ra.qav describes decay, whether of wood selected to resist it or of the wicked person’s name.

The two attested clauses portray decay in contrasting subjects: wood chosen because it will not decay, and the name of the wicked as subject to decay.

1. Decay of material or a name · dominant

   Both occurrences use the Qal imperfect masculine singular form. In Isaiah 40:20 the form occurs in the clause about choosing wood that will not decay; in Proverbs 10:7 the APB renders the contrasting clause, “but the name of the wicked will rot.”

   Isaiah 40:20Proverbs 10:7

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the term as “rot” in both clauses: wood that “will not rot” in Isaiah 40:20 and the wicked person’s name that “will rot” in Proverbs 10:7. These renderings confirm the clauses' overall contrast rather than isolate every lexical detail.