The Value of Wisdom and Its Protection
Proverbs 2:1-22
Pro.2.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- אם: CONJ
- תקח: VERB,qal,imperfect,2,m,sg
- אמרי: VERB,qal,impv,2,f,sg
- ומצותי: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,abs+1s
- תצפן: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אתך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 7:1 (verbal): Almost identical admonition — 'My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee,' echoing the same formula of receiving and storing parental instruction.
- Proverbs 3:1 (verbal): Same address ('My son') with the closely related command to not forget divine instruction and to let the heart keep commandments — a parallel exhortation to internalize wisdom.
- Psalm 119:11 (verbal): Declarative parallel: 'Thy word have I hid in mine heart,' reflecting the motif of concealing or storing God's words within oneself to guide life and prevent sin.
- Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (structural): Earlier covenantal precedent: commandments are to be in the heart and taught 'diligently' to children — a corporate/familial pattern of receiving and preserving divine instruction.
- Joshua 1:8 (thematic): Command to keep and meditate on the law day and night so that one may act faithfully — thematically linked through the emphasis on continual retention and practice of God's commands.
Alternative generated candidates
- My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commandments with you,
- My son, if you accept my words and store up my commandments with you,
Pro.2.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- להקשיב: VERB,qal,inf
- לחכמה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אזנך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,m,sg
- תטה: VERB,qal,imperf,2,m,sg
- לבך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- לתבונה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 4:20 (verbal): Uses similar imperative language—'attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings'—calling the reader to listen and internalize wisdom.
- Proverbs 1:5 (thematic): Commands the wise to hear in order to gain and increase learning, echoing the link between listening and growing in understanding.
- Isaiah 55:3 (verbal): Invites hearers to 'incline your ear' and come to life through God's word, paralleling the call to bend the ear toward wisdom.
- James 1:19 (thematic): Urges believers to be 'swift to hear,' emphasizing the moral and practical importance of listening as the first step toward wisdom and righteous action.
Alternative generated candidates
- making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;
- to incline your ear to wisdom and bend your heart to understanding;
Pro.2.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אם: CONJ
- לבינה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תקרא: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- לתבונה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תתן: VERB,qal,imprf,2,_,sg
- קולך: NOUN,m,sg,suf
Parallels
- Proverbs 8:1-4 (verbal): Wisdom personified cries out and 'raises her voice'—language and imagery closely parallel the call to 'cry for understanding' and 'lift up your voice' in Prov 2:3.
- Proverbs 1:20-23 (allusion): Wisdom's public cry and the call to return to instruction mirror the exhortation to call for discernment and seek understanding in Prov 2:3.
- Proverbs 2:1-2 (structural): Immediate context: the conditional pursuit of wisdom ('if you receive my words… incline your ear') parallels the same pragmatic summons to seek understanding in v.3.
- Proverbs 4:5-7 (thematic): General exhortation to acquire wisdom and understanding echoes the imperative mood of Prov 2:3—actively pursue insight as a primary duty.
Alternative generated candidates
- if you cry aloud for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
- if you call for insight as for silver and lift up your voice for understanding,
Pro.2.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- תבקשנה: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- ככסף: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וכמטמונים: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תחפשנה: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.2:1-5 (structural): Immediate context: verses that frame the same exhortation to ‘receive/seek’ wisdom, emphasizing earnest searching and asking—same instructional structure as v.4.
- Prov.8:10-11 (verbal): Wisdom is contrasted with silver and gold—’Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold’—directly parallels the valuation of wisdom as treasure.
- Job 28:12-28 (thematic): Develops the motif of mining and searching for hidden treasures to ask where wisdom is to be found; contrasts human skill in seeking riches with the transcendence of wisdom.
- Prov.3:13-15 (thematic): Declares finding wisdom as a blessing and compares it to precious valuables—’more precious than rubies’—reinforcing the treasure imagery and supremely high value of wisdom.
- Matt.13:44 (thematic): Parable of the hidden treasure: the kingdom of heaven likened to treasure found in a field for which a man sells all he has—echoes the idea of seeking and valuing a discovered treasure above all else.
