּֽי [my·heart] (42) = 2768.
Ralbag
"And say: How have I hated instruction" — the Torah; "and my heart despised reproof" — the reproof of the Torah.
Metzudat David
"my heart despised" — my heart rejected it, so as to scorn it.
Metzudat Zion
"Despised" (na'atz) — This is borrowed [as an expression] for contempt; likewise, "they despised (na'atzu) all my reproof" (above, ch. 1).
Malbim
"And you shall say, 'How I hated discipline'" — discipline (mussar) is administered through striking or through fear of punishment; this you hated completely. "And my heart despised reproof" — reproof is what one is argued with, to bring him back to the good way through proofs of reason; this I did not hate outright, but "my heart despised" it, for it was contemptible in my eyes.
Neither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!
verse value 1944
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 34 letters. Verse gematria: 1944 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "in·the·voice·of" (בְּק֣וֹל, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·I·have·not·heard" (וְֽלֹא־שָׁ֭מַעְתִּי, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·I·have·not·heard" (וְֽלֹא־שָׁ֭מַעְתִּי), "my·teachers" (מוֹרָ֑י), "and·to·those·who·taught·me" (וְ֝לִֽמְלַמְּדַ֗י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·I·have·not·heard" (root שמע, 30x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·teachers', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְֽלֹא־שָׁ֭מַעְתִּי [and·I·have·not·heard] (857) + בְּק֣וֹל [in·the·voice·of] (138) + מוֹרָ֑י [my·teachers] (256) + וְ֝לִֽמְלַמְּדַ֗י [and·to·those·who·taught·me] (160) + לֹא־הִטִּ֥יתִי [not·have·I·inclined] (465) + אׇזְנִֽי [my·ear] (68) = 1944.
Ralbag
"Neither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers" — [who taught me] to keep far from these desires; "nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me."
Metzudat Zion
"My teachers" (morai) — From the language of instruction (hora'ah) and teaching (limud).
Malbim
"Neither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me" — the melamed (instructor) is greater than the moreh (teacher): the moreh shows him the thing once, how to do it, while the melamed teaches him many times, in a rational, instructive manner, and explains the matter to him. And he adds that even to this one, I did not incline my ear to listen to his teachings.
I was well nigh in all evil In the midst of the congregation and assembly.’
verse value 1544
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "assembly" (קָהָ֣ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·was" (הָיִ֣יתִי, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·all·evil" (בְכׇל־רָ֑ע), "assembly" (קָהָ֣ל), "and·congregation" (וְעֵדָֽה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·was" (root היה, 27x in Proverbs); "in·all·evil" (root כל, 23x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root מעט ("as·little") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root קהל ("assembly") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·all·evil', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּ֭מְעַט [as·little] (139) + הָיִ֣יתִי [I·was] (435) + בְכׇל־רָ֑ע [in·all·evil] (322) + בְּת֖וֹךְ [in·the·midst·of] (428) + קָהָ֣ל [assembly] (135) + וְעֵדָֽה [and·congregation] (85) = 1544.
Rashi
I was almost in all evil There is but a step between me and Gehinnom. (Because of a little thing, I was now “in all evil,” for I did not obey my instructors; had I obeyed them, this would not have happened to me. From Rabbi Joseph Kara.)
Ibn Ezra
"Well nigh ... assembly" (כמעט עדה) — [עדה is] a variant of the same root as "הנועדים" (those who assemble); and "well nigh" (כמעט) means that soon more of the troubles was about to come. "I was" (הייתי) — in place of "I will be" (אהיה). Another interpretation: scarcely would I have hoped that the evil inclination would pass — [but] I did not do so; rather, I was in all evil.
