Wise Conduct, Diligence, and Righteous Speech
Proverbs 12:1-28
Pro.12.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אהב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מוסר: NOUN,m,sg,const
- אהב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דעת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ושנא: CONJ+VERB,qal,ptc,_,m,sg
- תוכחת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בער: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 1:7 (verbal): Both verses contrast proper instruction/knowledge with foolishness—Proverbs 1:7 states that fools despise wisdom and instruction, echoing the negative side of Prov 12:1.
- Proverbs 9:9 (verbal): Emphasizes the positive side of Prov 12:1: giving instruction to the wise increases their learning—loving instruction leads to greater knowledge.
- Proverbs 15:5 (verbal): Closely parallels the contrast between despising instruction and prudence—‘a fool despises instruction’ vs. ‘whoever heeds reproof is prudent,’ mirroring Prov 12:1’s antithesis.
- Proverbs 13:1 (verbal): Highlights the same family/ethical setting: the wise son accepts a father's instruction while the scoffer rejects rebuke, paralleling love of instruction and hatred of reproof.
- Proverbs 10:17 (thematic): Links heeding instruction with life and rejecting reproof with misdirection—echoes Prov 12:1’s theme that acceptance of correction yields wisdom while rejection marks folly.
Alternative generated candidates
- Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge; whoever hates reproof is senseless.
- Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates reproof is a fool.
Pro.12.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- יפיק: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- רצון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מיהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואיש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מזמות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ירשיע: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.3:4 (verbal): Uses the language of obtaining 'favor' in the sight of God and man — closely parallels the idea that the righteous gains favor (yapheq raẓon).
- Prov.16:7 (thematic): Expresses the theme that pleasing the LORD brings favorable treatment (peace) from others/God, echoing the link between righteousness and divine favor in Prov 12:2.
- Ps.5:12 (verbal): Speaks of the LORD blessing the righteous and 'covering him with favour' (shield), a direct verbal and thematic parallel to divine favor granted the righteous.
- Dan.1:9 (allusion): Narrative example where 'God gave Daniel favour and compassion' in the sight of the official — a concrete illustration of the proverb’s claim that the righteous obtain the LORD’s favor.
Alternative generated candidates
- A good man obtains favor from the LORD, but a man of schemes he condemns.
- A good man wins favor from the LORD, but a man of schemes he condemns.
Pro.12.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לא: PART_NEG
- יכון: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ברשע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושרש: CONJ
- צדיקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בל: PART
- ימוט: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.10.30 (verbal): Closely parallels the wording and contrast: the righteous are not moved/established, while the wicked do not endure or inhabit the land.
- Psalm 1.3 (thematic): Uses the tree/root imagery for the righteous — planted by streams, firmly rooted and fruitful — echoing Proverbs' 'root of the righteous' and stability motif.
- Jeremiah 17.7-8 (thematic): Portrays the person who trusts in the LORD as a tree planted by water whose leaf does not wither — a parallel image of rooted security and flourishing for the righteous.
- Psalm 112.6 (verbal): Speaks of the righteous being established and not moved (or 'not afraid of bad news' in context), echoing Proverbs' assurance of the righteous' stability versus the fate of the wicked.
Alternative generated candidates
- A person is not established by wickedness; the roots of the righteous will not be moved.
- No one is established by wickedness; the root of the righteous will not be moved.
Pro.12.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אשת: NOUN,f,sg,cns
- חיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עטרת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- בעלה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכרקב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בעצמותיו: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs+poss3,m
- מבישה: VERB,piel,ptc,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Prov.31:10-12 (verbal): Direct parallel to the 'woman of valor' portrait: the capable wife is a blessing to her husband (trustworthy, brings him good not harm), echoing the crown/benefit language.
- Prov.18:22 (thematic): Affirms the value/blessing of finding a wife — complements Prov.12:4's positive assessment of a good wife as advantageous to her husband.
- Ps.128:3 (thematic): Presents the wife as blessing and source of household fruitfulness (like a fruitful vine), paralleling the image of the wife as a dignity/blessing to her husband.
