Proverbs

Proverbs 6:24–29

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

²⁶For the levy of the prostitute is poverty,^e

and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

²⁷Can a man embrace fire

and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Can a man walk on hot coals

without scorching his feet?

²⁹So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

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
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

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the levy	בְעַד־	ḇə·‘aḏ-	Preposition	H1157 separation
of the prostitute	זוֹנָ֗ה	zō·w·nāh	Noun - feminine singular	H2181 commit fornication, be a harlot
is poverty	כִּכַּ֫ר	kik·kar	Noun - feminine singular construct	H3603 a round
and the adulteress	וְאֵ֥שֶׁת	wə·’ê·šeṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
preys upon	תָצֽוּד׃פ	ṯā·ṣūḏ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H6679 hunt
your very	יְקָרָ֣ה	yə·qā·rāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H3368 precious, rare, splendid, weighty
life	נֶ֖פֶשׁ	ne·p̄eš	Noun - feminine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Can a man	אִ֓ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
embrace	הֲיַחְתֶּ֤ה	hă·yaḥ·teh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2846 snatch up
fire	אֵ֬שׁ	’êš	Noun - common singular	H784 fire
and his clothes	וּ֝בְגָדָ֗יו	ū·ḇə·ḡā·ḏāw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H899 treachery
not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
be burned	תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃	ṯiś·śā·rap̄·nāh	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural	H8313 burn

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Can	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
a man	אִ֭ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
walk	יְהַלֵּ֣ךְ	yə·hal·lêḵ	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
on	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
hot coals	הַגֶּחָלִ֑ים	hag·ge·ḥā·lîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H1513 ember
without	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
scorching	תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃	ṯik·kā·we·nāh	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural	H3554 burn, scorch, brand
his feet	וְ֝רַגְלָ֗יו	wə·raḡ·lāw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine dual construct; third person masculine singular	H7272 foot

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So	כֵּ֗ן	kên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest
is he who sleeps with	הַ֭בָּא	hab·bā	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
another man’s	רֵעֵ֑הוּ	rê·‘ê·hū	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7453 shouting, roar
wife	אֵ֣שֶׁת	’ê·šeṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
no one	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
who touches	הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ	han·nō·ḡê·a‘	Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5060 touch, reach, strike
her	בָּֽהּ׃	bāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular
will go unpunished	יִ֝נָּקֶ֗ה	yin·nā·qeh	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5352 be empty(?), clean