Ralbag
"I was well nigh in all evil, in the midst" — meaning that I was not ashamed of them, on account of the intensity of my hatred for discipline. Or the intent here may be: "I was, on account of this, well nigh in all evil and distress in the midst of the congregation and assembly" — that this would become known to all, and they would see my wickedness. Distance yourself greatly from this strange woman, and do not give the power of your intellect to her; rather, "drink water from your own cistern" — that is, the intellect, from which water flows continually and never runs short; as you drink from it, the intelligibles will be poured out to you. And "drink the flowing waters out of your own well" — this too refers to the intellect, from which [these waters flow]. It is possible that in saying "drink water from your cistern" — a dug pit in which the water does not flow [naturally] — he alludes to the imaginative forms and sense-apprehensions, from which the first premises are derived, together with [further] apprehensions; for these sense-apprehensions do not flow continuously but diminish as they are taken one after another, until eventually all of them may be exhausted. And by saying "and flowing waters out of your own well," he alludes to the intellect, from which the intelligibles are bestowed, and these flow continually; therefore he likened it to a well of living water. And once perfection in speculative study reaches you, "let your springs be dispersed abroad" — to bestow of them upon others; "let streams of water flow in the streets," where many people are to be found, to teach them your wisdom and to guide them toward perfection. For although this matter — your benefiting others by following my counsel — is inherently proper in itself, your own perfection will also be increased by it. Behold, these springs will be yours alone, and no stranger shares them with you — the opposite of what would happen if you followed the counsel of the strange woman, for then your labor would go to others; but your labor and toil in wisdom and in human perfection will belong to you alone — "you shall eat their fruits" by acquiring from this the eternal life, pleasant in the utmost pleasantness, as we explained in the first [book] of the Wars of Hashem. And this does not contradict what is said, "let your springs be dispersed abroad," for in laboring at this he alone eats the fruits, while others take their share through their own labor, insofar as they labor to attain from him the wisdom and understanding [he possesses]. "Let the fountain from which you draw be blessed" — for the waters that flow from it continually never fail, and these are the flowing waters that you draw from your own well, namely the Active Intellect. "And rejoice, etc." — this refers to that which you find for yourself from the sense-data in each and every inquiry, by which you are helped to know the first premises that lead to that inquiry.
Metzudat David
"I was well nigh" — for a small pleasure, of the most minimal measure, I now found myself in every kind of evil, in the midst of a great congregation and a large assembly, with wide publicity.
Malbim
"I was almost" — on account of a small thing, which is the desire of this world — desires that are worth nothing and endure only a short time. How, for the sake of this small pleasure, did I sell the birthright, until I was in all evil — that all evils came upon me, and the loss was greater than the gain; and also that my evils came publicly, in the midst of the congregation and assembly, resulting in disgrace and wrath.
Drink waters out of your own cistern, And running waters out of your own well.
verse value 1895
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "from·the·midst·of" (מִתּ֥וֹךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "drink·waters" (שְׁתֵה־מַ֥יִם, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "drink·waters" (שְׁתֵה־מַ֥יִם), "from·your·cistern" (מִבּוֹרֶ֑ךָ), "and·flowing" (וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים). 5 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·your·cistern', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: שְׁתֵה־מַ֥יִם [drink·waters] (795) + מִבּוֹרֶ֑ךָ [from·your·cistern] (268) + וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים [and·flowing] (143) + מִתּ֥וֹךְ [from·the·midst·of] (466) + בְּאֵרֶֽךָ [your·well] (223) = 1895.
Rashi
Drink water from your own cistern From the cistern that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave you for your share, viz. the Law of Moses. your own cistern This denotes gathered water. and running water Heb. ונזלים, spring water. In the beginning it is like gathered water, and at the end it gushes out more and more.
Ibn Ezra
"Your cistern" (בורך) — a gathering of water, "Your well" (בארך) — flowing water. The meaning: that he should cling to his wife and not to another.
Metzudat David
"Drink waters" — meaning, with your wife, and not with a strange woman. "and running waters, etc." — the matter is repeated in different words.
Metzudat Zion
"And running waters" (nozelim) — a term for dripping/flowing. "Your well" (be'erekha) — a well that gushes forth.
Malbim
"Drink water from your own cistern" — against the enticements of the evil inclination, which hews for itself broken cisterns that cannot hold water, drink the water from your own cistern, which is the water of wisdom and knowledge. And there is a difference between a bor (cistern) and a be'er (well/spring): the water of the cistern is gathered from rainwater, while the water of the well flows forth from a spring. And he likens the beginning of the study of wisdom to the gathered water of a cistern, for at first one receives the statutes of wisdom only by way of received tradition; and afterward, "they flow out of your own well" — afterward they become like the water of a well and like an overflowing wellspring that generates novel insights from his own understanding, and the waters of knowledge also grow strong in his heart until they flow out from the well to the outside, to teach Torah and wisdom to others, to the point that...
Let your springs be dispersed abroad, And courses of water in the streets.
verse value 1732
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "outside" (ח֑וּצָה, 4 letters) and the longest is "your·springs" (מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "let·them·disperse" (יָפ֣וּצוּ), "your·springs" (מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ), "outside" (ח֑וּצָה). 5 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root מעין ("your·springs") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'outside', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: יָפ֣וּצוּ [let·them·disperse] (192) + מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ [your·springs] (600) + ח֑וּצָה [outside] (109) + בָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹת [in·the·streets] (618) + פַּלְגֵי־מָֽיִם [channels·of·water] (213) = 1732.
