Wisdom Principles

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Proverbs 6:6-11, annotated.

This translation is from the New Jerusalem Bible. Other translations are available here. Information about the original Hebrew meaning of what seem to be the key words is provided immediately below the scriptural text. A collection of scriptures dealing with similar principles is hyperlinked at the end of this post.

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Idler, go to the ant; ponder her ways and grow wise: ⁷no one gives her orders, no overseer, no master, ⁸yet all through the summer she gets her food ready, and gathers her supplies at harvest time.

⁹How long do you intend to lie there, idler? When are you going to rise from your sleep? ¹⁰A little sleep, a little drowsiness, a little folding of the arms to lie back, ¹¹and poverty comes like a vagrant and, like a beggar, dearth.

Idler = עָצֵל = ʿāṣēl Blue Letter Bible sluggish, lazy, indolent, slothful

go = יָלַךְ = yālaḵ Blue Letter Bible go, walk, come; lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk; journey; proceed

ponder = רָאָה= rā'â Blue Letter Bible to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider; learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out; consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish; gaze at; enjoy, have experience, take heed; spy, stare; enjoy the light; be pleased with the sight; provide or care for, go to see

grow wise = חָכַם = ḥāḵam Blue Letter Bible be wise; become wise; act wisely; be made wise; show oneself wise, show one's wisdom; make wiser; deal wisely; to judge, rule;

gets ready= כּוּן = kûn Blue Letter Bible to be firm, be stable, be established; to be fixed, be securely determined; to prepare, be ready; to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up; make provision; to direct; be right, fit, sincere, firm, constant; sure; established, confirmed; enduring; direct one’s face toward; arrange, order

gathers = אָגַר = 'āḡar Blue Letter Bible gather; collect; harvest; gain, profit

lie = שָׁכַב = šāḵaḇ Blue Letter Bible to lie down; rest, relax; sleep; prostrate; pour out

idler = עָצֵל = ʿāṣēl Blue Letter Bible sluggish, lazy, indolent, slothful

arise = קוּם = qûm Blue Letter Bible to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up after lying down (sleep, sickness, mourning, etc.), after falling, after being smitten, wounded, etc., from sitting, reclining, especially at meals; be clearer; get up; pitch; rouse up; stir up; go forth; flourish; persevere; arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed; bring on the scene

sleep = שֵׁנָא = šēnā' Blue Letter Bible sleep, dream

A little = מְעַט = mᵊʿaṭ Blue Letter Bible littleness, few, a little, fewness; small; short, shortly; hardly; lightly; small thing

sleep = שֵׁנָא = šēnā' Blue Letter Bible sleep, dream

A little = מְעַט = mᵊʿaṭ Blue Letter Bible littleness, few, a little, fewness; small; short, shortly; hardly; lightly; small thing

drowsiness = תְּנוּמָה = tᵊnûmâ Blue Letter Bible slumber, slumberings, sleep; being asleep

A little = מְעַט = mᵊʿaṭ Blue Letter Bible littleness, few, a little, fewness; small; short, shortly; hardly; lightly; small thing

folding = חִבֻּק = ḥibuq Blue Letter Bible fold (hands), a folding (of the hands), clasping (of the hands);

of laziness (fig.); a clasping of the hands (in idleness); marking the lazy

lie back = שָׁכַב = šāḵaḇ Blue Letter Bible to lie down; rest, relax; sleep; prostrate; pour out

comes = בּוֹא = bô' Blue Letter Bible to go in, enter, come, go, come in; to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring upon; carry; fetch; follow; entering into specific relations; walk, associate with; attain to; cause to come in, gather; cause to come; brought in; eat; have intercourse with; come to pass, be fulfilled, accomplished; lead, bring in; gather (harvest)

vagrant= הָלַךְ = halak Blue Letter Bible to go; proceed, move; enter; follow; go along; proceed; to go with, have intercourse with; to go after; pursue; live, manner of life; go on, go forward; traverse; march; flow, be poured out

beggar = אִישׁ = 'îš Blue Letter Bible champion; great man; mighty man

AND

מָגֵן = māḡēn Blue Letter Bible shield, buckler; figuratively, a protector; also the scaly hide of the crocodile; defence; ruler

dearth = מַחְסוֹר = maḥsôr Blue Letter Bible need, poverty, thing needed; want; deficiency; impoverishment; lack; need; penury; want

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Wisdom Principles: Diligence & Working

Proverbs 6:12-19, annotated

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A scoundrel, a vicious man, he goes with a leer on his lips, ¹³winking his eye, shuffling his foot, beckoning with his finger.

