Focused Passage

Proverbs 1:8-19

The Beginning of Wisdom: Instruction, Fear of the LORD, and the Refusal of Folly

The chapter moves from purpose, to parental instruction, to public wisdom appeal, showing that wisdom confronts the learner privately, socially, and publicly.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.

9 For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.

11 If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,

12 let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit.

13 We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.

14 Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—

15 my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.

16 For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.

17 How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!

18 But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.

19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

Listen שְׁמַ֣ע H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular my son בְּ֭נִי H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular to your father’s אָבִ֑יךָ H1 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular instruction מוּסַ֣ר H4148 Noun - masculine singular construct and do not forsake תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ H5203 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular . . . וְאַל־ H408 Conjunctive waw | Adverb the teaching תּוֹרַ֥ת H8451 Noun - feminine singular construct of your mother אִמֶּֽךָ׃ H517 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 9

Original words

For כִּ֤י׀ H3588 Conjunction they הֵ֬ם H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural [are] a garland לִוְיַ֤ת H3880 Noun - feminine singular construct of grace חֵ֓ן H2580 Noun - masculine singular on your head לְרֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ H7218 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and a pendant וַ֝עֲנָקִ֗ים H6060 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural around your neck לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃ H1621 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Verse 10

Original words

My son בְּנִ֡י H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular if אִם־ H518 Conjunction sinners חַ֝טָּאִ֗ים H2400 Adjective - masculine plural entice you יְפַתּ֥וּךָ H6601 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | second person masculine singular do not אַל־ H408 Adverb yield [to them] תֹּבֵֽא׃ H14 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular
Verse 11

Original words

If אִם־ H518 Conjunction they say יֹאמְרוּ֮ H559 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Come לְכָ֪ה H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular along אִ֫תָּ֥נוּ H854 Preposition | first person common plural let us lie in wait נֶאֶרְבָ֥ה H693 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural for blood לְדָ֑ם H1818 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular let us ambush נִצְפְּנָ֖ה H6845 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural the innocent לְנָקִ֣י H5355 Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular without cause חִנָּֽם׃ H2600 Adverb
Verse 12

Original words

let us swallow them נִ֭בְלָעֵם H1104 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural | third person masculine plural alive חַיִּ֑ים H2416 Noun - masculine plural like Sheol כִּשְׁא֣וֹל H7585 Preposition-k | Noun - common singular and whole וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים H8549 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural like those descending כְּי֣וֹרְדֵי H3381 Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct into the Pit בֽוֹר׃ H953 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 13

Original words

We {will} find נִמְצָ֑א H4672 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural all manner כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct of precious יָקָ֣ר H3368 Adjective - masculine singular goods ה֣וֹן H1952 Noun - masculine singular we {will} fill נְמַלֵּ֖א H4390 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common plural our houses בָתֵּ֣ינוּ H1004 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural with plunder שָׁלָֽל׃ H7998 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

Throw in תַּפִּ֣יל H5307 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular your lot גּ֭וֹרָ֣לְךָ H1486 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular with us בְּתוֹכֵ֑נוּ H8432 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural let us all לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃ H3605 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common plural share יִהְיֶ֥ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular one אֶ֝חָ֗ד H259 Number - masculine singular purse כִּ֥יס H3599 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 15

Original words

my son בְּנִ֗י H1121 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular do not אַל־ H408 Adverb walk תֵּלֵ֣ךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular the road בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ H1870 Preposition-b | Noun - common singular with them אִתָּ֑ם H854 Preposition | third person masculine plural or set מְנַ֥ע H4513 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular foot רַ֝גְלְךָ֗ H7272 Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular upon their path מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃ H5410 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 16

Original words

For כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction their feet רַ֭גְלֵיהֶם H7272 Noun - feminine dual construct | third person masculine plural run יָר֑וּצוּ H7323 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural to evil לָרַ֣ע H7451 Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singular and they are swift וִֽ֝ימַהֲר֗וּ H4116 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural to shed לִשְׁפָּךְ־ H8210 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct blood דָּֽם׃ H1818 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 17

Original words

How כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction futile [it is] חִ֭נָּם H2600 Adverb to spread מְזֹרָ֣ה H2219 Verb - Pual - Participle - feminine singular the net הָרָ֑שֶׁת H7568 Article | Noun - feminine singular where any כָל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct bird בַּ֥עַל H1167 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . כָּנָֽף׃ H3671 Noun - feminine singular can see it בְּ֝עֵינֵ֗י H5869 Preposition-b | Noun - cdc
Verse 18

Original words

But they וְ֭הֵם H1992 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine plural lie in wait יֶאֱרֹ֑בוּ H693 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural for their [own] blood לְדָמָ֣ם H1818 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural they ambush יִ֝צְפְּנ֗וּ H6845 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural their [own] lives לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃ H5315 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Verse 19

Original words

Such [is] כֵּ֗ן H3651 Adverb the fate אָ֭רְחוֹת H734 Noun - common plural construct of all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct who are greedy בֹּ֣צֵֽעַ H1214 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular whose unjust gain בָּ֑צַע H1215 Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker takes יִקָּֽח׃פ H3947 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular the lives נֶ֖פֶשׁ H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct of its possessors בְּעָלָ֣יו H1167 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.