Alternative generated candidates
- if you seek it as silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
- if you search for it as for hidden treasures and seek it as for deep riches,
Pro.2.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אז: ADV
- תבין: VERB,qal,impf,2,ms,sg
- יראת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ודעת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תמצא: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 1:7 (verbal): Both assert that 'the fear of the LORD' is foundational to knowledge/wisdom—Proverbs 1:7 calls it the beginning of knowledge, echoing Prov 2:5's link between fearing Yahweh and finding knowledge of God.
- Proverbs 9:10 (verbal): Closely parallels Prov 2:5 in wording and thought: 'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding,' reinforcing the same theological equation.
- Psalm 111:10 (verbal): Affirms the same principle—'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom'—connecting reverent fear with true understanding as in Prov 2:5.
- Job 28:28 (thematic): God's summary—'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom'—expresses the same valuation of fear of God as the root of wisdom and right insight reflected in Prov 2:5.
- Psalm 25:12 (thematic): Links fearing the LORD with divine instruction and guidance—'Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct'—echoing Prov 2:5's promise that fearing God leads to finding his knowledge.
Alternative generated candidates
- then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
- then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
Pro.2.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- יתן: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,sg
- חכמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מפיו: PREP+NOUN+PRON,3,m,sg
- דעת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ותבונה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- James 1:5 (verbal): Directly affirms that God is the giver of wisdom; invites those lacking wisdom to ask God, echoing Proverbs' attribution of wisdom to the Lord's giving.
- Job 12:13 (thematic): Declares that wisdom and counsel belong to God, paralleling Proverbs' claim that wisdom originates with the LORD.
- Job 28:28 (thematic): Links wisdom and understanding with the fear/knowledge of the LORD, emphasizing the LORD as the source of true wisdom as in Proverbs 2:6.
- Proverbs 3:19 (thematic): States that the LORD founded the earth by wisdom, underscoring God's possession and use of wisdom—related to Proverbs 2:6's depiction of God as the source of wisdom.
- Psalm 111:10 (thematic): Asserts that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and understanding, reinforcing the idea that wisdom is rooted in the LORD, consistent with Proverbs 2:6.
Alternative generated candidates
- For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
- For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Pro.2.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יצפן: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לישרים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תושיה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מגן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- להלכי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cons
- תם: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 2:6 (structural): Immediate context: verse 6 attributes wisdom to the LORD (‘For the LORD gives wisdom…’), grounding why God ‘stores up’ wisdom for the upright in 2:7.
- Proverbs 4:6-7 (thematic): Both passages exhort valuing wisdom as a preservative force—‘do not forsake her, and she will keep you’ parallels God’s storing up of prudence as protection for the innocent.
- Psalm 5:12 (verbal): Speaks of God blessing the righteous and covering him ‘as with a shield,’ echoing Prov.2:7’s image of God as protector of the upright.
- Psalm 18:30 (verbal): Declares God’s way as perfect and that he is a ‘buckler’ (shield) to those who take refuge in him—parallels the protective role ascribed to God for the upright in Prov.2:7.
- Psalm 28:7 (thematic): Describes the LORD as strength and shield for the psalmist; thematically aligns with Prov.2:7’s assurance that God is a defender of those who walk blamelessly.
Alternative generated candidates
- He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity.
- He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly.
Pro.2.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לנצר: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- ארחות: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- משפט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ודרך: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- חסידיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss3ms
- ישמר: VERB,qal,imprf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 23:3 (verbal): 'He leads me in paths of righteousness' (נחה בארחות משפט) uses the same language and idea as Prov 2:8's 'guards the paths of justice'—God guiding and preserving the righteous' way.
- Psalm 1:6 (thematic): 'The LORD knows the way of the righteous' parallels Prov 2:8's assurance that God watches over/preserves the way of his saints—both stress God's special care for the righteous' path.
- Proverbs 3:6 (verbal): Within Proverbs, 'He will direct your paths' echoes Prov 2:8's theme of God keeping, guiding, and establishing the believer's way—divine guidance/protection of one's path.