Rashi
May your springs spread out In the end you will acquire disciples, and you will promulgate decisions in public, and you will gain a reputation. in the squares of the city the rivulets of your water shall spread.
Ibn Ezra
"Let them be dispersed" (יפוצו) — meaning: the waters of your well shall flow until your springs disperse outward; and this is a metaphor for an abundance of children.
Metzudat David
"let ... be dispersed" — then your springs will be dispersed abroad, until streams of water flow out into the streets; meaning, you will merit sons whose fame will spread far and wide.
Metzudat Zion
"Let ... be dispersed" (yafutzu) — a term for scattering. "Courses of water" (palgei mayim) — a water channel.
Malbim
"Let your springs be dispersed abroad" — meaning that his teachings will spread first to his sons and students, and afterward, "and in the streets, channels of water" — there is a difference between chutz (an outer area) and rechov (a street): the chutz is the area behind the houses, where only members of the household are to be found, while the rechov is the broad area in front of the houses, which is public domain. So that afterward all Israel will draw and drink the water of his wisdom, and there will be channels of water spreading in every direction, as they said, that he became like an overflowing wellspring and like a river that does not cease.
Let them be only your own, And not strangers’with you.
verse value 912
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "with·you" (אִתָּֽךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "let·them·be·to·you" (יִֽהְיוּ־לְךָ֥, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "let·them·be·to·you" (יִֽהְיוּ־לְךָ֥), "to·strangers" (לְזָרִ֣ים). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs); "let·them·be·to·you" (root היה, 27x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·you·alone', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: יִֽהְיוּ־לְךָ֥ [let·them·be·to·you] (81) + לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ [to·you·alone] (56) + וְאֵ֖ין [and·not] (67) + לְזָרִ֣ים [to·strangers] (287) + אִתָּֽךְ [with·you] (421) = 912.
Rashi
You alone shall have them You alone will be honored by them, and no one else will share your honor with you. Since he says above, “Lest strangers be satisfied with your strength,” he says here, “You alone shall have them, and thereby...”
Ibn Ezra
"Let them be yours" — [referring to] the streams, which are the worthy children.
Metzudat David
"let them be only your own" — these sons will be yours alone, and you will be honored through them, and strangers will have no share with you; but the sons of a strange woman are not exclusively yours alone.
Malbim
"Let them be yours alone" — even though the springs of your wisdom will spread outward, the reports will still be told in your name, and likewise the reward of wisdom will be yours alone. "And not for strangers with you" — meaning, even though your students who spread your wisdom will also have a reward together with you, they are not strangers, for they are considered as your sons.
Let your fountain be blessed; And have joy of the wife of your youth.
verse value 2060
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "blessed" (בָר֑וּךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "let·be·your·fountain" (יְהִֽי־מְקוֹרְךָ֥, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "let·be·your·fountain" (יְהִֽי־מְקוֹרְךָ֥), "blessed" (בָר֑וּךְ), "your·youth" (נְעוּרֶֽךָ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·the·wife·of" (root אשה, 24x in Proverbs); "and·rejoice" (root שמח, 21x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root מקור ("let·be·your·fountain") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'blessed', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: יְהִֽי־מְקוֹרְךָ֥ [let·be·your·fountain] (391) + בָר֑וּךְ [blessed] (228) + וּ֝שְׂמַ֗ח [and·rejoice] (354) + מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת [from·the·wife·of] (741) + נְעוּרֶֽךָ [your·youth] (346) = 2060.
Rashi
Your fountain shall be blessed, and you shall rejoice with the wife of your youth That is the Torah which you learned in your youth.
Ibn Ezra
"Your fountain" — the source of children.
Metzudat David
"Let your fountain be blessed" — your wife will be blessed and dear in your eyes; rejoice in the love of the wife of your youth.
Malbim
"Let your fountain (makor) be blessed" — the makor denotes the place from which the flow of the spring begins, spreading within the depth of the earth; and it signifies, allegorically, that your intellect will be blessed, for you will find good understanding from Hashem. "And rejoice in the wife of your youth" — that is, the Torah that you received in your youth.
