Solomon's Proverbs on Restraint and Leadership
Proverbs 25:1-28
Pro.25.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- גם: ADV
- אלה: DEM,pl,abs
- משלי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- שלמה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- העתיקו: VERB,hif,perf,3,pl
- אנשי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- חזקיה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
Parallels
- Proverbs 1:1 (structural): Both verses function as superscriptions attributing sayings to Solomon; Prov 25:1 resumes/extends the book’s ascription to Solomon (’The proverbs of Solomon…’).
- Proverbs 10:1 (verbal): Like Prov 25:1, Prov 10:1 introduces a section explicitly labeled ‘The proverbs of Solomon,’ reflecting the repeated formula that organizes and attributes large portions of the collection to Solomon.
- 1 Kings 4:32 (allusion): Royal account that Solomon ‘spoke three thousand proverbs,’ providing the historical/background claim that Solomon produced a large corpus of proverbs—the basis for statements in Prov 25:1.
- 2 Chronicles 9:29 (thematic): States that additional acts/records of Solomon are written in other sources, paralleling Prov 25:1’s note about transmission/copying (’the men of Hezekiah copied’), and implying multiple collections and editorial activity.
- Proverbs 30:1 (structural): Introduces a distinct subsection attributed to another named figure (Agur), illustrating the composite structure of Proverbs—multiple named collections and editorial attributions analogous to the notice in Prov 25:1.
Alternative generated candidates
- These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed.
- Also these are proverbs of Solomon that the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.
Pro.25.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כבד: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- הסתר: INFABS,qal
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכבד: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg,abs
- מלכים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- חקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 29:29 (verbal): “The secret things belong to the LORD…”—directly parallels the idea that some matters are God’s to conceal while others are revealed to humans.
- Job 28:20-28 (thematic): Job’s meditation on the hiddenness of wisdom and God’s unique knowledge echoes the proverb’s contrast between God’s concealment and human searching.
- Romans 11:33-34 (allusion): Paul’s doxology about the inscrutable judgments and knowledge of God (“Who has known the mind of the Lord?”) resonates with the theme that God’s ways are hidden from human understanding.
- Isaiah 45:15 (thematic): “Truly you are a God who hides himself” parallels the proverb’s assertion that it is God’s glory to conceal certain matters.
- Amos 3:7 (structural): The claim that God reveals his secret to prophets highlights the dynamic between divine concealment and selective revelation, relating to the proverb’s contrast between God’s hiding and human inquiry.
Alternative generated candidates
- It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search out a matter.
- It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; it is the glory of kings to search out a matter.
Pro.25.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שמים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לרום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לעמק: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,const
- מלכים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אין: PART,neg
- חקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Job 11:7-9 (verbal): Uses similar imagery of heights and depths to describe what is beyond human discovery—'Can you find out the deep things of God?... higher than heaven, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?'—paralleling the proverb's contrast of heavens' height and earth's depth and the unsearchable heart.
- Proverbs 20:5 (verbal): 'Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out'—echoes the idea of the heart as deep/hidden and difficult to probe, closely paralleling the proverb's claim about the king's heart being unsearchable.
- Proverbs 21:1 (thematic): 'The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will'—addresses the disposition and hiddenness of a ruler's heart and God's sovereign control, thematically related to the proverb's observation about a king's inscrutable heart.
- Jeremiah 17:10 (thematic): 'I the LORD search the heart and test the mind'—contrasts divine ability to search hearts with human inability, underscoring the proverb's claim that a king's heart cannot be fully explored by people.
Alternative generated candidates
- High are the heavens and deep is the earth; but the heart of kings has no searching.
- Heaven for height, earth for depth—and the heart of kings is beyond search.
Pro.25.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הגו: VERB,qal,impv,2,pl
- סיגים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מכסף: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לצרף: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כלי: NOUN,m,pl,const
Parallels
- Proverbs 17:3 (verbal): Uses the crucible/refining imagery for silver and gold to describe testing/purification, closely paralleling the metal-refining metaphor of removing dross to produce a vessel.
- Malachi 3:3 (allusion): Speaks of the LORD as a refiner and purifier of silver; thematically echoes the idea of removing impurities from silver to bring forth something pure and useful.