- Psalm 121:8 (thematic): 'The LORD will watch over your coming and going' employs the same protective verb (שמר) applied to human movement, paralleling Prov 2:8's depiction of God guarding the saints' way.
- Isaiah 26:7 (verbal): 'The way of the righteous is level' (דרכי צדיקים ישרו) shares the motif and wording of 'the way of the righteous/faithful,' highlighting God's concern for straight, preserved paths for the righteous.
Alternative generated candidates
- He watches over the paths of justice and guards the way of his faithful ones.
- He guards the paths of justice and preserves the way of his faithful ones.
Pro.2.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אז: ADV
- תבין: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- צדק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומשפט: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומישרים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כל: DET
- מעגל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 3:6 (structural): Both verses promise divine guidance that straightens one’s way—acknowledging the LORD results in right paths and understanding of how to live.
- Proverbs 4:11 (verbal): Uses the language of being led in ‘the way of wisdom’ and ‘paths of uprightness,’ paralleling the image of knowing righteousness and every good path in 2:9.
- Psalm 23:3 (thematic): ‘He leads me in paths of righteousness’ echoes the theme that divine guidance yields knowledge of righteousness and right courses of life.
- Psalm 119:105 (allusion): ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ complements Proverbs 2:9’s idea that wisdom/teaching illuminates righteous and just ways.
- Proverbs 8:20 (verbal): Wisdom personified declares she walks in the way of righteousness and justice, closely reflecting the moral outcomes described in 2:9.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.
- Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.
Pro.2.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- תבוא: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- חכמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בלבך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+2f
- ודעת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לנפשך: PREP
- ינעם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 3:13 (thematic): Both verses celebrate the inward blessing of wisdom—finding wisdom brings happiness and blessing to the person’s inner life.
- Proverbs 8:10–11 (thematic): Wisdom’s value and desirability are emphasized: Proverbs 2:10 speaks of wisdom entering the heart and delighting the soul, while Proverbs 8 invites acceptance of wisdom and declares it superior to precious things.
- Psalm 119:11 (verbal): Both texts describe internalizing divine instruction/wisdom into the heart as a formative, inward possession (’hid in my heart’ / ’wisdom will enter your heart’).
- Colossians 2:3 (thematic): Paul’s claim that 'in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' parallels the Proverbs idea that true wisdom brings inward benefit and richness to the person’s life.
- James 1:5 (thematic): James urges seeking wisdom from God; this complements Proverbs’ picture of wisdom coming into the heart and delighting the soul as a gift or attainment that positively transforms the inner person.
Alternative generated candidates
- For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
- For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
Pro.2.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מזמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תשמר: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- עליך: PREP+2ms
- תבונה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תנצרכה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Prov.4:6-7 (verbal): Uses almost identical promise language—'do not forsake wisdom... she will preserve/keep you'—paralleling the idea that wisdom/discretion guards and protects the person.
- Prov.3:21-23 (verbal): Calls for keeping 'sound wisdom and discretion' and links them with safety and preservation—same vocabulary and theme of wisdom as a protector of life and well‑being.
- Prov.8:32-36 (thematic): Wisdom's speech promises blessing, life, and security to those who keep her ways—the broader theme of wisdom functioning as guardian and source of safety resonates with Prov.2:11.
- Ps.32:8 (thematic): God's promise 'I will instruct you and teach you... I will guide you' parallels the protective/guide role attributed to understanding and discretion in Proverbs 2:11—guidance as a form of guarding.
Alternative generated candidates
- Discretion will watch over you; understanding will guard you,
- discretion will watch over you; understanding will guard you,
Pro.2.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- להצילך: VERB,hifil,inf+2ms,2,m,sg
- מדרך: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- מאיש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מדבר: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- תהפכות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 1:1 (thematic): Warns against walking in the counsel/way of the wicked—parallel theme of avoiding the path of evil.
- Proverbs 4:14 (verbal): Uses nearly identical language (“enter not into the path of the wicked… the way of evil”) echoing deliverance from the way of evil.
- Proverbs 2:14-15 (structural): Immediate context that expands on the same subject—men who leave upright paths, rejoice in evil and perversity (connects directly to ‘man who speaks perverse things’).
