Focused Passage

Proverbs 2:12-22

Seeking Wisdom as Treasure: The LORD Gives Discernment and Guards the Way of the Upright

The chapter moves from seeking wisdom, to receiving wisdom from the LORD, to being internally transformed by wisdom, to being protected from wickedness and adultery, to remaining in the way of covenant life.

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

12 to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,

13 from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness,

14 from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,

15 whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.

16 It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words

17 who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.

18 For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.

19 None who go to her return or negotiate the paths of life.

20 So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 12

Original words

to deliver you לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ H5337 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular from the way מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ H1870 Preposition-m | Noun - common singular of evil רָ֑ע H7451 Adjective - masculine singular from the man מֵ֝אִ֗ישׁ H376 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular who speaks מְדַבֵּ֥ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular perversity תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃ H8419 Noun - feminine plural
Verse 13

Original words

from those who leave הַ֭עֹ֣זְבִים H5800 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural the straight יֹ֑שֶׁר H3476 Noun - masculine singular paths אָרְח֣וֹת H734 Noun - common plural construct to walk לָ֝לֶ֗כֶת H1980 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct in the ways בְּדַרְכֵי־ H1870 Preposition-b | Noun - common plural construct of darkness חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ H2822 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 14

Original words

from those who enjoy הַ֭שְּׂמֵחִים H8056 Article | Adjective - masculine plural doing לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת H6213 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct evil רָ֑ע H7451 Adjective - masculine singular and rejoice יָ֝גִ֗ילוּ H1523 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural in the twistedness בְּֽתַהְפֻּכ֥וֹת H8419 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct of evil רָֽע׃ H7451 Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 15

Original words

whose אֲשֶׁ֣ר H834 Pronoun - relative paths אָרְחֹתֵיהֶ֣ם H734 Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine plural are crooked עִקְּשִׁ֑ים H6141 Adjective - masculine plural and whose ways בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָֽם׃ H4570 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural are devious וּ֝נְלוֹזִ֗ים H3868 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Verse 16

Original words

It will rescue you לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ H5337 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular from the forbidden זָרָ֑ה H2114 Adjective - feminine singular woman מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה H802 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular from the stranger מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה H5237 Preposition-m | Adjective - feminine singular with seductive הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃ H2505 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person feminine singular words אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ H561 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular

BSB notes

  • Or wayward wife
  • Or adulteress
Verse 17

Original words

who abandons הַ֭עֹזֶבֶת H5800 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular the partner אַלּ֣וּף H441 Noun - masculine singular construct of her youth נְעוּרֶ֑יהָ H5271 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and forgets שָׁכֵֽחָה׃ H7911 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular the covenant בְּרִ֖ית H1285 Noun - feminine singular construct of her God אֱלֹהֶ֣יהָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Verse 18

Original words

For כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction her house בֵּיתָ֑הּ H1004 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular sinks down שָׁ֣חָה H7743 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition death מָ֣וֶת H4194 Noun - masculine singular and her tracks מַעְגְּלֹתֶֽיהָ׃ H4570 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person feminine singular to וְאֶל־ H413 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the departed spirits רְ֝פָאִ֗ים H7496 Noun - masculine plural

BSB notes

  • Hebrew to the Rephaim
Verse 19

Original words

None כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct who go to her בָּ֭אֶיהָ H935 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular . . . לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle return יְשׁוּב֑וּן H7725 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun [or] וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle negotiate יַ֝שִּׂ֗יגוּ H5381 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural the paths אָרְח֥וֹת H734 Noun - common plural construct of life חַיִּֽים׃ H2416 Noun - masculine plural
Verse 20

Original words

So לְמַ֗עַן H4616 Conjunction you will follow תֵּ֭לֵךְ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular in the ways בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ H1870 Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct of the good טוֹבִ֑ים H2896 Adjective - masculine plural and keep to תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃ H8104 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular the paths וְאָרְח֖וֹת H734 Conjunctive waw | Noun - common plural construct of the righteous צַדִּיקִ֣ים H6662 Adjective - masculine plural
Verse 21

Original words

For כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction the upright יְשָׁרִ֥ים H3477 Adjective - masculine plural will inhabit יִשְׁכְּנוּ H7931 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural the land אָ֑רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular and the blameless וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים H8549 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural will remain יִוָּ֥תְרוּ H3498 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural in it בָֽהּ׃ Preposition | third person feminine singular
Verse 22

Original words

but the wicked וּ֭רְשָׁעִים H7563 Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural will be cut off יִכָּרֵ֑תוּ H3772 Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural from מִמֶּֽנָּה׃פ H4480 Preposition | third person feminine singular the land מֵאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular and the unfaithful וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים H898 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural {will} be uprooted יִסְּח֥וּ H5255 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural

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.