Friendship, Counsel, and Practical Wisdom for Life
Proverbs 27:1-27
Pro.27.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אל: NEG
- תתהלל: VERB,hitpael,impf,2,m,sg
- ביום: PREP
- מחר: ADV
- כי: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- תדע: VERB,qal,impf,2,ms,sg
- מה: PRON,int
- ילד: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- James 4:13-15 (allusion): Warns against boasting about future plans—'you do not know what will happen tomorrow'—and urges reliance on the Lord’s will, echoing Proverbs' caution not to boast about tomorrow.
- Matthew 6:34 (thematic): Jesus advises not to worry about tomorrow because each day has enough trouble, reflecting the same theme of the uncertainty of the future.
- Luke 12:16-21 (esp. v.20) (verbal): The parable of the rich fool shows plans overturned by sudden death ('This very night your life will be demanded of you'), underlining the unpredictability of tomorrow.
- Psalm 39:4-6 (thematic): Speaks of the brevity and uncertainty of human life ('my days are but a handbreadth'), thematically linked to Proverbs' warning about not presuming on tomorrow.
Alternative generated candidates
- Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
- Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day will bring forth.
Pro.27.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יהללך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- זר: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- פיך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- נכרי: ADJ,m,sg
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- שפתיך: NOUN,f,sg,cs+2ms
Parallels
- Proverbs 25:27 (thematic): Both proverbs warn against seeking one's own praise or glory; 'to seek one's own glory is not glory' echoes the counsel not to praise oneself.
- Matthew 6:1 (thematic): Jesus warns against doing righteous acts to be seen and praised by others—parallel concern with avoiding public self-exaltation and seeking honor.
- Luke 18:14 (thematic): The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector contrasts self-exaltation with humility; 'everyone who exalts himself will be humbled' resonates with the prohibition of self-praise.
- 1 Corinthians 1:29-31 (thematic): Paul denies grounds for human boasting and directs that one who boasts should boast in the Lord, offering a theological counterpart to the proverb's rejection of self-praise.
Alternative generated candidates
- Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
- Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
Pro.27.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כבד: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- אבן: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ונטל: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- החול: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וכעס: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אויל: ADJ,m,sg
- כבד: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- משניהם: PREP+NUM,du,cons+PRON,3,pl
Parallels
- Proverbs 27:4 (structural): Immediate neighbor verse treating the same subject — wrath/anger described as cruel and severe, forming a direct parallel continuation of the thought about the weight/danger of a fool’s anger.
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 (verbal): Explicit admonition against being quick to anger: 'Do not be quick in spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools,' echoing the association of anger with folly found in Prov 27:3.
- Proverbs 29:11 (verbal): 'A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back' — closely parallels the image of the foolish person whose uncontrolled anger is notable and burdensome.
- Proverbs 15:18 (thematic): Describes the consequences of a hot temper (stirring up strife), thematically aligning with Prov 27:3’s warning about the harmful weight of a fool’s wrath.
- Proverbs 14:17 (thematic): Links quick temper with foolish action ('A man of quick temper acts foolishly'), reinforcing the Proverbs theme that anger and folly are joined and produce destructive outcomes.
Alternative generated candidates
- A stone is heavy and the burden of sand is weighty, but a fool's anger is heavier than both.
- A stone is heavy and the load of sand is weighty, but the anger of a fool is heavier than both.
Pro.27.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אכזריות: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- חמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ושטף: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אף: ADV
- ומי: PRON,interr
- יעמד: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- לפני: PREP
- קנאה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Nahum 1:6 (verbal): Uses almost identical language about the irresistible force of divine wrath—'Who can stand before his indignation?'—paralleling the rhetorical question about standing before jealousy/zeal.
- Song of Solomon 8:6 (verbal): Describes jealousy (or zeal) as ruthless/cruel ('for jealousy is fierce as the grave'), echoing Proverbs' pairing of cruelty and the powerful, consuming nature of jealousy.
- Proverbs 6:34 (thematic): Speaks of jealousy provoking furious and uncontrollable response in a husband—thematising jealousy as a dangerous, overpowering passion that leads to violence.
