Wisdom speaks in her own voice at the gates of the city: her words are truth, her fruit better than fine gold. She was with Hashem at the founding of the world, a nursling at His side, playing before Him — and whoever finds her finds life.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Does not wisdom call, And understanding put forth her voice?
verse value 2270
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "gives" (תִּתֵּ֥ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "does·not·wisdom" (הֲלֹֽא־חׇכְמָ֥ה, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "does·not·wisdom" (הֲלֹֽא־חׇכְמָ֥ה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "does·not·wisdom" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "gives" (root נתן, 34x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'call', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֲלֹֽא־חׇכְמָ֥ה [does·not·wisdom] (109) + תִקְרָ֑א [call] (701) + וּ֝תְבוּנָ֗ה [and·understanding] (469) + תִּתֵּ֥ן [gives] (850) + קוֹלָֽהּ [her·voice] (141) = 2270.
Rashi
Will not wisdom call out Does not the Torah announce for you the things mentioned below in this section?
Ralbag
"Does not wisdom call" — to the people. "And understanding put forth her voice" — to call to them; and so that they hear her words, they [wisdom and understanding] stand at the top of the heights, along the way, to make their words heard to those who pass by and return, and to direct them to the way in which they should go. And at the place where error is possible, since it has many paths, she stands there, to show which way they should go.
Metzudat David
"Does not wisdom call" — meaning, are not the virtues of wisdom recognized of their own accord, as if wisdom herself were speaking her words, to draw [people] after her.
Malbim
"Does not wisdom call?" — In contrast to the harlot, who comes in darkness and gloom, behold, wisdom calls out in public. And it has already been explained that the giving forth of a "voice" is a lesser thing than a "call." For: * Wisdom (chochmah) comes from above and is received from Hashem, the Giver of wisdom, and she calls out to man that he should heed the laws of wisdom and accept them, * while understanding (tevunah) gives forth her voice, for she emerges from man's own intellect, and gives forth a voice to announce that there is found in man a faculty to reason with discernment (binah) and to comprehend one thing from another; and man feels this voice in the depths of his soul, and it is he who calls out to the understanding and draws it forth from his own intellect.
In the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she stands;
verse value 2594
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "house·of" (בֵּ֖ית, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·head·of·high·places" (בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרֹמִ֥ים, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·head·of·high·places" (בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרֹמִ֥ים), "upon·way" (עֲלֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ), "stands" (נִצָּֽבָה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·way" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "house·of" (root בית, 38x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·way', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרֹמִ֥ים [in·head·of·high·places] (833) + עֲלֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ [upon·way] (334) + בֵּ֖ית [house·of] (412) + נְתִיב֣וֹת [paths] (868) + נִצָּֽבָה [stands] (147) = 2594.
Metzudat David
"In the top of high places" — as if she stands at the top of the high mountains, to make her voice heard from afar. "by the way" — she stands next to a road, a place from which many paths branch out, and where many people are found passing to and fro.
Metzudat Zion
"House" (beit) — place.
Malbim
"In the top of the high places" — In contrast to the harlot, who goes out of her house to the outside and to the streets, this pictures wisdom descending from on high. At first she stands "in the top of the high places, by the way" — the great way, for the "way" (derech) is the way of the many; and afterward, "she stands at the house of the paths" — she stations herself at the house of the small paths, where individuals walk alone, each man by himself, toward the city; and from there she stands.
Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she cries aloud:
verse value 2726
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "entrance·of" (מְב֖וֹא, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·hand·of·gates" (לְיַד־שְׁעָרִ֥ים, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·hand·of·gates" (לְיַד־שְׁעָרִ֥ים), "to·mouth·of·city" (לְפִי־קָ֑רֶת), "entrance·of" (מְב֖וֹא). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "entrance·of" (root בוא, 35x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root קרת ("to·mouth·of·city") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·mouth·of·city', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: לְיַד־שְׁעָרִ֥ים [to·hand·of·gates] (664) + לְפִי־קָ֑רֶת [to·mouth·of·city] (820) + מְב֖וֹא [entrance·of] (49) + פְתָחִ֣ים [openings] (538) + תָּרֹֽנָּה [cries·aloud] (655) = 2726.
Rashi
at the entrance of the roof Heb. קרת, the ceiling above the gate, where people sit. she cries Heb. תרנה, she cries, and what does she say? “To you, O men, I call.”
Ibn Ezra
"City [keret]" — meaning, a city [kiryah].
Ralbag
"Beside the gates" — At the place of the gates situated at the entrance to the city, to indicate through which gate one should enter when drawing near to the matter under inquiry; at the entryway of the doors of the house one wishes to enter, through which door one should enter so as to arrive at the matter sought. He says this because in many difficult inquiries one is required to enter by way of premises that are very far removed from the matter sought, and one then moves on from those premises to others that draw closer to the matter sought, and so on, degree after degree, until arriving at the matter sought. Now wisdom and understanding always guide, in this investigation, toward the paths and orders that lead to it. And this is their statement, by way of poetic imagery: "Understand, you thoughtless ones, prudence," etc.
Metzudat David
"Beside the gates" — and she is near the place of the gates that are at the entrance of the city. "at the coming in at the doors" — meaning, they [the gates] are made for entering through its openings, for those gates stand open, and therefore many enter and exit through them. "she cries aloud" — there wisdom proclaims her words; and all this is a figure of speech, meaning: is not her praise known, as if she were proclaiming it in great publicity.
Metzudat Zion
"Beside" (leyad) — at the place of. "At the entry of the city" (lefi karat) — at the entrance of the city. "Cries aloud" (taronah) — a term for proclamation, as in "she cries aloud (taronah) in the streets" (above, ch. 1).
Malbim
"Beside the gates, at the entry of the city" — at the gate of the city, where one enters into the city; and afterward, "at the coming in at the doors, she cries aloud" — she cries out at the doorways of individuals. And the picture is as follows: * First, wisdom comes with simple matters and statutes that are handed down to the entire multitude, and it is pictured that she stands on the way of the many, where the whole world walks — these are the plain sense of the words of the Torah, its simple narratives, and the commandments according to their plain meaning, which are handed down equally to the whole multitude. * Afterward, she stands at the "house of the paths," where only private individuals walk — these are the teachings of Torah that are not handed down to the whole multitude, but only to the wise, who walk each in his own path, such as the way of homiletical exposition (derash) and the way of intellectual/philosophical inquiry within the Torah, and the ways of piety in the commandments and the reasons for the commandments. * Afterward, she stands "beside the gates," where the Sanhedrin and the judges sit — these are the laws of the Torah that are handed down to the Sanhedrin and the great sages, who received the whole Oral Torah, and from whom instruction goes out to all Israel. * Afterward, "she cries aloud at the coming in at the doors," where individuals sit in secret in their innermost chamber — these are the secrets of the Torah, such as the Account of Creation (Ma'aseh Bereishit) and the Account of the Chariot (Ma'aseh Merkavah), which are not expounded in public, but only to an individual, and to individuals of rare distinction. * And these four things correspond to the four readings of "amon" [in Proverbs 8:30] — amon as pedagogue (tutor), amon rabbati (great one), amon mekhuseh (hidden one), amon mutzna (concealed one) — that is, PaRDeS [Peshat, Remez, Derash, Sod — the four levels of Torah interpretation], as is known.
’To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.
verse value 1054
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "man" (אָדָֽם, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·you" (אֲלֵיכֶ֣ם, 5 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·you" (אֲלֵיכֶ֣ם), "men" (אִישִׁ֣ים), "I·call" (אֶקְרָ֑א). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "men" (root איש, 80x in Proverbs); "to·sons·of" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs); "man" (root אדם, 44x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·call', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. 5 of the verse's 6 words begin with the letter א. Full calculation: אֲלֵיכֶ֣ם [to·you] (101) + אִישִׁ֣ים [men] (361) + אֶקְרָ֑א [I·call] (302) + וְ֝קוֹלִ֗י [and·my·voice] (152) + אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י [to·sons·of] (93) + אָדָֽם [man] (45) = 1054.
Ibn Ezra
"Men" — the wealthy; and 'to the sons of men' — the poor as well; both 'sons of men' and 'sons of man,' and the meaning is: together, rich and poor alike (cf. Psalms 49:3).
Metzudat David
"'To you" — and these are her words: "To you, O men," etc.
Metzudat Zion
"Men" (ishim) — men.
Malbim
"To you, O men (ishim), I call" — the "ishim" are the great and distinguished ones; to you the call of wisdom comes specifically. "And my voice is to the sons of man (benei adam)" — the rest of mankind, the lesser people, will also hear my voice, even though the call is not specifically directed to them. For wisdom will come only into the heart of those who have sanctified their heart to be a sanctuary for her, and have removed all the abominations and evil images from her palace, until they are called "wise of heart" (chacham lev), whose heart is ruled by wisdom. And nevertheless, she gives forth her voice to the entire multitude of mankind, and each and every man merits to receive from her according to his own understanding — to the point that she gives forth her voice even to those who have turned away from her because of naivety or foolishness; concerning this it says —
O you thoughtless, understand prudence, And, you fools, be you of an understanding heart.
verse value 1200
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. Verse gematria: 1200 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "heart" (לֵֽב, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·fools" (וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 73: understand, understand. The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "heart" (root לב, 57x in Proverbs); "and·fools" (root כסיל, 49x in Proverbs); "understand" (root בין, 46x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'prudence', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הָבִ֣ינוּ [understand] (73) + פְתָאיִ֣ם [thoughtless] (531) + עׇרְמָ֑ה [prudence] (315) + וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים [and·fools] (176) + הָבִ֥ינוּ [understand] (73) + לֵֽב [heart] (32) = 1200.
Ibn Ezra
"Prudence" — that they should act shrewdly to remove foolishness from themselves. "And heart" — meaning, knowledge; or it may be read: 'understand prudence for the heart,' and it is a transitive verb.
Ralbag
"Understand, you thoughtless ones, prudence" — Strive to be guided toward wisdom. And I think that this "prudence" is achieved through reflection on the art of logic, for it guides the intellect toward the ways of endeavor and speculative inquiry. "And you fools, apply your heart" to understanding — in matters of speculative inquiry.
Metzudat David
"prudence" — cleverness and stratagems, to be shrewd in order to remove thoughtlessness. "be you of an understanding heart" — give understanding to the heart.
Malbim
"Understand prudence, O simple ones" — for prudence (ormah) is the opposite of simplicity (petiut): the simple person (peti) strays from the laws of wisdom because his heart is enticed by everything, and he has no shrewdness with which to reflect and think about his ways. Wisdom will place shrewdness in his heart, as it is written (Proverbs 1:4), "to give prudence to the simple," and as was explained there. "And you fools, be of an understanding heart" — fools (kesilim) are distinguished from the simple in that they are not lacking in wisdom, for folly (kesilut) can sometimes coexist with great intelligence; rather, the fool strays from the laws of wisdom because of the images of desire and the evil character traits that rule over him. And his heart — which is the ruling faculty within the soul — cannot overcome his [evil] inclination, and therefore he disputes the laws of wisdom, which stand as an adversary (satan) to him in the face of his desire. Therefore Wisdom tells them to "be of an understanding heart" — that they should learn to rule over their spirit, so that their heart may overcome their desire, and thereby they will clear a path for wisdom to dwell in honor in their palace.
Hear, for I will speak excellent things, And the opening of my lips shall be right things.
verse value 2694
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "hear" (שִׁ֭מְעוּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "for·chiefs" (כִּֽי־נְגִידִ֣ים, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "for·chiefs" (כִּֽי־נְגִידִ֣ים), "I·will·speak" (אֲדַבֵּ֑ר), "and·the·opening·of" (וּמִפְתַּ֥ח). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·lips" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs); "I·will·speak" (root דבר, 45x in Proverbs); "hear" (root שמע, 30x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·speak', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: שִׁ֭מְעוּ [hear] (416) + כִּֽי־נְגִידִ֣ים [for·chiefs] (147) + אֲדַבֵּ֑ר [I·will·speak] (207) + וּמִפְתַּ֥ח [and·the·opening·of] (534) + שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י [my·lips] (790) + מֵישָׁרִֽים [uprightness] (600) = 2694.