- 1 Pet.3:7 (thematic): Calls husbands to honor their wives as heirs of grace; connects to Prov.12:4's emphasis on the wife's honor/esteem and the consequences of shame or honor within marriage.
- Eph.5:25-33 (thematic): Gives the New Testament counterpart to marital roles and mutual worth — the wife's value and the husband's duty to love and cherish mirror the proverb's concern for honor and the marriage's well‑being.
Alternative generated candidates
- A wife of valor is the crown of her husband; but she who brings shame is like rot in his bones.
- A capable wife is a crown to her husband; a disgraceful one is like rot in his bones.
Pro.12.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מחשבות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- צדיקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- משפט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תחבלות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מרמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 12:20 (verbal): Contrasts deceitful intentions of the wicked with the results of right counsel—language of 'deceit' and 'plans/counsels' parallels the Hebrew contrast between righteous thoughts and the wicked's deceit.
- Isaiah 32:7-8 (thematic): Pairs corrupt inner intent and ungodly schemes with the opposite—'the man of corrupt mind produces ungodliness' vs. 'the noble devises noble things,' echoing righteous thoughts versus deceitful plots.
- Proverbs 21:2 (structural): Addresses inner motives and moral appraisal of human thoughts—‘every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart’ complements the theme that inward thoughts/counsels determine justice or deceit.
- Philippians 4:8 (thematic): Urges believers to focus their minds on what is true, honorable, and right; thematically parallels the Proverbs affirmation that righteous thoughts lead to right action while wicked counsel leads to deceit.
Alternative generated candidates
- The thoughts of the righteous are justice; the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
- The thoughts of the righteous are just; the schemes of the wicked are deceitful.
Pro.12.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ארב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ופי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישרים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- יצילם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.1:11 (quotation): Uses the same image and wording of evildoers lying in ambush for blood (’let us lie in wait for blood’), a close verbal parallel to ‘the words of the wicked lie in wait for blood.’
- Ps.64:3–4 (thematic): Describes how the wicked use words as weapons—sharpening tongues like swords and aiming bitter speech like arrows—echoing the idea that wicked words seek to harm.
- Jer.9:8 (verbal): Speaks of the tongue as a ‘deadly arrow’ and of deceitful, injurious speech; a prophetic articulation of the theme that wicked speech brings violence and harm.
- Prov.15:4 (thematic): Contrasts destructive speech with salutary speech (‘a gentle tongue is a tree of life’), paralleling the second half of Prov 12:6 which states that the mouth of the upright delivers (saves) people.
Alternative generated candidates
- The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright will deliver them.
- The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
Pro.12.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הפוך: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ואינם: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- ובית: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,cs
- צדיקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יעמד: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.10:25 (verbal): Closely parallels the wording and contrast: 'When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation,' echoing the overthrow of the wicked and stability of the righteous.
- Prov.14:11 (verbal): Reverses and repeats the motif of household fate: 'The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish,' closely matching the proverb's theme of destruction versus endurance.
- Psalm 1:6 (thematic): Summarizes the same theological contrast: 'For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish,' linking divine oversight to the differing destinies of righteous and wicked.
- Psalm 37:28 (thematic): Emphasizes divine justice and preservation: 'For the LORD loveth judgment... they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off,' reflecting the proverb's outcome for wicked and righteous households.
Alternative generated candidates
- The wicked are overthrown and cease to be; the house of the righteous will stand.
- When the wicked are overthrown they are no more, but the house of the righteous endures.
Pro.12.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לפי: PREP
- שכלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- יהלל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ונעוה: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg,abs
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לבוז: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 3:35 (thematic): Contrasts the outcomes of wisdom and foolishness: the wise receive honour/glory while fools receive shame—paralleling praise for wisdom and contempt for the perverse heart in Prov 12:8.
- Proverbs 22:4 (thematic): Links the right disposition (humility and fear of the LORD, a form of wisdom) with honour and life, echoing the connection between wisdom and being praised.