- Proverbs 22:24-25 (thematic): Warns against making friends with the quick‑tempered because anger can sweep one away—paralleling Proverbs 27:4's depiction of anger as a destructive flood.
- Ecclesiastes 7:9 (thematic): Advises not to be quick to anger because anger dwells in the bosom of fools—resonates with Proverbs' negative assessment of wrath and its perilous effects.
Alternative generated candidates
- Wrath is cruel and anger a flood; but who can stand before jealousy?
- Wrath is cruel and a flood of anger—who can stand before jealousy?
Pro.27.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- טובה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- תוכחת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מגלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מאהבה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מסתרת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.27:6 (structural): Direct continuation: contrasts honest wounds of a friend with flattering kisses of an enemy, amplifying the value of open rebuke over hidden affection.
- Prov.28:23 (verbal): Uses similar vocabulary and thought: rebuke brings more favor than flattering speech, paralleling the preference for frank correction over deceptive kindness.
- Prov.26:28 (thematic): Speaks of flattering speech that conceals harm—themewise close to the contrast between hidden love (or flattering silence) and candid rebuke.
- Prov.9:8 (thematic): Shows the principle that wise persons welcome reproof (they love correction), aligning with the proverb's valuation of open rebuke over concealed affection.
- Luke 17:3 (thematic): New Testament instruction to rebuke a sinning brother reflects the ethical expectation that honest correction is necessary and beneficial, echoing the proverb's theme.
Alternative generated candidates
- Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
- Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Pro.27.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נאמנים: ADJ,m,pl
- פצעי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- אוהב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ונעתרות: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,pl
- נשיקות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- שונא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 27:5 (structural): Immediate context: contrasts open rebuke (preferred) with hidden love—sets up the same contrast between beneficial frankness and deceptive affection found in v.6.
- Proverbs 28:23 (verbal): Explicitly contrasts the long-term advantage of rebuke with the short-term appeal of flattery—parallels the proverb’s opposition of faithful wounds and enemy kisses.
- Proverbs 24:26 (thematic): Compares an honest answer to a kiss on the lips; uses kiss-imagery positively, providing a foil to the proverb’s warning about an enemy’s kisses.
- Proverbs 26:28 (verbal): Denounces flattering speech and deceitful tongues (flattery leading to ruin), reinforcing the warning that outwardly pleasant words or gestures can be harmful like an enemy’s kiss.
- Luke 22:47-48 (allusion): Narrative example where a kiss functions as betrayal (Judas’ kiss of Jesus), illustrating the proverb’s motif of a friendly gesture from an enemy.
Alternative generated candidates
- Faithful are the wounds of a friend; the kisses of an enemy are abundant.
- The wounds of a friend are faithful; the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
Pro.27.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נפש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שבעה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תבוס: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- נפת: NOUN,f,sg,constr
- ונפש: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רעבה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- מר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מתוק: ADJ,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 107:9 (thematic): Speaks of God satisfying the longing/hungry soul; parallels the contrast in Prov 27:7 between satiety (which loathes sweet) and hunger (which makes the bitter taste sweet).
- Ecclesiastes 6:7 (thematic): Observes that human labor is for the mouth yet appetite is not filled—relates to the proverb's focus on appetite, hunger, and satisfaction.
- Luke 15:16-17 (thematic): In the prodigal son story the younger son becomes so hungry that even pig food looks desirable; illustrates how hunger changes appetite and valuation, echoing Prov 27:7.
- Proverbs 13:25 (verbal): Uses similar language about being satisfied/unsatisfied ('the righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked will be in want'), directly related to the motif of hunger and satiety in Prov 27:7.
Alternative generated candidates
- The satisfied soul scorns the honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
- The full soul loathes honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
Pro.27.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כצפור: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נודדת: VERB,qal,ptc,3,f,sg
- מן: PREP
- קנה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כן: ADV
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נודד: VERB,qal,ptc,m,sg
- ממקומו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 84:3 (verbal): Uses bird-and-nest imagery (sparrow/swallow finding a home) to speak of dwelling and belonging, echoing Proverbs' simile of a bird and the human who wanders from his place.