Rashi
Hearken for I will speak noble things Words of nobility and importance.
Ibn Ezra
"Excellent things" — like the singular 'nagid' [prince], and they are praiseworthy matters. Similarly: 'Have I not written to you shalishim' (Proverbs 22:20), from the same root as 'and officers over all of it' (Exodus 14:7), for a king has a viceroy and also a 'third officer' [shalish].
Ralbag
"Hear" — for I will speak honorable things, and the opening of my words is words of uprightness. He says this so that no one should think he is speaking here by way of exaggeration and hyperbole, as is customary in poems and parables, for behold, "my palate speaks truth," not wickedness and falsehood; behold, all the words of my mouth are in righteousness and uprightness — there is nothing in them that deviates from the way of truth.
Metzudat David
"excellent things" — meaning, important and honorable matters. "and the opening of my lips" — what my lips open to speak are upright things; and this repeats the matter in different words.
Metzudat Zion
"Excellent things" (negidim) — ministers and dignitaries.
Malbim
"Hear, for I will speak noble things" — Now [Wisdom] will set forth how Hashem, may He be blessed, revealed wisdom and gave it to mankind through the Torah that He gave to His people. And in this she surveys four matters. In every commandment there is "speech" (dibbur) and "utterance" (amirah): the "utterance" is the language in which the commandment was stated in the Written Torah, while the "speech" is the explanation of the commandment that was transmitted orally, in which the commandment was explained at length. And wherever it says "Vayedaber Hashem el Moshe leimor" ("And Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying"), this means: by the word "vayedaber" (and He spoke) — that He spoke with him at length and made known to him the details of the commandment and its laws orally; and by the word "leimor" (saying) — meaning "and thus He said" — which is the language in which the Written Torah was stated. Furthermore there are two more matters: (1) the reasons for the commandments and their secrets; (2) received matters (mekubbalim) that are secrets and hidden things, such as the mysteries of the Torah, the Account of Creation (Ma'aseh Bereishit), and the Account of the Chariot (Ma'aseh Merkavah) — and in each of these there is a double measure of tushiyah (sound wisdom), as it says, "To you, O men (ishim), I call, and my voice is to the sons of man" — lofty, exalted matters that were spoken to the eminent men (ishim), the great ones of the people and their sages, and simple matters that were spoken to the multitude. Now concerning the Oral Torah — which is the greater part of the Torah, since most of it is oral — it says, "Hear, for I will speak noble things (negidim)": for the Oral Torah, in which I spoke at length all the laws of the commandments, their details, and their explanations — which is indicated by the word "vayedaber" — these are "negidim" (noble things), for a nagid is one who has authority over the people, and so these [teachings] come as authorities and commanders directing what is to be done. And just as a nagid is great and honored among the people, so too all these are great matters and great, fixed laws, transmitted to the nagidim (leaders) of the people and their teachers — and this corresponds to "To you, O men (ishim), I call." And along with all this, also "the opening of my lips [shall speak] right things" — for the "lip" (safah) indicates the simple, revealed matter, and "the opening of the lip" is the beginning of the simple speech that is directed to the multitude, who do not understand noble and great matters. This too is "right things" (meisharim), for the meaning of meisharim is words of straightforwardness that are accepted by the intellect, which every person perceives in their straightforwardness and understands with an upright heart.
For my mouth shall utter truth, And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
verse value 2776
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "my·mouth" (חִכִּ֑י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·abomination·of" (וְתוֹעֲבַ֖ת, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "for·truth" (כִּֽי־אֱ֭מֶת), "my·mouth" (חִכִּ֑י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wickedness" (root רשע, 81x in Proverbs); "my·lips" (root שפה, 46x in Proverbs); "and·the·abomination·of" (root תועבה, 21x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root הגה ("utters") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·mouth', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־אֱ֭מֶת [for·truth] (471) + יֶהְגֶּ֣ה [utters] (23) + חִכִּ֑י [my·mouth] (38) + וְתוֹעֲבַ֖ת [and·the·abomination·of] (884) + שְׂפָתַ֣י [my·lips] (790) + רֶֽשַׁע [wickedness] (570) = 2776.
Metzudat David
"and wickedness [is an abomination], etc." — wicked words are an abomination to my lips, [such] that they refuse to speak them.
Metzudat Zion
"Shall utter" (yehgeh) — shall speak.
Malbim
"For my palate utters truth" — the palate (chech) is that which tastes food, and it is a figure of speech for the reasons of the commandments (ta'amei ha-mitzvot), for they too were not written down but only transmitted to be pondered, thought about, and reflected upon. They too are divided between the eminent men (ishim) and the common people, the multitude: the great men (ishim) attain, through the reasons of the commandments, matters of truth — concerning the soul and its bond with God, and matters of divine attachment (dibbuk elohi) and the resting of His spirit upon those who keep His commandments. For all the commandments, according to their secret, contain hidden within them received truths (emitiyot mekubbalot) about the order of the worlds, their arrangement and connection, the secret of the soul and its bond with existence as a whole, and the drawing down of divinity, emanation, and flow, and the joining of the lights — their ascent and descent — through the commandments. All of these are truths that Wisdom ponders through rational contemplation, in secrecy and concealment, which is alluded to by the "palate" (chech), which is the innermost organ of speech relative to the tongue, mouth, and lip — the most hidden of them all. Nevertheless, there are reasons for every commandment to explain them even to the common people — all of which serve to distance wickedness, injustice, evil character traits, and foreign beliefs, like all the reasons that the Guide [Maimonides] gave in the third part of his book [the Guide of the Perplexed], for these too have a place according to the voice of Wisdom directed to the common people. And regarding this it says, "and wickedness is an abomination to my lips" — for the "lips" indicate revealed speech, namely the openly [stated] reasons, which serve to make wickedness abominable and to distance it.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness, There is nothing perverse or crooked in them.
verse value 1731
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "nothing" (אֵ֥ין, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·words·of·my·mouth" (כׇּל־אִמְרֵי־פִ֑י, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "all·the·words·of·my·mouth" (כׇּל־אִמְרֵי־פִ֑י), "in·them" (בָּ֝הֶ֗ם), "perverse" (נִפְתָּ֥ל). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "all·the·words·of·my·mouth" (root אמר, 45x in Proverbs); "nothing" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·the·words·of·my·mouth', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: בְּצֶ֥דֶק [in·justice] (196) + כׇּל־אִמְרֵי־פִ֑י [all·the·words·of·my·mouth] (391) + אֵ֥ין [nothing] (61) + בָּ֝הֶ֗ם [in·them] (47) + נִפְתָּ֥ל [perverse] (560) + וְעִקֵּֽשׁ [and·crooked] (476) = 1731.
Rashi
there is nothing twisted or crooked in them There is no crookedness.
Metzudat David
"All the words of my mouth are in righteousness" — they are spoken in righteousness.
Metzudat Zion
"Crooked" (niftal) — twistedness, as in "and with the crooked You show Yourself contrary (titpatal)" (Psalms 18:27).
Malbim
"All the words of my mouth are in righteousness" — Now [Wisdom] speaks about the Written Torah, which is indicated by the word "amirah" (utterance), the language in which every commandment was stated, and all of them were stated by the power of supreme Wisdom. Therefore it says "the words (imrei) of my mouth," for the term "lip" (safah) alludes to wisdom. According to their plain sense, they were stated "in righteousness" (be-tzedek), for from all of them the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness, and this applies equally to all people. But there are also within them matters unique to the elect few (yechidei segulah), in that there is nothing twisted or crooked in them: for in the words of flesh and blood one finds strange [usages] that depart from the rules of language, and superfluous, uncorrected expressions; but in the Written Torah nothing twisted is found, nor even anything crooked — for all the strange forms, redundancies, and inversions found in the Torah all contain within them lofty wisdoms, expositions (derushim), secrets, and wonders of wisdom for the intelligent, those of good understanding, upon whom rests the spirit of Hashem.
They are all plain to the one who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.
verse value 1561
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "all·of·them" (כֻּלָּ֣ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·right" (וִ֝ישָׁרִ֗ים, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·the·one·who·understands" (לַמֵּבִ֑ין), "to·those·who·find" (לְמֹ֣צְאֵי). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·the·one·who·understands" (root בין, 46x in Proverbs); "and·right" (root ישר, 35x in Proverbs); "knowledge" (root דעת, 29x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·one·who·understands', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כֻּלָּ֣ם [all·of·them] (90) + נְ֭כֹחִים [straight] (128) + לַמֵּבִ֑ין [to·the·one·who·understands] (132) + וִ֝ישָׁרִ֗ים [and·right] (566) + לְמֹ֣צְאֵי [to·those·who·find] (171) + דָֽעַת [knowledge] (474) = 1561.
Ibn Ezra
"Right things" — meaning, truth.
Ralbag
"They are all straightforward" — All my words are straightforward and upright to one who understands them and grasps the wisdom that is in them.
Metzudat David
"to the one who understands" — to one who has understanding, to comprehend her words.
Metzudat Zion
"Plain" (nechochim) — a term for straightness, as in "to do what is straight (nechochah)" (Amos 3).
Malbim
"All of them" — and concerning the fourth matter, which is the secrets of the Torah and its hidden matters: there are those who attain them through the faculty of binah (understanding), whereby a person understands, through his understanding, Hashem's greatness, His deeds, and His wonders in the Account of Creation (Ma'aseh Bereishit), and His hosts and camps in the Account of the Chariot (Ma'aseh Merkavah). And there are those who attain them through da'at (knowledge), which consists of the lucid apprehensions in the soul of the holy ones, pure of heart, in matters of divinity. And it has become clear to me that one of the conditions of da'at is that it be "right" (yashar) — for rightness is the shortest line between two given points, since da'at applies to anything a person comes to know through the attainment of the senses or through first principles, and it is necessary to direct the object of knowledge by the shortest path in order to attain it. And this is very difficult in human knowledge, for it generally proceeds by roundabout, circuitous paths, trying and testing, until it arrives at clear knowledge. But the lucid apprehensions of the secrets of the Torah are "right" for those who find da'at — for those who find da'at of God within their own souls will find it through the Torah and through God's help, by a right and short path. And binah's defining condition is that it is "facing" (nokhachit) — for the "facing" thing is that which stands bounded opposite a point that receives it, and the mevin (the one who understands) proceeds from the earlier to the later by way of reasoning and the inferences of comprehension (tevunah), and for the most part he does not confine his comprehension to the very object directly before him, since his inferences lead him astray to many sides. But the secrets of the Torah, when attained by the wise, understanding person through his own understanding, are all "plain" (nokhachim) to the one who understands — meaning that he attains what directly faces Hashem: His honor, His greatness, and His deeds — without any deviation from the point of truth.
Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.
verse value 1711
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "and·knowledge" (וְ֝דַ֗עַת, 4 letters) and the longest is "take·my·instruction" (קְחֽוּ־מוּסָרִ֥י, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "take·my·instruction" (קְחֽוּ־מוּסָרִ֥י), "and·not·silver" (וְאַל־כָּ֑סֶף). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "take·my·instruction" (root מוסר, 30x in Proverbs); "and·knowledge" (root דעת, 29x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·not·silver', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: קְחֽוּ־מוּסָרִ֥י [take·my·instruction] (430) + וְאַל־כָּ֑סֶף [and·not·silver] (197) + וְ֝דַ֗עַת [and·knowledge] (480) + מֵחָר֥וּץ [from·gold] (344) + נִבְחָֽר [choice] (260) = 1711.
Rashi
gold Heb. חרוץ. A type of gold.
Ralbag
"Take" — Choose to take my instruction rather than taking silver; the knowledge that I direct toward you is more choice than gold. Behold, wisdom is better than all pearls, and all the other desirable things a person might want in matters other than speculative inquiry do not compare to it. Wisdom said this in order to reveal the things necessarily involved in attaining her.
