King James Version

Proverbs 7:23

Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

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Hebrew

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עַ֤דadevenעַדpreposition — “even”H5704as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet.יְפַלַּ֪חyefalachbring forthפָּלַחverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “bring forth”, an unfinished actionH6398to slice, i.e. break open or piercebring forth, cleave, cut, shred, strike through.חֵ֡ץchetsarrowחֵץnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “arrow”, the ordinary formH2671properly, a piercer, i.e. an arrow; by implication, a wound; figuratively, (of God) thunderbolt; the shaft of aspear[phrase] archer, arrow, dart, shaft, staff, wound.כְּֽבֵד֗וֹkevedvoliverכָּבֵדnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “liver”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3516the liver (as the heaviest of the viscera)liver.כְּמַהֵ֣רkemaheras be carried headlongמָהַרpreposition, verb, piel, infinitive construct — “as be carried headlong”, the to-form of the verbH4116properly, to be liquid or flow easily, i.e. (by implication); to hurry (in a good or a bad sense); often used (with another verb) adverbially, promptlybe carried headlong, fearful, (cause to make, in, make) haste(-n, -ily), (be) hasty, (fetch, make ready) [idiom] quickly, rash, [idiom] shortly, (be so) [idiom] soon, make speed, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] straightway, [idiom] suddenly, swi…צִפּ֣וֹרtsiporbirdצִפּוֹרnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “bird”, the ordinary formH6833a little bird (as hopping)bird, fowl, sparrow.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).פָּ֑חpachplateפַּחnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “plate”, the ordinary formH6341a (metallic) sheet (as pounded thin); also a spring net (as spread out like a lamina)gin, (thin) plate, snare.וְלֹֽאveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and 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…יָ֝דַ֗עyadaknowיָדַעverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “know”, a completed actionH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…בְנַפְשׁ֥וֹvenafshvoin creatureנֶפֶשׁpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…הֽוּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare — and knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.

Young’s Literal Translation

Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it [is] for its life.

World English Bible

Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.

Darby Translation

till an arrow strike through his liver: as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for its life.

Douay-Rheims

Till the arrow pierce his liver: as if a bird should make haste to the snare, and knoweth not that his life is in danger.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare — and knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and he hastens as a bird into a snare, not knowing that he is running for his life.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

ἢ ὡς ἔλαφος τοξεύματι πεπληγὼς εἰς τὸ ἧπαρ· σπεύδει δὲ ὥσπερ ὄρνεον εἰς παγίδα, οὐκ εἰδὼς ὅτι περὶ ψυχῆς τρέχει.