- Matthew 8:20 (allusion): Jesus contrasts foxes and birds having homes with his own homelessness; evokes the common biblical motif of birds and nests to discuss dwelling/placement, paralleling Proverbs' concern with being established in one’s proper place.
- Psalm 119:176 (thematic): The psalmist confesses having gone astray like a lost sheep, a parallel theme of wandering/loss of place and the need to be found or returned to one’s proper location.
- Jeremiah 23:1-2 (thematic): Speaks of scattered sheep and wandering brought about by unfaithful leaders—uses the imagery of people being driven from their place, thematically parallel to the proverb’s depiction of a person who wanders from his home/place.
Alternative generated candidates
- As a bird that wanders from its nest, so is a man who wanders from his place.
- Like a bird that wanders from its nest is a person who wanders from his place.
Pro.27.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שמן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וקטרת: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ישמח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומתק: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רעהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- מעצת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cons
- נפש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.16:24 (verbal): Pleasant/sweet speech likened to honeycomb—both passages compare agreeable words or counsel to sweet, heart-gladdening substances (oil/perfume vs. honey).
- Prov.25:11 (verbal): A timely/fitly spoken word is compared to precious, pleasing things (apples of gold); parallels the proverb's equation of good counsel with enjoyable, valuable sensory delights.
- Prov.27:6 (thematic): Contrasts and complements the theme of true friendship: where 27:9 praises the sweetness of a friend's counsel, 27:6 affirms that a friend's faithful rebuke (even if painful) is evidence of genuine friendship—both show the benefit of sincere interpersonal care.
- Prov.27:17 (thematic): Mutual improvement through close relationships: just as oil/perfume and sweet counsel refresh the heart, 'iron sharpens iron' depicts reciprocal sharpening and benefit between friends.
Alternative generated candidates
- Oil and incense make the heart glad; so does the pleasant counsel of a friend from the heart.
- Oil and incense make the heart glad; the sweetness of a friend comes from heartfelt counsel.
Pro.27.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- רעך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ורע: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg,abs
- אביך: NOUN,m,sg,suff+2ms
- אל: NEG
- תעזב: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- ובית: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,cs
- אחיך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- תבוא: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- ביום: PREP
- אידך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- שכן: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- קרוב: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- מאח: PREP
- רחוק: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 18:24 (verbal): Closely related proverb about friendship: 'There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother'—a verbal/antithetical counterpart to 27:10's contrast between neighbor and distant brother.
- Proverbs 17:17 (thematic): Both verses treat the roles of friend and brother in trouble: 'A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity,' echoing 27:10's concern with who will help in calamity.
- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (structural): Emphasizes mutual support and practical advantage of close companions ('Two are better than one... if they fall, one will lift up his companion'), paralleling 27:10's preference for a nearby helper over a distant relative.
- Luke 10:25-37 (Good Samaritan) (thematic): Expands the idea of 'neighbor' as the one who provides help regardless of kinship; thematically resonates with 27:10's valuation of a nearby helper over a remote brother.
Alternative generated candidates
- Do not abandon your friend or your father's friend; do not go to your brother's house on the day of your calamity—better a neighbor near than a brother far away.
- Do not abandon your friend or your father's friend; do not enter your brother's house on the day of your calamity—better a near neighbor than a distant brother.
Pro.27.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- חכם: ADJ,m,sg
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- ושמח: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לבי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1cs
- ואשיבה: VERB,qal,impf,1,m,sg
- חרפי: NOUN,f,sg,abs,pr,1,sg
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 23:15-16 (verbal): Similar wording and idea: if your heart be wise my heart shall rejoice—direct verbal parallel about a son's wisdom causing the father's joy.
- Proverbs 10:1 (thematic): A wise son makes a glad father (contrast with a foolish son causing sorrow)—same parental joy theme tied to a son's wisdom.
- Proverbs 15:23 (thematic): A man has joy in an apt answer—connects to the desire in Prov 27:11 'that I may answer him that reproacheth me,' highlighting the value of timely/wise responses.
- Proverbs 25:11 (verbal): A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold—parallel motif of appropriately spoken words as effective defense or praise, echoing the importance of wise speech in Prov 27:11.
