King James Version

Proverbs 10:13

In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

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Hebrew

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בְּשִׂפְתֵ֣יbesiftein languageשָׂפָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, dual, construct — “in language”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8193the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.נָ֭בוֹןnavonunderstandבִּיןverb, niphal, participle, absolute — “understand”, a verb used as a describing wordH995to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(generally) understandattend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill(-full), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) und…תִּמָּצֵ֣אtimatsecomeמָצָאverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “come”, an unfinished actionH4672properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present[phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with)…חָכְמָ֑הchakhemahwisdomחׇכְמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “wisdom”, the ordinary formH2451wisdom (in a good sense)skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.וְ֝שֵׁ֗בֶטveshevetand dartשֵׁבֶטconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and dart”, the ordinary formH7626a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan[idiom] correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.לְגֵ֣וlegevto backגֵּוpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “to back”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1460the back; by analogy, the middle[phrase] among, back, body.חֲסַרchasardestituteחָסֵרadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, construct — “destitute”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2638lacking; hence, withoutdestitute, fail, lack, have need, void, want.לֵֽבlevcomfortablyלֵבnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “comfortably”, the ordinary formH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom is found; but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom is found; But a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

Young’s Literal Translation

In the lips of the intelligent is wisdom found, And a rod [is] for the back of him who is lacking understanding.

World English Bible

Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has discernment, but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.

Darby Translation

In the lips of an intelligent [man] wisdom is found; but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

Douay-Rheims

In the lips of the wise is wisdom found: and a rod on the back of him that wanteth sense.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom is found; but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

He that brings forth wisdom from his lips smites the fool with a rod.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὃ ἐκ χειλέων προφέρει σοφίαν, ῥάβδῳ τύπτει ἄνδρα ἀκάρδιον.