- Proverbs 27:21 (structural): Compares praise to a test that reveals a person’s character (‘so is a man to his praise’), resonating with the idea that a man is commended according to his wisdom.
- Jeremiah 17:9 (thematic): Describes the heart as deceitful and corrupt, providing background for why a perverse heart is despised in Prov 12:8.
- 1 Samuel 16:7 (thematic): Stresses that God judges by the heart rather than outward appearance; complements Prov 12:8’s focus on inner wisdom or perversity as the basis for honour or contempt.
Alternative generated candidates
- A man's praise is according to his insight, but a man of perverse heart is held in contempt.
- By his intelligence a man is praised; but one of perverse heart will be despised.
Pro.12.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- נקלה: VERB,niphal,perf,3,f,sg
- ועבד: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- ממתכבד: PREP+VERB,hitp,ptcp,act,m,sg
- וחסר: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- לחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 28:6 (verbal): Nearly identical saying: contrasts a poor man who walks in integrity with a rich man who is perverse—same moral valuation of integrity over wealth.
- Proverbs 16:8 (thematic): “Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice” — emphasizes that moral rectitude is preferable to abundant but ill-gotten wealth, echoing the proverb’s contrast.
- Psalm 37:16 (thematic): “Better the little that the righteous have than the abundance of many wicked” — similarly values the modest possessions of the righteous over the plenty of the wicked.
- Proverbs 15:16 (thematic): “Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it” — again contrasts a modest, godly condition with greater wealth accompanied by trouble or moral cost.
Alternative generated candidates
- Better a poor man who has a servant than one who flatters himself and lacks bread.
- Better to be of lowly standing and serve than to be self-exalting and lack bread.
Pro.12.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יודע: VERB,qal,ptc,ms,sg
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נפש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בהמתו: NOUN,f,sg,suff
- ורחמי: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,cstr
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אכזרי: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 22:1-4 (structural): Legal injunctions to return or rescue lost or burdened animals (stray livestock, fallen beasts) reflect a communal duty to care for animals, echoing the righteous' concern for their beasts in Prov 12:10.
- Exodus 23:4-5 (structural): Commands to help an enemy's stray or burdened animal (and not ignore it) parallel the proverb's moral expectation that the righteous attend to the welfare of animals rather than treat them cruelly.
- Proverbs 27:23 (verbal): 'Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds' closely matches Prov 12:10's emphasis on responsible, attentive care for one's animals; both stress active stewardship.
- Jonah 4:11 (allusion): God's claim of concern for the many animals in Nineveh extends divine compassion to creatures, paralleling the proverb's link between righteousness and mercy toward animals.
- Luke 12:6 (thematic): Jesus' remark that not one sparrow is forgotten before God highlights God's care for small creatures, thematically reinforcing Prov 12:10's valuation of compassion for animals versus cruelty.
Alternative generated candidates
- The righteous know the life of their beasts; the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
- The righteous know the life of their animals; the mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Pro.12.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עבד: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אדמתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ישבע: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומרדף: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ריקים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- חסר: ADJ,m,sg
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 28:19 (verbal): Near-verbatim parallel: those who till their land will have plenty of bread, while those who pursue worthless things suffer poverty—same contrast and wording.
- Proverbs 10:4 (thematic): Contrasts industry and laziness—diligent (working) hands bring wealth/food, while laziness yields poverty, echoing the cause-and-effect in 12:11.
- Proverbs 14:23 (thematic): Affirms that honest labor yields profit, whereas mere talk or empty pursuits lead to lack—matching the proverb’s praise of productive work over fruitless chasing.
- Proverbs 21:5 (thematic): Links diligence and sound planning to profit and contrasts it with haste leading to want; reinforces the link between steady work and provision in 12:11.
- Psalm 128:2 (thematic): Speaks of eating the fruit of one’s labor and receiving blessing—echoes the imagery of obtaining bread through one’s own productive work.
Alternative generated candidates
- He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread; he who pursues worthless things lacks understanding.
- He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who chases worthless things lacks sense.