¹⁴Trickery in his heart, always scheming evil, he sows dissension. ¹⁵Disaster will overtake him sharply for this, suddenly, irretrievably, he will be broken.

¹⁶There are six things that Yahweh hates, seven that he abhors: ¹⁷a haughty look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸a heart that weaves wicked plots, feet that hurry to do evil, ¹⁹a false witness who lies with every breath, and one who sows dissension among brothers.

scoundrel = בְּלִיַּעַל = bᵊlîyaʿal Blue Letter Bible worthless, good for nothing, unprofitable, base fellow; wicked; without profit; ungodly; wickedness, vileness

vicious = אָוֶן = 'āven Blue Letter Bible trouble, wickedness, sorrow; sorrow; idolatry; to exert oneself, usually in vain; come to naught; nothingness; trouble, vanity; affliction, evil; sorrow, unjust, unrighteousness; emptiness, vanity; falsehood, fraud; misfortune, adverse circumstances; lightness, easiness, living at ease, riches, wealth, ability

goes = הָלַךְ = halak Blue Letter Bible to go; proceed, move; enter; follow; go along; proceed; to go with, have intercourse with; to go after; pursue; live, manner of life; go on, go forward; traverse; march; flow, be poured out

leer = עִקְּשׁוּת = ʿiqqᵊšûṯ Blue Letter Bible distortion, crookedness; perversity, frowardness

trickery = תַּהְפֻּכוֹת = tahpuḵôṯ Blue Letter Bible perversity; deceit, fraud; foolishness

heart = לֵב = lēḇ Blue Letter Bible inner man, mind, will, understanding; midst; soul; mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory; inclination, resolution, determination (of will); conscience; seat of appetites, emotions, passions, courage; feelings, the will and even the intellect; the centre of anything

scheming = חָרַשׁ = ḥāraš Blue Letter Bible to cut in, plough, engrave; devise; to be silent, be dumb, be speechless, be deaf; keep quiet; to remain silent

evil = רַע = raʿ Blue Letter Bible bad, evil, disagreeable, malignant, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery, displeasing; sad, unhappy; hurtful; unkind, vicious in disposition, wicked (ethically)

send = שָׁלַח = šālaḥ Blue Letter Bible stretch out; extend, direct; to shoot forth (of branches); reach forth; sow, spread, stretch forth; to send, send away; to let loose; to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out or away; to let go, set free; to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled; forsake, give (up); eave, let depart; drive cattle to pasture

dissension = מְדָן = mᵊḏān Blue Letter Bible strife, contention, discord

Disaster = אֵיד = 'êḏ Blue Letter Bible distress, burden, calamity; day of calamity; oppression; by implication heavy misfortune; ruin; destruction

overtake = בּוֹא = bô' Blue Letter Bible to go in, enter, come, go, come in; to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring upon; carry; fetch; follow; entering into specific relations; walk, associate with; attain to; cause to come in, gather; cause to come; brought in; eat; have intercourse with; come to pass, be fulfilled, accomplished; lead, bring in; gather (harvest)

sharply = פִּתְאֹם = piṯ'ōm Blue Letter Bible suddenly, surprisingly; in a moment

for this = עַל = ʿal Blue Letter Bible upon; beside; in addition to; together with; with; beyond, over (of excess); above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence); around (of contiguity or proximity); down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion); state of resting on; wearing or clothed with; something superadded; covering, protecting; surpassing, going beyond; a cause of; unto or towards; burden; incumbent on; in the manner of, in accordance with; elevation or pre-eminence; together with