Metzudat David
"and not silver" — meaning, you should want to take my instruction/rebuke [in preference] to taking silver.
Metzudat Zion
"Choice gold" (mecharutz) — a type of fine gold.
Malbim
"Receive my instruction, and not silver" — silver is given out for spending, and with it one buys anything one needs; this is not so with choice gold (charutz), which is not given out for spending, but rather is stored away among treasures and valuables. Accordingly, he likens the instruction (musar) of wisdom to silver — for it has already been explained that "the fear of Hashem is the instruction of wisdom." Since there are no rational proofs for the laws of wisdom, and the impulses of a person's heart oppose wisdom, one must bind the powers of his soul with the discipline that is the fear of Hashem, whereby he will accept the laws of wisdom and observe them out of the fear of Hashem that was commanded concerning them. Thus the instruction of wisdom is something given out for spending, through which one purchases the laws of wisdom and stores them away in the treasury of the heart, as it is written, "the fear of Hashem is his treasure." Accordingly he commanded that they take the instruction of wisdom and not exert themselves to acquire silver — for with silver they will buy vain things and temporal matters that have no substance, while with the instruction of wisdom they will buy precious treasures, namely the words of wisdom, which are more precious than any object. "And knowledge rather than choice gold" — as opposed to choice gold, which is not spent but rather stored away in a treasury because it is a precious thing, it is better to store away words of knowledge, which are the knowledge of God and the secret of His governance and providence and all precious knowledge — which take hold firmly within the soul and fill it like a treasury full of every precious vessel — more precious than choice gold, which offers no advantage beyond the pleasure of the eyes.
For wisdom is better than rubies, And all things desirable are not to be compared to her.
verse value 1049
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·all·delights" (וְכׇל־חֲ֝פָצִ֗ים, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "for·good" (כִּֽי־טוֹבָ֣ה), "and·all·delights" (וְכׇל־חֲ֝פָצִ֗ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wisdom" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs); "for·good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·rubies', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־טוֹבָ֣ה [for·good] (52) + חׇ֭כְמָה [wisdom] (73) + מִפְּנִינִ֑ים [from·rubies] (280) + וְכׇל־חֲ֝פָצִ֗ים [and·all·delights] (284) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ [are·like·her] (329) = 1049.
Rashi
than pearls Heb. מפנינים, pearls. cannot be compared to it They will not equal its value.
Metzudat David
"And all things desirable" — all the things that a person desires and wants are not to be compared to her.
Malbim
"For wisdom is better than rubies" — this explains what was said, "receive my instruction, and not silver." For the thing one buys with silver — even if it were rubies (peninim), which are precious things — what one buys with the instruction of wisdom is better than it, for through it one acquires wisdom itself, which becomes an acquisition within the soul, and it is "better than rubies." He already said above (3:15), "she is more precious than rubies" — there he speaks of the matter of preciousness, and we explained it there, but here he speaks of the matter of "goodness" — for the good quality of rubies is that they have a property of enhancing the charm (chen) of those who wear them, and this charm exists only in the eyes of people; but through wisdom one finds charm and good understanding in the eyes of God and man, as above (3:4), where we explained it — and this surpasses the charm of rubies. And although with silver one buys things the body desires — pleasant foods and human pleasures — while for wisdom one must give up and cast away all the desires of the body and restrain all its lusts, nevertheless no desired things compare to it, and it is more precious than all of them, so that whatever a person exchanges of his bodily desires for wisdom, he attains in their place something more precious and more exalted than they were.
I wisdom dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge of devices.
verse value 2334
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "prudence" (עׇרְמָ֑ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "I·wisdom" (אֲֽנִי־חׇ֭כְמָה, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "I·wisdom" (אֲֽנִי־חׇ֭כְמָה), "I·dwell" (שָׁכַ֣נְתִּי), "I·find" (אֶמְצָֽא). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·wisdom" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "and·knowledge·of" (root דעת, 29x in Proverbs); "I·find" (root מצא, 28x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'prudence', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֲֽנִי־חׇ֭כְמָה [I·wisdom] (134) + שָׁכַ֣נְתִּי [I·dwell] (780) + עׇרְמָ֑ה [prudence] (315) + וְדַ֖עַת [and·knowledge·of] (480) + מְזִמּ֣וֹת [devices] (493) + אֶמְצָֽא [I·find] (132) = 2334.
Rashi
I dwelt [beside] cunning Beside cunning, for since a man has learned Torah, cunning about every matter enters into him.
Ibn Ezra
'I dwell with prudence' — the letter bet ['with'] is missing [understood as 'I dwell with prudence'], like 'and dwell [in] the land' (Psalm 37:3). And the sense is: prudence requires wisdom, for without wisdom prudence cannot be established. 'and I find the knowledge of devices' — [meaning] I find the knowledge of the schemes of those who seek it, and I reach the ultimate purpose of their intention. It is also possible to explain: I, Wisdom, recognize and know all prudence, as if I dwelt within it, and I too get to the bottom of the knowledge of every scheme. And since knowledge (da'at) is that which is found after wisdom (chokhmah) and understanding (tevunah), it uses the word 'find' (emtza). And the sense is: that no scheme is beyond the reach of wisdom.
Ralbag
"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence" — in the places where prudence is found, and the way of endeavor, these being the orders of logic. And one must also find "the fear of Hashem" — meaning, the taking of moral instruction regarding character traits. And one must further "hate evil," in order to distance oneself from its ways, and hate the trait of pride, for it strips a person of perfection, and hate the evil way in opinions and matters that posit false premises, for these prevent one from finding wisdom — since the inquirer will want to continue his arguments on the basis of what follows from the premises, in keeping with how the premises were laid down, and will want to go on preserving them always, and this will lead him into error regarding them.
Metzudat David
"I wisdom dwell with prudence" — I dwell with prudence, meaning: it is impossible to devise stratagems to be shrewd, to be saved from the hand of the evil inclination that entices, without the wisdom of the Torah. "and find out knowledge" — I supply, to make known the thoughts of those who help toward salvation from the hand of the evil inclination that entices; and this repeats the matter in different words.
Metzudat Zion
"Devices" (mezimot) — thoughts.
Malbim
"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence" — prudence (ormah) is the faculty in the soul that weighs every matter before it is done, as it is written, "every prudent man acts with knowledge," and its opposite is the simpleton (peti). Sometimes a person uses cunning for evil, but one who has gathered the laws of wisdom into his soul uses his prudence to plan his path according to the laws of wisdom, and to take counsel with himself in every matter, and to be prudent so that his deeds conform to the laws of wisdom. This is why it says, "to give prudence to the simple" — that wisdom will teach them to be prudent and to consider their deeds. And this is why it says here, "I, wisdom, dwell beside prudence" — for prudence without wisdom will, in most cases, turn to evil. "And I find knowledge of devices" — the "devices" (mezimot) are the deep thoughts within wisdom, and by delving deeply into the thought of wisdom, one finds knowledge to attain a clear understanding of it — for through depth of study in it, the laws become established in his heart as a trustworthy foundation, until they become to him like first principles or things perceived by the senses. The point is that prudence dwells prior to wisdom, and after it come the "devices," and after them, knowledge.
The fear of Hashem is to hate evil; Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the froward mouth, I do hate.
verse value 4001
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֮) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "evil" (רָ֭ע, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·hate·evil" (שְֽׂנֹ֫את־רָ֥ע, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·hate·evil" (שְֽׂנֹ֫את־רָ֥ע), "pride" (גֵּ֘אָ֤ה), "and·arrogance" (וְגָא֨וֹן). The root שנא appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "and·way" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "evil" (root רע, 69x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root גאה ("pride") in Proverbs. Full calculation: יִ֥רְאַ֣ת [the·fear·of] (611) + יְהֹוָה֮ [Hashem] (26) + שְֽׂנֹ֫את־רָ֥ע [to·hate·evil] (1021) + גֵּ֘אָ֤ה [pride] (9) + וְגָא֨וֹן [and·arrogance] (66) + וְדֶ֣רֶךְ [and·way] (230) + רָ֭ע [evil] (270) + וּפִ֨י [and·mouth·of] (96) + תַהְפֻּכ֬וֹת [perversities] (911) + שָׂנֵֽאתִי [I·hate] (761) = 4001.
Rashi
Fear of the Lord is to hate evil This is the discipline that wisdom announces to the people.
Ibn Ezra
'The fear of Hashem is to hate evil' — 'hate' (sin'at) is an infinitive form on the pattern of 'melo'at' (fullness), and 'evil' includes every deficiency in general, of which the specifics are: pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the froward mouth. 'the evil way' — meaning wicked conduct. 'and the perverse mouth' — meaning that which turns over from one matter to another. And it says 'I hate,' as if to say: the fear of Hashem is the hatred of these things, and I too hate them, in the sense of 'Do I not hate those who hate You, Hashem?' (Psalm 139:21). And the master of the [cantillation] accents, who placed a disjunctive accent on the word 'u-fi' ('and the mouth of'), did not consider this interpretation. Perhaps the word 'u-fi' means 'the words of wisdom,' as if it said: 'I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence and find the knowledge of devices, and I know that the fear of Hashem is the hatred of evil, and pride, and arrogance, and the evil way' — and 'mouth' (peh) here means 'utterance,' as in 'for according to the mouth of Hashem' and the like, or [it means] 'my agreement and my consent,' as in 'with one mouth [i.e., unanimously], good, to the king' (1 Kings 22:13) — '[all] perversities I hate,' for wisdom and perversities hate one another, since they cannot coexist in the same subject. 'and perversities' — includes every opposition and every deviation from good and uprightness.
Metzudat David
"The fear of Hashem" — the essence of the fear of Hashem is to hate evil; and these are: pride, and the ways of transgression, and one who perverts the words of his mouth from the thoughts of his heart. "I do hate" — meaning, all these I too hate.
Metzudat Zion
"Pride, and arrogancy" (ge'ah vega'on) — both are terms for pride.
Malbim
"The fear of Hashem" — it has already been explained that "the fear of Hashem is the beginning of knowledge" (above, 1:7): since the foundational principles of wisdom cannot be known through logical proof, it is impossible to arrive at a clear knowledge of them except through discipline (musar) and the fear of Hashem, through which one fixes it in his heart to believe and to act according to the statutes of wisdom that were established by Hashem; and it is impossible to reach clear knowledge through schemes and deep thoughts in wisdom alone — only if the fear of Hashem precedes it. It was likewise already explained (ibid., verse 2), regarding the phrase "to know wisdom and discipline," that one cannot attain clear knowledge through wisdom except through the discipline that is the fear of Hashem. For the statutes of wisdom contradict the nature of man's heart, which by its nature raises up evil imaginings that are the opposite of wisdom and wage war against the statutes of wisdom; and especially when imaginings of pride rule over his soul, so that through this he becomes wise in his own eyes — for through his pride he imagines in his heart that the impulses of his heart are the statutes of wisdom and that it is fitting to follow them, when in fact he goes in the opposite direction from the statutes of wisdom. It is impossible to attain knowledge of wisdom except through the fear of Hashem. Therefore it is said that there is a remedy to still the roaring waves of the soul and its evil imaginings, through the fear of Hashem, the discipline of wisdom — for the fear of Hashem is hatred of evil, pride, and arrogance; and when fear rules in his heart, he clothes himself with humility and submits before the statutes of wisdom given by Hashem, and the evil imaginings — such as imaginings of envy and desire — are wiped away from his heart through that fear. However, it has already been said, "if there is no fear, there is no wisdom; if there is no wisdom, there is no fear" (Mishnah, Avot 3:17), for fear alone accomplishes nothing: for if a person knows the statutes of wisdom, even though he has the fear of Hashem in his heart, he will not walk in the statutes of wisdom, because of "the evil way and the froward mouth" — meaning, because he has already accustomed his soul to habits that are the opposite of the habits of wisdom. For in a person's youth, evil imaginings ruled over his heart and became, as it were, native citizens within his soul, and they made for themselves a paved road on which all his thoughts and actions travel; and even the faculties of intellect and understanding speak with a "froward mouth" — meaning, they enact for themselves rules according to the imaginings of desire that rule in his soul, which are the opposite of wisdom; and this is called a "froward mouth," for "lip/mouth" alludes to wisdom. But when wisdom is joined to fear, he is saved from all this: for "the evil way and the froward mouth I hate" — these are the things hated by wisdom, which leads him in a good way and speaks with a mouth of wisdom; and when fear is joined with it — which subdues the pride and arrogance of the soul and its evil imaginings — then he attains knowledge of wisdom, and its statutes become fixed in his heart with clear knowledge.