A lovely hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; With her love be you ravished always.
verse value 3431
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "hind·of" (אַיֶּ֥לֶת, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·goat·of·grace" (וְֽיַ֫עֲלַת־חֵ֥ן, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "hind·of" (אַיֶּ֥לֶת), "loves" (אֲהָבִ֗ים), "and·goat·of·grace" (וְֽיַ֫עֲלַת־חֵ֥ן). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "loves" (root אהב, 31x in Proverbs); "in·all·time" (root כל, 23x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root רוה ("let·them·satisfy·you") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root אהבה ("in·her·love") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·all·time', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַיֶּ֥לֶת [hind·of] (441) + אֲהָבִ֗ים [loves] (58) + וְֽיַ֫עֲלַת־חֵ֥ן [and·goat·of·grace] (574) + דַּ֭דֶּיהָ [her·breasts] (23) + יְרַוֻּ֣ךָ [let·them·satisfy·you] (236) + בְכׇל־עֵ֑ת [in·all·time] (522) + בְּ֝אַהֲבָתָ֗הּ [in·her·love] (415) + תִּשְׁגֶּ֥ה [be·ravished] (708) + תָמִֽיד [always] (454) = 3431.
Rashi
you shall always be intoxicated Heb. תשגה. I saw in the words of Rabbi Moshe Hadarshan that תשגה means “you shall always busy yourself,” and it is an Arabic expression. He cited as proof, “to seek shegiah,” meaning to seek business, but I do not know where it is stated. But our Sages explained it as an expression of intoxication (lit. inadvertence), as its apparent meaning. On account of her love, you shall be inadvertent in your other affairs, because she will guard your things. They said concerning Rabbi Eleazar the son of Pedath, that he was preaching in the lower market and his cloak was lying in the upper market. Once a man came and found a snake coiled on it.
Ibn Ezra
"A lovely hind" — that he loves her, and she finds favor in his eyes.
Ralbag
"A lovely hind" — because of the abundance of the love with which she loves you, she runs to find what you desire, like the running of a hind. Or he may mean by this that she runs, like the running of a hind, to find the "loves" whose attainment you sought in the inquiry you investigate; and she is like a doe, running lightly to find what will be pleasant for you and find favor in your eyes regarding whatever you wish to inquire about — "from her breasts, always" — these being the sense-apprehensions and imaginative forms that you need in every inquiry, in order to derive from them the first intelligibles, in the manner explained in the Book of the Soul, and which we explained in the first [book] of the Wars of Hashem. Always occupy yourself with love of her, until, from the intensity of your engagement with her, you become oblivious to other matters, since your thought will be unable to separate from her.
Metzudat David
"A lovely hind" — she will be in your eyes like a beloved hind. "and a graceful doe" — she will be one who bestows favor in your eyes. "at all times" — meaning, at every time of necessity and need. "with her love be you ravished always" — meaning, even being ravished by her love is to be counted [as proper] only if it is constant; as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Do not converse excessively with a woman" — and this was said even regarding one's own wife, etc.
Metzudat Zion
"A hind" (ayelet) — the female of the hart (ayil). "Let ... satisfy you" (yervukha) — a term for being satiated. "Be ravished" (tishgeh) — from the language of "mishgeh" (error) and sin.
Malbim
"A lovely hind and a graceful doe" — the hind (ayalah) and the doe (ya'alah) both dwell on the mountains of Bether and on the rocks, and their womb is narrow, as it is written, "Do you know the time when the wild goats of the rock give birth? Do you mark when the hinds calve?" The hind arouses love, and the doe arouses grace (chen). He likens supernal wisdom to a hind and a doe, which run swiftly over the mountains of Bether; so too wisdom comes from above, from a lofty place, and it is swift in the course of its intellections, and it engenders love and grace. And, corresponding to "graceful doe," he explains "let her breasts satisfy you at all times" — the breasts are the place of union, meaning that she arouses grace at the time of union. And corresponding to "lovely hind" he said "with her love be you ravished always" — even when it is not the time of union. And the figure is: when you unite with wisdom to beget through her offspring and novel insights, "let her breasts satisfy you" — to find new things; and even at a time when you do not produce new insights, "you shall be ravished with her love" — to return to the earlier things you have already grasped.
Why then will you, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, And embrace the bosom of an alien?
verse value 1974
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "bosom·of" (חֵ֣ק, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·embrace" (וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·why" (וְלָ֤מָּה), "with·a·strange·woman" (בְזָרָ֑ה), "and·embrace" (וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·son" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root חיק ("bosom·of") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·a·strange·woman', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְלָ֤מָּה [and·why] (81) + תִשְׁגֶּ֣ה [be·ravished] (708) + בְנִ֣י [my·son] (62) + בְזָרָ֑ה [with·a·strange·woman] (214) + וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק [and·embrace] (516) + חֵ֣ק [bosom·of] (108) + נׇכְרִיָּֽה [an·alien] (285) = 1974.