suddenly = פֶּתַע = peṯaʿ Blue Letter Bible to open (the eyes); a wink, i.e. moment; quickly or unexpectedly; at an instant; suddenly; fortuitously

broken = שָׁבַר = šāḇar Blue Letter Bible to broken, maimed, crippled, wrecked, crushed; to break, break in pieces; break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench; rupture; shattered; destroyed, hurt, quenched; thoroughly broken; fractured of limb; maimed, crippled

haughty = רוּם = rûm Blue Letter Bible to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted; to lift up; exalt; set on high; hold up; raise, rear, cause to grow

look = עַיִן = ʿayin Blue Letter Bible eye; before my eyes; set one eyes on; spring, fountain

lying = שֶׁקֶר = šeqer Blue Letter Bible lie, deception, falsehood; deceit, fraud, fraudulently; an untruth; by implication, a sham; feignedly, liar, lie, lying, vain thing; wrong, wrongfully; injurious in testimony; betrays; self-deceived; disappointment

weaves = חָרַשׁ = ḥāraš Blue Letter Bible to cut in, plough, engrave; devise; to be silent, be dumb, be speechless, be deaf; keep quiet; to remain silent

wicked = אָוֶן = 'āven Blue Letter Bible trouble, wickedness, sorrow; sorrow; idolatry; to exert oneself, usually in vain; come to naught; nothingness; trouble, vanity; affliction, evil; sorrow, unjust, unrighteousness; emptiness, vanity; falsehood, fraud; misfortune, adverse circumstances; lightness, easiness, living at ease, riches, wealth, ability

plots = מַחֲשָׁבָה = maḥăšāḇâ Blue Letter Bible thought; intention; device; plan, purpose; invention; contrivance; imagination; projects

hurry = מָהַר = māhar Blue Letter Bible hasten, make haste; to be hurried, be anxious, timid; prepare quickly, do quickly, bring quickly; skillful, apt; prompt; speedy, swift

false = שֶׁקֶר = šeqer Blue Letter Bible lie, deception, falsehood; deceit, fraud, fraudulently; an untruth; by implication, a sham; feignedly, liar, lie, lying, vain thing; wrong, wrongfully; injurious in testimony; betrays; self-deceived; disappointment

lies = כָּזָב = kāzāḇ Blue Letter Bible a lie, untruth, falsehood, deceptive thing; deceitful, false; liar, lie, lying; anything that deceives

dissension = מְדָן = mᵊḏān Blue Letter Bible strife, contention, discord

Proverbs 6:20-35, annotated.

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Keep your father's precept, my child, do not spurn your mother's teaching.²¹Bind them ever to your heart, tie them round your neck.²²While you are active, they will guide you, when you fall asleep, they will watch over you, when you wake up, they will converse with you.²³For the precept is a lamp, the teaching is a light; correction and discipline are the way to life,²⁴preserving you from the woman of bad character, from the wheedling talk of a woman who belongs to another.

²⁵Do not covet her beauty in your heart or let her captivate you with the play of her eyes; ²⁶ a prostitute can be bought for a hunk of bread, but a married woman aims to snare a precious life.²⁷ Can a man carry fire inside his shirt without setting his clothes alight? ²⁸Can you walk on red-hot coals without burning your feet? ²⁹Just so, the man who makes love to his neighbor’s wife: no one who touches her will get off unpunished. ³⁰People attach but little blame to a thief who steals only to satisfy his hunger; ³¹yet even he, if caught, will have to repay sevenfold and hand over all his family resources.