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.
verse value 1316
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·sound·wisdom" (וְתוּשִׁיָּ֑ה, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·me·counsel" (לִֽי־עֵ֭צָה), "and·sound·wisdom" (וְתוּשִׁיָּ֑ה), "strength" (גְבוּרָֽה). The root לי appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "understanding" (root בין, 46x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·sound·wisdom', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: לִֽי־עֵ֭צָה [to·me·counsel] (205) + וְתוּשִׁיָּ֑ה [and·sound·wisdom] (727) + אֲנִ֥י [I] (61) + בִ֝ינָ֗ה [understanding] (67) + לִ֣י [to·me] (40) + גְבוּרָֽה [strength] (216) = 1316.
Ibn Ezra
'Counsel and sound wisdom are mine' — self-explanatory. 'I am understanding, power is mine' — it says 'I am understanding' rather than 'understanding is mine,' because understanding is an offshoot of wisdom, and where there is no wisdom there is no understanding. And it says 'power is mine,' in the sense of 'wisdom is a stronghold to the wise man, more than ten rulers' (Ecclesiastes 7:19).
Ralbag
"Counsel is mine" — This is because counsel pertains to particular matters, as if one were to say that the counsel for someone whose bodily heat is weak is to warm him by feeding him hot foods. Counsel, then, belongs to the practical wisdoms directed toward action, such as the science of medicine, the working of the land, and things resembling them. "And mine also is sound wisdom [tushiyah]" — meaning, the grasp of the rational order inherent in things, which is its essence and its proper objects of apprehension. And these are its components: the first point is to call attention to their benefit and their essence — namely, that it does not require first attaining the necessary matters before one endeavors in it, since its mention comes after wisdom's; and this is because wisdom must precede the endeavor toward understanding, as already explained above. "I, understanding, have might" — meaning, that wisdom pertains to the grasp of things that unfold according to the natural order; but whatever occurs contrary to that order, such as the matter of wonders — this is called "might" [gevurah], namely, things that do not come about through their own natural causes; the inquiry into such things is itself "might." And understanding further pertains to the grasp of political philosophy, through which the structure of political affairs is developed — how to conduct them so as to establish the political community; and from this branches the matter of the punishments imposed on those possessing base character traits. And since it is by means of this philosophy, conducted in the proper manner, that kings reign, and officers, princes, nobles, and judges rule rightly, so as to uphold the rule of this philosophy in the proper manner, understanding said: "By me kings [reign]," etc.
Metzudat David
"Counsel is mine" — Through me one finds counsel to be saved from the hand of the evil inclination that entices. "And sound wisdom" — that is to say, through me the power of the evil inclination is weakened. "I am understanding" — I am the one who gives understanding with which to fight against it. "Power is mine" — through me one prevails over it. And the matter is repeated many times over, in the manner of rhetorical style, and to reinforce the point.
Metzudat Zion
"And sound wisdom" (vetushiyah) — the substance of strength.
Malbim
"Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom (tushiyah)" — "counsel" (eitzah) is the decision one reaches as to how to act in a matter that admits of several possible paths; one deliberates as to which path to choose — this is called "taking counsel" (mit'ya'etz) — and the decision settled upon in one's heart is the "counsel." Now, since the definition of wisdom concerns a matter that has two possible paths in reality, and wisdom teaches us the chosen path, it follows that the statutes of wisdom are counsels given to man as to which path he should walk. We have already explained that "tushiyah" is the deed performed through wisdom, as it is written, "He lays up sound wisdom (tushiyah) for the upright" (Proverbs 2:7) — that Hashem prepared wondrous deeds to be done in every generation according to wisdom, through the upright who arise in that generation; meaning, both the counsel and the wondrous deed performed according to wisdom are attributed to wisdom. And it goes on to explain: "I am understanding, power is mine" — for counsel requires understanding (binah), since one who takes counsel must consider every possible side and determine from among them the good option on which to decide, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "the more counsel, the more understanding" (Mishnah, Avot 2:7). And it is through "I am understanding" that "counsel is mine"; and for "tushiyah" — the wondrous deeds performed according to wisdom — power (gevurah) is needed to carry out these deeds. Therefore, following "sound wisdom is mine," it explains "power is mine" — meaning, that I give power to the upright to carry out the tushiyah that I have laid up for them.
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "by·me" (בִּ֭י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·princes" (וְ֝רֹזְנִ֗ים, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "reign" (יִמְלֹ֑כוּ), "and·princes" (וְ֝רֹזְנִ֗ים), "decree" (יְחֹ֣קְקוּ). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "kings" (root מלך, 24x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root חקק ("decree") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'reign', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בִּ֭י [by·me] (12) + מְלָכִ֣ים [kings] (140) + יִמְלֹ֑כוּ [reign] (106) + וְ֝רֹזְנִ֗ים [and·princes] (313) + יְחֹ֣קְקוּ [decree] (224) + צֶֽדֶק [justice] (194) = 989.
Rashi
Kings reign with me for the judges and the judgments I teach them.
Ibn Ezra
'By me kings reign' — that their kingship shall endure; or they are called [kings] by what they will ultimately become, like 'and grind flour' (Isaiah 47:2), [where the grain is called 'flour' by anticipation of what the grinding will produce]. 'and rulers decree justice' — to enact righteous laws of judgment.
Ralbag
"By me kings reign" — over the people. "And princes decree" — laws of order and uprightness.
Metzudat David
"By me kings reign" — through me their kingship endures, if they conduct themselves according to the law of the Torah. "Decree justice" — through me they make just and upright laws.
Metzudat Zion
"And princes" (verozenim) — ministers. "Decree" (yechokeku) — from the language of "chok" (statute) and decree.
Malbim
(Verses 15-16) "By me kings reign" — among the statutes of wisdom are included the wisdom of governing kings and the wisdom of governing judges, which are two distinct matters, as it is written, "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness (tzedek), and princes shall rule in justice (mishpat)" (Isaiah 32:1). For there is a form of governance according to the fixed law (mishpat), over which the judges and officers are appointed, following the law of the Torah, which is called "mishpat": the judges determine the ruling, and the officers, by their authority, compel the people to fulfill the verdict. And there is a form of governance not according to the fixed law, and this is given into the hand of the king, to judge according to the laws of the monarchy, which differ from the law of the Torah; he judges according to the time, the matter, and those being judged — this is called "tzedek." As Rambam wrote in Hilchot Melachim [Laws of Kings], the king may put many people to death in a single day and judges according to his own discretion as the moment requires; and even in this there are statutes deriving from the supernal wisdom. Joined with the king are the "rozenim" (nobles), who are the ministers of counsel — hence it says, "by me kings reign, and rozenim decree tzedek": the king, together with the rozenim, brings about tzedek, for "a king reigns for the sake of tzedek" — the rozenim enact the laws of tzedek, and the king compels the people and judges them according to these laws. And in contrast to the fixed judgments according to the Torah, it says, "by me princes (sarim) rule, and nobles (nedivim), all the judges of the earth" — and all of these receive their statutes from the Torah, which is the supernal wisdom that handed down statutes and rules for the judgments of the king and the judgments of the officers, upon which the endurance of civil society and the improvement of the world depend.
By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
verse value 1843
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "by·me" (בִּ֭י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·nobles" (וּ֝נְדִיבִ֗ים, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "princes" (שָׂרִ֣ים), "rule" (יָשֹׂ֑רוּ), "and·nobles" (וּ֝נְדִיבִ֗ים). 6 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root נדיב ("and·nobles") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root שפט ("all·the·judges·of") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'rule', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בִּ֭י [by·me] (12) + שָׂרִ֣ים [princes] (550) + יָשֹׂ֑רוּ [rule] (516) + וּ֝נְדִיבִ֗ים [and·nobles] (122) + כׇּל־שֹׁ֥פְטֵי [all·the·judges·of] (449) + צֶֽדֶק [justice] (194) = 1843.
Ibn Ezra
'By me princes rule (yisoru)' — by rule the resh ought to bear a dagesh, following the pattern of 'yasubu alai rabbav' ('his archers surround me') (Job 16:13), except that resh does not accept a dagesh.
Ralbag
"By me princes rule" — they govern.
Metzudat David
"By me princes [rule]" — through me the rule of the princes and nobles among all the judges endures, for when they walk according to the statutes of the Torah, their rule continues.
Metzudat Zion
"Rule" (yasoru) — they exercise dominion and government.
I love those who love me, And those who seek me earnestly shall find me.
verse value 925
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. Notable word values: "those·who·love·me" (אֹהֲבַ֣י) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "I" (אֲ֭נִי, 3 letters) and the longest is "will·find·me" (יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·those·who·seek·me" (וּ֝מְשַׁחֲרַ֗י). The root אהב appears 3 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "those·who·love·me" (root אהב, 31x in Proverbs); "will·find·me" (root מצא, 28x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·love', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words.
Rashi
I will love those who love me Heb. אהבי. [This is the reading.] The text is written: אוהביה, those who love her. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: “I will love those who love the Torah.” I heard this from Rabbi Aaron in the name of Rabbi Nathan. I will love Heb. אהב, like אאהב. will find me Heb. ימצאנני. There is an extra “nun,” denoting fifty. I will allow him to find the fifty gates of understanding.
Ibn Ezra
'I love those who love me' — the [second] alef of the root is missing, to ease pronunciation, like 've-achar' ('and I lingered') (Genesis 32:5), [in place of the fuller doubled-alef form].
Ralbag
"I love those who love me" — meaning, that whoever does not love wisdom will not find it; but whoever loves it and desires it will labor to grasp its truth, and will find it, because he seeks it out early and pursues it always.
Metzudat David
"I love those who love me" — I love those who love me. "And those who seek me earnestly" — those who seek to understand my sayings will find in me many reasons.
Metzudat Zion
"I love" (ahav) — like "I will love" (e'ehav).
Malbim
"I love those who love me" — one who has already cleaved to wisdom in love of her, wisdom in turn will love him and reveal to him her secrets, just as a lover reveals his secrets to his beloved, and she will guard him from all sin, as it is said, "love her, and she will guard you" (Proverbs 4:6) — just as a lover guards his beloved. "And those who seek me earnestly shall find me" — and one who has not yet acquired wisdom, but only strives after it and seeks it out every morning, pursuing it, will find it through the help of Hashem.
Riches and honor are with me; Indeed, enduring riches and righteousness.
verse value 1855
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "with·me" (אִתִּ֑י, 3 letters) and the longest is "riches·and·honor" (עֹֽשֶׁר־וְכָב֥וֹד, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "riches·and·honor" (עֹֽשֶׁר־וְכָב֥וֹד), "with·me" (אִתִּ֑י), "enduring" (עָ֝תֵ֗ק). 5 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root צדקה ("and·righteousness") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: עֹֽשֶׁר־וְכָב֥וֹד [riches·and·honor] (608) + אִתִּ֑י [with·me] (411) + ה֥וֹן [wealth] (61) + עָ֝תֵ֗ק [enduring] (570) + וּצְדָקָֽה [and·righteousness] (205) = 1855.
Ibn Ezra
'Riches and honor,' 'enduring (atek)' — an expression of thickness and strength. Likewise: 'arrogant words (atak) came out of your mouth' (1 Samuel 2:3). 'and righteousness' — here, in the sense of 'success.' And similarly one may explain 'and righteousness (tzedek) looks down from heaven' (Psalm 85:12), [in the same sense].