Pro.12.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- חמד: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- רשע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מצוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ושרש: CONJ
- צדיקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יתן: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 10:16 (verbal): Contrasts outcomes of the righteous and the wicked using 'fruit' language—'the labour of the righteous tends to life; the fruit of the wicked to sin,' echoing Prov. 12:12's contrast between the righteous' productive root and the wicked.
- Psalm 1:3 (structural): Uses the same tree/plant metaphor for the righteous—'like a tree planted by streams of water... it yields its fruit'—paralleling Prov. 12:12's image of the righteous' root producing fruit.
- Jeremiah 17:7-8 (thematic): Speaks of the blessed person as a tree with deep roots by water that bears fruit in season—closely parallels the theme and imagery of roots and fruit as signs of righteous stability and life.
- Matthew 7:17-20 (thematic): Jesus' teaching that 'a good tree bears good fruit' uses the tree/fruit motif as the criterion of moral character, reflecting the same evaluative metaphor found in Prov. 12:12.
- Proverbs 1:19 (thematic): Describes the ways of the greedy who take what is not theirs—paralleling the first clause of Prov. 12:12 about the wicked coveting or laying nets for spoil (plunder) obtained by wrongdoing.
Alternative generated candidates
- The craving of the wicked brings trouble; the root of the righteous will flourish.
- The wicked covet the spoil of evil men, but the root of the righteous yields.
Pro.12.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בפשע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שפתים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מוקש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ויצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- מצרה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 6:2 (verbal): Very close verbal parallel: both verses say a person is ensnared/caught by the words of his mouth — speech as the cause of the snare.
- Proverbs 21:23 (verbal): Similar teaching that guarding the mouth preserves one from trouble; links careless speech to ruin and the righteous' safety to restraint.
- Proverbs 18:21 (thematic): Common theme that words carry life-and-death consequences — speech can bring destruction (snare) or blessing (release).
- Psalm 64:3-6 (thematic): Describes enemies who devise words as weapons and set snares with their tongues — parallels the idea of evil speech trapping the wicked.
- James 3:5-6 (thematic): New Testament reflection on the destructive power of the tongue; small speech causes great harm, echoing Proverbs' link of words to ruin.
Alternative generated candidates
- A sinner is ensnared by the evil of his lips, but the righteous will escape from distress.
- An evildoer is ensnared by the transgression of his lips; a righteous one escapes from trouble.
Pro.12.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מפרי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,constr
- פי: NOUN,m,sg,construct
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישבע: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- וגמול: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ידי: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישיב: VERB,hifil,imperfect,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 13:2 (verbal): Uses the same idea/phrase that a person ‘eats’ or is satisfied from the fruit of his mouth—linking speech with positive outcome.
- Proverbs 18:20 (verbal): Nearly identical diction: a man's belly is satisfied from the fruit of his mouth, emphasizing verbal produce leading to provision.
- Matthew 12:37 (verbal): Jesus teaches that people are justified or condemned by their words, echoing the principle that speech yields decisive consequences.
- Galatians 6:7 (thematic): Presents the general moral principle of recompense—what one sows (acts) one will reap—paralleling the idea that a person's deeds receive fitting return.
- Proverbs 11:18 (thematic): Contrasts wicked gain with the sure reward for those who ‘sow’ righteousness, resonating with the proverb’s claim that a man's hands receive recompense.
Alternative generated candidates
- From the fruit of a man's mouth he is filled with good; the reward of a man's hands returns to him.
- From the fruit of a man's mouth one is satisfied with good; the wages of a man's hands are repaid to him.
Pro.12.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דרך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אויל: ADJ,m,sg
- ישר: ADJ,m,sg
- בעיניו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- ושמע: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- לעצה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- חכם: ADJ,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.14:12 (verbal): Uses nearly identical wording: 'There is a way that seems right to a man'—both warn that self-certainty can be misleading.
- Prov.16:25 (verbal): Repeats the formula 'There is a way that seems right to a man' and emphasizes a contrary outcome (death), underscoring the danger of relying on one’s own judgment.