Alternative generated candidates
- Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad; then I will be able to answer him who reproaches me.
- Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, that I may answer him who reproaches me.
Pro.27.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ערום: ADJ,m,sg
- ראה: VERB,qal,imperat,2,m,sg
- רעה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נסתר: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- פתאים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עברו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- נענשו: VERB,niphal,impf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Prov.22:3 (verbal): Essentially the same proverb elsewhere in Proverbs: the prudent sees danger and hides, while the simple go on and suffer — virtually identical wording and thought.
- Prov.1:32 (thematic): Speaks of the fatal outcome for the simple who reject wisdom and warnings—theme of failing to heed warning leading to punishment.
- Prov.14:16 (thematic): Contrasts the wise person who avoids evil with the fool who is careless—similar emphasis on foresight/caution versus folly and its consequences.
- Prov.13:20 (thematic): Notes the harmful outcome of accompanying fools (suffering harm), reinforcing the proverb’s consequence motif for failing to exercise prudence.
Alternative generated candidates
- The shrewd sees danger and hides himself; the simple go on and suffer for it.
- The prudent see danger and take cover; the simple go on and suffer for it.
Pro.27.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- קח: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- בגדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- כי: CONJ
- ערב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זר: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ובעד: PREP
- נכריה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- חבלהו: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exod.22:26-27 (verbal): Commands about taking a neighbor's garment as a pledge and returning it by evening; shares the concrete image of seizing a garment as collateral (־קח בגדו) and the legal/ethical context of pledges.
- Deut.24:10-13 (verbal): Regulation instructing that if a man takes his neighbor's cloak as a pledge it must be returned at night because it is the borrower’s covering; provides the broader legal background for the practice of taking garments as security.
- Prov.6:1-5 (thematic): A direct Proverbs warning against becoming surety for another’s debt; advises urgent action to free oneself from a pledge—same concern about the danger of guaranteeing a stranger.
- Prov.22:26-27 (thematic): Bears the same ethical admonition: do not be a guarantor/put up security for another (especially a stranger), echoing the peril that prompts taking collateral in 27:13.
- Prov.11:15 (thematic): States that one who becomes surety for a stranger will suffer while the one who refuses surety is secure—summarizes the moral consequence underlying the precaution in 27:13.
Alternative generated candidates
- Take his cloak—he has become surety for a stranger; he has pledged himself for an outsider.
- Take his garment—he has become surety for a stranger; secure his pledge for a foreigner.
Pro.27.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מברך: VERB,piel,ptc,3,m,sg
- רעהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- בקול: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גדול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- בבקר: PREP
- השכים: VERB,qal,ptc,m,pl,def
- קללה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תחשב: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 27:2 (thematic): Warns against self-praise; both verses discourage ostentatious public acclaim and recommend restraint in giving or seeking praise.
- Proverbs 25:20 (thematic): Compares inappropriate or mistimed expressions (singing to a heavy heart) to actions that exacerbate rather than help—parallels the idea that a noisy morning blessing can be misplaced and hurtful.
- Proverbs 26:8 (thematic): Speaks of giving honor to a fool as a foolish act; thematically related to the impropriety of lavish or ill-judged public praise/benediction that does more harm than good.
- Ecclesiastes 7:6 (thematic): Compares loud, empty rejoicing to the crackling of thorns—resonates with the proverb’s critique of noisy, inappropriate expressions that lack substance or sensitivity.
- Matthew 6:5 (thematic): Jesus condemns ostentatious, public prayer done for show; thematically parallels the warning against loud, conspicuous blessings that function as self-display rather than sincere goodwill.
Alternative generated candidates
- One who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning will be counted as cursing him.
- One who blesses his friend with a loud voice in the morning will be reckoned as cursing him.
Pro.27.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דלף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- טורד: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- ביום: PREP
- סגריר: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ואשת: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,sg
- מדינים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נשתוה: VERB,niphal,perf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Prov.19:13 (verbal): Explicitly parallels the image and wording: a wife's quarreling is likened to a 'continual dripping' (nagging irritant) — near-verbatim echo of Prov 27:15.