- Zechariah 13:9 (thematic): Uses the image of refining silver to describe purification and testing of God's people—parallel theme of purging dross to yield what is valuable.
- Isaiah 1:25 (verbal): Predicts God will 'smelt away' or purge dross from Israel; shares the language of removing impurities from metal to effect purification and restoration.
- Psalm 66:10 (verbal): Declares that God has tested/tri ed his people 'as silver is tried,' employing the same refining metaphor of trial producing purity.
Alternative generated candidates
- Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes a vessel for the refiner.
- Remove the dross from silver, and the vessel is ready for the refiner.
Pro.25.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הגו: VERB,qal,impv,2,pl
- רשע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לפני: PREP
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ויכון: VERB,qal,imf,3,m,sg
- בצדק: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כסאו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Proverbs 16:12 (verbal): Close verbal and thematic parallel: kings must not do evil; the throne is established by righteousness (very similar wording and idea).
- Proverbs 29:14 (thematic): If a king judges the poor with righteousness his throne is established—same theme that righteous rule and removal of injustice secure the throne.
- Proverbs 20:28 (thematic): Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king and uphold his throne—another proverb linking moral governance with the stability of the throne.
- Psalm 72:4 (thematic): Prays that the king judge the poor with justice and bring deliverance—emphasizes righteous rule as the ideal basis for a stable kingship.
- Psalm 82:2–4 (thematic): Divine rebuke of unjust judges and call to defend the weak—relates to removing wicked or unjust officials from positions before the ruler to secure justice.
Alternative generated candidates
- Remove the wicked before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
- Remove the wicked before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
Pro.25.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אל: NEG
- תתהדר: VERB,hitpael,impf,2,m,sg
- לפני: PREP
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ובמקום: PREP
- גדלים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- אל: NEG
- תעמד: VERB,qal,juss,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 15:33 (thematic): Contrasts humility and honor—'humility comes before honor' echoes the warning against assuming a place of prominence.
- Proverbs 16:18 (thematic): Warning about pride ('Pride goes before destruction') relates to the danger of self-exaltation implied in not advancing oneself before a king.
- Proverbs 27:2 (thematic): 'Let another praise you, and not your own mouth' complements the admonition to refrain from self-exaltation in public settings.
- Luke 14:7–11 (verbal): Jesus' teaching to take the lowest place at a banquet and the maxim 'whoever exalts himself will be humbled' closely parallels the proverb's counsel about not taking the place of honor.
- James 4:6 (thematic): 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble' reflects the same ethical valuation of humility over self-exaltation found in Proverbs 25:6.
Alternative generated candidates
- Do not exalt yourself before a king, and in the place of the great do not stand.
- Do not boast before a king; do not stand in the place of the great.
Pro.25.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- ע: ADJ,m,pl,cons
- לה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- הנה: PART
- מהשפילך: PREP+VERB,hiphil,perf,3,m,sg+PRON,2,m,sg
- לפני: PREP
- נדיב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ראו: VERB,qal,impv,2,pl
- עיניך: NOUN,f,pl,abs+2ms
Parallels
- Proverbs 25:6 (structural): Immediate context: the preceding line of the same proverb warns against seeking a place of honor, forming the complete admonition with v.7.
- Luke 14:7-11 (verbal): Jesus' teaching about taking the lowest seat so the host may invite you up mirrors the same scenario and moral—better to be invited to rise than to be humiliated.
- Matthew 23:12 (thematic): The general principle that those who exalt themselves will be humbled (and vice versa) aligns with the proverb's warning about seeking honor and the value of humility.
- James 4:10 (thematic): Calls for humility before God with the promise of exaltation—echoes the proverb's idea that humility avoids public humiliation and leads to being honored.
Alternative generated candidates
- For it is better that one say to you, “Come up here,” than that you be humiliated before a noble whom your eyes have seen.
- For it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be humbled before a noble whom your eyes have seen.
