Wisdom

I have to do some immediate work on Proverbs 8 - as usual my rendering is structural and therefore married to the poet's sort order. Do not read poetry at speed. If there is only one thing I have learned from translating, it is to slow down and read a little rather than to skim and fail a lot. In what follows grammar is green - other colours mark the repetition of a word - the notes show an abstract form of the parallels in the poetry. It is easily seen that the poem is intricately wrought.

Wisdom is of course one of the sefirot. Many others are mentioned in this poem: understanding, knowledge, strength, determination, rule ... I do love numbers too (sfr means to enumerate) but that's not why I am reading this today - we are to read it on Monday at Bible Study - and this is my preparation. What does this chapter tell us about the Lord - the Spirit as teacher?

	a literal order translation	notes on the structure
א הֲלֹא-חָכְמָה תִקְרָא וּתְבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלָהּ	does not wisdom call and understanding give her voice	does not a b || [does not ] a' b' a||a' and b||b' or read understanding as receiving from wisdom
ב בְּרֹאשׁ-מְרֹמִים עֲלֵי-דָרֶךְ בֵּית נְתִיבוֹת נִצָּבָה	from the hilltops on the way where the roads meet she takes her stand	Notice the three parallel places - i.e. everywhere in the country c||c'||c'' a d (lit - a house of roads = roadhouse?)
ג לְיַד-שְׁעָרִים לְפִי-קָרֶת מְבוֹא פְתָחִים תָּרֹנָּה	right by the gates at the mouth of the town from the entry of the doors she sings	here hear again three places - wisdom is not excluded from the city e||e'||e'' a f
ד אֲלֵיכֶם אִישִׁים אֶקְרָא וְקוֹלִי אֶל-בְּנֵי אָדָם	to all humanity I call my voice to the children of humus	g e(a) || e'(a') g' the plural is oddly regular! (I did not render the conjunction)
ה הָבִינוּ פְתָאיִם עָרְמָה וּכְסִילִים הָבִינוּ לֵב	understand, O naive, shrewdness O simpletons, understand heart	b h i || h' b i'
ו שִׁמְעוּ כִּי-נְגִידִים אֲדַבֵּר וּמִפְתַּח שְׂפָתַי מֵישָׁרִים	hear for princely things I will speak and from the parting of my lips things that are upright	j k a || a' k'
ז כִּי-אֱמֶת יֶהְגֶּה חִכִּי וְתוֹעֲבַת שְׂפָתַי רֶשַׁע	for truth I muse with my gums and an abomination to my lips is wickedness	l a a'||not a a'' not l
ח בְּצֶדֶק כָּל-אִמְרֵי-פִי אֵין בָּהֶם נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּשׁ	of righteousness are all the words of my mouth there is nothing in them twisted or perverse	l a a'||not a'' not l//
ט כֻּלָּם נְכֹחִים לַמֵּבִין וִישָׁרִים לְמֹצְאֵי דָעַת	all of them transparent to one who understands and upright to those who find knowledge	a k'' b||k b'
י קְחוּ-מוּסָרִי וְאַל-כָּסֶף וְדַעַת מֵחָרוּץ נִבְחָר	receive my discipline and not silver and knowledge rather than gold of choice	j' a''' not m||b' not m'
יא כִּי-טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִפְּנִינִים וְכָל-חֲפָצִים לֹא יִשְׁווּ-בָהּ	for better is wisdom than rubies and all things to be desired are not to be compared with her	n comp a-o||o' not comp a
יב אֲנִי-חָכְמָה שָׁכַנְתִּי עָרְמָה וְדַעַת מְזִמּוֹת אֶמְצָא	I wisdom live with shrewdness and knowledge of purpose I find out	a p i || b'' p' - KJV witty inventions is hilarious!
יג יִרְאַת יְהוָה שְׂנֹאת-רָע גֵּאָה וְגָאוֹן וְדֶרֶךְ רָע וּפִי תַהְפֻּכוֹת שָׂנֵאתִי	the fear of יְהוָה to hate evil pride, arrogance, the way of evil and the mouth of falsehoods I hate	q _ r s t||t'...s
יד לִי-עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה אֲנִי בִינָה לִי גְבוּרָה	to me is counsel and success I am understanding to me is strength	a u v||a b||a v'
טו בִּי מְלָכִים יִמְלֹכוּ וְרֹזְנִים יְחֹקְקוּ צֶדֶק	by me kings reign and rulers decree righteousness	a w w||w' w' a
טז בִּי שָׂרִים יָשֹׂרוּ וּנְדִיבִים כָּל-שֹׁפְטֵי צֶדֶק	by me leaders lead and princes, all the judges of righteousness	a w''||w''' w'''' a