- Proverbs 7:21 (thematic): Describes seductive, persuasive speech that leads a person astray—a thematic parallel to being rescued from perverse speech.
- Romans 16:18 (verbal): Speaks of people who ‘by good words and fair speech’ deceive the simple—New Testament parallel to deceptive/perverse speech that leads into evil ways.
Alternative generated candidates
- to deliver you from the way of evil, from men who speak perverse things,
- to deliver you from the way of the wicked, from men who speak perverse things,
Pro.2.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- העזבים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ארחות: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- ישר: ADJ,m,sg
- ללכת: VERB,qal,inf
- בדרכי: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,cstr+1s
- חשך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.2.12 (structural): Immediate context: the same unit warns that wisdom delivers from ‘the way of evil’ and from those who depart from upright paths—directly connected to v.13’s image of leaving the right paths.
- Prov.4:14-15 (thematic): A parallel admonition to avoid the path of the wicked and not to enter their ways—echoes the contrast between the paths of righteousness and the ways of darkness.
- Prov.4:19 (verbal): Uses the same darkness-imagery for the wicked’s way (‘the way of the wicked is like darkness’), closely echoing v.13’s phrase about walking in ways of darkness.
- John 3:19 (thematic): Light/dark moral imagery: people ‘loved darkness rather than light’—similar moral diagnosis for those who leave upright ways to walk in darkness.
- Eph.4:18 (allusion): Speaks of being ‘darkened in understanding’ and alienated from life—parallels the moral/spiritual condition implied by leaving the paths of uprightness to walk in darkness.
Alternative generated candidates
- who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in ways of darkness;
- who abandon the paths of uprightness to walk in ways of darkness,
Pro.2.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- השמחים: VERB,qal,ptc,-,m,pl,def
- לעשות: VERB,qal,inf
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- יגילו: VERB,qal,impf,3,mp
- בתהפכות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.10:23 (verbal): Declares that doing wrong is a delight/pleasure to the fool—similar language about taking pleasure in evil actions.
- Prov.21:10 (thematic): Speaks of the wicked's heart desiring evil; thematically parallels delighting in evil deeds.
- Ps.52:3 (Heb. 52:3/MT 51:3) (verbal): Accuses the wicked of loving evil more than good—verbal and moral likeness to rejoicing in doing evil.
- Rom.1:32 (thematic): Says people not only do wicked things but take pleasure in those who do them—New Testament parallel to delighting in perversity.
Alternative generated candidates
- who delight in doing evil and rejoice in the perversity of the wicked;
- who delight in doing evil and rejoice in the perversity of wrongdoing,
Pro.2.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ארחתיהם: NOUN,f,pl,abs+3mp
- עקשים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- ונלוזים: CONJ+ADJ,m,pl,abs
- במעגלותם: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs,poss3,m,pl
Parallels
- Prov.2:14 (structural): Immediate context describing the same group — those who leave the straight path and lead others into devious ways (continues the thought of twisted/devious paths).
- Prov.4:14-15 (verbal): Uses the same path/way imagery and warns against entering the wicked/ perverse path, paralleling the call to avoid those with twisted ways.
- Prov.6:12-15 (thematic): Portrait of a wicked/perverse person who acts deceitfully and causes harm; echoes the characterization of people with crooked, deceptive ways and their ruin.
- Prov.11:3 (verbal): Contrasts integrity with the 'crookedness' of the treacherous — similar vocabulary and moral contrast to those with perverse paths.
- Rom.1:29-31 (thematic): A New Testament catalogue of depraved, deceitful, and unrighteous behaviors; thematically parallels biblical descriptions of people who practice twisted, perverse ways.
Alternative generated candidates
- whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
- whose ways are crooked and who are devious in their paths.
Pro.2.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- להצילך: VERB,hifil,inf+2ms,2,m,sg
- מאשה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- זרה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- מנכריה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אמריה: NOUN,f,pl,def
- החליקה: VERB,hiph,perf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 5:3-6 (verbal): Same motif of the seductive woman and her flattering/smooth speech; warns that her lips drip honey but her end is bitter and leads to death.