Pro.25.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אל: NEG
- תצא: VERB,qal,impf,2,ms
- לרב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מהר: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- פן: CONJ
- מה: PRON,int
- תעשה: VERB,qal,imf,2,m,sg
- באחריתה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,poss:3,m,sg
- בהכלים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אתך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- רעך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 25:9 (structural): Immediate literary continuation — advises handling a dispute directly with your neighbor rather than airing the case publicly, complementing the warning against hastily going to court.
- Matthew 5:25 (thematic): Jesus urges reconciliation and settling with an adversary quickly to avoid judgment, echoing the prudential counsel to avoid litigation and its shame.
- 1 Corinthians 6:1-7 (thematic): Paul forbids Christians from suing fellow believers before secular courts, reflecting the biblical concern about public disputes and the disgrace of legal proceedings among peers.
- Proverbs 17:14 (thematic): Warns that a quarrel once begun can grow like released water and counsels stopping contention early — parallels the caution against initiating or escalating legal disputes.
- Proverbs 20:3 (thematic): Commends keeping out of a quarrel as honorable and implies discretion in disputes, resonating with the advice not to rush into court where shame may follow.
Alternative generated candidates
- Do not hasten to enter a dispute, for what will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?
- Do not go hastily to court; for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor shames you?
Pro.25.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ריבך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- ריב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- רעך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וסוד: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחר: PREP
- אל: NEG
- תגל: VERB,qal,impf,2,f,sg
Parallels
- Matthew 18:15 (thematic): Jesus instructs confronting a brother privately about sin—address the dispute directly with the person rather than making it public, echoing Proverbs' counsel.
- Proverbs 11:13 (verbal): “A talebearer revealeth secrets” parallels the warning here against disclosing a neighbour's private matter.
- Proverbs 17:9 (thematic): “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends” — emphasizes preserving relationships by not broadcasting faults or disputes.
- Leviticus 19:16 (structural): The law against being a talebearer/going about as a slanderer aligns with the prohibition on revealing another's secret in communal ethics.
- 1 Corinthians 6:5-7 (thematic): Paul rebukes Christians for taking disputes before secular courts and urges internal resolution—similar concern for settling matters without exposing them publicly.
Alternative generated candidates
- Argue your case with your neighbor, but do not reveal another's secret.
- Dispute your case with your neighbor—yet do not reveal another’s secret.
Pro.25.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- פן: CONJ
- יחסדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ודבתך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- תשוב: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Prov.25:9 (structural): Immediate context: advises to argue your case with your neighbor and not to disclose a secret to another—directly connected to the warning here about causing shame by revealing matters.
- Prov.11:13 (verbal): Speaks of a gossip who betrays confidence versus the trustworthy person who keeps a matter—parallels the proverb's concern about speech that brings shame or ruins reputation.
- Prov.20:19 (thematic): Warns against associating with a talebearer and the harm of gossip—reiterates the theme of protecting others' reputations and avoiding shameful talk.
- Matt.18:15 (thematic): Commands private confrontation of a brother's fault rather than public exposure—practical echo of the proverb's counsel to avoid airing matters that cause shame.
Alternative generated candidates
- Lest the one who hears it put you to shame, and your disgrace not be turned back.
- Lest the one who hears it despise you, and your reputation never recover.
Pro.25.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- תפוחי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- זהב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- במשכיות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- כסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- אפניו: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Prov.16:24 (verbal): Uses sweet/pleasing imagery for beneficial speech ('Pleasant words are like a honeycomb'), paralleling Proverbs 25:11's metaphor of beautiful, well-placed words.
- Prov.15:23 (thematic): Affirms the value of an apt response ('A man has joy in an apt answer'), echoing the theme that timely, fitting words bring delight and effectiveness.
- Prov.12:18 (thematic): Contrasts harmful speech with wise, healing words ('The tongue of the wise promotes healing'), highlighting the moral consequence and power of well-chosen speech similar to 25:11.
- Eph.4:29 (thematic): Commands speech that builds up and is fitting ('Let no corrupting talk come out... only what is helpful'), reflecting the Proverbs ideal of words appropriately spoken to benefit others.
- Col.4:6 (thematic): Encourages gracious, well-seasoned speech ('Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt'), resonating with the proverb's emphasis on tasteful, apt utterance.
Alternative generated candidates
- A word spoken at the right time is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
- A word rightly spoken is like golden apples in settings of silver.