- Prov.21:9 (thematic): Expresses the same theme of a quarrelsome woman being so intolerable that solitude (a rooftop corner) is preferable — complementary proverb about the social effects of contentiousness.
- Prov.21:19 (thematic): Closely related to 21:9; repeats the preference for living apart rather than with a contentious woman, reinforcing the same moral point as 27:15.
- Prov.25:24 (quotation): A parallel/formulaic repetition of the 21:9 proverb (better to live on a housetop corner than with a contentious wife), showing the proverb's recurrence in different collections.
- Prov.26:20-21 (thematic): Uses imagery of fire and fuel to describe how strife is kindled and sustained — thematically parallels 27:15 by portraying contentious behavior as a persistent, destructive nuisance.
Alternative generated candidates
- A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife—who can endure her?
- A continual dripping in a rainy day, and a quarrelsome wife—both are a weariness.
Pro.27.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- צפניה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- צפן: VERB,qal,inf
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ושמן: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ימינו: NOUN,m,sg,suff-3ms
- יקרא: VERB,niphal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.27:15 (structural): Immediate pair: verse 15 names the 'contentious wife' and verse 16 completes the image, comparing restraining her to withholding the wind or holding oil—forming a unit that interprets the simile.
- Prov.19:13 (verbal): Uses the same motif of domestic irritation—calls a quarreling wife a 'continual dripping,' a parallel image of persistent annoyance also addressed by 27:16's similes of futility.
- Prov.21:9 (thematic): Similar theme about the trouble of living with a contentious wife: 'Better to live on a corner of the housetop than with a quarrelsome wife,' echoing the negative valuation found in 27:16.
- Prov.25:24 (thematic): Another proverb that repeats the theme (and in some manuscripts parallels 21:9) that it is preferable to live apart from a quarrelsome wife, reinforcing the domestic wisdom context of 27:16.
Alternative generated candidates
- Whoever restrains her restrains the wind and grasps oil with his right hand.
- Whoever would restrain her restrains the wind; whoever grasps oil with his right hand.
Pro.27.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ברזל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בברזל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יחד: ADV
- ואיש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יחד: ADV
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- רעהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Prov.13:20 (thematic): Both proverbs stress the moral and intellectual influence of companions—walking with the wise makes one wise, like iron sharpening iron.
- Prov.27:6 (thematic): Emphasizes how faithful friends correct and improve one another; the ’wounds of a friend’ parallel the sharpening effect of mutual interaction.
- Eccles.4:9-10 (thematic): Speaks of mutual support and benefit—two are better than one because they help and strengthen each other, echoing the cooperative sharpening image.
- 1 Sam.23:16 (thematic): Jonathan ‘strengthened’ David’s hand/resolve; an example of friendship that bolsters and refines another person’s character, akin to iron sharpening iron.
- Rom.14:19 (thematic): Calls believers to pursue peace and ‘mutual upbuilding’ (edification), reflecting the proverb’s concern with reciprocal moral and spiritual strengthening.
Alternative generated candidates
- Iron sharpens iron; so one person sharpens another.
- Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Pro.27.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נצר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תאנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- יאכל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פריה: NOUN,m,sg+PRON,3,f,sg
- ושמר: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- אדניו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+POSS,3,m,sg
- יכבד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 27:23 (structural): Same chapter’s exhortation to attend one’s flocks and herds — both verses stress careful stewardship of another’s property and the duties of a caretaker.
- Matthew 25:21 (thematic): Parable of the talents: the faithful servant is commended and receives reward from his master — parallels the promise that one who guards his master will be honored.
- Luke 12:37 (thematic): Jesus’ saying that blessed are the servants whom the master finds watching; the master will honor/serve them — echoes the motif of vigilant service leading to honor.
- Colossians 3:23–24 (thematic): Believers are urged to work heartily as for the Lord, knowing they will receive an inheritance from the Lord — reflects the principle that faithful service to a master brings reward and honor.
- 1 Corinthians 4:2 (allusion): ‘Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found faithful’ — a New Testament formulation of the expectation that those entrusted with another’s goods/household must prove faithful and thus be honored or rewarded.
Alternative generated candidates
- He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit; he who guards his master will be honored.
- He who tends a fig tree shall eat its fruit; he who guards his master shall be honored.
Pro.27.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כמים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- הפנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- לפנים: PREP
- כן: ADV
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האדם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאדם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.27:17 (thematic): Both proverbs use a simple simile to describe interpersonal influence—one emphasizes mutual reflection/reciprocity (face to face), the other mutual shaping and sharpening (iron sharpens iron).
- 1 Cor.13:12 (verbal): Uses the image of seeing 'face to face' and of reflection (now we see in a mirror dimly) to describe knowledge and relational clarity, echoing the proverb's mirror/face imagery about persons seeing one another.
- James 1:23-24 (verbal): Compares self-knowledge to looking into a mirror and seeing one's face, paralleling the proverb's use of reflective imagery to depict perception of the human heart by oneself or others.
- Matt.7:3-5 (thematic): Both passages deal with perception of self and others—Jesus' 'speck and plank' teaching and Proverbs' mirror simile highlight how human relations reveal inner moral/psychological reality.
- Gen.1:27 (thematic): The idea of humans bearing an image (Imago Dei) undergirds biblical notions of likeness and reflection—Prov.27:19's image/face metaphor can be read against the background that humans mutually reflect personhood rooted in the divine image.
Alternative generated candidates
- As water reflects the face to the face, so is a person's heart to another.
- As water reflects a face to a face, so the heart of one person to another.
Pro.27.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שאול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואבדו: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- לא: PART_NEG
- תשבענה: VERB,qal,imperf,3,f,pl
- ועיני: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- האדם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לא: PART_NEG
- תשבענה: VERB,qal,imperf,3,f,pl
Parallels
- Ecclesiastes 1:8 (verbal): Uses near-identical imagery: 'the eye is not satisfied with seeing'—a direct verbal echo of 'the eyes of man are not satisfied.'
- Ecclesiastes 6:7 (thematic): Speaks of human appetite and labor being never satisfied ('the appetite is not filled'), thematically matching the proverb's point about insatiable human desire.
- Proverbs 30:15-16 (verbal): Lists insatiable things and explicitly portrays Sheol/the grave as never satisfied—closely parallels the couplet about Sheol/Destruction and human eyes not being satisfied.
- Isaiah 5:14 (allusion): Describes Sheol enlarging its appetite and opening its mouth beyond measure—an imageologically related depiction of Sheol's insatiability found in Proverbs 27:20.
Alternative generated candidates
- Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, nor are the eyes of man satisfied.
- Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and a person's eyes are never satisfied.
Pro.27.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מצרף: NOUN,m,sg,cs
- לכסף: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכור: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,cs
- לזהב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואיש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לפי: PREP
- מהללו: PTCP,piel,pres,3,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.17:3 (verbal): Uses the same metallurgical imagery—'crucible for silver, furnace for gold'—to express testing; closest verbal parallel and likely literary echo.
- Prov.25:4 (verbal): Commands removal of dross from silver so a vessel may appear—same refining vocabulary and concern with purification of metal as a figure for moral/testing processes.
- Job 23:10 (thematic): Job's 'He knows the way that I take... when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold' uses refining-as-testing imagery to describe God’s testing producing purity, paralleling the proverb’s metaphor.
- Malachi 3:3 (thematic): Portrays the Lord as 'a refiner and purifier of silver' who purifies the sons of Levi—explicitly applies the refiner metaphor to divine testing and purification, echoing Proverbs’ idea.
- Zechariah 13:9 (thematic): Speaks of refining and testing Israel 'as silver is refined' so that 'they shall call upon my name'—another prophetic use of the refining-test image to describe moral purification and selection.
Alternative generated candidates
- The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold; a man is tested by the praise he receives.
- As a crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, so a person is proved by praise.
Pro.27.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- תכתוש: VERB,qal,impr,2,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- האויל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- במכתש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בתוך: PREP
- הריפות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- בעלי: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- לא: PART_NEG
- תסור: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- מעליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- אולתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.26:11 (verbal): Uses vivid image of repeated, futile relapse (a dog returning to its vomit) to express that a fool repeats his folly despite correction—closely parallels the mortar/pestle image of persistent folly.
