Proverbs

Proverbs 2:16–22

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.

²⁰So you will follow in the ways of the good,

and keep to the paths of the righteous.

²¹For the upright will inhabit the land,

and the blameless will remain in it;

²²but the wicked will be cut off from the land,

and the unfaithful will be uprooted.

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
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

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So	לְמַ֗עַן	lə·ma·‘an	Conjunction	H4616 purpose, intent
you will follow	תֵּ֭לֵךְ	tê·lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
in the ways	בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ	bə·ḏe·reḵ	Preposition-b; Noun - common singular construct	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
of the good	טוֹבִ֑ים	ṭō·w·ḇîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
and keep to	תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃	tiš·mōr	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H8104 keep, watch, preserve
the paths	וְאָרְח֖וֹת	wə·’ā·rə·ḥō·wṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - common plural construct	H734 way, path
of the righteous	צַדִּיקִ֣ים	ṣad·dî·qîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H6662 just, righteous

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the upright	יְשָׁרִ֥ים	yə·šā·rîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H3477 straight, right
will inhabit	יִשְׁכְּנוּ	yiš·kə·nū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7931 settle down, abide, dwell
the land	אָ֑רֶץ	’ā·reṣ	Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
and the blameless	וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים	ū·ṯə·mî·mîm	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine plural	H8549 complete, sound
will remain	יִוָּ֥תְרוּ	yiw·wā·ṯə·rū	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3498 remain over
in it	בָֽהּ׃	ḇāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
but the wicked	וּ֭רְשָׁעִים	ū·rə·šā·‘îm	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine plural	H7563 wicked, criminal
will be cut off	יִכָּרֵ֑תוּ	yik·kā·rê·ṯū	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3772 cut off, cut down
from	מִמֶּֽנָּה׃פ	mim·men·nāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the land	מֵאֶ֣רֶץ	mê·’e·reṣ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
and the unfaithful	וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים	ū·ḇō·wḡ·ḏîm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H898 act or deal treacherously
be uprooted	יִסְּח֥וּ	yis·sə·ḥū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5255 pull or tear away