Proverbs

Proverbs 26:17–22

¹⁷Like one who grabs a dog by the ears

is a passerby who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

¹⁸Like a madman shooting firebrands

and deadly arrows,

¹⁹so is the man who deceives his neighbor

and says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰Without wood, a fire goes out;

without gossip, a conflict ceases.

²¹Like charcoal for embers and wood for fire,

so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

²²The words of a gossip are like choice morsels

that go down into the inmost being.

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
Like one who grabs	מַחֲזִ֥יק	ma·ḥă·zîq	Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular	H2388 be or grow firm, strong, strengthen
a dog	כָ֑לֶב	ḵā·leḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H3611 dog
by the ears	בְּאָזְנֵי־	bə·’ā·zə·nê-	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine dual construct	H241 ear
is a passerby	עֹבֵ֥ר	‘ō·ḇêr	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
who meddles	מִ֝תְעַבֵּ֗ר	miṯ·‘ab·bêr	Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
in	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
a quarrel	רִ֥יב	rîḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H7379 strife, dispute
not	לֹּֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
his own	לֽוֹ׃	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Like a madman	כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ	kə·miṯ·lah·lê·ah	Preposition-k; Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine singular	H3856 languish, faint
shooting	הַיֹּרֶ֥ה	hay·yō·reh	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H3384 throw, shoot
firebrands	זִקִּ֗ים	ziq·qîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2131 leaps, flash, arrow
and deadly	וָמָֽוֶת׃	wā·mā·weṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H4194 death
arrows	חִצִּ֥ים	ḥiṣ·ṣîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2671 arrow

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
so	כֵּֽן־	kên-	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest
is the man	אִ֭ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
who deceives	רִמָּ֣ה	rim·māh	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7411 cast, shoot
his neighbor	רֵעֵ֑הוּ	rê·‘ê·hū	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7453 shouting, roar
and says	וְ֝אָמַ֗ר	wə·’ā·mar	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
I	אָֽנִי׃	’ā·nî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
was only	הֲ‍ֽלֹא־	hălō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
joking	מְשַׂחֵ֥ק	mə·śa·ḥêq	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H7832 laugh

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Without	בְּאֶ֣פֶס	bə·’e·p̄es	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H657 the two extremities
wood	עֵ֭צִים	‘ê·ṣîm	Noun - masculine plural	H6086 tree, trees, wood
a fire	אֵ֑שׁ	’êš	Noun - common singular	H784 fire
goes out	תִּכְבֶּה־	tiḵ·beh-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3518 be quenched, extinguished, go out
without	וּבְאֵ֥ין	ū·ḇə·’ên	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
gossip	נִ֝רְגָּ֗ן	nir·gān	Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular	H7279 murmur, whisper
a conflict	מָדֽוֹן׃	mā·ḏō·wn	Noun - masculine singular	H4066 strife, contention
ceases	יִשְׁתֹּ֥ק	yiš·tōq	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H8367 be quiet

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Like charcoal	פֶּחָ֣ם	pe·ḥām	Noun - masculine singular	H6352 coal
for embers	לְ֭גֶחָלִים	lə·ḡe·ḥā·lîm	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine plural	H1513 ember
and wood	וְעֵצִ֣ים	wə·‘ê·ṣîm	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural	H6086 tree, trees, wood
for fire	לְאֵ֑שׁ	lə·’êš	Preposition-l; Noun - common singular	H784 fire
so is a quarrelsome	מְדוֹנִים	mə·ḏō·nīm	Noun - masculine plural	H4066 strife, contention
man	וְאִ֥ישׁ	wə·’îš	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H376 man
for kindling	לְחַרְחַר־	lə·ḥar·ḥar-	Preposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H2787 be hot, scorched, burn poet
strife	רִֽיב׃פ	rîḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H7379 strife, dispute

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The words	דִּבְרֵ֣י	diḇ·rê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1697 speech, word
of a gossip	נִ֭רְגָּן	nir·gān	Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular	H7279 murmur, whisper
are like choice morsels	כְּמִֽתְלַהֲמִ֑ים	kə·miṯ·la·hă·mîm	Preposition-k; Verb - Hitpael - Participle - masculine plural	H3859 swallow greedily
that	וְ֝הֵ֗ם	wə·hêm	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person masculine plural	H1992 they, them
go down	יָרְד֥וּ	yā·rə·ḏū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H3381 come or go down, descend
into the inmost being	חַדְרֵי־	ḥaḏ·rê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H2315 chamber, room