Pro.25.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נזם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זהב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וחלי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כתם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מוכיח: VERB,hiph,ptc,ms,sg
- חכם: ADJ,m,sg
- על: PREP
- אזן: NOUN,f,sg,cstr
- שמעת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 15:31 (verbal): Uses the image of the ear receiving reproof: 'The ear that listens to life-giving reproof...' — closely parallels the idea of a receptive listener benefiting from correction.
- Proverbs 9:8 (thematic): Contrasts how different listeners respond to rebuke: 'Do not reprove a scoffer... reprove a wise man and he will love you,' echoing the value of wise correction to the receptive.
- Proverbs 10:17 (thematic): Highlights the positive outcome of heeding instruction: 'Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,' reinforcing the proverb’s theme that wise reproof is beneficial.
- Proverbs 27:17 (thematic): 'Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another'—another image of interpersonal correction and mutual improvement like the gold earring metaphor.
- Job 5:17 (allusion): 'Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves'—presents reproof as a blessing, resonating with Proverbs' valuation of corrective words to a willing ear.
Alternative generated candidates
- An ornament of gold and an earring of fine gold—so is a rebuke to a listening ear of a wise man.
- Like a gold earring and an ornament of fine gold is a rebuke to an attentive ear of the wise.
Pro.25.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כצנת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שלג: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ביום: PREP
- קציר: NOUN,m,sg,construct
- ציר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נאמן: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- לשלחיו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss:3ms
- ונפש: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אדניו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+POSS,3,m,sg
- ישיב: VERB,hifil,imperfect,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 25:25 (verbal): Similar cold-water/refreshing imagery: both compare timely, welcome relief (snow/cold water) to good news or a faithful messenger that refreshes the soul.
- 2 Samuel 17:29 (verbal): Uses the same language of being refreshed: the supplies brought to David ‘refreshed his soul,’ paralleling the idea of a messenger restoring his master.
- Psalm 23:3 (verbal): Shares the verbal motif of restoration ('He restores my soul'), echoing the Proverbs image of someone who refreshes or restores another’s soul.
- Proverbs 20:6 (thematic): Connects thematically on the value and rarity of faithfulness; Prov.25:13 praises a faithful messenger, while Prov.20:6 questions where a truly faithful person is found.
- Matthew 25:21 (thematic): Theme of faithful service: Jesus’ commendation of the 'good and faithful servant' resonates with Proverbs’ commendation of a messenger faithful to his masters.
Alternative generated candidates
- Like cold snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.
- Like the cold of snow in the harvest time is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.
Pro.25.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נשיאים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ורוח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וגשם: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אין: PART,neg
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מתהלל: VERB,hitpael,pres,3,m,sg
- במתת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Hosea 6:4 (verbal): Uses cloud/dew imagery (a morning cloud and early dew that pass away) to describe fleeting, insubstantial goodness—parallel metaphor for empty promises.
- James 2:14-17 (thematic): Condemns claims (faith) without corresponding action (works); parallels the rebuke of boasting about a gift that is never given.
- Matthew 7:16 (thematic): Jesus' principle 'you will know them by their fruits' contrasts outward words or boasts with the reality of actions—similar to condemning boastful but fruitless promises.
- Ezekiel 13:10-13 (thematic): Condemns false prophets whose assurances are vain and ineffectual (like flimsy walls or deceptive speech); resonates with the image of promises that bring no 'rain'—no effect.
Alternative generated candidates
- Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he never gives.
- Clouds and wind without rain—so is the one who boasts of a gift he does not give.
Pro.25.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בארך: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- אפים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יפתה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- קצין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולשון: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רכה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- תשבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- גרם: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.15:1 (verbal): Both verses highlight the effectiveness of gentle speech in defusing anger and persuading others; 'a soft answer'/'a soft tongue' are closely parallel expressions.
- Prov.15:4 (thematic): Calls the gentle/patient tongue life-giving (a 'tree of life') in contrast to perverse speech, echoing 25:15's theme that gentle speech exerts power (here framed as breaking or mending).