³²But the adulterer has no sense; he works his own destruction. ³³All he will get is blows and contempt, and dishonor never to be blotted out. ³⁴For jealousy inflames the husband who will show no mercy when the day comes for revenge;³⁵he will not consider any compensation; lavish what gifts you may, he will not be placated.

keep = נָצַר = nāṣar Blue Letter Bible watch over; observe, guard with fidelity; kept close, be blockaded; protect, maintain, obey; preserve

father = אָב = 'āḇ Blue Letter Bible father of an individual; God as father of his people; head or founder of a household, group, family, or clan; ancestor; originator or patron of a class, profession, or art; producer, generator (fig.); author; generator; figure of benevolence and protection (fig.);bringer up, nourisher; master; teacher; term of respect and honour; ruler or chief (spec.); principal

precept = מִצְוָה = miṣvâ Blue Letter Bible commandment; law, ordinance, precept

child = בֵּן = bēn Blue Letter Bible son, grandson, child, member of a group; male child; young men; children (pl. - male and female); foster son; disciple; one related to a time, place, emotion, condition, status; term of kindliness or endearment; expression of intimate and gracious relation

teaching = תּוֹרָה = tôrâ Blue Letter Bible law; instruction, direction (human or divine); body of prophetic teaching; instruction in Messianic age; body of legal directives; custom, manner; the Deuteronomic or Mosaic Law; precept; statute; doctrine

bind = קָשַׁר = qāšar Blue Letter Bible to bind, tie, bind together, league together, conspire; confine; robust, vigorous

ever = תָּמִיד = tamiyd Blue Letter Bible continually, continuously; constant (or adverbially, constantly); alway(-s); perpetual

bind = עָנַד = ʿānaḏ Blue Letter Bible bind, tie up, bind around or upon; lace fast

neck = גַּרְגְּרוֹת = gargᵊrôṯ Blue Letter Bible neck, throat

active = הָלַךְ = halak Blue Letter Bible to go; proceed, move; enter; follow; go along; proceed; to go with, have intercourse with; to go after; pursue; live, manner of life; go on, go forward; traverse; march; flow, be poured out

guide = נָחָה = nachah Blue Letter Bible to lead, guide; by implication, to transport; govern

sleep = שָׁכַב = šāḵaḇ Blue Letter Bible to lie down; lodge; rest, relax; sleep; prostrate; pour out

watch = שָׁמַר = šāmar Blue Letter Bible keep, guard, observe, give heed; retain, treasure up (in memory); preserve; attend to

wake = קוּץ = qûṣ Blue Letter Bible awake, wake up; awaken, arouse, show signs of waking

converse = שִׂיחַ = śîaḥ Blue Letter Bible put forth, mediate, muse, commune, speak, complain, ponder; talk, sing, speak; meditate, consider, put forth thoughts; converse, utter, declare, pray

precept = מִצְוָה = miṣvâ Blue Letter Bible commandment; law, ordinance, precept

lamp = נִיר = nîr Blue Letter Bible from a primitive root properly, meaning to glisten; a lamp (i.e. the burner) or light (literally or figuratively); candle, lamp, light; guide

reproof = תּוֹכֵחָה = towkechah Blue Letter Bible rebuke, correction, reproof, punishment, chastisement; argument, impeachment; refutation; chiding; arguing down, contradicting

discipline = מוּסָר = muwcar Blue Letter Bible discipline, chastening, correction; reproof, warning or instruction; doctrine, instruction, rebuke; admonition; restraint

way = דֶּרֶךְ = dereḵ Blue Letter Bible way, road, distance, journey, manner; path; mode; habit, way; course of life; mode of action

life = חַי = ḥay Blue Letter Bible living, alive; green (of vegetation); flowing, fresh (of water); lively, active (of man); reviving (of the springtime); appetite; raw; springing; vigorous; prosperity, welfare; living one, fountain of life; community

preserving = שָׁמַר = šāmar Blue Letter Bible keep, guard, observe, give heed; retain, treasure up (in memory); preserve; attend to

covet = חָמַד = ḥāmaḏ Blue Letter Bible desire, covet, take pleasure in, delight in; covet, delectable thing; lust; find precious; praise, eulogize, approve of; inordinate, ungoverned, selfish desire; idolatrous tendency

captivate = לָקַח = lāqaḥ Blue Letter Bible to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire; take and carry along; take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away; take (in the widest variety of applications)