- Proverbs 7:6-27 (structural): Extended narrative parallel portraying a young man seduced by a foreign/strange woman; amplifies the warning in Prov 2:16 with concrete enticement and consequences.
- Proverbs 6:24-29 (thematic): Similar instruction to avoid adultery and the danger of succumbing to a woman's allure; emphasizes practical measures and dire outcomes for the tempted man.
- Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (allusion): Law against intermarriage with foreign women because they turn Israel’s heart to other gods—reflects the wider biblical theme of the 'foreign woman' as a spiritual and moral danger.
- 1 Corinthians 6:18 (thematic): New Testament exhortation to 'flee sexual immorality' echoes Proverbs’ counsel to avoid seductive partners who lead to ruin.
Alternative generated candidates
- To deliver you from the adulteress, from the stranger with smooth words,
- To deliver you from the adulterous woman, from the foreigner's smooth tongue,
Pro.2.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- העזבת: VERB,qal,perf,2,ms
- אלוף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נעוריה: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3fs
- ואת: CONJ
- ברית: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אלהיה: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שכחה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 5:18-19 (thematic): Contrasts Prov.2:17 by urging delight in 'the wife of your youth' and faithfulness to one's spouse—the positive ideal opposed to leaving one's companion.
- Proverbs 7:10-27 (thematic): Gives an extended portrait of the adulterous woman who seduces the young man, echoing the warning about abandoning the companion of youth and the moral danger she poses.
- Jeremiah 2:2 (verbal): Speaks of 'the devotion/love of your youth,' recalling early covenantal fidelity; Jeremiah laments Israel's loss of that youthful devotion, paralleling the imagery of leaving one's first companion.
- Hosea 2:13 (thematic): Describes Israel as going after her lovers and 'forgetting' the LORD—parallels the language of forgetting God's covenant and abandoning the rightful partner (God or spouse).
- Ezekiel 16:8 (allusion): God recounts entering a covenant-like oath with Jerusalem ('I swore an oath to you'), then depicts her later unfaithfulness—echoes the covenantal language and the theme of betrayal found in Prov.2:17.
Alternative generated candidates
- who has forsaken the companion of her youth and forgotten the covenant of her God.
- who has left the companion of her youth and forgotten the covenant of her God.
Pro.2.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- שחה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- אל: NEG
- מות: VERB,qal,infabs
- ביתה: NOUN,m,sg,suff-3,f,sg
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- רפאים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מעגלתיה: NOUN,f,pl,abs+suff3f
Parallels
- Proverbs 5:5 (verbal): Uses the same imagery—her house leads down to death/Sheol and her paths to the shades—near-verbal parallel warning against the strange woman.
- Proverbs 7:27 (verbal): Almost identical phrasing: the adulterous woman's house is the way to Sheol, a direct verbal parallel reinforcing the lethal outcome of her seduction.
- Proverbs 9:18 (verbal): Speaks of the dead being there and her guests in the depths of Sheol, echoing the specific phrase about guests and the depths of the netherworld.
- Proverbs 2:19 (structural): Immediate continuation of the thought: all her household are dead and none who go to her return—a direct structural/thematic extension of 2:18.
Alternative generated candidates
- For her house sinks down to death, and her paths lead to the shades.
- For her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the shades.
Pro.2.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כל: DET
- באיה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- ישובון: VERB,qal,imprf,3,m,pl
- ולא: CONJ
- ישיגו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- ארחות: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- חיים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 5:5-6 (verbal): Uses the same death/Sheol imagery for the adulteress—her steps lead to death and she does not return from the way of life.
- Proverbs 7:27 (structural): Describes the seductress's house as the way to Sheol and the chambers of death—parallel consequence language about irreversible descent.
- Proverbs 9:18 (allusion): Speaks of the dead being present with the woman’s guests—echoes the idea that those who go to her do not regain the paths of life.
- Proverbs 2:16-18 (thematic): Immediate literary context warning against the immoral woman; 2:19 functions as the climax of this pericope about loss of life and return.
Alternative generated candidates
- None who go to her return, nor do they regain the paths of life.
- All who go to her do not return, nor do they regain the paths of life.
