Proverbs

Proverbs 5:15–21

¹⁵Drink water from your own cistern,

and running water from your own well.

¹⁶Why should your springs flow in the streets,

your streams of water in the public squares?

¹⁷Let them be yours alone,

never to be shared with strangers.

¹⁸May your fountain be blessed,

and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:

¹⁹A loving doe, a graceful fawn—

may her breasts satisfy you always;

may you be captivated^d by her love forever.

²⁰Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress,

or embrace the bosom of a stranger?^e

²¹For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD,

and the LORD examines^f all his paths.

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
Drink	שְׁתֵה־	šə·ṯêh-	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H8354 drink
water	מַ֥יִם	ma·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
from your own cistern	מִבּוֹרֶ֑ךָ	mib·bō·w·re·ḵā	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H953 pit, cistern, well
and running water	וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים	wə·nō·zə·lîm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H5140 flow, trickle, drop, distil
from	מִתּ֥וֹךְ	mit·tō·wḵ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8432 midst
your own well	בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃	bə·’ê·re·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H875 well, pit

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Why should your springs	מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ	ma‘·yə·nō·ṯe·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H4599 spring
flow	יָפ֣וּצוּ	yā·p̄ū·ṣū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6327 be dispersed, scattered
in the streets	ח֑וּצָה	ḥū·ṣāh	Noun - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H2351 the outside
your streams	פַּלְגֵי־	pal·ḡê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H6388 channel
of water	מָֽיִם׃	mā·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
in the public squares	בָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹת	bā·rə·ḥō·ḇō·wṯ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H7339 broad open place, plaza

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Let them be	יִֽהְיוּ־	yih·yū-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
yours	לְךָ֥	lə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular
alone	לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ	lə·ḇad·de·ḵā	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H905 separation
never	וְאֵ֖ין	wə·’ên	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H369 nothing, nought
to be shared	אִתָּֽךְ׃	’it·tāḵ	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H854 with
with strangers	לְזָרִ֣ים	lə·zā·rîm	Preposition-l; Adjective - masculine plural	H2114 be a stranger

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
May your fountain	מְקוֹרְךָ֥	mə·qō·wr·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H4726 spring, fountain
be	יְהִֽי־	yə·hî-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
blessed	בָר֑וּךְ	ḇā·rūḵ	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular	H1288 kneel, bless
and may you rejoice	וּ֝שְׂמַ֗ח	ū·śə·maḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H8055 rejoice, be glad
in the wife	מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת	mê·’ê·šeṯ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
of your youth	נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃	nə·‘ū·re·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H5271 youth, juvenility, young

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
A loving	אֲהָבִ֗ים	’ă·hā·ḇîm	Noun - masculine plural	H158 love
doe	אַיֶּ֥לֶת	’ay·ye·leṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H355 hind, doe
a graceful	חֵ֥ן	ḥên	Noun - masculine singular	H2580 favour, grace
fawn	וְֽיַעֲלַ֫ת־	wə·ya·‘ă·laṯ-	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct	H3280
may her breasts	דַּ֭דֶּיהָ	dad·de·hā	Noun - masculine dual construct; third person feminine singular	H1717 breast
satisfy you	יְרַוֻּ֣ךָ	yə·raw·wu·ḵā	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; second person masculine singular	H7301 be saturated, drink one's fill
always	בְכָל־	ḇə·ḵāl-	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
may you be captivated	תִּשְׁגֶּ֥ה	tiš·geh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H7686 go astray, err
by her love	בְּ֝אַהֲבָתָ֗הּ	bə·’a·hă·ḇā·ṯāh	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H160 love
forever	תָמִֽיד׃	ṯā·mîḏ	Adverb	H8548 continuity

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Why	וְלָ֤מָּה	wə·lām·māh	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
be captivated	תִשְׁגֶּ֣ה	ṯiš·geh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H7686 go astray, err
my son	בְנִ֣י	ḇə·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1121 son
by an adulteress	בְזָרָ֑ה	ḇə·zā·rāh	Preposition-b; Adjective - feminine singular	H2114 be a stranger
or embrace	וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק	ū·ṯə·ḥab·bêq	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - second person masculine singular	H2263 clasp, embrace
the bosom	חֵ֣ק	ḥêq	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2436 bosom
of a stranger	נָכְרִיָּֽה׃	nā·ḵə·rî·yāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H5237 foreign, alien

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
a man’s	אִ֑ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
ways	דַּרְכֵי־	dar·ḵê-	Noun - common plural construct	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
are before	נֹ֨כַח׀	nō·ḵaḥ	Preposition	H5227 front
the eyes	עֵינֵ֣י	‘ê·nê	Noun - cdc	H5869 eye
of the LORD	יְ֭הוָה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
and	מְפַלֵּֽס׃	mə·p̄al·lês	Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H6424 weigh, make level
all	וְֽכָל־	wə·ḵāl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
his paths	מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו	ma‘·gə·lō·ṯāw	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H4570 entrenchment