- Prov.18:21 (thematic): States that 'death and life are in the power of the tongue,' affirming the broader proverb-genre conviction that words have decisive power—an idea central to 25:15's imagery of speech affecting a ruler or 'breaking bone.'
- James 3:5-6 (allusion): The NT warns that the small tongue can set great things ablaze and do great harm—a New Testament reflection on the potency of speech that echoes Proverbs' vivid metaphors about words' destructive and persuasive force.
- James 1:19 (thematic): Exhorts believers to be 'quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger,' paralleling Proverbs 25:15's emphasis on patience and measured speech as means to influence and avert conflict.
Alternative generated candidates
- By long patience a prince is persuaded; a soft tongue breaks the bone.
- By long patience a ruler is persuaded; and a soft tongue breaks the bone.
Pro.25.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דבש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מצאת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- אכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דיך: PRON,poss,2,m,sg
- פן: CONJ
- תשבענו: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- והקאתו: VERB,hif,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.25:27 (verbal): Also warns against eating too much honey; uses the same image to teach limits on pleasure and its ill effects.
- Prov.27:7 (verbal): Speaks of a satisfied soul loathing the honeycomb—same honey‑imagery to show how excess turns sweetness into disgust.
- Prov.23:2 (thematic): A hyperbolic injunction to restrain appetite ('put a knife to thy throat'), echoing the call to self‑control over desire for food/pleasure.
- Prov.30:8–9 (thematic): Asks God to keep the speaker from riches or fullness lest he deny God—links fullness/overindulgence with moral danger and loss of prudence.
Alternative generated candidates
- If you find honey, eat just enough—lest you be overfilled and vomit.
- If you find honey, eat only as much as you need; lest you be overfilled and vomit it.
Pro.25.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הקר: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- רגלך: NOUN,f,sg,abs+SUFF,2,m,sg
- מבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רעך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פן: CONJ
- ישבעך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg,pronominal-2ms
- ושנאך: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg,pronominal-2ms
Parallels
- Prov.25.16 (thematic): Both verses counsel moderation: 25:17 warns against frequent visits that provoke weariness, 25:16 warns against overindulgence that produces harm—a general wisdom theme of restraint.
- Prov.27.14 (thematic): Proverbs 27:14 warns that boisterous early greeting can be received as a curse—like 25:17 it warns that otherwise well‑intended behavior can become a nuisance and provoke resentment.
- Romans 12:18 (thematic): Paul's injunction to live peaceably 'so far as it depends on you' parallels the practical concern of 25:17: take care in your conduct to avoid creating enmity with neighbors.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (thematic): The call to 'live quietly and mind your own affairs' echoes the boundary ethic of 25:17—avoid imposing on others or being a burden that fosters ill will.
Alternative generated candidates
- Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he become weary of you and hate you.
- Withdraw your foot from your friend’s house; lest he be sated with you and hate you.
Pro.25.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מפיץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וחרב: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וחץ: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שנון: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ענה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ברעהו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- עד: PREP
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 20:16 (verbal): The Decalogue prohibition, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," matches the verse's concern with false testimony against a neighbor.
- Deuteronomy 19:16-19 (structural): Law concerning the punishment of a false witness—legal treatment of one who gives false testimony against a neighbor, paralleling the proverb's condemnation.
- Proverbs 6:19 (verbal): Within Proverbs the phraseology recurs: one of the things the Lord hates is "a false witness who pours out lies," directly echoing the theme of false testimony.
- Psalm 57:4 (verbal): Uses weapon imagery (teeth, spears, arrows, tongue as a sharp sword) to describe hostile speech—parallel figurative language likening destructive words/testimony to weapons.
- Leviticus 19:16 (thematic): Prohibits spreading slander among the people—the broader ethical theme of guarding against injurious speech toward a neighbor.
Alternative generated candidates
- A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow.
- A talebearer is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow—he who bears false witness against his neighbor.
Pro.25.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רעה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ורגל: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מועדת: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- מבטח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בוגד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ביום: PREP
- צרה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Micah 7:5 (verbal): Directly warns against trusting neighbors and friends ('Put no trust in a neighbor, have no confidence in a friend'), closely mirroring the proverb's injunction not to rely on an unfaithful person in time of trouble.
- Proverbs 27:10 (thematic): Advises not to abandon a friend or father's friend in a day of calamity and commends a nearby neighbor — addresses who can be trusted in times of need, relating to the proverb's theme of misplaced confidence.
- Psalm 41:9 (thematic): Describes betrayal by a trusted close companion ('my close friend, in whom I trusted'), exemplifying the kind of treachery the proverb warns against.
- Psalm 55:12-14 (thematic): Laments the hurt of a familiar friend turning hostile; this betrayal by an intimate companion echoes the proverb's concern about reliance on an unfaithful person when distressed.
- Proverbs 18:24 (thematic): Portrays the ideal faithful friend ('a friend who sticks closer than a brother'), offering a contrast that highlights the danger of trusting an unreliable person in time of trouble.
Alternative generated candidates
- Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint.
- Like a bad tooth and a lame foot is a trusted companion who proves treacherous in the day of trouble.
Pro.25.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מעדה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בגד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ביום: PREP
- קרה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- חמץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- נתר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ושר: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בשרים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- על: PREP
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 26:18-19 (structural): Uses a simile to describe harmful, inappropriate speech (likening folly to throwing firebrands), paralleling Prov 25:20's similes about making a grieving heart worse.
- Proverbs 12:25 (verbal): Contrasts Prov 25:20 by affirming that a 'good word' lifts a heavy heart, highlighting the proverb's concern with speech that either comforts or exacerbates sorrow.
- Romans 12:15 (thematic): Commands empathetic response—'rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep'—which stands opposite the impropriety of singing to a grieving heart.
- Ecclesiastes 7:3 (thematic): Values sorrow over laughter for its corrective effect ('sorrow is better than laughter'), echoing the idea that cheerful song can be misplaced in times of mourning.
- Amos 6:5 (thematic): Condemns those who sing and play while others face disaster—an analogous critique of merriment or entertainment that is insensitive to suffering.
Alternative generated candidates
- Like one who removes his garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda, so is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.
- Like one who strips off his garment on a cold day, and like vinegar on soda, so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
Pro.25.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- רעב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שנאך: NOUN,m,sg,suff
- האכלהו: VERB,hif,imp,2,m,sg
- לחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואם: CONJ
- צמא: ADJ,m,sg
- השקהו: VERB,hif,imp,2,m,sg
- מים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Romans 12:20 (quotation): Paul explicitly quotes Proverbs 25:21–22 (“If your enemy is hungry…give him bread to eat”) to instruct Christians to repay evil with kindness.
- Proverbs 25:22 (structural): The immediate continuation of Prov.25:21 (“for you will heap coals of fire on his head”), completing the proverbial teaching about responding to enemies with mercy.
- Matthew 5:44 (thematic): Jesus commands love and prayer for enemies (“Love your enemies…pray for those who persecute you”), expressing the same ethic of proactive good toward opponents.
- Luke 6:27-28 (thematic): Jesus urges doing good to those who hate you and blessing those who curse you, paralleling the Proverbs call to feed and give drink to an enemy.
- 1 Peter 3:9 (thematic): Peter exhorts believers not to repay evil with evil but to bless instead, reflecting the Proverbs principle of responding to wrongdoing with benevolence.
Alternative generated candidates
- If your enemy is hungry, give him bread; and if he is thirsty, give him water.
- If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
Pro.25.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- גחלים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- חתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- ראשו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ויהוה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Romans 12:20 (quotation): Paul directly cites Proverbs 25:21–22 (including the image of heaping coals on his head) to teach that kindness to enemies is a just response and can disarm them.
- Romans 12:17-21 (thematic): The wider context in Romans develops the same ethic—do not repay evil for evil but overcome evil with good—echoing the proverb's teaching on responding to enemies with kindness.
- Proverbs 25:21 (structural): The immediately preceding line supplies the specific actions ('if your enemy is hungry... thirsty give him water') that lead to heaping coals on his head; the two verses form a single proverbial unit.
- Proverbs 26:21 (verbal): Uses the imagery of charcoal/embers and fire—another proverb employing burning-coal language to make a moral point, creating a lexical link with 25:22's 'coals' image.
