Proverbs

Proverbs 6:20–25

²⁰My son, keep your father’s commandment,

and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

²¹Bind them always upon your heart;

tie them around your neck.

²²When you walk, they will guide you;

when you lie down, they will watch over you;

when you awake, they will speak to you.

²³For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light,

and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,

²⁴to keep you from the evil woman,

from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.^c

²⁵Do not lust in your heart for her beauty

or let her captivate you with her eyes.^d

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
My son	בְּ֭נִי	bə·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1121 son
keep	נְצֹ֣ר	nə·ṣōr	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H5341 watch, guard, keep
your father’s	אָבִ֑יךָ	’ā·ḇî·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H1 father
commandment	מִצְוַ֣ת	miṣ·waṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H4687 commandment
and do not	וְאַל־	wə·’al-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
forsake	תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ	tiṭ·ṭōš	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5203 leave, forsake, permit
your mother’s	אִמֶּֽךָ׃	’im·me·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H517 mother
teaching	תּוֹרַ֥ת	tō·w·raṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H8451 direction, instruction, law

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Bind them	קָשְׁרֵ֣ם	qā·šə·rêm	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H7194 bind, league together, conspire
always	תָמִ֑יד	ṯā·mîḏ	Adverb	H8548 continuity
upon	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
your heart	לִבְּךָ֣	lib·bə·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
tie them	עָ֝נְדֵ֗ם	‘ā·nə·ḏêm	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H6029 bind
around	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
your neck	גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃	gar·gə·rō·ṯe·ḵā	Noun - feminine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H1621 neck

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When you walk	בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ֨׀	bə·hiṯ·hal·leḵ·ḵā	Preposition-b; Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct; second person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
they will guide you	תַּנְחֶ֬ה	tan·ḥeh	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H5148 lead, guide
when you	אֹתָ֗ךְ	’ō·ṯāḵ	Direct object marker; second person masculine singular	H853 mark of the accusative
lie down	בְּֽ֭שָׁכְבְּךָ	bə·šā·ḵə·bə·ḵā	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; second person masculine singular	H7901 lie down
they will watch	תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר	tiš·mōr	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H8104 keep, watch, preserve
over you	עָלֶ֑יךָ	‘ā·le·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H5921 height
when you awake	וַ֝הֲקִיצ֗וֹתָ	wa·hă·qî·ṣō·w·ṯā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H6974 awake
they	הִ֣יא	hî	Pronoun - third person feminine singular	H1931 he, she
will speak to you	תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃	ṯə·śî·ḥe·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular; second person masculine singular	H7878 muse, complain

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
this commandment	מִ֭צְוָה	miṣ·wāh	Noun - feminine singular	H4687 commandment
is a lamp	נֵ֣ר	nêr	Noun - masculine singular	H5216 lamp
this teaching	וְת֣וֹרָה	wə·ṯō·w·rāh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H8451 direction, instruction, law
a light	א֑וֹר	’ō·wr	Noun - common singular	H216 light
and the reproofs	תּוֹכְח֥וֹת	tō·wḵ·ḥō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural construct	H8433 rebuke, correction
of discipline	מוּסָֽר׃	mū·sār	Noun - masculine singular	H4148 discipline
are the way	וְדֶ֥רֶךְ	wə·ḏe·reḵ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - common singular construct	H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner
to life	חַ֝יִּ֗ים	ḥay·yîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2416 alive, living

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
to keep you	לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ	liš·mā·rə·ḵā	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; second person masculine singular	H8104 keep, watch, preserve
from the evil	רָ֑ע	rā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
woman	מֵאֵ֣שֶׁת	mê·’ê·šeṯ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
from the smooth	מֵֽ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת	mê·ḥel·qaṯ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct	H2513 portion
tongue	לָשׁ֥וֹן	lā·šō·wn	Noun - common singular	H3956 tongue
of the adulteress	נָכְרִיָּֽה׃	nā·ḵə·rî·yāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H5237 foreign, alien

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Do not	אַל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
lust	תַּחְמֹ֣ד	taḥ·mōḏ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H2530 desire, take pleasure in
in your heart	בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ	bil·ḇā·ḇe·ḵā	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3824 inner man, mind, will, heart
for her beauty	יָ֭פְיָהּ	yā·p̄ə·yāh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H3308 beauty
or let her captivate you	תִּ֝קָּֽחֲךָ֗	tiq·qā·ḥă·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular; second person masculine singular	H3947 take
with her eyes	בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃	bə·‘ap̄·‘ap·pe·hā	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine dual construct; third person feminine singular	H6079 eyelid