- Prov.26:4-5 (structural): Creates a paradoxical set of instructions about answering fools, reflecting the futility and difficulty of correcting a fool—complements the idea that even forceful correction may not remove folly.
- Prov.9:7-8 (thematic): Distinguishes between reproving the scoffer (who will hate you) and the wise (who accepts correction), underscoring that scoffers/fools resist correction—the same theme as the unchangeable fool in Prov 27:22.
- Prov.1:22 (thematic): A lament and call to the simple who persist in folly ('How long... will you love being simple?'), highlighting the stubborn, self-perpetuating nature of folly noted in Prov 27:22.
- Prov.29:1 (thematic): States that one who hardens his neck despite frequent rebuke will be broken beyond healing—illustrates the danger and permanence of refusing correction, resonating with the proverb about crushing a fool in vain.
Alternative generated candidates
- If you grind a fool in a mortar, pounding him like grain with a pestle, his folly will not depart from him.
- If you grind a fool in a mortar and crush him with a pestle among the grain, his folly will not depart from him.
Pro.27.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ידע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- תדע: VERB,qal,impf,2,ms,sg
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- צאנך: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- שית: VERB,qal,inf
- לבך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- לעדרים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 12:10 (thematic): Both verses emphasize responsible care for animals—righteous persons look after their livestock, paralleling the call to know and attend your flocks.
- Ezekiel 34:11-16 (allusion): Uses the shepherd/ flock motif to stress attentive care and seeking the lost; parallels the exhortation to know and watch over flocks as God will do for his sheep.
- Jeremiah 23:1-4 (thematic): Condemns negligent shepherds and calls for shepherding that seeks and feeds the flock, echoing the responsibility to watch over and manage herds.
- Acts 20:28 (structural): Paul's charge to church leaders to 'keep watch' and shepherd the flock parallels the Proverbs imperative of attentive oversight and stewardship.
- 1 Peter 5:2 (thematic): Peter exhorts elders to shepherd God's flock willingly and carefully—repeating the pastoral/stewardship theme of knowing and tending the flock.
Alternative generated candidates
- Know well the condition of your flocks; give careful attention to your herds.
- Know well the condition of your flocks; give careful attention to your herds.
Pro.27.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואם: CONJ
- נזר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לדור: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ודור: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ecclesiastes 5:13-15 (thematic): Speaks of riches kept to the owner’s hurt and not accompanying him to the grave—echoes the proverb’s point that wealth and honours do not endure forever or pass unchanged to future generations.
- Psalm 49:16-17 (thematic): Warns not to fear the rich because when he dies he carries nothing away—parallels the idea that riches and a crown do not last for ever or for every generation.
- Job 1:21 (thematic): Job’s confession ‘The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away’ underscores the transience of possessions and honours, resonating with the proverb’s observation that wealth does not remain eternally.
- Psalm 103:15-16 (thematic): Compares human life to grass that withers—used here to underline the fleeting nature of human prosperity and distinction, like the proverb’s statement about wealth and crowns not enduring.
Alternative generated candidates
- For riches do not endure forever, nor a crown from generation to generation.
- For riches do not endure forever, nor a crown from generation to generation.
Pro.27.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- גלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- חציר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ונראה: VERB,qal,cohort,1,m,pl
- דשא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ונאספו: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,pl
- עשבות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- הרים: NOUN,m,pl,cons
Parallels
- Psalm 147:8 (verbal): Explicit verbal parallel: God 'makes grass grow on the mountains,' matching the image of mountain grasses appearing and being gathered.
- Isaiah 55:10 (thematic): Uses agricultural imagery of rain causing the earth to bring forth and sprout—parallel theme of natural cycles that produce new growth after harvest.
- Psalm 65:13 (thematic): Describes meadows and valleys clothed with growth and rejoicing at the harvest—similar harvest/field imagery of grasses and gathered produce.
- Matthew 6:28-30 (thematic): Jesus' appeal to the growth of lilies/grass to teach God's care echoes the proverb's reliance on natural growth cycles as a sign of provision.