Pro.2.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- למען: PREP
- תלך: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- בדרך: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- טובים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- וארחות: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- צדיקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תשמר: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 4:11-12 (verbal): Uses the same 'way'/'paths' language and links instruction in wisdom to walking safely in upright paths (teaching the way of wisdom; walking without stumbling).
- Proverbs 3:17 (verbal): Shared imagery of 'ways' and 'paths'—wisdom's ways are described as pleasant and peaceful, echoing the positive character of the 'ways of the good' in Prov 2:20.
- Psalm 1:1-6 (thematic): Contrasts the righteous and the wicked in terms of the paths they walk; blessing and preservation are promised to those who follow the righteous way, parallel to walking in the way of the good.
- Deuteronomy 5:33 (thematic): Commands Israel to 'walk in all the way' the LORD has commanded so that things may go well and life be prolonged—linking walking a prescribed way with well-being, similar to Prov 2:20's goal of walking in the way of the good.
- Isaiah 26:7 (verbal): Speaks of 'the way of the righteous' being level and made smooth—uses the exact phrase 'way of the righteous,' highlighting the motif of a right path for the upright.
Alternative generated candidates
- So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.
- So you may walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.
Pro.2.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- ישרים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- ישכנו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ותמימים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יותרו: VERB,qal,imprf,3,m,pl
- בה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 10:30 (verbal): Similar wording and idea: the righteous are established and will not be removed, contrasted with the fate of the wicked—echoes ‘upright’/‘dwell’ language.
- Psalm 37:29 (verbal): Nearly identical motif and phrasing: 'The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever,' directly paralleling inheritance and dwelling of the upright.
- Psalm 37:11 (verbal): Speaks of the meek inheriting the land and delighting in peace—a closely related promise about the righteous receiving the land.
- Matthew 5:5 (quotation): Jesus' beatitude 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth' echoes the Old Testament promise that the righteous/meek will inherit the land.
- Isaiah 60:21 (thematic): Prophetic assurance that God's people—described as righteous—will inherit the land forever; develops the theme of righteous permanence in the land.
Alternative generated candidates
- For the upright will dwell in the land, and the blameless will remain in it;
- For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it.
Pro.2.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ורשעים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יכרתו: VERB,niphal,imf,3,m,pl
- ובוגדים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יסחו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ממנה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 37:9 (verbal): Uses the same language/idea that evildoers will be 'cut off' from the land/heritage, paralleling the fate of the wicked in Prov 2:22.
- Psalm 37:22 (verbal): Contrasts the blessed inheriting the land with the cursed being 'cut off,' closely echoing Prov 2:22's pairing of the righteous’ inheritance and the wicked’s removal.
- Proverbs 10:30 (verbal): Declares the righteous will not be removed while the wicked will not dwell in the land—a near verbal and thematic parallel to Prov 2:22’s removal of the wicked.
- Proverbs 12:7 (verbal): States that the wicked are overthrown and gone, whereas the house of the righteous stands—similar language of the wicked’s destruction and the righteous’ stability found in Prov 2:22.
- Matthew 13:49-50 (thematic): Jesus’ parable describes angels separating and removing the wicked from among the righteous at the end of the age, thematically paralleling Prov 2:22’s removal/rooting out of evildoers.
Alternative generated candidates
- but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.
- But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted from it.
My son, if you accept my words and treasure my commandments within you,
to make your ear attentive to wisdom and to incline your heart to understanding,
if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity.
He guards the paths of justice and preserves the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path.
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will watch over you; understanding will guard you,
to deliver you from the way of the wicked, from men who speak perverse things,
who abandon the straight path to walk in ways of darkness,
who delight in doing wrong and take pleasure in the perversity of evil,
whose paths are crooked and whose ways are twisted.
To deliver you from the adulterous woman, from the foreigner whose words are smooth,
who has left the companion of her youth and forgotten the covenant of her God.
For her house inclines to death, and her paths to the dead.
All who go to her do not return, nor do they find the paths of life. So you may walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.
For the upright will dwell in the land, and the blameless will remain in it. But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the faithless will be uprooted from it.