King James Version

Proverbs 21:22

A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.

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Hebrew

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עִ֣ירircityעִירnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “city”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.גִּ֭בֹּרִיםgiborimchampionגִּבּוֹרadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “champion”, the ordinary formH1368powerful; by implication, warrior, tyrantchampion, chief, [idiom] excel, giant, man, mighty (man, one), strong (man), valiant man.עָלָ֣הalahascend upעָלָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “ascend up”, a completed actionH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…חָכָ֑םchakhamwise , manחָכָםadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “wise , man”, the ordinary formH2450wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful)cunning (man), subtil, (un-), wise((hearted), man).וַ֝יֹּ֗רֶדvayoredand bring downיָרַדconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and bring down”, the next action in the storyH3381to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications)[idiom] abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, [idiom] indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take…עֹ֣זozstrengthעֹזnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “strength”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5797strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise)boldness, loud, might, power, strength, strong.מִבְטֶחָֽהmivtechahconfidenceמִבְטָחnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “confidence”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4009properly, a refuge, i.e. (objective) security, or (subjective) assuranceconfidence, hope, sure, trust.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and bringeth down the stronghold wherein it trusteth.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, And bringeth down the strength of the confidence thereof.

Young’s Literal Translation

A city of the mighty hath the wise gone up, And bringeth down the strength of its confidence.

World English Bible

A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and brings down the strength of its confidence.

Darby Translation

A wise [man] scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.

Douay-Rheims

The wise man hath scaled the city of the strong, and hath cast down the strength of the confidence thereof.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and bringeth down the stronghold wherein it trusteth.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

A wise man assaults strong cities, and demolishes the fortress in which the ungodly trusted.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Πόλεις ὀχυρὰς ἐπέβη σοφὸς, καὶ καθεῖλε τὸ ὀχύρωμα ἐφʼ ᾧ ἐπεποίθεισαν οἱ ἀσεβεῖς.