- Prov.11:14 (thematic): Contrasts the fool’s self-reliance by affirming the necessity of counsel: where there is no guidance people fall, highlighting the value of listening to others.
- Prov.15:22 (thematic): Declares that plans fail without counsel but succeed with many advisers, reinforcing the proverb’s claim that wisdom involves heeding advice.
- Prov.18:2 (thematic): Portrays the fool as uninterested in understanding and only in speaking his own mind, complementing Prov.12:15’s picture of self-assured foolishness that rejects counsel.
Alternative generated candidates
- The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who listens to counsel is wise.
- The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.
Pro.12.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אויל: ADJ,m,sg
- ביום: PREP
- יודע: VERB,qal,ptc,ms,sg
- כעסו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+SUFF,3,m,sg
- וכסה: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- קלון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ערום: ADJ,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 29:11 (verbal): Both verses contrast a fool who openly vents anger with a wiser person who restrains or conceals it; language about a fool making his anger known is nearly identical.
- Proverbs 12:23 (verbal): Close structural parallel: a prudent/wise person conceals (knowledge/shame) while a fool exposes or proclaims (anger/foolishness).
- Proverbs 19:11 (thematic): Emphasizes discretion and slowness to anger as virtues—'discretion makes one slow to anger' and it is honorable to overlook offenses, resonating with the prudent man's restraint in 12:16.
- Proverbs 16:32 (thematic): Praises mastery of anger and self-control ('he who is slow to anger is better...'), paralleling the praise of prudence that conceals disgrace rather than airing it.
- James 1:19-20 (allusion): New Testament exhortation to be 'slow to speak, slow to anger' and that human anger does not produce righteousness echoes the biblical wisdom ideal of restraining anger found in Prov.12:16.
Alternative generated candidates
- A fool vents his anger at once; a discerning person conceals an insult.
- A fool vents his anger at once; a discreet person overlooks an insult.
Pro.12.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יפיח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אמונה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יגיד: VERB,hif,impf,3,m,sg
- צדק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ועד: CONJ+PREP
- שקרים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מרמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 14:5 (verbal): Contrasts a faithful/true witness with a false witness who 'breathes out lies'—close verbal and thematic parallel to Prov 12:17's truth versus deceit.
- Proverbs 6:16-19 (verbal): Lists as an abomination 'a false witness who breathes out lies,' echoing the condemnation of false testimony in Prov 12:17.
- Proverbs 19:5 (verbal): Speaks of the false witness and the one who utters lies not going unpunished—reinforces the theme of false testimony and its consequences.
- Exodus 20:16 (thematic): The Decalogue's command 'You shall not bear false witness' provides the wider ethical/communal context for the Proverbs injunction against lying and false testimony.
- Deuteronomy 19:16-19 (structural): Prescribes legal procedures and penalties for false witnesses; parallels Prov 12:17 by treating false testimony as a social and judicial evil.
Alternative generated candidates
- He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness speaks deceit.
- One who tells the truth declares justice; a false witness utters deceit.
Pro.12.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בוטה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כמדקרות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- חרב: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ולשון: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- חכמים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- מרפא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.15:4 (verbal): Contrasts destructive speech with a healing/wholesome tongue (tree of life); echoes the image of words bringing health vs harm.
- Prov.16:24 (thematic): Describes pleasant/wise words as sweet and health-giving (‘medicine’/‘health to the bones’), paralleling the idea that wise speech heals.
- Prov.18:21 (thematic): Declares that death and life are in the power of the tongue, summarizing the moral force behind speech — it can wound like a sword or bring life.
- Prov.12:6 (structural): Within the same chapter it pairs harmful words of the wicked with the delivering/saving words of the upright, a close antithesis to v.18’s harm vs healing contrast.
- Prov.10:11 (verbal): Calls the mouth of the righteous a 'well of life,' using similar language to portray righteous/wise speech as life-giving rather than injurious.
