Proverbs

Proverbs 26:20–23

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.

²³Like glaze covering an earthen vessel

are burning^b lips and a wicked heart.

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
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

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Like glaze	כֶּ֣סֶף	ke·sep̄	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3701 silver, money
covering	מְצֻפֶּ֣ה	mə·ṣup·peh	Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular	H6823 lay out, lay over
an earthen vessel	חָ֑רֶשׂ	ḥā·reś	Noun - masculine singular	H2789 earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd, potsherd
are burning	דֹּלְקִ֣ים	dō·lə·qîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H1814 burn
lips	שְׂפָתַ֖יִם	śə·p̄ā·ṯa·yim	Noun - fd	H8193 lip, speech, edge
and a wicked	רָֽע׃	rā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
heart	וְלֶב־	wə·leḇ-	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart