Warnings: Surety, Laziness, and Wickedness
Proverbs 6:1-19
Pro.6.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- אם: CONJ
- ערבת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- לרעך: PREP
- תקעת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- לזר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כפיך: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 22:26-27 (verbal): Directly echoes the warning against becoming a guarantor/surety for another; similar wording and the practical consequence of losing one’s security if unable to pay.
- Proverbs 11:15 (thematic): Same theme—warning that acting as surety for a stranger brings trouble, while avoiding suretyship preserves security.
- Proverbs 17:18 (verbal): Uses the image of 'striking hands' and becoming surety in the presence of a friend, closely paralleling the foolishness of putting oneself under another’s obligation.
- Proverbs 20:16 (verbal): Speaks of taking a garment as pledge for a stranger, connecting the legal/financial practice of pledges/suretyship discussed in Prov 6:1.
- Deuteronomy 24:10-13 (structural): Legal instruction about taking and returning a neighbor’s pledge; provides the covenant-law background for concerns about pledges and guarantees reflected in Proverbs.
Alternative generated candidates
- My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor—if you have put your hand to a stranger,
- My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, if you have bound your hand for a stranger,
Pro.6.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נוקשת: VERB,qal,ptc,3,f,sg
- באמרי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cs
- פיך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- נלכדת: VERB,niphal,perf,2,f,sg
- באמרי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,cs
- פיך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
Parallels
- Proverbs 13:3 (verbal): Both verses warn that speech can bring ruin: guarding the mouth preserves life, while opening the lips leads to disaster, echoing being 'snared by the words of your mouth.'
- Proverbs 18:21 (thematic): States that 'death and life are in the power of the tongue,' thematically paralleling the idea that words can entrap or determine one's fate.
- Proverbs 5:22 (thematic): Speaks of being caught in the cords of one's iniquity; parallels the image of being ensnared—here specifically by one's own words in Prov 6:2.
- Matthew 12:36–37 (allusion): Jesus teaches that people will give account for every idle word and be justified or condemned by their words, linking speech to moral/eschatological consequence as in Prov 6:2.
- James 3:5–6 (thematic): Describes the tongue as a small member that can set a course of destruction, resonating with Proverbs' warning that speech can snare and bring harm.
Alternative generated candidates
- you are snared by the words of your mouth; you are trapped by the words of your mouth.
- you are snared by the words of your mouth; you are taken by the words of your mouth.
Pro.6.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- זאת: DEM,f,sg
- אפוא: PART
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- והנצל: VERB,qal,imp,2,ms
- כי: CONJ
- באת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- בכף: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,construct
- רעך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- התרפס: VERB,hithpael,imp,2,ms
- ורהב: VERB,qal,imp,2,ms
- רעיך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 6:1-5 (structural): Immediate context: the same admonition against becoming surety (pledging for another) and the counsel to act quickly and humbly to free oneself.
- Proverbs 17:18 (verbal): Similar wording and theme — reproves the folly of giving pledges or becoming surety for another and the danger that follows.
- Proverbs 22:26-27 (thematic): Same practical warning against joining in surety for another's debt and the peril of losing one’s possessions as a result.
- Proverbs 11:15 (thematic): Echoes the risk of becoming a guarantor: one who becomes surety for a stranger suffers, while avoiding surety brings security.
- Deuteronomy 24:10-13 (allusion): Legal background on pledges: rules for taking and returning collateral (e.g., a cloak) reflect the ancient social/legal setting underlying Proverbs’ advice about securing one’s release from a pledge.
Alternative generated candidates
- So do this, my son, and deliver yourself: since you have come into your neighbor’s hand, go, humble yourself and plead with your neighbor.
- So do this now, my son, and rescue yourself: since you have gone into your neighbor’s hand, go, humble yourself, and beseech your neighbor.
Pro.6.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אל: NEG
- תתן: VERB,qal,imprf,2,_,sg
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לעיניך: PREP
- ותנומה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לעפעפיך: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 6:9-11 (verbal): Immediate continuation of the same admonition—repeats the phrase 'a little sleep, a little slumber' and warns that sloth leads to poverty and ruin, directly linked to 6:4's prohibition against giving sleep to the eyes.
- Proverbs 24:33-34 (verbal): Uses the same motif and near-verbatim language ('a little sleep, a little slumber') to describe the sluggard's neglect and the resulting poverty—a clear parallel in imagery and warning.