Ibn Ezra
"Be ravished" — You would be regarded as one going astray if you constantly occupied yourself with her love — and how much more so with a woman other than her. And this is what they said about one's own wife: they said, one who loves his wife excessively and talks with her constantly, more than is proper, is himself going astray, for the love of a woman turns a person away from the service of Hashem.
Ralbag
"Why then will you, my son, be ravished" — on account of love for the strange woman, that is, the appetitive soul — "and embrace the bosom of an alien."
Metzudat David
"why then will you ... be ravished" — meaning, if with regard to his own wife constancy is what makes it count as [praiseworthy] ravishment, why then would you be so reckless as to be ravished with a strange woman?
Malbim
"Why then, my son, will you be ravished with a strange woman" — and afterward you add further waywardness (sarah), to also embrace the bosom of an alien woman, who is worse than the "strange woman," being "the daughter of a foreign god." And according to the figure, the "strange woman" refers to misleading philosophies — why should you be ravished by them, after you can find wisdom and knowledge in the Torah of Hashem? And the "alien woman" refers to the teachings of heresy and denial, which you go on to embrace afterward.
For the ways of man are before the eyes of Hashem, And He makes even all his paths.
verse value 1644
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 34 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·all·his·paths" (וְֽכׇל־מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו, 10 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "before" (נֹ֨כַח), "and·all·his·paths" (וְֽכׇל־מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו), "makes·even" (מְפַלֵּֽס). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "the·ways·of·man" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·ways·of·man', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + נֹ֨כַח [before] (78) + עֵינֵ֣י [the·eyes·of] (140) + יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ [the·ways·of·man] (545) + וְֽכׇל־מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו [and·all·his·paths] (615) + מְפַלֵּֽס [makes·even] (210) = 1644.
Rashi
For man’s ways are opposite the Lord’s eyes, and He weighs, etc. He weighs his ways and knows how many sins and how many merits he has.
Ralbag
"For [the ways of man are] before" — behold, the ways of man are before the eyes of Hashem, and He weighs all his ways, to give to each man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. "And He makes even all his paths" — that is to say: He weighs all his ways.
Metzudat David
"for [the ways of man are] before" — meaning, lest you say, "Who sees me?" — to this he said: know that the ways of man are before the eyes of Hashem, and He makes his paths straight toward recompense; meaning, He repays measure for measure, so that it be known that it comes as recompense and not by chance.
Malbim
"For the ways of man are before the eyes of Hashem" — the "way" (derech) is the straight path, and the "circuit" (ma'agal) is the circuitous path; and if one measures the circuit so as to arrive by means of it at the straight path, this is called "leveling" (pales). Therefore he says that man's straight, inward ways are before Hashem, and He prepared for him the straight path by means of the Torah, as it is written, "and you shall make known to them the way in which they shall walk." And also "He makes even all his paths" — for if at times one must walk in a circuit that deviates from the straight path, such as in the trait of piety (chassidut) and beyond the letter of the law, or to transgress the words of Torah according to the need of the hour, as Elijah did on Mount Carmel — this is called a "circuit" — Hashem levels and directs even the circuit, so that by means of it one arrives at the straight path.
His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked, And he shall be held with the cords of his sin.
verse value 2596
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "will·be·held" (יִתָּמֵֽךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "his·iniquities" (עֲֽווֹנֹתָ֗יו, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "his·iniquities" (עֲֽווֹנֹתָ֗יו), "will·ensnare·him" (יִלְכְּדֻנ֥וֹ), "the·wicked" (אֶת־הָרָשָׁ֑ע). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·wicked" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root חבל ("and·with·cords·of") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root חטאה ("his·sin") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·wicked', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עֲֽווֹנֹתָ֗יו [his·iniquities] (548) + יִלְכְּדֻנ֥וֹ [will·ensnare·him] (120) + אֶת־הָרָשָׁ֑ע [the·wicked] (976) + וּבְחַבְלֵ֥י [and·with·cords·of] (58) + חַ֝טָּאת֗וֹ [his·sin] (424) + יִתָּמֵֽךְ [will·be·held] (470) = 2596.
