King James Version

Proverbs 27:22

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

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Hebrew

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אִ֥םimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…תִּכְתּֽוֹשׁtikhtoshbrayכָּתַשׁverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “bray”, an unfinished actionH3806to butt or poundbray.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הָאֱוִ֨ילhaevilthe foolאֱוִילdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “the fool”, the ordinary formH191(figuratively) sillyfool(-ish) (man).בַּֽמַּכְתֵּ֡שׁbamakhteshin mortarמַכְתֵּשׁpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in mortar”, the ordinary formH4388a mortar; by analogy, a socket (of a tooth)hollow place, mortar.בְּת֣וֹךְbetokhein amongתָּוֶךְpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in among”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8432a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centreamong(-st), [idiom] between, half, [idiom] (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), [idiom] out (of), [idiom] through, [idiom] with(-in).הָ֭רִיפוֹתharifotthe ground cornרִיפָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “the ground corn”, the ordinary formH7383(only plural), grits (as pounded)ground corn, wheat.בַּֽעֱלִ֑יbaeliin pestleעֱלִיpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in pestle”, the ordinary formH5940a pestle (as lifted)pestle.לֹאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…תָס֥וּרtasurturnסוּרverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “turn”, an unfinished actionH5493to turn off (literal or figurative)be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), [idiom] grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, [idiom] be sour, take (away, off), turn…מֵ֝עָלָ֗יוmealayvfrom aboveעַלpreposition, preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “from above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…אִוַּלְתּֽוֹivaltvofollyאִוֶּלֶתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “folly”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH200sillinessfolly, foolishly(-ness).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle among groats, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain, Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Young’s Literal Translation

If thou dost beat the foolish in a mortar, Among washed things — with a pestle, His folly turneth not aside from off him.

World English Bible

Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

Darby Translation

If thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his folly depart from him.

Douay-Rheims

Though thou shouldst bray a fool in the mortar, as when a pestle striketh upon sodden barley, his folly would not be taken from him.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle among groats, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Though thou scourge a fool, disgracing him in the midst of the council, thou wilt still in no wise remove his folly from him.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐὰν μαστιγοῖς ἄφρονα ἐν μέσῳ συνεδρίου ἀτιμάζων, οὐ μὴ περιέλῃς τὴν ἀφροσύνην αὐτοῦ.