- Proverbs 20:13 (thematic): Admonishes against loving sleep and links excessive sleep to want and loss, echoing the moral consequence of granting 'sleep to your eyes' in Prov 6:4.
- Proverbs 19:15 (thematic): States that laziness brings deep sleep and that an idle person suffers hunger—thematically connected to the warning in Prov 6:4 about avoiding sleep that leads to negligence and harm.
Alternative generated candidates
- Do not give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
- Do not give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
Pro.6.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הנצל: VERB,niphal,imp,2,m,sg
- כצבי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מיד: PREP
- וכצפור: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מיד: PREP
- יקוש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 124:7 (verbal): ’Our soul escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers’ — near-verbatim bird-and-snare imagery of escape, closely echoing Prov 6:5’s fowler metaphor.
- Psalm 91:3 (verbal): ’Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler’ — same ’snare/fowler’ language applied to deliverance, a strong verbal parallel.
- Proverbs 27:12 (thematic): ’The prudent foresees the evil and hides himself’ — thematic parallel urging self-preservation and taking action to avoid danger, like Prov 6:5’s command to free oneself.
- Isaiah 31:5 (allusion): ’Like birds hovering, so will the LORD of hosts protect Jerusalem’ — uses bird imagery to portray swift protection/deliverance, echoing the metaphor of escape in Prov 6:5.
Alternative generated candidates
- Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter, like a bird from the fowler.
- Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Pro.6.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- נמלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- עצל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ראה: VERB,qal,imperat,2,m,sg
- דרכיה: NOUN,f,pl,abs+3,f,sg
- וחכם: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.30:25 (verbal): Also mentions the ant (נמלה) as an example of industriousness; closely parallels the image and point of observing the ant's ways.
- Prov.10:5 (thematic): “He who gathers in summer is a prudent son” echoes the ant's seasonal industry and the virtue of timely, diligent labor.
- Prov.24:30-34 (thematic): A contrast scene describing the sluggard's neglected field and its consequences; serves as a complementary warning to the admonition to learn from the ant.
- 2 Thess.3:10 (thematic): “If anyone will not work, let him not eat” reflects the New Testament application of the same ethic of personal industry and responsibility urged in Prov.6:6.
Alternative generated candidates
- Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise.
- Go to the ant, sluggard; consider her ways and be wise.
Pro.6.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אין: PART,neg
- לה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- קצין: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שטר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומשל: CONJ+PREP+VERB,qal,inf
Parallels
- Prov.30:24-25 (verbal): Repeats the ant-image and its wisdom — 'ants... prepare their food in summer' — closely echoing Prov 6:6–8's point that the ant has no overseer yet prepares for the harvest.
- Prov.20:4 (verbal): Uses the same harvest/harrow contrast: the sluggard won't plow in season and therefore begs at harvest, paralleling Prov 6:7–8's warning about the consequences of failing to prepare.
- Prov.10:4 (thematic): Contrasts diligence and laziness: 'slack hand' leads to poverty while the diligent prosper — same moral lesson as the ant-example in Prov 6:7 about self-motivated industry.
- 2 Thess.3:10 (thematic): New Testament ethical parallel: 'If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat,' enforcing communal and moral expectations about work that echo Proverbs' rebuke of sloth.
- Matt.25:14-30 (thematic): Parable of the talents stresses responsible, proactive stewardship in the master's absence; thematically parallels the ant's self-directed preparedness when no overseer is present.
Alternative generated candidates
- She has no commander, overseer, or ruler,
- She has no commander, officer, or ruler,
Pro.6.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- תכין: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- בקיץ: PREP
- לחמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אגרה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- בקציר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מאכלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.30:25 (verbal): Explicitly recalls the ant and uses nearly identical language about preparing food in summer and gathering in harvest—close verbal parallel and repetition of the same proverb.
- Prov.6:6 (structural): Immediate context: the command to 'go to the ant, you sluggard' introduces the ant-example that is then exemplified in 6:8—structural and thematic precursor.
- Prov.10:5 (verbal): Uses the same seasonal imagery—'he who gathers in summer is a prudent son'—echoing the idea of timely preparation and provision.