Alternative generated candidates
- Some speak recklessly like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
- There are words that wound like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Pro.12.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שפת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- אמת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תכון: VERB,qal,imperfect,2,m,sg
- לעד: ADV
- ועד: CONJ+PREP
- ארגיעה: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- לשון: NOUN,f,sg,constr
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.12:17 (verbal): Contrasts truthful speech with false witness; both verses link truth-telling to righteousness and falsehood to deceit.
- Prov.14:5 (verbal): Affirms that a faithful (truthful) witness does not lie, while a false witness utters lies—same verbal contrast between truth and falsehood.
- Prov.19:5 (thematic): Speaks of the fate of the false witness and one who speaks lies, echoing the moral contrast and consequences for false speech.
- Ps.12:3-4 (verbal): Complains of flattering, deceitful lips and lying tongues; language and concern about the danger of false speech parallel Proverbs 12:19.
- Eph.4:25 (thematic): New Testament ethical injunction to put away lying and speak truth to one another, carrying forward the wisdom tradition's emphasis on truthful speech.
Alternative generated candidates
- Truthful lips endure forever; a lying tongue is only for a moment.
- Truthful lips are established forever, but a lying tongue is fleeting.
Pro.12.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מרמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בלב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חרשי: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- וליעצי: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- שלום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמחה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 26:24-26 (verbal): Speaks of one who 'hates' but disguises it with pleasant words and stores up deceit inwardly—close verbal/thematic parallel to deceit in the heart contrasted with outward counsel of peace.
- Psalm 55:21 (verbal): 'His speech was smoother than butter, yet war was in his heart'—echoes the contrast between deceitful intent and peaceful appearance/speech found in Prov. 12:20.
- Matthew 5:9 (thematic): 'Blessed are the peacemakers' — New Testament affirmation of the value and blessing attached to those who promote peace, parallel to 'counselors of peace [have] joy.'
- James 3:18 (thematic): 'Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness' — links the deeds and fruit of those who foster peace to the positive outcome (joy/righteousness) contrasted with plotting evil.
Alternative generated candidates
- Deceit dwells in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.
- Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil, but those who counsel peace have joy.
Pro.12.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לא: PART_NEG
- יאנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לצדיק: PREP
- כל: DET
- און: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ורשעים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מלאו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 11:8 (verbal): Direct verbal/thematic parallel: both verses contrast the fate of the righteous being delivered or spared from trouble with the wicked suffering in their place.
- Psalm 1:6 (thematic): Thematic contrast between the destinies of the righteous and the wicked — the LORD knows and preserves the righteous while the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
- Isaiah 3:10-11 (thematic): Explicit moral contrast: ‘It shall be well with the righteous… Woe to the wicked,’ echoing Proverbs’ assurance of safety for the righteous and harm for the wicked.
- Psalm 34:19 (thematic): Related theme of divine protection: though the righteous may have many afflictions, the LORD delivers them — a nuance to Proverbs’ claim that evil does not overtake the righteous.
- Jeremiah 17:7-8 (thematic): Image of secure flourishing for one who trusts God (like a tree planted by water) — another assurance of stability and preservation for the righteous in contrast to the fate of the wicked.
Alternative generated candidates
- No calamity shall befall the righteous, but the wicked are full of trouble.
- No misfortune will befall the righteous; the wicked are filled with trouble.
Pro.12.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- תועבת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- שפתי: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ועשי: VERB,qal,impv,2,f,sg
- אמונה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רצונו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Prov.12:19 (verbal): Direct verbal parallel: contrasts truthful lips that endure with a lying tongue, echoing the praise of faithfulness and condemnation of lying.
- Prov.6:16-19 (verbal): Lists a 'lying tongue' among things the LORD hates/detests—closely parallels the language of abomination for false speech.
- Lev.19:11 (thematic): Legal/ethical prohibition against deceit and falsehood among people; shares the moral concern for truthfulness affirmed in Proverbs.
- Ps.120:2-3 (thematic): A plea for deliverance from lying lips; reflects the psalmist's denunciation of deceitful speech and the value placed on truth.