- Isaiah 40:6-8 (allusion): Common stock image of grass' transience ('all flesh is grass')—connects to the proverb's focus on the ephemeral seasonality and renewal of vegetation.
Alternative generated candidates
- When the grass is gone and the new growth appears, and the herbs of the hills are gathered,
- When the hay is removed and the new growth appears, and the mountain vegetation is gathered in,
Pro.27.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כבשים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ללבושך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- ומחיר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שדה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עתודים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Prov.27:23 (structural): Immediate context: admonition to attend to your flocks and herds—this verse concludes the unit about stewardship of animals as wealth.
- Prov.12:10 (thematic): Connects to care and provision for animals and presents livestock as an aspect of righteous household economy.
- Deut.8:7-9 (thematic): Describes the Promised Land as rich in flocks and herds and other produce—background for understanding animals as primary wealth.
- Job 1:3 (thematic): Enumerates riches in livestock (sheep, oxen, camels) as a standard measure of wealth in the ancient Near East, paralleling the proverb's economic picture.
- Lev.27:16-25 (allusion): Legal material on valuation and redemption of fields—echoes the idea of a field having a determinable 'price,' which the proverb imagistically renders by goats as the price of a field.
Alternative generated candidates
- the lambs will be for your clothing, and the goats the price of the field,
- the lambs will be for your clothing, and the goats for the price of a field.
Pro.27.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ודי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חלב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עזים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ללחמך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,m,sg
- ללחם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ביתך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- וחיים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לנערותיך: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 27:23–26 (structural): Immediate context: instructions about attending flocks and herds and the livestock’s yield (lambs, goats) that supply clothing and food—verse 27 concludes this unit with the goats’ milk as household provision.
- Proverbs 31:14–15 (thematic): The wife of noble character rises early and provides food for her household—matches the theme of domestic provision and sustenance for family and servants.
- Deuteronomy 28:11–12 (thematic): Blessings for obedience include abundant provision for house and produce (barns, vats)—a broader Old Testament theme of divine provision for household sustenance.
- Psalm 23:1–2 (thematic): The Lord as shepherd who supplies and satisfies (green pastures, lack of want) echoes the imagery of animals and milk as sources of sustenance and care.
- 1 Timothy 5:8 (thematic): Ethical teaching that one must provide for one’s household—resonates with Proverbs’ practical concern that flocks and their produce sustain family and servants.
Alternative generated candidates
- and the milk of goats will suffice for your bread—for the bread of your house—and for the sustenance of your maidens.
- And the milk of the goats will suffice for your food—for the bread of your household and sustenance for your maidens.
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.
A stone is heavy and sand a weight, but the wrath of a fool is heavier than both.
Wrath is cruel and anger a flood; but who can stand before jealousy?
Better is an open rebuke than hidden love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
A full soul loathes honeycomb, but to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
Like a bird that wanders from its nest, so is a man who wanders from his place.
Oil and incense make the heart glad; so the pleasantness of a friend comes from heartfelt counsel.
Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend; and do not go into your brother's house in the day of your calamity—better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.
Be wise, my son, and bring gladness to my heart; then I will be able to answer my mocker.
A prudent one sees danger and hides himself; the naive go on and are punished.
Take his cloak, for he became surety for a stranger; hold him as security for the foreigner.
If one blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, it will be reckoned to him as a curse.
A constant dripping on a rainy day—so is a quarrelsome wife.
Whoever tries to restrain her restrains the wind, and grasps oil with his right hand.
Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.
Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit; and he who guards his master will be honored.
As in water the face is reflected to the face, so the heart of one person to another.
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and the eyes of man are not satisfied.
A crucible for silver, a furnace for gold; and a man is tested by the praise he receives.
If you crush the fool in a mortar, pounding him like grain with a pestle, his folly will not depart from him.
Know well the condition of your flocks; give careful attention to your herds.
For riches do not last forever, nor does a crown endure from generation to generation.
When the grass is cut, the new growth appears; and the herbage of the hills is gathered in.
The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. And there will be enough goat's milk for your bread, for the bread of your house, and for the sustenance of your maidservants.