Ralbag
"Riches and honor are with me" — Behold, with me are riches and honor, for through the ways of understanding a person can attain riches and honor, on account of his perfection in character traits and his being guided by them toward this attainment in a complete way; for this art has orders that guide one toward acquiring these perfections. "With me is enduring wealth" — that is, the acquisition of righteousness and uprightness in character traits.
Metzudat David
"With me" — through me one attains wealth and honor. "Enduring riches and righteousness" — he will attain strong, abundant wealth, and it will be given to him by Hashem through righteousness, for the reward of his Torah [study] for the World to Come will not be withheld on account of the wealth he attained.
Metzudat Zion
"Enduring" (atek) — strength, as in "they utter, they speak arrogance (atak)" (Psalms 94:4).
Malbim
"Riches and honor are with me" — He already stated above (chapter 3), "In her left hand are riches and honor," but here he explains "enduring wealth and righteousness" [hon atek u-tzedakah]. Corresponding to "riches" he says "hon atek" [enduring wealth], because the riches a person has will not remain in his possession for a long time, and will not accompany him in his toil in the future to come; but the wealth of wisdom is an ancient wealth that endures for length of days, and it will also move on with him [ya'atik oto] into the eternal world. And corresponding to "honor" he says "righteousness," because the honor a person has is usually not attained through righteousness, but the honor of wisdom is through righteousness, that is, through righteous deeds — and this is the true honor, as it is written, "Your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of Hashem shall gather you in."
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my produce than choice silver.
verse value 2079
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "good" (ט֣וֹב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·my·produce" (וּ֝תְבוּאָתִ֗י, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "my·fruit" (פִּ֭רְיִי), "and·than·fine·gold" (וּמִפָּ֑ז), "and·my·produce" (וּ֝תְבוּאָתִ֗י). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "good" (root טוב, 52x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·than·fine·gold', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: ט֣וֹב [good] (17) + פִּ֭רְיִי [my·fruit] (300) + מֵחָר֣וּץ [than·gold] (344) + וּמִפָּ֑ז [and·than·fine·gold] (133) + וּ֝תְבוּאָתִ֗י [and·my·produce] (825) + מִכֶּ֥סֶף [than·silver] (200) + נִבְחָֽר [choice] (260) = 2079.
Ibn Ezra
'My fruit is better [than gold] ... and my produce is better than choice silver' — [meaning] 'and my produce is better than choice silver'; or the word 'nivchar' (choice, masculine) is as if it said 'nivcheret' (choice, feminine) [to agree with the feminine 'my produce'], like 'your horror (tiflatztekha) has deceived you' (Jeremiah 49:16), [a similar case of mismatched gender agreement]. And the first explanation is correct. And the meaning concerns what necessarily follows from wisdom: the betterment of the soul and the governance of the state.
Ralbag
"My fruit is better [than gold]" — Behold, my fruit is better than gold, and more choice than silver. Mine is the walking in the path of righteousness and uprightness, in the midst of the paths that pertain to judgment, where one comes to establish the truth of his own words and of his opponent's, and there are considerations that would support each of those positions. And among the benefits, once the truth is made clear in this, is to cause "those who love me to inherit substance" — that is, a view that accords with reality, for through it human success is attained; and the opposite occurs with a view that does not accord with reality.
Metzudat David
"My fruit" — the giving of the reward of the Torah. "And my produce" — refers back to the word "better," meaning: and my produce is better than choice and select silver; and the matter is repeated in different words.
Malbim
"My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold" — "Fruit" [peri] includes every kind of fruit, including that which is not yet fully ripened, whereas "produce" [tevu'ah], in its precise sense, was coined for the grain species, and only for fully ripened produce. Fully ripened produce is typically traded abroad to other countries, while fruit is stored [as treasure] within the country, and gold [charutz] and fine gold [paz] are stored in treasuries. Correspondingly, the fruit of wisdom is better than gold and fine gold. And silver [kesef] is the medium of trade, and so too understanding [binah] — by which one understands one thing from another — is likened to silver (as stated above, chapter 3), for it too is traded. And one in whom the fruits of wisdom have ripened in his mind until they have become "produce" — for then he grasps understanding from it and derives from it one thing from another, which corresponds to the metaphor of silver that is traded and with which other things are purchased — for him, "my produce" is preferable to silver, because with it one purchases things that are precious and eternal.
I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice;
verse value 2191
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "I·walk" (אֲהַלֵּ֑ךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·the·way·of·righteousness" (בְּאֹֽרַח־צְדָקָ֥ה, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "I·walk" (אֲהַלֵּ֑ךְ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·walk" (root הלך, 35x in Proverbs); "justice" (root משפט, 20x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·walk', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּאֹֽרַח־צְדָקָ֥ה [in·the·way·of·righteousness] (410) + אֲהַלֵּ֑ךְ [I·walk] (56) + בְּ֝ת֗וֹךְ [in·the·midst·of] (428) + נְתִיב֥וֹת [the·paths·of] (868) + מִשְׁפָּֽט [justice] (429) = 2191.
Ibn Ezra
'I walk in the way of righteousness' — these are the words of wisdom, like the words of the wise man [i.e., wisdom speaks of herself]. And the meaning: whoever desires wisdom must conduct himself in this way. And it says 'in the midst of the paths of justice' — so as not to turn right or left from the middle way.
Metzudat David
"I walk" — I lead a person in the way of righteousness, etc.
Malbim
"I walk in the way [orach] of righteousness" — Hashem conducts Himself with those who keep His Torah according to two measures: the measure of justice [mishpat] and the measure of righteousness [tzedakah]. And it has been explained by me that the governance by which Hashem conducts Himself with the righteous, according to their merit and righteousness, is called "justice" — that is, according to strict law. And the additional good that Hashem bestows upon the righteous beyond their merit, from the side of supernal righteousness, which does not look at merit and worthiness — this is called "righteousness." And there is a difference between "orach" [a general way] and "netiv" [a path]: an "orach" is traveled by many, while a "netiv" is traveled by a single individual. The measure of justice travels the individual "netiv," for by it He weighs for each individual his reward specifically, according to the particular path he walked and according to his own deeds. The measure of righteousness travels a general "orach," for it does not look to the deeds of each individual. Accordingly, supernal Wisdom says that in governing the righteous: "I walk in the way [orach] of righteousness" — to give them benefits from the side of supernal righteousness, in a miraculous and wondrous way — "and also in the midst of the paths [netivot] of justice" — to weigh for each one his reward according to his deeds, in the path in which he walked and acted and did, and thereby [is rewarded accordingly].
That I may cause those who love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.
verse value 1285
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. Notable word values: "those·who·love·me" (אֹהֲבַ֥י) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "substance" (יֵ֑שׁ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·their·treasuries" (וְאֹצְרֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "to·cause·to·inherit" (לְהַנְחִ֖יל), "and·their·treasuries" (וְאֹצְרֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם), "I·will·fill" (אֲמַלֵּֽא). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "those·who·love·me" (root אהב, 31x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root אוצר ("and·their·treasuries") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'substance', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: לְהַנְחִ֖יל [to·cause·to·inherit] (133) + אֹהֲבַ֥י [those·who·love·me] (18) + יֵ֑שׁ [substance] (310) + וְאֹצְרֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם [and·their·treasuries] (752) + אֲמַלֵּֽא [I·will·fill] (72) = 1285.
Rashi
There is substance to give inheritance Heb. יש, lit. there is. There is with me a great inheritance.
Ibn Ezra
'To cause [those who love me] to inherit substance (yesh)' — this is a term for the eternal possession acquired as an everlasting inheritance, and also a term for the acquisition of wealth. 'Yesh' [refers to]: gold, an abundance of pearls, and precious vessels. And 'yesh' is the general term, followed afterward by the specifics — gold, an abundance of pearls, and precious vessels (compare Proverbs 20:15). And the same is true of the sense of 'and their treasuries.'
Ralbag
"And I will fill the treasuries of those who love me" — with these true opinions, for out of their love for it they will engage themselves in this inquiry, and will find many things with which they will fill their treasuries. By way of a figure, understanding said this to indicate its rank and its precedence over wisdom: "Hashem acquired me, the beginning of His way, before His works of old" — at the creation of the world — meaning, that at the beginning of the things that He then acquired and made, He created the thing whose coming-into-being was through binah [understanding] and through the tevunah [discernment] of Hashem, may He be blessed, embedded within it — namely, the heavenly bodies. But know that Hashem, may He be blessed, did not lack this understanding and wisdom by which the world was created, as we explained in the fifth [book] of Sefer Milchamot Hashem [The Wars of Hashem], and there we resolved the difficulties that arise on this matter. And behold, from the time that time itself came into existence, "He acquired me" before His other works.
Metzudat David
"That I may cause [those who love me to inherit]" (lit. "there is") — that is to say, there is with me much good, to give as an inheritance to those who love me, and I will fill their treasuries with good.
Malbim
"That I may cause [those who love me] to inherit" — I am prepared to cause those who love me to inherit "substance" [davar yesh — something that truly exists], meaning the fruit of their righteousness, for their merit has real existence, and this [merit] itself prepares the reward of their righteousness, for "they shall eat the fruit of their doings." And this reward is something substantial and enduring, possessing true existence, unlike the vanities of the world, which are nothing. And beyond this, "I will fill their treasuries" — in addition to the "substance" that was prepared for them from the side of justice — with precious gifts through supernal righteousness.
Hashem made me as the beginning of His way, The first of His works of old.
verse value 1805
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְֽהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "the·first·of" (קֶ֖דֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "His·works" (מִפְעָלָ֣יו, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "made·me" (קָ֭נָנִי), "the·first·of" (קֶ֖דֶם), "His·works" (מִפְעָלָ֣יו). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "His·way" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'His·way', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: יְֽהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + קָ֭נָנִי [made·me] (210) + רֵאשִׁ֣ית [the·beginning·of] (911) + דַּרְכּ֑וֹ [His·way] (230) + קֶ֖דֶם [the·first·of] (144) + מִפְעָלָ֣יו [His·works] (236) + מֵאָֽז [from·of·old] (48) = 1805.
Rashi
at the beginning of His way before the creation of the world.
Ibn Ezra
'Hashem made me as the beginning of His way' — this too is among the words of wisdom. 'made me' (kanani) — from the same [root] as 'Maker (koneh) of heaven' (Genesis 14:19). 'the beginning of His way' — that is, the beginning of His intent in creation, like 'he is the beginning of the ways of God' (Job 40:19). 'the first (kedem) of His works of old' — 'kedem' is like 'reishit' (beginning), and the meaning is: precedence over the world — a precedence of logical necessity, not a precedence of time, for time itself belongs among the created things, as it is said: 'Hashem founded the earth with wisdom' (Proverbs 3:19).
Metzudat David
"Hashem made me" — He created me to be possessed by Him; and so too, "possessor of heaven" (Genesis 14). "The beginning of His way" — at the start of creation. "The first" (of His works) — before His works. "Of old" (מאז) — long ago; that is to say, from a long time [before].
Malbim
"Hashem made me as the beginning of His way" — Wisdom is the form of all the worlds; all of them were made, calculated, measured, and prepared according to the laws of wisdom, and by it, through it, according to its measure and according to its pattern, all the worlds were shaped and perfected from beginning to end. And when it says Hashem "made His way" — His first way of bringing forth creation from nothingness, which is called by the name "way" [derech] — for the first revelation of the primordial will was in that He emanated a holy and awesome emanation, in which He revealed the ways by which He would conduct the world with kindness and might, and with His holy attributes — merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and glorious — Wisdom was "the beginning of His way," for the ways of His governance that were emanated in that first, hidden emanation were all founded according to the laws of wisdom, and it [Wisdom] was the "beginning" [reishit] for them — as its Targum renders, "bereishit" as "be-chochmata" [with wisdom]. And after the revelation of His ways and attributes, He then began to act with His works — at which point His firstborn son was born, namely, the world of the [heavenly] Throne and the governance that He founded in His holiness, [establishing] how He would conduct the governance of the worlds, "and God sat upon His holy throne." These works of His, too, were made according to the laws of wisdom, for the general governance follows the measure of wisdom, and it [Wisdom] preceded His works, from when the work and the enterprise began.