- Matthew 5:44 (thematic): Jesus' command to love and pray for enemies parallels the proverb's ethic of responding to hostility with benevolence rather than vengeance.
Alternative generated candidates
- For you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will repay you.
- For you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will repay you.
Pro.25.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- צפון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תחולל: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- גשם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ופנים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נזעמים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- לשון: NOUN,f,sg,constr
- סתר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 26:20 (thematic): Links the presence/absence of a 'whisperer' or talebearer to the rise or cessation of strife—parallels Prov.25:23's pairing of a harmful tongue with angry relations.
- Proverbs 16:28 (thematic): Describes a perverse person and a gossip who sow discord between friends, echoing the idea that a backbiting tongue produces anger and broken relations.
- Proverbs 26:22 (verbal): Uses the imagery of a 'whisperer' whose words penetrate and wound—closely related language and imagery about the damaging effects of talebearing speech.
- Proverbs 15:1 (thematic): Contrasts soft answers that turn away wrath with harsh words that provoke anger, paralleling the causal link between speech and angry countenance in Prov.25:23.
- James 3:5-6 (allusion): New Testament teaching on the tongue's disproportionate power to set great harm and discord, thematically echoing the proverb's warning about the destructive effect of a malicious tongue.
Alternative generated candidates
- As the north wind brings rain, so a whispering tongue breeds anger.
- The north wind brings forth rain; so a whispering tongue provokes an angry face.
Pro.25.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- שבת: VERB,qal,inf
- על: PREP
- פנת: NOUN,f,pl,construct
- גג: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מאשת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,constr
- מדינים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובית: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,cs
- חבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 21:9 (verbal): Near-verbatim parallel: both verses state it is better to live on a roof corner than in a house with a quarrelsome/contentious wife.
- Proverbs 21:19 (thematic): Same theme—prefer solitude or a harsh environment over cohabitation with a contentious woman, emphasizing the cost of domestic strife.
- Proverbs 17:1 (thematic): Contrasts peaceable, meager living with a house full of feasting accompanied by strife; highlights preferring peace over abundance with discord.
- Proverbs 27:15 (thematic): Compares a nagging/contending wife to constant dripping—another proverb highlighting the enduring misery of marital strife and the desirability of escape or distance.
Alternative generated candidates
- Better to dwell on a corner of the roof than with a contentious wife in a wide house.
- Better to dwell on a corner of the roof than with a quarrelsome wife in a wide house.
Pro.25.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- קרים: ADJ,m,pl
- על: PREP
- נפש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עיפה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ושמועה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- טובה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- מארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מרחק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 25:13 (verbal): Similar imagery of cold refreshment (cold snow/cold water) applied to a messenger or report that refreshes the soul — same book, parallel metaphor.
- Proverbs 16:24 (thematic): Pleasant or good words portrayed as sweetness/refreshment to the soul — the theme of uplifting speech as refreshment.
- Isaiah 52:7 (allusion): Proclaims the beauty of one who brings good tidings from afar; echoes the positive effect of news coming from a distance.
- Romans 10:15 (quotation): New Testament citation of Isaiah 52:7 ('beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news'), connecting the idea of welcome news with spiritual refreshment.
- Jeremiah 31:25 (thematic): God's promise to satisfy and refresh the weary/languishing soul — a theological parallel to refreshment imagery in Proverbs 25:25.
Alternative generated candidates
- Cold water to a weary soul—so is good news from a distant land.
- Cold water to a weary soul—so is good news from a distant land.
Pro.25.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מעין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נרפש: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- ומקור: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- משחת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מט: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לפני: PREP
- רשע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- James 3:11-12 (verbal): Uses the same spring/water-image to condemn moral inconsistency — a single source cannot give both pure and corrupt water, echoing Proverbs' image of a polluted spring when the righteous yield to the wicked.
- Matthew 5:13 (thematic): Jesus' 'salt losing its saltiness' metaphor parallels the idea that the moral force or witness of the righteous is spoiled when they compromise before the wicked.
- Proverbs 11:3 (thematic): Contrasts the integrity of the upright with the ruin brought by crookedness; relates thematically to the loss of moral integrity when a righteous person submits to the wicked.