Rashi
His iniquities shall trap Heb. ילכדנו it. shall trap him, like ילכדוהו. and he shall be hanged with the ropes of his sin יתמך, lit. he shall be supported. He shall be hanged, for the one hanged is supported by the ropes with which he is hanged.
Ralbag
"His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked" — by their net, and by the cords of his sin, the snare in which the wicked man is caught is strengthened and reinforced; and this is evident in many sins, which are themselves instruments for bringing the wicked down into evil. "It shall ensnare him — the wicked" — these are two designations [of the same subject], like "and she saw him — the child" (Exodus 2:6).
Metzudat David
"his own iniquities" — the iniquities of the wicked man will ensnare him; and for further clarification it says "the wicked." "and with the cords of" — with the cords made from his own sin he will be held, as though he were hung by them; meaning, the sin itself will accuse him and exact payment from him.
Malbim
"His own iniquities shall ensnare the wicked" — corresponding to what was said, that man's good ways are before the eyes of Hashem, in that Hashem assists him to become pure and to walk in the good way, he now says that the ways of the wicked are not from Hashem; rather, his own iniquities (avonot) ensnare him, as it is said, "One who comes to purify himself is helped; one who comes to defile himself, they open the way for him." And there is a difference between "avon" and "chet" (iniquity and sin): "avon" denotes a distortion of the intellect, while "chet" denotes the actual deed — the "avon" is the perversion of thought, and the "chet" is the deficiency in deed. The meaning is that when the wicked man's desire incites him and compels him to commit a transgression, and he is afraid of Hashem's punishments and the commandments of the Torah, then he calls upon the "avon" — the distortion of the intellect — to help him; for then he perverts his reasoning so as to deny the commandment and the One who commands it — His knowledge and providence, His reward and punishment, and the like — and so "his iniquities shall ensnare him" to transgress the commandment. Yet in all this his reliance is not fundamentally on the perversion of the intellect; for were it not for the "chet," which is his desire for the transgression, he would not rely on the "avon" and the argument of denial; rather, "he shall be held with the cords of his sin" — that is, by means of the cords of his sin, which is the desire, he is held fast. And through this he makes use of the "avon" and denies the commandment in order to fulfill the desire of his impulse (yetzer). And through all this, by habituation to sins he is drawn after heresy and holds fast to the "avon," which is the perversion of the intellect and denial — until, in the end…
He shall die for lack of instruction; And in the greatness of his folly he shall reel.
verse value 1808
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "he" (ה֗וּא, 3 letters) and the longest is "his·folly" (אִוַּלְתּ֣וֹ, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "will·reel" (יִשְׁגֶּֽה). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "without" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs); "instruction" (root מוסר, 30x in Proverbs); "and·in·greatness·of" (root רב, 26x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root רב ("and·in·greatness·of") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root אולת ("his·folly") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'instruction', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: ה֗וּא [he] (12) + יָ֭מוּת [will·die] (456) + בְּאֵ֣ין [without] (63) + מוּסָ֑ר [instruction] (306) + וּבְרֹ֖ב [and·in·greatness·of] (210) + אִוַּלְתּ֣וֹ [his·folly] (443) + יִשְׁגֶּֽה [will·reel] (318) = 1808.
Rashi
He shall die without discipline Because he did not accept discipline.
Ibn Ezra
"He shall die for lack of instruction" — because he does not accept correction, and because of his abundant folly, he strays from the straight path.
Ralbag
"He shall die for lack of instruction" — behold, the wicked man will die while he has still not taken instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he will err in the matters in which he wishes to act wickedly, until his erring in them becomes the cause of his downfall — and this is quite evident. He further speaks by way of parable concerning the strange woman he mentioned, of one who heeds her as a guarantor on her behalf before Hashem, and He will exact payment from him — that is to say, the human intellect stands as guarantor on her behalf before Hashem, and it becomes ensnared in her corruption.
Metzudat David
"for lack of instruction" — because he did not take instruction, and because of the greatness of his folly, in which he goes astray.
Malbim
"He shall die for lack of instruction" — for afterward he will no longer accept instruction, which is what would frighten him by means of Hashem's punishments; and even if Hashem punishes him, he will not accept instruction, because "in the greatness of his folly he shall reel" — he will continue afterward to cling to folly. For the fool is one who casts doubt upon everything, and he will not believe that the punishment comes through providence, for he will cast doubt, [saying,] "Perhaps it is mere chance" — and therefore he will not accept instruction, for he attributes everything to chance.
Ibn Ezra
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Malbim