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Or ever the earth was.
verse value 1752
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 22 letters. The shortest word is "from·the·beginning" (מֵרֹ֗אשׁ, 4 letters) and the longest is "from·before·the·earth" (מִקַּדְמֵי־אָֽרֶץ, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "from·everlasting" (מֵ֭עוֹלָם), "I·was·set·up" (נִסַּ֥כְתִּי), "from·the·beginning" (מֵרֹ֗אשׁ). 4 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root עולם ("from·everlasting") in Proverbs. Full calculation: מֵ֭עוֹלָם [from·everlasting] (186) + נִסַּ֥כְתִּי [I·was·set·up] (540) + מֵרֹ֗אשׁ [from·the·beginning] (541) + מִקַּדְמֵי־אָֽרֶץ [from·before·the·earth] (485) = 1752.
Rashi
I was enthroned, from the beginning Heb. נסכתי, an expression of (Ezek. 35): “Princes (נסיכי) of the sons of man.”
Ibn Ezra
'from everlasting (me-olam)' — it is the way of Scripture to attach ancient things to the word 'olam' (eternity), as in 'from of old, a nation from of old (me-olam)' (Jeremiah 5:15), meaning ancient, primordial. 'I was appointed (nisakhti)' — I was chosen, like 'the princes (nesikhei) of Sichon' (Joshua 13:21). 'from the forefronts of the earth (mi-kadmei aretz)' — meaning from the ancient things of the earth.
Ralbag
"I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning" — from the time the world came into existence, might, dominion, and greatness were given to me. "Before the earliest things of earth" — at the beginning of what was created on the earth.
Metzudat David
"From everlasting" — from the days of old I am established and ruling. "From the beginning" — I am among the first, among those that preceded the creation of the earth, for our Sages of blessed memory said that seven things preceded the creation of the world, and the Torah is one of them.
Metzudat Zion
"I was set up" (nasachti) — a term for dominion, as in "the princes (nesichei) of Sichon" (Joshua 13).
Malbim
"I was set up from everlasting" [me-olam nisakhti] — After this, the "brilliant lights" were brought forth, which is the world of the angels, who are prepared to carry out the mission of governance and to move the [cosmic] system — "mighty in strength, that do His word." At that stage it was called by the name "olam" [world/eternity], and this is the first light that was created before heaven and earth, namely, the light of the separate intellects [ha-sechalim ha-nivdalim]. They, too, were created according to the laws of wisdom, which extend through every world according to the governance of that particular world. And this is the meaning of "I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning [me-rosh], before the earth [mi-kadmei aretz]" — in the world that was created prior to the world of action [olam ha-asiyah], of which the earth is one; there too "I was set up," to be ruler and to govern according to the ways of wisdom.
When there were no depths, I was brought forth; When there were no fountains abounding with water.
verse value 2213
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "without" (בְּאֵ֥ין, 4 letters) and the longest is "without·deeps" (בְּאֵין־תְּהֹמ֥וֹת, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "without·deeps" (בְּאֵין־תְּהֹמ֥וֹת), "fountains" (מַ֝עְיָנ֗וֹת), "heavy·with·water" (נִכְבַּדֵּי־מָֽיִם). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "without" (root אין, 36x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root חיל ("I·was·brought·forth") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·was·brought·forth', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּאֵין־תְּהֹמ֥וֹת [without·deeps] (914) + חוֹלָ֑לְתִּי [I·was·brought·forth] (484) + בְּאֵ֥ין [without] (63) + מַ֝עְיָנ֗וֹת [fountains] (576) + נִכְבַּדֵּי־מָֽיִם [heavy·with·water] (176) = 2213.
Rashi
I was created Heb. חוללתי.
Ibn Ezra
'When there were no [depths], I was brought forth (cholalti)' — its meaning is 'I was made,' and its sense concerns beginning and closeness [i.e., birth], from the same [root] as 'and unto Sarah, who labored to bring you forth (techolelchem)' (Isaiah 51:2). 'when there were no fountains heavy with water (nikhbedei mayim)' — the sense is: 'and when there were no [fountains] heavy with water,' and it denotes heaviness and abundance; and from the same [root]: 'multiply yourselves (hitkabed) like the locust-swarm, multiply yourselves like the locust' (Nahum 3:15).
Ralbag
"When there were no depths, I was brought forth" — I was created before the depths existed, for the heavens precede the depths in rank and in existence — before there were springs and many rivers of water there.
Metzudat David
"When there were no depths" — while there were as yet no depths, I was created.
Metzudat Zion
"I was brought forth" (cholalti) — a term for creation, as in "and You brought forth (vatecholel) the earth" (Psalms 90). "Abounding with water" (nichbedei mayim) — an abundance of water, as in "a numerous (kaved) people" (Numbers 11).
Malbim
"When there were no [depths, I was brought forth]" — After this, the earth emerged from the womb of chaos [tohu], and at that time the four elements were mixed together in the primal matter [chomer ha-hiyuli], and the deeps [tehomot] had not yet separated from one another; and it was then that "when there were no depths, I was brought forth" — Wisdom had already been created there, "and hovered over the face of the chaos" with its wings, and with the spirit of God. And also after the deeps were separated out, "when there were no fountains abounding with water" — for at first the deeps were mixed together with the element of air, as I have written in my commentary on Ma'aseh Bereishit [the Account of Creation]. And then Wisdom stretched over them a line and a plummet.
Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth;
verse value 1733
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "before" (בְּטֶ֣רֶם, 4 letters) and the longest is "I·was·brought·forth" (חוֹלָֽלְתִּי, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "were·settled" (הׇטְבָּ֑עוּ), "hills" (גְבָע֣וֹת). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "before" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root טרם ("before") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'were·settled', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּטֶ֣רֶם [before] (251) + הָרִ֣ים [mountains] (255) + הׇטְבָּ֑עוּ [were·settled] (92) + לִפְנֵ֖י [before] (170) + גְבָע֣וֹת [hills] (481) + חוֹלָֽלְתִּי [I·was·brought·forth] (484) = 1733.
Rashi
before the mountains were sunk within the water.
Ibn Ezra
'Before the mountains were sunk (hotba'u)' — like 'on what were its foundations sunk (hotba'u)?' (Job 38:6), and both of these are rooted in the sense of 'they sank (tavu) in the Sea of Reeds' (Exodus 15:4). And the meaning concerns their foundations, which are sunk in the depths of the waters.
Ralbag
"Before" — that is, before the mountains were fixed upon their base, and before there were hills, "I was brought forth."
Metzudat David
"Before" — before the mountains were sunk and fixed in the earth, and before the hills, I was created.
Metzudat Zion
"Were settled" (hotbe'u) — from the language of "tevi'ah" (sinking).
Malbim
(25-26-27) "Before the mountains were sunk [into place]" — for at that time there were not yet mountains or hills; only the element of dust existed, and it was [still] covered by the element of water. "Before He made earth or open spaces" — for the dry land had not yet been revealed, and the first clods of the world, fit for habitation, had not yet appeared. Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters" — as I explained in my commentary on the Account of Creation (Ma'aseh Bereishit): through the firmament — in which Hashem set the natural law that vapors would rise to the place of the clouds, for there the firmament that divides between water and water is located — the vaporous waters that had been mixed with the element of air rose up to the firmament, and there they were separated from the element of air, according to the laws of nature, in the descent of the rains, as was explained in my commentary on Job, chapter 27, on the verse, "He binds up the waters in His thick clouds, and the cloud is not split beneath them" — "He drew a boundary [chuq chag] upon the face of the waters." This boundary Hashem drew upon the face of the waters, so that they would stand within the firmament, which was made like a circle and a ring over the face of the deep, to receive the waters of the deep within the clouds. Through this He revealed the face of the dry land, and through it the waters of the depths were gathered into the sea. This is the meaning of "when He established the heavens, I was there" — for His establishing of the firmament, called "heavens," as it says, "and God called the firmament Heaven," this was done through the laws of wisdom, as it says (Job 28:26), "When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the thunderbolt of the thunders; then He saw it, and declared it; He established it, and also searched it out" — as I explained there. "When He drew a circle upon the face of the deep" — this is the circle of the firmament, which encircles like a compass around the deep that then covered the globe of the earth.
While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
verse value 2982
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "made" (עָ֭שָׂה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·fields" (וְחוּצ֑וֹת, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "before·not" (עַד־לֹ֣א), "and·fields" (וְחוּצ֑וֹת), "and·the·beginning·of" (וְ֝רֹ֗אשׁ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "made" (root עשה, 34x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·fields', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: עַד־לֹ֣א [before·not] (105) + עָ֭שָׂה [made] (375) + אֶ֣רֶץ [earth] (291) + וְחוּצ֑וֹת [and·fields] (516) + וְ֝רֹ֗אשׁ [and·the·beginning·of] (507) + עַפְר֥וֹת [the·dust·of] (756) + תֵּבֵֽל [world] (432) = 2982.
Rashi
the land and the outsides The land of Israel and other lands. and the beginning of the dust of the earth The first man.
Ibn Ezra
'While He had not yet made the earth and the open places (chutzot)' — 'ad lo' ['while ... had not yet'] is like the Targum's rendering of 'be-terem' (before); 'made' is like [the phrase] 'I, Hashem, have made the earth' (compare Isaiah 45:12); and 'chutzot' (open places) are the marketplaces. And the meaning concerns the ground fit for habitation. 'and the first (rosh)' — in the sense of 'kedem' (before); and likewise: 'from everlasting I was set up, from the first (me-rosh)' (Proverbs 8:23). 'the dust of the world (afrot tevel)' — as if it said 'and before the dust of the world' — that is, the inhabited world; and it is a repetition of the same idea in different words.
Ralbag
"While as yet He had not made" — Hashem [made] the earth and the fields: the most honored of the dust of the world, and the highest part of it, which is the visible portion of the earth; and within it too there is "earth" and "fields." Thus the matter is stated twice, in different words.
Metzudat David
"While as yet He had not [made]" — this refers back to "I was brought forth" [in the previous verse], meaning: I was brought forth before He made the earth and the fields, and the beginning of the dust of the inhabited world of mankind; and the matter is repeated, in the manner of rhetorical style.
Metzudat Zion
"World" (tevel) — the earth inhabited by mankind is so called.
When He established the heavens, I was there; When He set a circle upon the face of the deep,
verse value 1708
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "when·He·established" (בַּהֲכִינ֣וֹ, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "when·He·established" (בַּהֲכִינ֣וֹ), "when·He·engraved" (בְּחֻ֥קוֹ), "circle" (ח֝֗וּג). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·the·face·of" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root שם ("there") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: בַּהֲכִינ֣וֹ [when·He·established] (93) + שָׁ֭מַיִם [heavens] (390) + שָׁ֣ם [there] (340) + אָ֑נִי [I] (61) + בְּחֻ֥קוֹ [when·He·engraved] (116) + ח֝֗וּג [circle] (17) + עַל־פְּנֵ֥י [upon·the·face·of] (240) + תְהֽוֹם [deep] (451) = 1708.
Rashi
when He drew a circle over the face of the deep When He drew the circle of the earth over the water, to draw a boundary that it may not pass. חוג is an expression of encircling, as in (Isa. 44: 13): “and with a compass (ובמחוגה) he rounds it.” (Compas in French, zirkel in German, as in Gen. 29: 17, Isa. 5:22, 44:13, and Job 22: 14.)
Ibn Ezra
'When He established (bahakhino) the heavens, I was there' — the prefix bet in 'bahakhino,' 'bechuko' (when He carved), 'beshumo' (when He set), 'be'azoz' (in the might of), and 'be'amtzo' (when He made firm) — all of these mark time, and the intent is: I existed, or [these things] did not precede me in creation. And the sense of 'bahakhino' is like the sense of 'He established (konen) the heavens' (Proverbs 3:19), and like the statement 'Let there be a firmament' (Genesis 1:6). 'when He carved out (bechuko) a circle (chug)' — at the time He inscribed the sphere upon the face of the deep, which is the center-point; and 'chug' is as in 'and he walks upon the vault (chug) of heaven' (Job 22:14); and the instrument made for drawing circles is called a 'mechugah' (compass), named after the circle (chug) traced by it. 'And the word 'bechuko'' — by rule it should bear a dagesh, for its root is chet-kof-kof, from 'and inscribe (ve-chukot) upon it' (Ezekiel 4:1); or there may be two roots of the same meaning, chet-kof-kof and chet-vav-kof, and from this latter root: 'Oh, that they were inscribed (ve-yuchaku) in a scroll!' (Job 19:23).