יז אֲנִי אהביה (אֹהֲבַי) אֵהָב וּמְשַׁחֲרַי יִמְצָאֻנְנִי	I - all those loving me - I love and those who seek me will find me	(written) loving her and this is a real identifiable piel! a participle
יח עֹשֶׁר-וְכָבוֹד אִתִּי הוֹן עָתֵק וּצְדָקָה	wealth and glory are with me substance of old and righteousness	עָתֵק rare superb works, movable, durable, ancient -
יט טוֹב פִּרְיִי מֵחָרוּץ וּמִפָּז וּתְבוּאָתִי מִכֶּסֶף נִבְחָר	better is my fruit than gold or fine gold and my coming than silver of choice	חָרוּץ is a very strange metaphor for gold - cutting? see above 'm' - they are part of Job's Leviathan! (Job 41:30) his underparts are sharp potsherds he spreads cuttings (חָרוּץ) in the dirt
כ בְּאֹרַח-צְדָקָה אֲהַלֵּךְ בְּתוֹךְ נְתִיבוֹת מִשְׁפָּט	in the path of righteousness I walk in the middle of the roads of judgment	x y a || x' y' I have run out of letters but you probably get the point already!
כא לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ וְאֹצְרֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּא	to allot to those loving me what is and their storehouses I will fill	to them who received him gave he power to become children of God
כב יְהוָה קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָז	יְהוָה acquired me as the beginning of his way before his works of old	acquire - cf Ruth 4:10, beginning - cf Genesis 1:1
כג מֵעוֹלָם נִסַּכְתִּי מֵרֹאשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי-אָרֶץ	from everlasting I was established from the beginning from before earth	נסך to be anointed; to pour out as a libation
כד בְּאֵין-תְּהֹמוֹת חוֹלָלְתִּי בְּאֵין מַעְיָנוֹת נִכְבַּדֵּי-מָיִם	when there were no depths I was begotten when there were no fountains heavy with water	cf Genesis 1:2
כה בְּטֶרֶם הָרִים הָטְבָּעוּ לִפְנֵי גְבָעוֹת חוֹלָלְתִּי	earlier than the mountains were sunk in the presence of the hills I was begotten
כו עַד-לֹא עָשָׂה אֶרֶץ וְחוּצוֹת וְרֹאשׁ עַפְרוֹת תֵּבֵל	as yet he had not made earth, the outside or the beginning of the dust of the world
כז בַּהֲכִינוֹ שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָנִי בְּחֻקוֹ חוּג עַל-פְּנֵי תְהוֹם	when he established the heavens, there was I when he inscribed a circle on the face of the deep	it's the same establish as psalm 90
כח בְּאַמְּצוֹ שְׁחָקִים מִמָּעַל בַּעֲזוֹז עִינוֹת תְּהוֹם	when he encouraged the clouds above to strengthen the fountains of the deep
כט בְּשׂוּמוֹ לַיָּם חֻקּוֹ וּמַיִם לֹא יַעַבְרוּ-פִיו בְּחוּקוֹ מוֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ	when he set to the sea his decree that the waters should not pass over his bidding when he inscribed the foundations of earth	his bidding - lit. his mouth
ל וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן וָאֶהְיֶה שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים יוֹם יוֹם מְשַׂחֶקֶת לְפָנָיו בְּכָל-עֵת	then I was beside him - faithful and I was his delights day by day at play in his presence at all times	presence - lit faces another identifiable piel participle
לא מְשַׂחֶקֶת בְּתֵבֵל אַרְצוֹ וְשַׁעֲשֻׁעַי אֶת-בְּנֵי אָדָם	at play in the world, his earth and delighting in the children of humus
לב וְעַתָּה בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ-לִי וְאַשְׁרֵי דְּרָכַי יִשְׁמֹרוּ	so now children, hear me for happy they that keep my ways
לג שִׁמְעוּ מוּסָר וַחֲכָמוּ וְאַל-תִּפְרָעוּ	hear discipline and be wise and do not let go
לד אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם שֹׁמֵעַ-לִי לִשְׁקֹד עַל-דַּלְתֹתַי יוֹם יוֹם לִשְׁמֹר מְזוּזֹת פְּתָחָי	happy is the human who hears me keeping watch at my portals daily guarding the posts of my doors
לה כִּי מֹצְאִי מצאי (מָצָא) חַיִּים וַיָּפֶק רָצוֹן מֵיְהוָה	for who finds me finds life and will obtain acceptance of יְהוָה
לו וְחֹטְאִי חֹמֵס נַפְשׁוֹ כָּל-מְשַׂנְאַי אָהֲבוּ מָוֶת	but who sins against me does violence to self all hating me love death