- Prov.24:30-34 (thematic): Portrait of the sluggard's neglected field and ensuing want; contrasts the industrious preparation of the ant with the consequences of laziness—same moral theme of foresight and labor.
Alternative generated candidates
- yet she prepares her bread in summer; she gathers her food at harvest.
- yet she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.
Pro.6.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עד: PREP
- מתי: ADV,int
- עצל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תשכב: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- מתי: ADV,int
- תקום: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- משנתך: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,poss2,m
Parallels
- Proverbs 6:10-11 (structural): Immediate continuation of v.9; explains the consequence of prolonged sleep—poverty and ruin—completing the same admonition to arise.
- Proverbs 6:6-8 (thematic): Earlier in the same admonitory unit: urges the lazy to learn from the ant and prepare rather than sleep—same theme of industriousness versus sloth.
- Proverbs 24:30-34 (verbal): Parallel depiction of a sluggard’s field left in disrepair; v.33–34 repeats the challenge 'when will you arise?' echoing Prov.6:9's rhetorical question.
- Proverbs 26:13-16 (thematic): A satirical portrait of the lazy person who offers excuses and prefers sleep—develops the same motif of sloth and its absurd rationalizations.
- Proverbs 19:15 (thematic): Direct statement linking laziness with deep sleep and resulting want—echoes Prov.6:9’s warning about the dangers of prolonged sleep.
Alternative generated candidates
- How long, you sluggard, will you lie down? When will you rise from your sleep?
- How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
Pro.6.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מעט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שנות: NOUN,f,pl,cs
- מעט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תנומות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- מעט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חבק: VERB,qal,ptc,ms,sg
- ידים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לשכב: VERB,qal,inf
Parallels
- Proverbs 24:33-34 (verbal): Uses almost identical language—"a little sleep, a little slumber"—and the same warning that such slight rests lead to poverty and need.
- Proverbs 20:13 (thematic): Warnings against loving sleep and passing days in slumber; links excessive sleep with poverty and lack of provision.
- Proverbs 19:15 (thematic): States that slothfulness causes deep sleep and that the idle will suffer hunger—a closely related cause‑and‑effect portrayal of laziness.
- Proverbs 26:14 (structural): Another proverbal image of the sluggard’s inertia (turning on his bed/hinge); complements the scene of folded hands and reclining in Prov 6:10.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (thematic): New Testament admonition linking refusal to work with lack of food—echoes the ethical consequence of laziness implicit in Proverbs 6:10–11.
Alternative generated candidates
- A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
- A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
Pro.6.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כמהלך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ראשך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,m
- ומחסרך: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- כאיש: PREP
- מגן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.24:34 (verbal): Nearly identical wording—'poverty will come on you like a robber, scarcity like an armed man'—a direct reiteration of the sudden onset of want because of sloth.
- Prov.20:4 (thematic): Sluggards who do not plow in season find nothing at harvest—same cause-and-effect theme: laziness leads to lack when need comes.
- Prov.10:4 (thematic): 'Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth'—a general proverb linking idleness to poverty, echoing the outcome in Prov 6:11.
- Prov.13:4 (thematic): 'The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied'—emphasizes that sloth results in unmet need, parallel to the verse's warning.
Alternative generated candidates
- and your poverty will come upon you like a robber, your want like an armed man.
- and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
Pro.6.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בליעל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- איש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- און: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הולך: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg
- עקשות: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- פה: ADV
Parallels
- Proverbs 4:24 (verbal): Commands to put away 'perversity' from the mouth (מני עקות פה) echo the same concern and vocabulary about a perverse mouth in Prov 6:12.
- Proverbs 10:31-32 (verbal): Contrasts the mouth of the righteous with the 'perverse tongue' and the perverse speech of the wicked — a close lexical parallel to the perverse mouth of Prov 6:12.
- Proverbs 2:14-15 (thematic): Describes those who delight in doing evil, rejoice in perverseness, and walk in crooked ways — thematically akin to the 'man of iniquity' who walks with a perverse mouth.
- Psalm 12:2-3 (thematic): Speaks of flattering lips, double hearts, and deceitful speech among the wicked, paralleling the focus on corrupt and perverse speech in Prov 6:12.
- 1 Samuel 2:12 (verbal): Refers to the 'sons of Belial' (בני בליעל) to describe morally corrupt men — a direct verbal parallel to the term 'אדם בליעל' in Prov 6:12.
