Proverbs

Proverbs 2:12–19

¹²to deliver you from the way of evil,

from the man who speaks perversity,

¹³from those who leave the straight paths

to walk in the ways of darkness,

¹⁴from those who enjoy doing evil

and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,

¹⁵whose paths are crooked

and whose ways are devious.

¹⁶It will rescue you from the forbidden woman,^a

from the stranger^b with seductive words

¹⁷who abandons the partner of her youth

and forgets the covenant of her God.

¹⁸For her house sinks down to death,

and her tracks to the departed spirits.^c

¹⁹None who go to her return

or negotiate the paths of life.

Footnotes

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
to deliver you	לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ	lə·haṣ·ṣî·lə·ḵā	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct; second person masculine singular	H5337 strip, plunder
from the way	מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ	mid·de·reḵ	Preposition-m; Noun - common singular	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
of evil	רָ֑ע	rā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
from the man	מֵ֝אִ֗ישׁ	mê·’îš	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
who speaks	מְדַבֵּ֥ר	mə·ḏab·bêr	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H1696 speak
perversity	תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃	tah·pu·ḵō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H8419 perversity, fraud

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
from those who leave	הַ֭עֹ֣זְבִים	ha·‘ō·zə·ḇîm	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H5800 leave, forsake, loose
the straight	יֹ֑שֶׁר	yō·šer	Noun - masculine singular	H3476 straightness, uprightness
paths	אָרְח֣וֹת	’ā·rə·ḥō·wṯ	Noun - common plural construct	H734 way, path
to walk	לָ֝לֶ֗כֶת	lā·le·ḵeṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1980 go, come, walk
in the ways	בְּדַרְכֵי־	bə·ḏar·ḵê-	Preposition-b; Noun - common plural construct	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
of darkness	חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃	ḥō·šeḵ	Noun - masculine singular	H2822 darkness, obscurity

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
from those who enjoy	הַ֭שְּׂמֵחִים	haś·śə·mê·ḥîm	Article; Adjective - masculine plural	H8056 glad, joyful, merry
doing	לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת	la·‘ă·śō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6213 do, make
evil	רָ֑ע	rā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
and rejoice	יָ֝גִ֗ילוּ	yā·ḡî·lū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1523 rejoice
in the twistedness	בְּֽתַהְפֻּכ֥וֹת	bə·ṯah·pu·ḵō·wṯ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine plural construct	H8419 perversity, fraud
of evil	רָֽע׃	rā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
whose	אֲשֶׁ֣ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
paths	אָרְחֹתֵיהֶ֣ם	’ā·rə·ḥō·ṯê·hem	Noun - common plural construct; third person masculine plural	H734 way, path
are crooked	עִקְּשִׁ֑ים	‘iq·qə·šîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H6141 twisted, perverted
and whose ways	בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָֽם׃	bə·ma‘·gə·lō·w·ṯām	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine plural	H4570 entrenchment
are devious	וּ֝נְלוֹזִ֗ים	ū·nə·lō·w·zîm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural	H3868 turn aside, depart

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
It will rescue you	לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ	lə·haṣ·ṣî·lə·ḵā	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct; second person masculine singular	H5337 strip, plunder
from the forbidden	זָרָ֑ה	zā·rāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H2114 be a stranger
woman	מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה	mê·’iš·šāh	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
from the stranger	מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה	min·nā·ḵə·rî·yāh	Preposition-m; Adjective - feminine singular	H5237 foreign, alien
with seductive	הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃	he·ḥĕ·lî·qāh	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H2505 divide, share
words	אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ	’ă·mā·re·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H561 something said

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
who abandons	הַ֭עֹזֶבֶת	ha·‘ō·ze·ḇeṯ	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular	H5800 leave, forsake, loose
the partner	אַלּ֣וּף	’al·lūp̄	Noun - masculine singular construct	H441 tame
of her youth	נְעוּרֶ֑יהָ	nə·‘ū·re·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H5271 youth, juvenility, young
and forgets	שָׁכֵֽחָה׃	šā·ḵê·ḥāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H7911 forget
the covenant	בְּרִ֖ית	bə·rîṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H1285 covenant
of her God	אֱלֹהֶ֣יהָ	’ĕ·lō·he·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H430 God

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
her house	בֵּיתָ֑הּ	bê·ṯāh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H1004 house
sinks down	שָׁ֣חָה	šā·ḥāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H7743 sink down
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
death	מָ֣וֶת	mā·weṯ	Noun - masculine singular	H4194 death
and her tracks	מַעְגְּלֹתֶֽיהָ׃	ma‘·gə·lō·ṯe·hā	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H4570 entrenchment
to	וְאֶל־	wə·’el-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H413 motion to
the departed spirits	רְ֝פָאִ֗ים	rə·p̄ā·’îm	Noun - masculine plural	H7496 lax, ghost, dead

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
None	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
who go to her	בָּ֭אֶיהָ	bā·’e·hā	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
return	יְשׁוּב֑וּן	yə·šū·ḇūn	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; Paragogic nun	H7725 turn back, return
negotiate	יַ֝שִּׂ֗יגוּ	yaś·śî·ḡū	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5381 reach, overtake
the paths	אָרְח֥וֹת	’ā·rə·ḥō·wṯ	Noun - common plural construct	H734 way, path
of life	חַיִּֽים׃	ḥay·yîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2416 alive, living