- Jeremiah 2:13 (verbal): God's complaint about people exchanging the 'fountain of living waters' for broken cisterns uses similar water imagery to portray spiritual/moral corruption when a proper source is defiled or abandoned.
Alternative generated candidates
- Like a muddied spring and a poisoned well is a righteous man who yields before the wicked.
- Like a spring whose waters are fouled, and a well defiled, is a righteous person who yields before the wicked.
Pro.25.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דבש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הרבות: NOUN,f,sg,def
- לא: PART_NEG
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- וחקר: CONJ+VERB,qal,inf
- כבדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,pl
- כבוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.25:16 (verbal): Uses the same honey-imagery and admonition against overindulgence—'eat so much as is sufficient… lest thou be filled' parallels 'It is not good to eat much honey.'
- Prov.27:2 (thematic): Directly addresses self-praise—'Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth' parallels the warning that seeking one's own glory is not true glory.
- Matt.23:12 (thematic): Jesus' teaching that 'whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted' echoes the idea that self-seeking for honor is not genuine honor.
- James 4:6 (thematic): 'God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble' connects to the proverb's critique of seeking personal glory and the value of humility over self-exaltation.
Alternative generated candidates
- It is not good to eat much honey; so it is not honor to seek one's own honor.
- It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own honor.
Pro.25.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עיר: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- פרוצה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- אין: PART,neg
- חומה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אין: PART,neg
- מעצר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לרוחו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,poss,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 16:32 (verbal): Compares mastery of the spirit to a military conquest: 'He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city,' echoing the contrast between self-control and a fortified city.
- Proverbs 29:11 (verbal): Contrasts uncontrolled emotion with restraint: 'A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back,' paralleling the idea that lack of self-control is like a breached city.
- Galatians 5:22-23 (thematic): Lists 'self-control' as a fruit of the Spirit, thematically connecting moral restraint and inner governance to the Proverbs emphasis on ruling one's spirit.
- 2 Peter 1:6 (thematic): Includes 'self-control' among the Christian virtues to be cultivated (alongside knowledge, patience, godliness), echoing Proverbs' valuation of inner restraint.
- Titus 1:8 (thematic): Describes an elder as 'self-controlled,' using the same ethical category of restraint that Proverbs treats as essential for personal stability (the opposite of a city without walls).
Alternative generated candidates
- Like a city broken into and without walls is a man who has no restraint over his spirit.
- Like a city breached and without walls is a man who lacks self-control.
These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
The heavens are high and the earth is deep, but a king's heart is unsearchable.
Remove the dross from silver, and a vessel will come forth for the refiner.
Remove the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
Do not exalt yourself before a king; do not stand in the place of the great.
For it is better that someone say to you, “Come up here,” than that you should be humbled before a noble whom your eyes have seen.
Do not hasten to contend with your neighbor; for what will you do in the end when he shames you?
Plead your case with your neighbor, and do not disclose another's secret.
Lest the one who hears you put you to shame, and your disgrace never depart.
Like golden apples in settings of silver is a word spoken at the right time.
Like a gold ring and an ornament of fine gold is a rebuke given by a discerning man to a listening ear.
Like the coolness of snow on a harvest day is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.
Like clouds and wind without rain is the man who boasts of a gift he does not give.
By long patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue breaks the bone.
If you find honey, eat only enough— lest you be filled and vomit.
Withdraw your foot from your friend's house, lest he be weary of you and hate you.
A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow.
A bad tooth and a foot that slips— such is the trust of one who is treacherous in a day of distress.
Like one who takes off his garment on a cold day, and like vinegar poured on a wound, so is one who sings songs to a troubled heart.
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread; and if he is thirsty, give him water.
For you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the LORD will repay you.
As the north wind brings forth rain, so a gossiping tongue produces an angry countenance.
Better to sit on the corner of a roof than to live in a house with a quarrelsome wife and a house full of strife.
Cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.
Like a muddy spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who yields before the wicked.
It is not good to eat much honey; so it is not honorable to seek one's own honor.
Like a city broken into and without walls is a man who has no restraint of spirit.