Alternative generated candidates
- A worthless man, a man of wickedness, walks with a perverse mouth;
- A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth;
Pro.6.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- קרץ: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- בעינו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- מלל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ברגלו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m
- מרה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- באצבעתיו: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs,3,m
Parallels
- Prov.6.12-15 (structural): Immediate context — the description continues the portrait of the wicked/treacherous man (winking, perverse heart, devising evil, bringing ruin).
- Prov.26.23-26 (verbal): Another proverb linking outward smoothness/gestures (flattering lips, pleasant speech) with inward malice and deceit — similar contrast of external signs and hidden wickedness.
- Prov.5.3-6 (thematic): Warning against the seductive stranger whose words and looks entice; parallels the use of gestures and signals to entice or deceive.
- Ps.12:2 (verbal): Speaks of flattering lips and a double heart — parallels the theme of deceitful speech and duplicity implied by winking and secret signals.
Alternative generated candidates
- he winks with his eyes, utters perverse things with his feet, signals with his fingers;
- he winks with his eye, signals with his foot, and points with his fingers.
Pro.6.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- תהפכות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- בלבו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- חרש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- מדינים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 6:12-15 (structural): Immediate context: the same compact description of a person who continually devises evil and will bring ruin on himself — same theme and closely related wording within the same unit.
- Proverbs 24:8 (verbal): Uses the phrase ‘deviseth mischief/evil’ to describe the wicked; a parallel proverb about plotting as the hallmark of the wicked.
- Psalm 7:14-16 (thematic): Speaks of one who ‘conceives mischief’ and brings forth falsehood, whose own plot returns on his head — closely parallels the theme of habitual plotting and its consequences.
- Romans 1:29 (thematic): The NT lists ‘inventors/framers of evil’ among vices, providing an ethical parallel to the habitual devising of wrongdoing described in Prov 6:14.
Alternative generated candidates
- tawdry schemes are in his heart; he plots evil continually and stirs up strife.
- He devises evil in his heart; at all times he plots discord.
Pro.6.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- על: PREP
- כן: ADV
- פתאם: ADV
- יבוא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אידו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,3ms-suff
- פתע: ADV
- ישבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- מרפא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Prov.29:1 (verbal): Nearly identical diction and thought: the stiff‑necked who refuse reproof 'will suddenly be broken beyond healing'—a direct verbal parallel within Proverbs emphasizing sudden, irreparable ruin.
- Deut.28:22 (verbal): Part of the covenant curses: God sends disease and affliction 'and none shall heal you.' Shares the motif and language of divine judgment resulting in no cure.
- Isa.47:11 (allusion): Isaiah depicts sudden, inescapable disaster for the arrogant city—ruin that comes unexpectedly and cannot be averted—echoing the theme of sudden destruction with no remedy.
- Prov.1:27–28 (thematic): Wisdom imagery of calamity coming like a storm or whirlwind when counsel is rejected; thematically parallels the warning that sudden disaster follows folly and there will be no rescue.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore calamity will come suddenly upon him; in an instant he will be broken—there is no healing.
- Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be broken—there is no healing.
Pro.6.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הנה: PART
- שנא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ושבע: NUM,m,sg,abs
- תועבת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נפשו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 11:5 (verbal): Uses similar wording about God’s inner disposition—'his soul hates'—and condemns the lover of violence, echoing the language and moral judgment of Prov 6:16.
- Proverbs 30:18–19 (structural): Shares the proverbial numerical formula (lists of things: 'three... and a fourth' vs. 'six... and seven'), showing the same genre of compact moral/ethical enumerations.
- Exodus 20:13,16 (thematic): Items in the Prov.6 list (shed innocent blood; false witness) correspond directly to the Decalogue prohibitions 'You shall not murder' and 'You shall not bear false witness.'
- Proverbs 16:28 (verbal): Echoes the condemnation of those who cause division: Prov 16:28 warns that a perverse person 'stirs up strife'—a close verbal and thematic parallel to 'one who sows discord among brothers' in Prov 6:19.
- James 3:16 (thematic): New Testament parallel: where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there is disorder and 'every vile practice,' resonating with Prov 6:19's denunciation of those who sow discord among brethren.