- Eph.4:25 (thematic): New Testament ethical injunction to put away falsehood and speak the truth to one another, echoing the Proverbs' call to faithful speech as pleasing to God.
Alternative generated candidates
- Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
- Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
Pro.12.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ערום: ADJ,m,sg
- כסה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דעת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ולב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,const
- כסילים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יקרא: VERB,niphal,impf,3,m,sg
- אולת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.10.14 (verbal): Contrasts the wise who 'lay up' or hold knowledge with the fool whose mouth brings ruin—shared vocabulary and opposition between concealed wisdom and foolish speech.
- Prov.10.19 (structural): Similar proverb structure contrasting many words with restraint: 'When words are many, transgression is not lacking; whoever restrains his lips is prudent,' echoing the value of silence/restraint.
- Prov.17.27 (verbal): Speaks of a man of knowledge restraining his words and a person of understanding being calm—directly parallels the idea that prudence conceals knowledge while fools proclaim folly.
- Prov.17.28 (thematic): States that even a fool who keeps silent is thought wise—same theme that silence or restraint masks folly and reveals prudence.
- James 1:19 (allusion): 'Be quick to hear, slow to speak' reflects the wisdom tradition's emphasis on restraint in speech and valuing listening over foolish talk, echoing Proverbs' teaching.
Alternative generated candidates
- A prudent person conceals knowledge; the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.
- A prudent person conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.
Pro.12.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חרוצים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- תמשול: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- ורמיה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תהיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,sg
- למס: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.10:4 (verbal): Uses the same imagery of 'hands' and contrasts diligence and laziness, linking diligent hands with prosperity and lazy hands with poverty—echoing rule versus forced service.
- Prov.13:4 (thematic): Contrasts the sluggard's unmet desire with the prosperity of the diligent, reinforcing the Proverbs theme that industry brings reward while sloth brings lack.
- Prov.22:29 (thematic): Promises that the skillful/diligent worker will 'stand before kings' (public honor/advancement), paralleling the idea that the diligent will rule rather than be subordinated.
- Prov.6:6-11 (allusion): Calls to learn from the ant's diligence and warns that laziness leads to poverty or sudden need—an instructive contrast that underlies the warning about the sluggard's fate.
- 2 Thess.3:10 (thematic): New Testament parallel stressing the social and moral consequences of refusing to work ('if anyone will not work, let him not eat'), resonating with Proverbs' linkage of sloth to adverse outcomes (forced labor/privation).
Alternative generated candidates
- The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy will be put to forced labor.
- The hand of the diligent will rule, but the slothful will be put to forced service.
Pro.12.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דאגה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בלב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישחנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,ms
- ודבר: VERB,qal,fut,3,m,sg
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- ישמחנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,ms
Parallels
- Prov.17.22 (thematic): Contrasts a joyful heart (good for the body/Spirit) with a crushed or broken spirit — similar contrast between anxiety and a 'good word' that brings gladness.
- Prov.15.13 (verbal): Both speak of inward emotion affecting outward joy/sadness: a glad heart makes a cheerful face, while sorrow of heart breaks the spirit — close verbal and thematic kinship within Proverbs.
- Philippians 4:6-7 (thematic): Paul's exhortation not to be anxious and the promise of God's peace guarding hearts and minds parallels the move from anxiety to inner gladness/peace.
- Psalm 34:18 (thematic): God's nearness to the brokenhearted and saving the crushed in spirit echoes the concern for inner distress and the need for consolation that relieves anxiety.
- Matthew 11:28-30 (thematic): Jesus' invitation to the weary and burdened to find rest resonates with the theme of relief for anxious hearts and restoration to gladness.
Alternative generated candidates
- Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a kindly word rejoices him.
- Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word cheers him.
Pro.12.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יתר: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- מרעהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ודרך: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תתעם: VERB,qal,impf,3,fs+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Prov.13:20 (thematic): Both verses contrast the influence of companions/associations: walking with the wise/righteous brings benefit, while keeping company with fools or the wicked leads to harm or ruin.