Ralbag
"When He established" — at the time when Hashem, may He be blessed, established the heavens to be at the number, configuration, distance, and size that they are, and the stars within them, so that the motions found in this lower world would be fit to come about from them — there I was. For Hashem established the heavens with understanding, as stated before, when Hashem inscribed a compass upon the face of the deep — that is, the sphere of the earth, as we explained in the portion of Bereishit (Genesis) — which is like a center-point for the heavenly body. And according to that compass, He brought the heavens into being around it, drawing the legs of that compass apart from one another, sphere within sphere.
Metzudat David
"When He established" — at the time He established the heavens, I was there, that is to say, I was created before them. "When He set a circle" — at the time He carved out the circle of the earth to cover over the face of the deep.
Metzudat Zion
"When He established" (bechuko) — from the language of "chakikah" (engraving/inscribing). "A circle" (chug) — this is the circle made by means of an instrument [a compass], which has two ends; one end is fixed in its place, and the other revolves around it, so that a circle is formed; likewise, "He who sits upon the circle (chug) of the earth" (Isaiah 40:22).
When He made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep showed their might,
verse value 1856
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "from·above" (מִמָּ֑עַל, 4 letters) and the longest is "when·He·made·firm" (בְּאַמְּצ֣וֹ, 5 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "when·He·made·firm" (בְּאַמְּצ֣וֹ), "skies" (שְׁחָקִ֣ים), "from·above" (מִמָּ֑עַל). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·fountains·of" (root עין, 43x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root אמץ ("when·He·made·firm") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root מעל ("from·above") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·above', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּאַמְּצ֣וֹ [when·He·made·firm] (139) + שְׁחָקִ֣ים [skies] (458) + מִמָּ֑עַל [from·above] (180) + בַּ֝עֲז֗וֹז [when·strong] (92) + עִינ֥וֹת [the·fountains·of] (536) + תְּהֽוֹם [deep] (451) = 1856.
Rashi
when He strengthened the fountains of the deep When He made mighty the fountains of the deep.
Ibn Ezra
'When He made firm (be'amtzo) the skies above' — this is an expression of strength (ometz) and might, and its sense is like the sense of 'bahakhino.' ''be'azoz' [showed their might]' — the word 'oz' is an expression of strength and might, and it is an infinitive that appears here in its full form; and strength/might was figuratively applied to water, as in 'and your path was through mighty waters (be-mayim azim)' (Isaiah 43:16). And likewise power (otzmah) was figuratively applied to it, as it says: 'the mighty (ha-atzumim) waters of the River' (Isaiah 8:7).
Ralbag
"When He made firm the skies above" — when He made the skies above firm, and gave them strength and stability until they were as strong as a cast mirror. And this was possible when Hashem willed that [their matter] should take on a quality resembling and related to hardness, as they said: "The heavens were fluid on the first day; on the second they congealed." "When the fountains of the deep showed their might" — meaning, when Hashem gave might and hardness to what had been the primordial matter at the fountains of the deep, which is the sphere of the earth. For all this was done with understanding, since were it not for the might of the earth and its stability, there would be no way here for the motion of the spheres.
Metzudat David
"When He made firm" — at the time He strengthened the skies which are above, and at the time He strengthened the fountains of the deep.
Metzudat Zion
"When He made firm" (be'amtzo) — from the language of "ometz" (firmness) and strength. "Showed their might" (ba'azoz) — from the language of "oz" (might).
Malbim
"When He made firm the skies above" — the term "skies" (shechakim) always signifies the matter of the miraculous, which is above the nature of the [ordinary cosmic] order that follows from our heavens. For this matter — the revealing of the dry land — ran contrary to the original nature, whereby nature [dictated] that the earth would be covered by water. Rather, Hashem made firm the skies, from which the miraculous governance issues forth, and through them came the might of the fountains of the deep, and the air was separated from the elemental waters.
When He gave to the sea His decree, That the waters should not transgress His commandment, When He appointed the foundations of the earth;
verse value 1592
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "transgress·His·command" (יַֽעַבְרוּ־פִ֑יו, 8 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "when·He·set" (בְּשׂ֘וּמ֤וֹ), "to·the·sea" (לַיָּ֨ם), "His·decree" (חֻקּ֗וֹ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 61x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root שים ("when·He·set") in Proverbs. First appearance of the root חק ("His·decree") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'transgress·His·command', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּשׂ֘וּמ֤וֹ [when·He·set] (354) + לַיָּ֨ם [to·the·sea] (80) + חֻקּ֗וֹ [His·decree] (114) + וּ֭מַיִם [and·waters] (96) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + יַֽעַבְרוּ־פִ֑יו [transgress·His·command] (384) + בְּ֝חוּק֗וֹ [when·He·engraved] (122) + מ֣וֹסְדֵי [the·foundations·of] (120) + אָֽרֶץ [earth] (291) = 1592.
Rashi
when He gave the sea its boundary and decreed upon the Reed Sea when he created it, on the condition that it split before Moses. when He established the foundations of the earth Heb. בחקו from an expression of engraving (חקוי), as in (Isa. 49:16): “Behold on [My] hands I have engraved you (חקתיך),” and so (Ezek. 43:14): “And from the bottom (מחיק) upon the ground.”
Ibn Ezra
'When He gave to the sea [His decree], etc.' — as it is said: 'who have placed the sand as a bound for the sea, an eternal decree, that it cannot pass over' (Jeremiah 5:22).
Ralbag
"When He gave to the sea His decree" — when Hashem set His decree for the sea, there I was; and this occurred when He decreed that the waters under the heavens should gather to one place, so that the dry land would appear. "That the waters should not transgress His commandment" — in such a way that this place, which He willed to remain permanently exposed, would remain so, when He set the foundations of the earth — that is, the visible part of the earth, which is the foundation for whatever plants and living creatures would come to be upon it.
Metzudat David
"When He gave [to the sea His decree]" — at the time He set for the sea a limit and boundary, that the waters of the sea should not transgress the word of Hashem, to go beyond the boundary and further. "When He appointed [the foundations of the earth]" — at the time He engraved the foundations of the earth. And all of this refers back to the phrase "I was there," stated in the [earlier] verse, [meaning] in His presence.
Malbim
"When He gave" — and therefore, "He set for the sea His decree, that the waters should not transgress His command" — through this the waters were gathered to one place, as it says, "You covered it with the deep as with a garment... a boundary You have set..." as I explained there [in my commentary]. And likewise (Job 38:8), "and shut up the sea with doors," and it says, "here shall you come, and no further." "When He appointed the foundations of the earth" — there the foundations of the earth were engraved and fixed, so that it would be fit for habitation. And all of this was done according to the laws of supernal wisdom.
Then I was by Him, as a nursling; And I was daily all delight, Playing always before Him,
verse value 2732
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 46 letters. The shortest word is "day" (י֤וֹם, 3 letters) and the longest is "delight" (שַׁ֭עֲשׁוּעִים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 56: day, day. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "beside·Him" (אֶצְל֗וֹ), "nursling" (אָ֫מ֥וֹן), "delight" (שַׁ֭עֲשׁוּעִים). The root היה appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "before·Him" (root פנים, 41x in Proverbs); "day" (root יום, 32x in Proverbs); "and·I·was" (root היה, 27x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root אמון ("nursling") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'day', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: וָאֶהְיֶ֥ה [and·I·was] (27) + אֶצְל֗וֹ [beside·Him] (127) + אָ֫מ֥וֹן [nursling] (97) + וָאֶהְיֶ֣ה [and·I·was] (27) + שַׁ֭עֲשׁוּעִים [delight] (796) + י֤וֹם [day] (56) + י֑וֹם [day] (56) + מְשַׂחֶ֖קֶת [playing] (848) + לְפָנָ֣יו [before·Him] (176) + בְּכׇל־עֵֽת [in·all·time] (522) = 2732.
Rashi
a nursling Heb. אמון, one that was reared beside Him, an expression of (Lam. 4:5): “They that were reared (האמנים) amid crimson. every day יום יום, lit. a day a day, two thousand years.
Ibn Ezra
'And I was' — 'amon' (nursed one) — from the same [root/sense] as 'as a nursing-father (omen) carries the sucking child' (Numbers 11:12); and it is a noun whose grammatical form ought to be 'be-emun' [with the preposition], as in 'as it was in steadfastness (be-emunah)' (2 Kings 12:16); and it appears in the manner of 'God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness' (Psalm 45:8), [an adverbial noun without the expected preposition]. 'and I was daily [His] delight' — it is possible to explain it so that what follows stands as a separate statement: 'and I was a delight' — not connected to its being 'in nurture' (be-amon). 'delight' (sha'ashu'im) — is a noun with no singular form, like 'youth' (ne'urim) [and] 'old age' (zekunim); and it appears as a noun standing in place of an adjective, like 'and you shall be a blessing' (Genesis 12:2). And it is also possible to explain that the letter bet is missing, and it is as if it said 'be-sha'ashu'im yom yom' (in delight, day after day) — at all times.
Ralbag
"Then I was" — with Hashem, [I was] a foster-parent (amon), one who raises and guides the matters attributed to understanding (binah); and in this I was His delight day after day. For Hashem constantly delights and takes pleasure in apprehending His own essence, through which this understanding is attained by Him; and at every moment I bring joy before Him — that is, [I consist in] His essence and His self-apprehension, and in whatever is possible among the things that derive from the understanding that is with Hashem. "Playing in [His] habitable earth" — I bring joy to people in the habitable world of His earth.
Metzudat David
"Then I was" — I was raised up with Him, and I was a delight to Him; every day and at every moment I was playing and gladdening before Him, like a beloved daughter to her father.
Metzudat Zion
"As a nursling" (amon) — a term for raising a child and tending to him, as in "and kings shall be your foster-fathers (omenayikh)" (Isaiah 49). "Delight" (sha'ashu'im) — a term for engaging in [something] for joy.
Malbim
"Then I was by Him, as a nursling [amon]" — this depicts wisdom, which was always a ward in His bosom, may He be blessed; at first it was with Him like a child of delights, and He carried it as a nurse carries a suckling and delights in it always. And it had not yet performed actions or deeds so as to play before Him through its workings; rather, it was [only] a delight to Him. Afterward, when He created time, "I was playing before Him at every time" — for then, through it, He brought forth the work of creation at every single time throughout the days of creation, for each day would be depicted at a different time, since new creatures were born in it, and the times and orders changed in accordance with however creation was elevated and brought forth into actuality. And this was play and joy before Him, since everything was according to wisdom.
Playing in His habitable earth, And my delights are with the sons of men.
verse value 2843
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "man" (אָדָֽם, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·my·delights" (וְ֝שַׁעֲשֻׁעַ֗י, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "in·the·world·of" (בְּתֵבֵ֣ל), "His·earth" (אַרְצ֑וֹ), "and·my·delights" (וְ֝שַׁעֲשֻׁעַ֗י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "with·the·sons·of" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs); "man" (root אדם, 44x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'His·earth', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: מְ֭שַׂחֶקֶת [playing] (848) + בְּתֵבֵ֣ל [in·the·world·of] (434) + אַרְצ֑וֹ [His·earth] (297) + וְ֝שַׁעֲשֻׁעַ֗י [and·my·delights] (756) + אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י [with·the·sons·of] (463) + אָדָֽם [man] (45) = 2843.
Rashi
playing in the habitable world of His earth All the generations of the wicked that were from Adam to Noah and from Noah to Abraham, I was laughing at them. and [having] my delights I waited until the generation of the desert came and accepted me.