Alternative generated candidates
- Six things the LORD hates; yes, seven are an abomination to his soul:
- There are six things that the LORD hates, and seven that are an abomination to his soul:
Pro.6.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עינים: NOUN,f,du,abs
- רמות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- לשון: NOUN,f,sg,constr
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וידים: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- שפכות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- דם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נקי: ADJ,m,sg
Parallels
- Prov.6:16-19 (structural): The immediate context — the list of the seven things the LORD hates; v.17 repeats three of these items (haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood).
- Prov.12:22 (verbal): “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD” parallels the condemnation of a lying tongue in Prov.6:17 (same moral reproach against false speech).
- Psalm 101:5 (thematic): Speaks of haughty eyes and refusing to tolerate the proud and deceitful — parallels the condemnation of ‘haughty eyes’ in Prov.6:17.
- Isaiah 59:3-4 (thematic): Describes hands defiled with blood and tongues that speak deceit — closely parallels the combination of bloodshed and lying tongue in Prov.6:17.
- Genesis 9:5-6 (thematic): God’s requirement of accounting for human life and prohibition on shedding innocent blood echoes the moral gravity of ‘hands that shed innocent blood’ in Prov.6:17.
Alternative generated candidates
- haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
- haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro.6.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חרש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מחשבות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- און: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רגלים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ממהרות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- לרוץ: VERB,qal,inf
- לרעה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Proverbs 6:16-19 (structural): Verse 18 is part of this contiguous list of seven abominations (the whole catalogue includes 'a heart that devises wicked plans' and 'feet swift to run to mischief').
- Proverbs 6:12-15 (verbal): Same chapter describes the wicked man who 'plots evil' and 'conceives mischief'—parallel language and characterization of a scheming, harmful person.
- Proverbs 1:16 (verbal): Uses the closely similar phrase 'their feet run to evil' (or 'to shed blood' in some traditions), echoing the image of feet swift to run to wrongdoing.
- Isaiah 59:7 (verbal): Combines the motifs of corrupt thoughts and active wrongdoing: 'their feet run to evil... their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity,' closely paralleling heart/thinkers and feet/runners language.
- Romans 1:29 (thematic): New Testament catalogue of vices (malice, deceit, wickedness, envy, murder, etc.) thematically parallels the depiction of a heart devising evil and persons eager to run to mischief.
Alternative generated candidates
- a heart that devises wicked plans, feet swift to run to evil,
- a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are quick to run to evil,
Pro.6.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יפיח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- כזבים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עד: PREP
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומשלח: VERB,qal,ptc,ms,sg
- מדנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בין: PREP
- אחים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Prov.16:28 (verbal): Uses near-verbal language about one who 'sows strife' and a 'whisperer' who separates friends—close proverbial parallel condemning causing division.
- Prov.26:20-22 (verbal): Speaks of a talebearer and how absence of one ends contention; likens a talebearer's words to fire/wounds, echoing the destructive role of sowing discord.
- Lev.19:16 (allusion): Mosaic law forbids acting as a talebearer among the people—legal/ethical background for the Proverbs' denunciation of fomenting discord.
- Rom.16:17 (thematic): Paul urges believers to watch for and avoid those who cause divisions and create obstacles to sound teaching—New Testament application of the prohibition against sowing discord among brethren.
- James 3:16 (thematic): Connects envying and strife with confusion and every evil work, highlighting the destructive communal consequences of quarrels and divisive speech.
Alternative generated candidates
- a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
- a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, if you have struck your hand for a stranger,
you are snared by the words of your mouth; you are caught by the words of your mouth.
Then do this, my son, and deliver yourself—since you have come into your neighbor's hand: go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor.
Do not give sleep to your eyes, or slumber to your eyelids;
deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter's hand, like a bird from the fowler's snare.
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.
She has no commander, overseer, or ruler,
yet she prepares her bread in summer; she gathers her food in harvest.
How long, O sluggard, will you lie down? When will you arise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
and your poverty will come upon you like a robber, and your want like an armed man.
A worthless person, a man of wickedness, walks with a perverse mouth;
he winks with his eye, signals with his feet, points with his fingers.
He devises evil in his heart; at all times he plots discord.
Therefore sudden calamity will come upon him; in an instant he will be broken—there is no healing.
There are six things that the LORD hates, and seven that are an abomination to his soul:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift to run to evil,
a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.