- Psalm 1:1-6 (structural): Displays the same two-way structure (the righteous/blessed person vs the wicked/unhappy), emphasizing divergent paths and destinies for the righteous and the wicked.
- Prov.4:14-15 (verbal): Warns explicitly against entering the path of the wicked and urges avoidance of their way, paralleling Prov.12:26’s contrast between the righteous and the misleading way of the wicked.
- Prov.14:12 (allusion): Speaks of a way that appears right but ends in death, echoing the idea that the way of the wicked is misleading and leads to ruin, as Prov.12:26 indicates.
Alternative generated candidates
- The righteous is better than his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
- A righteous person is wary of a friend; the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Pro.12.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לא: PART_NEG
- יחרך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- רמיה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- צידו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prs:3,m
- והון: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יקר: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- חרוץ: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 10:4 (verbal): Contrasts laziness and diligence and links diligent hands with wealth—parallels the image of the sluggard who fails to provide versus the valuable estate of the industrious man.
- Proverbs 13:4 (verbal): Pairs the sluggard's unmet desire with the diligent person's plenty, echoing the contrast between one who does not prepare (or provide) and the one whose industry yields sustenance.
- Proverbs 6:6–11 (thematic): The ant-lesson warns that laziness leads to want and poverty; thematically parallels the failure of the sluggard to 'roast his game' and the praise of foresight and industry.
- Proverbs 21:5 (thematic): Affirms that the plans and activity of the diligent produce abundance while haste or negligence leads to lack—echoing the causal link between diligence and wealth in Prov. 12:27.
Alternative generated candidates
- The sluggard will not catch his game; the wealth of the diligent is precious.
- The sluggard does not even roast his game, but the possession of the diligent is precious.
Pro.12.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בארח: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- צדקה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- חיים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- ודרך: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נתיבה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- מות: VERB,qal,infabs
Parallels
- Prov.11:19 (verbal): Direct proverb parallel: those who pursue righteousness obtain life, while the wicked obtain death — closely mirrors the life/death contrast tied to the ‘way’ of righteousness.
- Prov.11:4 (verbal): States that righteousness delivers from death (while riches do not), echoing the idea that righteousness is linked to life and rescue from death.
- Prov.15:24 (thematic): Speaks of 'the way of life' leading upward for the wise so they avoid Sheol; echoes the motif of a righteous path that results in life and safety.
- Ps.16:11 (allusion): God ‘shows the path of life’ and grants fullness of joy at his right hand — a theological echo of a divinely guided path that leads to life.
- Matt.7:13-14 (thematic): Jesus contrasts two ways/gates — one broad to destruction and one narrow to life — applying the biblical ‘way’ imagery to the choice between life and death.
Alternative generated candidates
- In the way of righteousness is life; along its path there is no death.
- In the way of righteousness is life, and its path leads away from death.
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates reproof is a fool.
A good man wins favor from the LORD, but a man of schemes he condemns.
A man is not established by wickedness; the root of the righteous will not be moved.
A capable wife is a crown to her husband; she who brings him shame is like decay in his bones.
The thoughts of the righteous are upright; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
The wicked are overthrown and vanish; the house of the righteous stands firm.
A man is commended according to his wisdom, but one of crooked heart is despised.
Better is a man who is lightly esteemed and has a servant than one who honors himself and lacks bread.
The righteous know the life of their beasts; the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
Whoever tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.
A wicked man covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous yields.
Evildoers are ensnared by the transgression of their lips, but the righteous escape from trouble.
From the fruit of a man's mouth he is satisfied with good; the recompense of a man's hands returns to him.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.
A fool's anger is soon known, but a prudent man conceals disgrace.
A truthful witness declares righteousness, but a lying witness speaks deceit.
There are words like piercing thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only for a moment.
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil; those who counsel peace have joy.
No harm will befall the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble.
Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.
The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy will be put to forced labor.
Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a pleasant word makes him glad.
The righteous guide their neighbors, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
A sluggard does not roast his prey, but the wealth of a diligent man is precious.
In the way of righteousness is life, and in its path there is no death.