Ibn Ezra
"Playing in His habitable earth" — it is possible to explain that this verse is an explanation of what was said above [i.e., in the preceding verse]. It says: "playing in His habitable earth," which is His land, meaning: "playing before Him at all times" (Proverbs 8:30). And "my delights are with the sons of men" means: "and I was [His] delight day after day" (Proverbs 8:30). "With the sons of men" — [the particle] et is used like im ("with"). And the reason is: they are the recipients, and she is the one who bestows, and the delight is equal in both of them.
Ralbag
"And my delights" — are with the sons of man, for they rejoice greatly in what they attain of my matters.
Metzudat David
"Playing" — I am the one who gladdens people in the habitable world of His earth, and my delight is with the sons of men; that is to say, they rejoice in me and I in them.
Malbim
"Playing" — and afterward, "I was playing in His habitable earth," after the world had been made fit for habitation and the creatures of the water and the dry land had been created. "And my delights are with the sons of men" — for after creation was completed, the [aspect of] play ceased — play being a term for the new actions that came into being through wisdom during the days of [creative] activity — and it reverted to being [merely] delight as before, except that it was no longer a nursling solely in the bosom of the Creator, for He gave it to the sons of man, that they should delight in it and occupy themselves with wisdom and conduct themselves by it. And it is Hashem's delight that they should resemble [Him] by walking in His ways, meditating on His Torah, and delighting in it.
Now therefore, you children, hearken to me; For happy are those who keep my ways.
verse value 2346
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "and·now" (וְעַתָּ֣ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "hear·to·me" (שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·happy" (וְ֝אַשְׁרֵ֗י), "keep" (יִשְׁמֹֽרוּ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·ways" (root דרך, 74x in Proverbs); "sons" (root בן, 51x in Proverbs); "keep" (root שמר, 31x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'hear·to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּ֣ה [and·now] (481) + בָ֭נִים [sons] (102) + שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י [hear·to·me] (456) + וְ֝אַשְׁרֵ֗י [and·happy] (517) + דְּרָכַ֥י [my·ways] (234) + יִשְׁמֹֽרוּ [keep] (556) = 2346.
Ibn Ezra
"Now therefore, you children, hearken to me" — this is language of conciliation. "For happy are those who keep my ways" — this is language of emphasis (hyperbole). And the sense of "my ways" is like the sense of "and I will make known to them the way in which they shall walk" (Exodus 18:20).
Ralbag
"Now therefore, you children, hearken to me" — and happy is he who keeps my ways. "Hearken" — first to the discipline of character traits, and after that become wise in wisdom, and do not cease from diligence in wisdom. Or, alternatively, this means: do not depart from these ways that I have commanded you, which are the highway and path to attaining wisdom.
Metzudat David
"Now therefore, you children" — since I am so significant, it is fitting that you listen to me; and happy are those who keep my ways.
Malbim
"Now therefore, you children, hearken to me, for happy are those who keep my ways" — since the ways of wisdom are the ways of God, and they are the mechanisms upon which the foundations of all the worlds were established, and upon which they all stand. "Hearken to me" means to accept the words, and afterward comes the keeping [of them] in the heart.
Verse structure: 4 words, 21 letters. The shortest word is "hear" (שִׁמְע֖וּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·do·not·refuse" (וְאַל־תִּפְרָֽעוּ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·be·wise" (וַחֲכָ֗מוּ), "and·do·not·refuse" (וְאַל־תִּפְרָֽעוּ). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·be·wise" (root חכם, 93x in Proverbs); "hear" (root שמע, 30x in Proverbs); "instruction" (root מוסר, 30x in Proverbs). Full calculation: שִׁמְע֖וּ [hear] (416) + מוּסָ֥ר [instruction] (306) + וַחֲכָ֗מוּ [and·be·wise] (80) + וְאַל־תִּפְרָֽעוּ [and·do·not·refuse] (793) = 1595.
Rashi
and do not put it to naught Heb. תפרעו, and do not put my discipline to naught.
Ibn Ezra
"Hear instruction, and be wise" — he put "instruction" first, in the sense of the maxim: "anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom [his wisdom endures]." "And refuse it not" — this can be explained as [a command] not to reverse the order, but rather to learn instruction first and wisdom afterward. Or it can be explained as [a command] not to overturn, nullify, or discontinue instruction.
Metzudat David
"Hear" — first heed the instruction, so that the fear of Hashem will be before you, and afterward learn wisdom; and then, certainly, you will not neglect wisdom, since the fear [of Hashem] will have preceded it.
Metzudat Zion
"And refuse it not" (ve'al tifra'u) — do not neglect it, as in "you make the people idle" (tafri'u) (Exodus 5:4).
Malbim
"Hear instruction" — and even though it is difficult to accept the laws of wisdom, since there is no rational proof for them, and it is difficult to keep them, because the impulse of the heart opposes the laws of wisdom, this is remedied by your hearing instruction (musar), which is the fear of Hashem, which is "the discipline of wisdom" — for through this fear the powers of one's soul are bound so as to accept the laws of wisdom (as above, on 1:2). And through this, "and be wise" — meaning, you shall accept the laws of wisdom. This corresponds to what was said, "now, children, hearken to me." "And refuse it not" — meaning, do not nullify them; this corresponds to what was said, "happy are those who keep my ways."
Happy is the man who hearkens to me, Watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
verse value 4024
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "happiness·of·man" (אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־אָדָם֮, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 56: day, day. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "happiness·of·man" (אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־אָדָם֮), "to·watch" (לִשְׁקֹ֣ד), "at·my·doors" (עַל־דַּ֭לְתֹתַי). The root יום appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "day" (root יום, 32x in Proverbs); "to·keep" (root שמר, 31x in Proverbs); "hearkening" (root שמע, 30x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'day', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־אָדָם֮ [happiness·of·man] (556) + שֹׁמֵ֢עַֽ֫ [hearkening] (410) + לִ֥י [to·me] (40) + לִשְׁקֹ֣ד [to·watch] (434) + עַל־דַּ֭לְתֹתַי [at·my·doors] (944) + י֤וֹם [day] (56) + י֑וֹם [day] (56) + לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר [to·keep] (570) + מְזוּזֹ֥ת [doorposts·of] (460) + פְּתָחָֽי [my·openings] (498) = 4024.
Rashi
to watch Heb. לשקד by my doors [to be the] first to enter into the study hall and the synagogue and [the] last to leave.
Ibn Ezra
"Happy is the man who hearkens to me... watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors" — the sense concerns habituation and constancy in the houses of wisdom. And because he [first] said "my doors" [dalatotai], he [then] said "the doorposts of my entrances" [mezuzot petachai] — a repetition of the same idea. It is also possible to explain: "my entrances" [petachai] are the entrances of wisdom, and its doors and doorposts are the devices present in every discipline of wisdom — namely, the first intelligibles (foundational axioms); from these the syllogisms are constructed, and to these the valid conclusions return. And this is the sense of "waiting" [lishmor, i.e., "guarding"].
Ralbag
"Happy is the man who hearkens to me" — to follow what guides him toward apprehending me; and this is by his being diligent at my doors always, keeping watch at the doorposts of my entrance, so that it becomes clear to him through which entrance he should enter, topic by topic.
Metzudat David
"Watching" — to hasten to come to my doors every day, and to sit permanently at the doorposts of my entrance, in the manner of a guard who sits and keeps watch continually.
Metzudat Zion
"Watching" (lishkod) — a term for alacrity, as in "watching (shoked)" (Jeremiah 1).
Malbim
"Happy is the man who hearkens to me, watching daily at my gates" — this depicts wisdom as sitting enclosed within her palace, honored, a king's daughter within, not showing herself to anyone, with the doors closed. Whoever seeks her must watch with great diligence at the closed doors. "Waiting at the posts of my doors" — to keep watch for the time when the door will open, for then he will find wisdom, at the moment she shows herself through the doorway.
For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor of Hashem.
verse value 1119
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "from·Hashem" (מֵיְהֹוָֽה, 5 letters). The root מצא appears 3 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·Hashem" (root יהוה, 86x in Proverbs); "for" (root כי, 51x in Proverbs); "life" (root חי, 32x in Proverbs). First appearance of the root רצון ("favor") in Proverbs. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'life', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words.
Ibn Ezra
"For whoever finds me finds life" — this includes physical life: "what good is life to me" (Genesis 27:46); health — "the life of the flesh" (Proverbs 14:30); "what does the poor man have, who knows how to walk before the living" (Ecclesiastes 6:8); and "sustenance and life for your youth." And [it includes] the life of the soul — "see, I have set before you this day life and good" (Deuteronomy 30:15). And the meaning of "motz'i" ["whoever finds me"] is "whoever attains [me]" — [namely,] life. And the sense concerns one who enters in peace by way of the gates. "And obtains favor of Hashem" — he attained favor from his Creator.
Ralbag
"For whoever finds me finds life" — for whoever finds me finds eternal life, and obtains his desire from Hashem, meaning that he will be aided by Him in all that he wishes.
Metzudat David
"And obtains [favor]" — and brings forth favor from Hashem; that is to say, Hashem will be pleased with him.
Metzudat Zion
"And obtains" (vayafek) — and brings forth, as in "obtains (yafik) understanding" (above, ch. 3).
Malbim
"For whoever finds me" — whoever finds me at the time the door opens, "finds life" — this is the life of the soul and the body — "and also obtains favor from Hashem."
But he who misses me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.’
verse value 1489
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "wrongs" (חֹמֵ֣ס, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·who·hate·me" (כׇּל־מְ֝שַׂנְאַ֗י, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Proverbs. Unique to this verse in Proverbs (hapax): "and·who·misses·me" (וְֽ֭חֹטְאִי), "all·who·hate·me" (כׇּל־מְ֝שַׂנְאַ֗י), "love" (אָ֣הֲבוּ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·soul" (root נפש, 53x in Proverbs); "love" (root אהב, 31x in Proverbs); "all·who·hate·me" (root שנא, 28x in Proverbs). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְֽ֭חֹטְאִי [and·who·misses·me] (34) + חֹמֵ֣ס [wrongs] (108) + נַפְשׁ֑וֹ [his·soul] (436) + כׇּל־מְ֝שַׂנְאַ֗י [all·who·hate·me] (451) + אָ֣הֲבוּ [love] (14) + מָֽוֶת [death] (446) = 1489.
Ibn Ezra
"But he who misses me wrongs his own soul" — like [the phrase] "one who has sinned against the soul," which is a mode of transgression; or [it is] from the same term as "slinging a stone at a hairbreadth and not missing" (Judges 20:16). And the sense concerns one who did not attain wisdom — the opposite of "finds" — and it refers to one who studies in a mistaken way, and so wrongs his soul away from the truth. "All those who hate me" — these are the ones who hate wisdom and do not study it at all. Or, the meaning of "he who misses me" is "the transgressor and the one who rebels against me" — that is to say, one whose aim is directed elsewhere wrongs his own soul, for he brings about its loss. And "[all who hate me] love death" is a repetition of the same idea; he said "love death" in the manner of "and he loved cursing, and it came upon him" (Psalm 109:17).
Ralbag
"But he who misses me wrongs his own soul" — and whoever sins against me by not walking in my discipline so as to be guided toward apprehending me, robs completeness from his own soul. And anyone who hates me and distances himself from me loves death and utter destruction, for that is his destination — since whoever hates understanding also hates wisdom, and this needs no further explanation.
Metzudat David
"But he who misses me" — but the one who sins against me and rejects me, he himself robs his own soul, for he destroys it. "All those who hate me," etc. — the matter is repeated in different words.
Malbim
"But he who misses me" — but one who sins against the laws of wisdom, "wrongs his own soul" — does violence to the part of his soul, for all of its vitality comes from the bread of wisdom and its drink. "And all who hate me" — whoever hates wisdom and makes it hated, "love death." Since wisdom is life, as it says, "for whoever finds me finds life," it follows that whoever hates it hates life and loves death.
Rashi
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Malbim